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With the city cutting the library budget, two full-time employees, who had worked there for many years, had their hours cut in half. Shouldn't good work and seniority be rewarded?
Newell, smaller than Storm Lake, has a children's librarians. Can't Storm Lake afford a children's librarian?
Now there's talk of cutting the Home Delivery service that was started by Jo Mead 25 years ago. Books, magazines, large print materials, audiobooks and DVDs are delivered to patrons who are unable to come to the library. This seems to be to be a wonderful program to serve the Storm Lake community. Why would it be cut?
The library should be a thriving, friendly, welcoming place for people to come.
If you're interested in helping support the Storm Lake Public Library, make your views known.
The library board meets the second Monday of every month at 4 p.m. in the meeting room.
Mary Cullen, Storm Lake, Former children's librarian at the SLPL
“Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.” This quote by Martin Luther King sums up the reason due process is so important. Each person accused requires the process of being able to give their side of the accusation to receive the justice that is due them. Without rule of law there is no justice.
The Fourth Amendment specifically states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizures, shall not be violated and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause supported by Oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched and persons or things be seized.”
If you are not a Native American, you are the product of immigration. All white people were automatic citizens, in the beginning. In 1790 a law passed that stated any free, white adult who resided within the limits and jurisdiction of the U.S. for two years was eligible for citizenship.
In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was necessary so the newly freed slaves and their children could not be denied citizenship and, in the process, made it possible for the children of anyone who resided in the U.S. who had a child, that child would automatically be granted citizenship. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States... are citizens of the United States. [….] No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person [.... ] the equal protection of the laws.
Masked thugs arresting people at will, immigrants, citizens. The process of citizenship is being denied. This administration can take away any right they choose. Wake-up.
Cheri Shatto, Fostoria
The House passed a reckless reconciliation bill and then tossed it to the Senate to fix. Rick Morain nailed it in his June 6 column: “It’s big, but it ain’t beautiful.”
The reconciliation bill would make it even harder for millions of Americans to put food on the table and access health care, especially in rural communities. It proposes rolling back the purchasing power of SNAP benefits by freezing updates adopted in 2021, making it almost impossible to afford a healthy diet. It adds punitive work requirements, unnecessary as most recipients who are able-bodied and non-elderly already work: 72% for SNAP and 92% for Medicaid. Until now the federal government has paid all administrative costs for SNAP and covered over 70% of costs for Medicaid in Iowa; this bill shifts a chunk of administrative costs for both programs to states. Iowa has to balance its budget, so how would legislators pay for these additional costs? They won’t raise taxes, instead they’ll slash benefits. One of every five Iowans (21%) accesses health care through Medicaid or CHIP and one of every 12 (8%) receives food assistance from SNAP. And when Medicaid pays less, rural hospitals, nursing homes and health centers close.
Those who stand to lose are some of us who have personally benefited from SNAP and Medicaid at times when it was the only option available.
Senator Ernst and Senator Grassley, don’t waste this opportunity to fix the deeply flawed House bill. If voting NO requires more courage than you can muster, at least reject any cuts that take health care and food away from Iowans who need it most — especially to finance tax breaks for the rich.
Peggy Fitch and Zach Kyman, Des Moines; Alyssa Rodriguez, Ames; and Joshua Benjamin, formerly Des Moines, now Madison, Wis.
How many of us know what is in the big bill and how it will affect our lives? I won’t call it beautiful because it is far from it.
Many of the government services we enjoy are funded through combined federal and state dollars. In this bill, there are massive cuts to our states. In Iowa, our legislators have cut revenue sources so deeply that they now have to use the rainy day fund to balance the budget. What do you think will happen to services when the federal money is cut for Iowa? It will only get worse. Hang on.
While our public taxes are being used to fund private schools, many public schools in rural areas will close. There is no oversight for the private schools and unlimited funding is being projected. There’s more. When grandma needs care outside of her home and has run out of money, will there be a bed for her when nursing homes are already struggling and many will close or at the very least cut back on accepting those recipients on Medicaid because it’s not enough?
Services will be cut all across Iowa from schools, healthcare services, parks and recreation, water quality initiatives, efforts to address the growing cancer trends in Iowa and so much more. Reynolds’ million dollars for cancer research won’t go far and she knows it.
Wait until your property tax bill comes. Prepare yourself while our legislators pat themselves on the back for lowering your state income tax. Has your property insurance gone up? Expect more. The extreme weather events all across our country are taking a toll on home-owners insurance. They can’t afford to pay out claims repeatedly year after year. But don’t worry, legislators are protecting fossil fuel companies so they can make millions off our backs. The fossil fuel companies have known for years that they are affecting the health of our planet but with lobbyists and politicians who can be bought, they aren’t going to worry about it. Let our grandchildren worry about it.
When you have an emergency and need a bed in ICU, you may end up in Sioux City as there may not be a bed or enough staff locally to take care of you. Heck, your local hospital may even close due to lack of funding.
Don’t believe me? Ask your local city, county or state employee. They know what’s coming and no one is talking about it. I hope they will be honest with you. Who’s responsible for all this? We are, the voters who believed the hype, the bragging and the lies and elected officials who care more about billionaires than ordinary Americans. What a shame.
Kathy Folkerts, Waverly
Social Security and Medicare, entitlement programs, and Medicaid, a welfare program, along with the federal deficit and debt, are the drivers of 73% of the budget. All on an unsustainable path.
Social Security and Medicare were implemented under dubious economic assumptions and numbers that were proven over time to be unrealistic. In addition, both programs were expanded over decades that compounded the problem. The life expectancy when Social Security was enacted was not much longer than when a recipient could draw benefits. A much different scenario today. Fewer workers as well supporting the system.
Social Security is highly “progressive” with lower income groups receiving a much higher percentage of benefits relative to the amount they contributed to the program. It is expected to be unable to pay out the benefits promised by 2034.
Likewise, Medicare, enacted during President Johnson’s “Great Society” programs, is also expected to be unable to pay its obligations in a few short years as well.
President Trump has said both programs are off the table for reform. Congress has no interest in touching such a hot political football as well. The recipients are not interested in any changes that will adversely affect them.
As “entitlement” programs, means testing would be antithetical to such a mandated system.
Medicaid is a welfare program, mainly for low-income mothers and their children. Also enacted in the “Great Society” programs of the mid 1960s. It too has been greatly expanded over time, especially with “Obamacare” which was highly subsidized and vastly expanded to include able-bodied people without any disabilities and no work requirements. States were incentivized to increase Medicaid with the Federal government paying 90% of the costs. The system has been termed by many, including the Wall Street Journal; as a “big government-sanctioned racket than Medicaid provider taxes.” For every dollar states spend on Medicaid, they get one to three dollars from the Feds and nine for able bodied individuals covered under Obamacare.
The Republicans are trying to implement some mild reforms for Medicaid with some reductions and work requirements, but the pushback is significant, from all those benefiting from such a convoluted, scheming and wasteful system.
Vic Massara, Omaha, Neb.
Recently we have read about devastation from wildfires and strong storms. Climate scientists say we will see more as a result of climate change.
To reduce air pollution that causes climate change we must reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Senator Lindsey Graham said, “CO2 emissions generated by man is creating our greenhouse gas effect that traps heat, and the planet is warming.”
Our government needs to do much more to promote clean energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This includes maintaining tax credits for clean energy — not reducing them.
I encourage readers to email their U.S. Senators and Representative. Joining Citizens' Climate Lobby and similar groups is another great way to fight climate change.
Make earth great again. There is no planet B.
When our grandchildren ask what we did about climate change, let’s have an answer.
Gary Jump, Itasca, Ill.
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