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<\/figure>\nBrad Sherman is\u00a0best choice for House District 91<\/strong><\/p>\n As a supporter of Brad Sherman for Iowa House District 91, I would like to say how encouraging it is to have a man of exceptional character and integrity running for this position. His view of government is simple, which is the way it was intended to be. Less government involvement in our lives is what I want and what most people want.<\/p>\n Our rights come from God, not from government! It was never the intent of our founding fathers to restrict, control and overburden the people of this country with excessive taxes and government over-reach into our businesses. Nor is it the responsibility of the government to tell us how to live our lives, what we can and cannot say and inflict ridiculous and immoral laws on us.<\/p>\n\n Sherman\u00a0supports the idea that every life is precious because we are all created in the image of God. He regularly states that our Constitution is an exceptional document the way that it is and does not need to be re-written, just re-read. He wants fair and honest elections that we can trust. He has a deep love for our country and the republic it was created to be. He will stand up for what is right and good and can\u2019t be bought nor will he cave into the pressure to vote against his conscience.<\/p>\n\n Iowa would be well-served to have Sherman in our state government to fight for what is in the best interest of the people of Iowa. Please vote for Brad Sherman on Nov.\u00a08.<\/p>\n -Kris Kesterson, Williamsburg<\/em><\/p>\n Do you agree with Democrats or Republicans?<\/strong><\/p>\n Democrats want to increase taxes on the rich; Republicans cut taxes on the rich.<\/p>\n Democrats want to expand health insurance; Republicans want to take health insurance away from 20 million people.<\/p>\n\n Democrats want to increase renewable energy; Republicans want to increase oil and coal production.<\/p>\n Democrats want to stop global warming; Republicans don\u2019t see the need.<\/p>\n Democrats want to reform campaign finance; Republicans don\u2019t want any change.<\/p>\n Democrats want to protect voting rights; Republicans want to suppress voting rights.<\/p>\n Democrats promote vaccines; Republicans are skeptical.<\/p>\n Democrats want immigration reform; Republicans want to complain and blame Democrats.<\/p>\n Democrats want gun control; Republican want more assault rifles.<\/p>\n Democrats support civil rights and civil liberties; Republicans do not.<\/p>\n Democrats support environmental protections; Donald Trump canceled 99 environmental protections.<\/p>\n Democrats support women\u2019s rights; Republicans do not.<\/p>\n Democrats support labor rights; Republicans support corporate rights.<\/p>\n Democrats support criminal justice reform; Republicans want \u201claw and order.\u201d<\/p>\n Democrats want to raise the minimum wage; Republicans do not.<\/p>\n Democrats vote to rebuild the infrastructure; most Republicans voted against it.<\/p>\n Democrats support cleaning up ocean pollution; Republicans do not.<\/p>\n Trump admired Vladimir Putin and other dictators; Joe Biden promotes democracy in other countries.<\/p>\n Democrats intend to bring Trump to justice for his crimes; Republicans support Trump no matter what.<\/p>\n -Doug Korty,\u00a0Iowa City<\/em><\/p>\n Mike Franken supports older Iowans<\/strong><\/p>\n While AARP does not endorse candidates, it does identify the top issues of importance to older citizens. Its list, published in the AARP\u2019s May Bulletin, included prescription drugs, Social Security, Medicare, and caregiving\/long-term care.<\/p>\n Mike Franken\u2019s website,\u00a0FrankenforIowa.com, was put together prior to AARP\u2019s May Bulletin. He had listed his major issues for older Iowans as:\u00a0Keep Social Security solvent for this and future generations\u00a0(proposal: Make all<\/em> earnings subject to the Social Security tax.); expand Medicare\u00a0(proposal: Make Medicare available to everyone and add coverage for vision, hearing\u00a0and dental care.); lower the cost of prescription drugs\u00a0(proposal: Medicare needs to do what the Veterans Administration does \u2014 use its national purchasing power to negotiate prices with drug companies.); improve long-term care services, while expanding ways to pay for them\u00a0(Franken identifies five proposals to address these challenges).<\/p>\n\n Franken addresses all four of AARP\u2019s issues in-depth and goes further. He suggests we pay for these programs by eliminating the Donald Trump tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Americans and adopt a tax system where all Americans and big corporations pay their fair share.<\/p>\n Chuck Grassley\u2019s reelection website lists none of these issues as a priority. None.<\/p>\n Who cares more about and will better serve older Iowans? It\u2019s obvious \u2014 Franken will.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Franken surely has my vote and I hope he will have yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n -Bob Welsh, Coralville<\/em><\/p>\n Trump’s name missing from Republican rally<\/strong><\/p>\n Johnson County Republicans (well, \u201cabout a hundred of them,\u201d also counting other \u201cRepublican politicians\u201d) rallied for Mariannette Miller-Meeks last weekend (\u201cU.S. Sen. Rick Scott helps fire up Republicans in Iowa City,\u201d\u00a0Sept. 12 Press-Citizen). Strangely, George Shillcock’s lengthy report on that rally contains not one mention of Donald J. Trump, the former president and leading candidate for the Republican ticket in 2024.<\/p>\n Strange, because Sen. Chuck\u00a0Grassley and Gov. Kim Reynolds have both said how \u201chonored\u201d they are to have Trump\u2019s endorsement in this election cycle \u2014 and some have even speculated Reynolds is angling to be a Trump running mate. Strange, because Miller-Meeks campaigned that she was the candidate best able to advance the \u201cTrump agenda\u201d in the 2020 election. (How\u2019s that going?).<\/p>\n Stranger still, Shillcock mentions Scott as joining a raft of other potential Republican presidential candidates \u201cwho have made their way to Iowa recently.\u201d So the question is: are Iowa Republicans getting ready to \u201cdump the Donald\u201d or are they going to stand by their man? When will Trump be invited to Iowa to campaign for these loyalists?<\/p>\n -Jim Walters,\u00a0Iowa City<\/em><\/p>\n Miller-Meeks shows she can’t be trusted<\/strong><\/p>\n On Sept. 10, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks conducted an Iowa City fundraiser with Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who as CEO of Columbia\/HCA over saw a Medicare fraud scheme a decade ago.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Scott lied to recipients about losing their doctors, hospitals and health care.\u00a0The corporation was fined $1.7 billion for over-billing Medicare and Medicaid.<\/p>\n Miller-Meeks apparently isn\u2019t bothered that Scott nearly brought down the entire medical chain despite ample warnings in stockholder reports that he signed.<\/p>\n As senator, Scott wants to \u201csunset\u201d Social Security and Medicare in five\u00a0years.\u00a0Obviously, Miller-Meeks agrees.<\/p>\n Miller-Meeks has proved she isn\u2019t a worthy member of Congress.\u00a0She voted against moms and babies when she opposed an emergency funding bill to remedy the baby formula shortage.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n She opposed the toxic burn pit bill (PACT Act), causing her fellow vets increased suffering.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Miller-Meeks voted against the recent CHIPS Act, which restores American semiconductor jobs that Sen.\u00a0Chuck Grassley voted to ship overseas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n She voted against infrastructure improvements she campaigned for in 2020.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Miller-Meeks said she aims to \u201ctriple\u201d her six-vote margin of victory in the November 2022 election, to 18 votes?\u00a0<\/p>\n Christina Bohannan has bigger aims.\u00a0She\u2019ll take care of the middle class.<\/p>\n -Ellen Ballas, Iowa City<\/em><\/p>\n Stop stealing<\/strong><\/p>\n Although most important political issues are complex, we often try to condense them into a simple three- or four-word slogan that can be chanted at a political rally or fit on a bumper sticker. Recent examples include \u201cYes we can,\u201d \u201cLock her up,\u201d and \u201cStop the steal,\u201d among others.<\/p>\n This last slogan about \u201cthe steal\u201d first appeared as early as 2016. Four years later, \u201cthe steal\u201d referred to the idea that the former president didn\u2019t really lose his reelection. But those concerned about the future might apply this catchy slogan to other important issues.<\/p>\n\n For example, stop stealing our hard-earned money and make corporations and the super rich pay their share of taxes. Stop stealing our voting rights through state-level restrictions and gerrymandering. Stop stealing the freedom to make our own health care choices. Stop stealing our lives by not controlling assault weapons. Stop stealing the freedom of teachers to help our children learn our country\u2019s history and appreciate the world\u2019s rich cultural diversity. Stop stealing the quality of life for seniors who can\u2019t afford their essential medicines. Stop stealing our children\u2019s and grandchildren\u2019s futures by ignoring climate change. The list of steals goes on.<\/p>\n Instead of violence and insurrection, let\u2019s each thoughtfully study the candidates and then peacefully march to the voting booth on Nov.\u00a08\u00a0and elect those who we think can best stop the many real steals we are facing.<\/p>\n -Tom Cook, Iowa City<\/em><\/p>\n Accountability to Johnson County taxpayers<\/strong><\/p>\n The Johnson County Fair is a publicly subsidized event held annually by the Johnson County Agricultural Association. Many may assume it is a worthy investment. But maybe it is time to raise questions. Over the past decade, Johnson County taxpayers contributed over a million dollars in funding to the JCAA, not including providing county deputies to provide security for the fair ($4,142\u00a0in 2021).<\/p>\n The JCAA also receives ongoing funding from the Association of Iowa Fairs ($10,103\u00a0in 2021). In 2020, even though the fair was canceled due to the pandemic, Johnson County taxpayers contributed $103,000 for the fair while the federal government provided $75,000.<\/p>\n\n When the Johnson County Board of Supervisors approves funding, the JCAA is then required to provide an accounting for its expenditure of these funds. But in recent years, it has failed to do so, despite continuing to request and receive further funding. Wouldn\u2019t a full audit of where our tax dollars go and how much funding JCAA accrues from other funding sources be essential for the Board of Supervisors to make responsible funding decisions?<\/p>\n Linn County contributes $25,000 toward its county fair. Why do Johnson County taxpayers subsidize so much more? When the Board of Supervisors recently approved a $52,000 service agreement requested by the JCAA for 2023 funding, only one Supervisor, Jon Green, had the courage to vote no. Green responsibly insisted on JCAA accountability before receiving further subsidies. We should all appreciate that.<\/p>\n