Silly me. I thought I had been paying attention to the issues about which Iowans feel strongly. You know, things like inflation, taxes, government spending, the war in Ukraine, a new farm bill, water …
One of the photographs of my father that I clearly remember appeared on the pages of the Bloomfield Democrat about 60 years ago. Pop was standing chest-deep in a hole that had been hastily dug in the …
My late friend Paul was a fine Des Moines teacher. I wish the Evans girls had him for history and government. Judging from his ability to entertain me with descriptions of his interactions with …
Sue and I were in Washington, Iowa, last month. The purpose for our trip was a high school graduation. It was a special occasion because the people we joined with in honoring young Cameron, the newly …
In 2017, the Iowa Legislature responded to concerns from Gov. Terry Branstad and amended Iowa law to ensure when government employees are forced out of their jobs the reasons must be made public and …
If you watch the Iowa Legislature in action, there are some truisms you see time and again. Such as: Each political party is in favor of transparency and accountability — until they gain the …
I thought the often-repeated desire to weed out waste, fraud and abuse from government spending was something Republicans, Democrats and independents could all agree on in Iowa. Boy, am …
FORT MADISON - Mental Health Month is observed every May in the United States to raise awareness about mental health issues, reduce stigma, and encourage people to take care of their mental health. …
Last week was one to savor. But it also was a week to reflect on how far we still need to travel to have true citizen engagement in our state and local governments.First, some savoring.The Iowa …
The Iowa Legislature and Governor Kim Reynolds cannot seem to make up their minds whether they support parental rights or are against Mom and Dad being the decision-makers when it comes to their …
On a late summer afternoon in Bloomfield 40 years ago, the people of Iowa learned about an unofficial government principle we have seen repeated in recent weeks.Although this has played out in …
Every few months, someone is killed or injured by police somewhere in the United States under circumstances that lead to inevitable questions about what exactly occurred.Typically, answers come when …
