Reader no longer proud to be an Iowan

Open letter to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds:

Today the Iowa Capital Dispatch, in regards to Trump’s economic plans, quotes you as saying
“I think it’s going to be bumpy for awhile” and at the same time praising Trump’s actions his first few months in office.
Bumpy for whom? Certainly not bumpy for you as you sit in your mansion atop a hill overlooking our state capitol. A mansion paid for and maintained by your constituents tax dollars. Receiving a salary paid by your constituents tax dollars. Receiving excellent health care paid by your constituents tax dollars. And now the Iowa House has advanced a bill giving you a $100,000 raise and themselves an 80% raise. Seriously? Certainly not bumpy for you or them. Certainly not bumpy for Trump and his millionaire/billionaire cabinet officials. Certainly not bumpy for Elon Musk, the richest man in America (whose net worth as of March 10 was $300+Billion dollars). How could ANY of you possibly come close to understanding what “bumpy” means to the average Iowan?
“Bumpy” to the average Iowan means the need to choose between food or medicine.
“Bumpy” means the need to choose between food or rent/mortgage payment.
“Bumpy” means the need to choose between food or heat/electricity/water.
“Bumpy” means the need to choose between food or gas to get to work.
“Bumpy” means the need to choose between food or medical care.
“Bumpy” means the need to choose between food or a vehicle payment.
“Bumpy” means the need to choose between paying child day care or losing your job.
“Bumpy” means the possibility of losing everything they’ve worked hard for.
“Bumpy” means losing your family farm due to high tariffs.
These rash policies of the current national and state administration are an abomination to the citizens of this country and state. You cozy up to a man who claims he is “King” and is acting just like one. Last I checked, we were still a Democracy. Cozying up to this monster in the White House is akin to cozying up to the devil. Whose best interests do you really have in mind? Certainly not those of average Iowans or Americans.
You and the Republican Iowa legislature have spent the last 8 years wasting time writing bill after bill after bill that stomps on human rights, women’s rights, voting rights, and civil rights. You’ve worked hard to make voting as hard as it can be. You’ve worked hard to gerrymander the vote. You’ve worked hard to promote fear-mongering of immigrants and those of a different color, race, ethnic background, or sexual orientation. What are you so afraid of?
When a transgender child takes their own life because of your hate-driven bills, when a teenage girl dies from an illegal abortion after being raped by her step-father, when a young mother foregoes medical care in order to feed her children and subsequently dies from this lack of medical care, when a young man commits suicide because he can no longer afford to pay for his family’s home and he feels he has no where else to turn - whose blood will be on your hands, Governor Reynolds?
Someone who used to be proud to say “I’m an American”, “I’m an Iowan”. Not any more.

Cindy Steflik
106 5th St
West Point IA 52656