Letters to the Editor: Corporate welfare gives welfare a bad name

Iowa has approved a path to as much as $1.5 billion in tax incentives for a proposed steel mill in Lee County. The company, Mesabi Metallics, is owned by India’s Essar Group, which has faced scrutiny over financial ties to a Russian state-owned bank.

Meanwhile, President Trump has announced a deal for Russian diesel shipments to help lower fuel prices, easing sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine. What happened to putting America’s interests and our allies first? Ending the war would increase the supply and lower prices, too.

Welfare means the health and well-being of people and communities. Why are we so quick to offer extraordinary public assistance to a foreign-owned corporation while Iowa faces its own budget pressures?

Art Cullen’s column raises important questions about the promises and risks. The mill could bring jobs and new life to southeast Iowa. For Lee County residents’ sake, I hope it does.

After more than seven decades of life and years in both the public and private sectors, I’ve seen enough financial and political missteps to know that big promises deserve scrutiny.

Like “The Music Man,” a persuasive pitch is no guarantee of a happy ending. Corporate welfare gives welfare a bad name.

Ralph Rosenberg, Ames

What if?

You can be assured that I will be voting in the upcoming mid-term election. The endless barrage of political advertisements from both major political parties has done nothing, and will do nothing, to alter my voting plans. The cost of those campaign advertisements has to be staggering, and what good has been accomplished? “What if” the candidates would decide to tithe the cost of the ads to deserving organizations that desperately need help? What a difference it would make to food banks, child-care centers and healthcare organizations, just to name just a few. In my opinion, that would be money well spent.

Brad Strader, Storm Lake

The wise men

This may serve as a historical review or as a historical education depending on your understanding of real history. This country was founded by individuals that had a real understanding of various civilizations in history which eventually fell apart. Early settlers of this continent were well aware of these, since they were not as far removed as successive generations. Anxious not to repeat some of the mistakes of the past and anxious to begin a New World, they took serious these mistakes and sought to build upon the successes learned from reflection of the Old World. As settlers came to this continent they were taken by the vastness and natural resources discovered. Being industrious, they built upon what was found and expanded resources into wealth. As history tells, England saw this and established tax and production expectations in an effort to enrich themselves. This control energized colonialists and they sought and gained control of their destiny through the Revolutionary War.

The wise men sought to establish a free and independent nation, unhindered by governmental influence. They saw the potential in individual entrepreneurship, taking advantage of the vast natural resources available. Without government interference, the United States went from a third-world country to redefine to the world at large what is possible.

Remember all the innovation that has transpired in the 250 years of independence? The Industrial Revolution began primarily in Europe and that was the spark that lead to an explosion. Discovery of electricity and adaptation into widespread use is most likely the greatest, as electricity is part of most everything humans touch. Automotive industry began in Germany, but American ingenuity perfected and brought autos to the masses. Agriculture dominance began and remains American. While mining and development of raw materials into useful products may have began elsewhere, the exploitation of finished products was the result of American ingenuity. International military might was established in early 1800s off the coast of Africa (Barbary Pirates) and never looked back. Few will question the military dominance of the United States.

This is just a brief list of major achievements; a more complete list would be endless. These serve as a major motivation for illegal immigration and a constant copying of intellectual property.

Wise men/women still exist today. Entrepreneurship still exists today; we need to preserve the environment for it to flourish. That has proven to be possible by a free population unencumbered by government. Those who know me personally understand my political preferences. What is noted here are some of the many reasons I support Republican Party policies.

For anyone that is unnerved by my thoughts, it would be to your advantage to take a deep breath, thoughtfully contemplate and reread.

Steve Williams, Storm Lake

Grau for supervisor

I was pleased to learn that Tom Grau is a candidate for the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors. Buena Vista County voters have the opportunity to elect a well-educated and thoughtful candidate with a broad range of experiences.

Tom’s legacy has lingered in Pocahontas County. For 18 years, Tom served as our county economic director. During those years, my husband, Don, and I have had the gratifying experience of volunteering to develop ideas that Tom designed. He aspired to develop a county-wide program that would provide funds for start-up businesses or enhance existing businesses. This resulted in the Pocahontas County Revolving Fund. Tom and the board reviewed and awarded grants. Don was a member of this board and that program continues in Pocahontas County.

While Tom served as Pocahontas County’s economic development director, I was appointed to chair a committee focused on a new county arts project. I know firsthand his ability to build partnerships. Tom collaborated with the Pocahontas Board of Supervisors; Buena Vista University (Jerry Johnson, digital media professor); Iowa Central Community College; Iowa State University; Keep Iowa Beautiful; and David Dahlquest of RDG Planning and Design, Des Moines. What did evolve was the instillation of life-size kaleidoscopes, painted in the school colors of yore. Each was built by the Kaleidoscope Factory and the Machine Shop & Welding in Pocahontas. The initial goal of uniting each of our Hometown Pride communities was achieved because of Tom’s initial vision and his ability to work with various agencies and organizations.

Tom Grau’s skills have reflected his commitment to our community. He will be a fine asset to your BV Board of Supervisors, and your county will benefit from his talents and experience.

Helen Beneke, Pocahontas

They are human

Ok, I’ll play Bob Ansorge’s little game of, “let’s (sic) call it what it is.” I don’t even need a thesaurus. Let’s go!

I don’t know Mr. Ansorge and can therefore only speculate as to why he is so insistent upon referring to people as “illegal.” Could it be that by dehumanizing them, it is easier to vilify, blame and hate them? 

Who knows?

But I do know that that one word is at once woefully inadequate when used to describe a person and also capable of carrying massive weight while allowing the user to avoid saying the quiet part out loud.

And I know that, regardless of what one calls them, all immigrants, regardless of status, are fellow human beings and deserving of basic human dignity as well as rights afforded under our constitution. 

They are proud, law-abiding members of our communities, whose activities add to local economies and bring richness and vibrancy to our cities and towns. 

Many, if not most, have stories of desperation that neither Mr. Ansorge nor I can even begin to comprehend. 

They are human beings whose blood could save the life of Mr. Ansorge, or those of his grandchildren, if he is so blessed.

They are human beings. That’s calling it what it is.

Marty Stutz, Des Moines

The United States, a third-world country?

Pete Hegseth, head of the Department of Defense, has announced that Nidal Hasan will face a firing squad and the event will be livestreamed. This stunt is akin to third-world countries that use public executions as a form of deterrence.

North Korea, a communist country; Iran, a theocracy; Somalia, a failed parliamentary republic; and Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy, all maintain public executions.

Which of those four countries is this administration trying to emulate?

Marty Ryan, President, Iowans Against the Death Penalty

Who are the people in our neighborhood, part 13

It is my hope that by sharing this 13th story, we can all get to know our community a little better. I feel thankful to have met so many amazing people in the Storm Lake area who are working hard to build better lives. They are truly remarkable, and I believe their stories deserve to be shared. So, here is the thirteenth:

We often think we know our neighbors. But how well do we really understand the journeys that brought them here? Some stories are full of joy. Others are marked by loss and challenge. All of them can help us see each other with more understanding. It’s easy to believe the struggles we see on TV, or hear about in the news, only happen far away. But many of those same struggles affect people right here in our community.

The details in this story are changed to protect privacy, but the person is real. They might be standing next to you at the store or waiting in line for coffee. My purpose in sharing these stories is to help us connect with, and feel connected to, the people around us. After all, I believe that when we know each other’s stories, it is harder to hate or harm one another.

The 13th community member’s story begins here in Storm Lake, where she was born to her parents. Her father arrived first, built a life here, and then sent for her mother. Both came through the legal immigration process at that time — a process that took eight years then and does not exist today. She is the youngest of five children, with her oldest sibling nine years older than her. She is one of two siblings who still live in Iowa, where her parents also remain. Two of her older siblings live in nearby states and run their own businesses. Between all five children, her parents have nine grandchildren.

She left high school in the 11th grade because she needed to help her family earn money. She started working at age 16 and has since moved into a management position. Recently, she decided to return to school for several reasons.

First, she watched her sister return to school and earn her high school equivalency diploma. Her sister is now a student in the Iowa Central Community College nursing program and encouraged her to return to finish her own diploma.

Second, her work as a manager has given her experience with the financial side of a business. She has started thinking that working in this area could be a future career for her. She knows, however, that she will need her high school diploma to reach that goal.

Finally, she recently had a daughter and wants to set a good example for her. She wants her daughter to learn that education is important and that finishing what you start matters.

She used to attend high school equivalency classes at the Iowa Central Storm Lake campus during her dinner break at work. Although she was making progress, she was encouraged to stay in class longer so she could move through the program faster. She now has only one test left out of the six required to earn her diploma. She expects to complete the program this fall and looks forward to putting the $500 scholarship she will receive from Iowa Central for obtaining her diploma to good use.

She is our neighbor.

Sarah E. Schoper, Storm Lake

Iowa deserves answers, not assumptions, about cancer

University of Iowa researchers recently reported that demographic and behavioral factors could explain approximately 76 % of Iowa’s excess cases among its five most common cancers. I heard an important finding — but not the end of the investigation.

Preventing tobacco-related illness, reducing alcohol consumption, addressing radon exposure and improving cancer screening are essential. However, researchers acknowledged that environmental and genetic factors require further investigation. We cannot claim that environmental contamination is responsible for every cancer diagnosis. But neither can we declare our water, soil and air safe simply because their potential contributions have not been fully studied.

On Oct. 7, Iowa agronomists warned that unusually warm, wet conditions could complicate fall fertilizer and manure applications, increasing concerns about nutrient losses. Meanwhile, the Iowa DNR reports that fewer than 7% of private-well owners test their water annually, despite free basic testing being available. As a retired women’s health nurse and small livestock producer in rural O’Brien County, I reject the motion that supporting our farmers and protecting public health are competing priorities. We need comprehensive environmental exposure research, better pesticide-use data, expanded containment testing, meaningful water-quality accountability, and practical conservation programs that support independent producers. We must strengthen rural healthcare so Iowans have access to cancer screenings, early diagnosis and treatment close to home.

Science should guide our decisions, not political convenience. We must act on what we know while continuing to investigate what we don’t. Iowa families deserve more than partial answers. They deserve a government willing to pursue the truth and act on it. Vote now until Nov. 3 for Stephanie Steiner for Iowa House District 5.

Colleen Lemkuil, Spirit Lake