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I was proud and honored to represent my fellow Iowans for 30 years in the US Senate. Thank you, Iowans, for giving me that opportunity, over five statewide elections, to work for you.
I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you.
That’s why I am supporting Josh Turek for the Democratic nomination for the US senate in the Democratic primary on June 2.
Josh Turek has the Iowa values, the Iowa work ethic, the Iowa “can do” spirit, and has won election and re-election to the Iowa House of Representatives in a very challenging area for Democrats. There’s a saying that “rough weather makes good timber.“ Josh has had some pretty rough weather in his life, and he is “good timber.” In fact, Josh is as strong and resilient as a good Iowa Bur Oak!
He will be a strong and successful advocate in the US Senate for the people of Iowa and for our nation. I ask you to join with me in voting for Josh Turek for U.S. Senate in the June 2 primary, and sending him on to Washington to work for all of us.
Tom Harkin, Retired Iowa Senator
I read with personal interest the April 27 Editor’s Notebook by Art Cullen, having gone to K-12 with BVM and Presentation nuns. Art mentioned that Sr. Richelle Friedman had “summoned” him to the motherhouse of the Presentation nuns. I was envious. (Yes, one of those deadly sins.) Sr. Richelle had been one of my most influential teachers at Newman High School in Mason City.
Sister’s impact was seen immediately when she came to Newman — especially for female students. There were few female sports at Newman when I attended. Sr. Richelle changed that. She coached the first softball team as well as the volleyball team.
Her biggest impact, however, was seen in her drive to make us excel academically. Sister taught computer class long before such a class became a mainstay in education. And she did it on Newman’s HP 2000F teletypes. Sister pushed us in the math classes she taught. She entered our Math IV Class into diocese and state contests. She entered us into a national math contest where we came in 31st out of 204 high schools.
Given Sister’s compassion and advocacy on behalf of her students, it is no wonder she ended up in Washington, D.C., advocating for groups in need. Sister is the Director of Public Policy at the Coalition on Human Needs in Washington, D.C. In 2025, Sister spent time in Nogales, Mexico, with the Kino Border Initiative — a binational religious organization that supports Migrants.
It is very difficult to sum up Sister Richelle in 300 words or less, but I think you can appreciate how lucky I was to have had her as a teacher and understand why I was so envious of Art being “summoned” to her side.
Mary Timko, Storm Lake
Americans are under increasing pressure to cope with the onslaught of price increases for health care, groceries, childcare, education, energy and a host of other goods and services we depend upon in our daily lives. The current administration with its incoherent tariff policies, and what looks like a new forever war in Iran, threatens our entire economic future. Perhaps worse are the ill winds that threaten the very democratic institutions of our nation in terms of our civil rights, our right to vote and our reputation as the leader of the free world. One would be forgiven if it all seems a bit much.
We here in the Buena Vista Democratic Party are working hard to change things for the better, but once in a while we like to take a little break, and that’s why we would like to extend an invitation for like-minded people to join us at one of our monthly “Drinking Liberally” events (or we can disagree — just not be disagreeable). We meet every third Thursday of the month (that’s May 21 this month) at Malarky’s Bar & Grill, 147 Flindt Dr., Storm Lake, starting at around 6 p.m. (arrive late or leave early!). Come join us to engage in some lively conversation while enjoying a meal and a beverage (or two). Meet some new friends (or some you forgot you had), and discuss some current events, politics or the grandkids. You can solve world problems, vent or just laugh a little. Use us for an excuse to get out of the house. None of us bite, and we haven’t been kicked out yet! Hope to see you there.
Kevin Kelly, Storm Lake
I am weary of the constant chaos and the negative tone that has come to dominate our political conversations.
Neither has led to effective governance, and both have left many constituents feeling frustrated and unheard. With the election primaries just weeks away, now is the time to thoughtfully consider the candidates in both parties. We have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to choose a new direction.
In recent months, our current leadership has struggled to produce meaningful results, and there has been little accountability within the GOP regarding Donald Trump’s influence. It’s clear that a change is needed.
What we need is someone with fresh ideas, renewed energy, and a commitment to restoring a sense of optimism and purpose in public service. Here in Iowa’s 4th District, we have that person in Ashley WolfTornabane, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ashley is running a true grassroots campaign, driven by a genuine desire to represent the people of this district. She has spent countless hours traveling across counties, meeting with voters, and listening to their concerns. Her work ethic and accessibility set her apart.
What stands out most is Ashley’s sincerity and positive vision. She brings a refreshing perspective to a political landscape that too often feels stagnant and divisive. I am confident that, if elected, she will remain grounded, independent, and fully committed to advocating for Iowans — not becoming another entrenched Washington insider.
Ashley WolfTornabane represents a much-needed breath of fresh air. I encourage you to learn more about her campaign and consider supporting her in the primary — and again in November.
Pegg Havens, Storm Lake
Recent story in New York Times by Carl Hulse stated that Republicans in the U.S. Senate have inserted $1 billion for White House East Wing security enhancements into the immigration enforcement funding bill they hope to rush through Congress this month!
Have they gone completely insane? We elected those guys and gals, but obviously we made a mistake.
Think about it: If you had $1 million in your bank account, and you recruited each of your neighbors who had similar resources, it would take 1,000 of you in your community to come up with that much cash.
Consider how many schools you could build, how many thousands of children you could feed, or how many Iowa families you could provide with health care for that amount.
As GOP voters, we elected these people. It is obvious that we made a mistake. Now we must vote each of them out of office. Where are Mitt Romney, Mike Pence or Liz Cheney when we need them?
Rich Crawford, Arvada, Colo., formerly of Alta for 27 years
If you want to understand Iowa’s immigration problem, don’t start at the border — start at the paycheck.
Illegal immigration is, at its core, a labor issue. It is driven by corporations seeking cheap, exploitable labor while working Americans struggle to earn fair wages and compete under equal rules.
For too long, politicians have argued about the border while ignoring the real economic engine behind illegal immigration: employers who profit from weak labor enforcement, wage suppression, and a shadow workforce with few protections or rights.
This issue is not simply about immigration. It is about wages, fairness, and the rule of law.
When companies hire unauthorized workers under illegal conditions, everyone loses. American workers face wage pressure and unfair competition. Immigrant workers are exploited. Honest businesses are undercut by companies willing to cheat. Taxpayers absorb the costs while corporations collect the profits.
A real immigration policy must protect both American workers and legal immigrants by enforcing labor laws equally for everyone.
That means:
The solution is simple: protect workers, enforce the law, and end corporate exploitation.
No more shadow workforce.
No more wage theft.
No more corporate exploitation.
One workforce. One wage standard. One rule of law.
WHY: If the United States fails to confront this issue, we are not remaining neutral — we are actively allowing the creation of a permanent underclass of workers with fewer rights, fewer protections, and no real voice. That is not speculation; it is already happening.
Right now, in plain sight, a shadow workforce exists — people who can be underpaid, overworked, and discarded with little consequence to those who profit from them. And we tolerate it. We look the other way. Like deer in the headlights, we freeze while a two-tier labor system takes root beneath our feet.
But here is the uncomfortable truth: once a system like that is normalized, it does not stay contained. It spreads. It lowers standards for everyone. It becomes a tool — not just against undocumented workers — but against all workers. The question is no longer “if” it exists, but “who is next?”
When employers can bypass labor laws for one group, they gain the leverage to erode protections for every group. Wages fall. Standards weaken. Job security disappears. Workers become interchangeable parts — another cog in a machine designed for maximum profit and minimum accountability.
A shadow workforce is not just an immigration failure — it is a direct threat to the American worker and the very idea of fair labor.
We have a choice:
Accept a future of divided workers and corporate control, or demand one system — fair, lawful and enforced for everyone.
No worker in America should be rightless.
No employer should be above the law.
And no economy should depend on exploitation to function.
It’s time to end the shadow workforce — for good.
Joel E. Wells, PhD, Iowa City
I am asking you to vote for Stephanie Steiner for the United States House Representative on June 2 in the Democratic Primary Election.
We need Mrs. Steiner. Stephanie lives on an acreage near Sutherland with her husband Mark and children. She is a mother of seven and a grandmother. She raises goats! She is for family farms and will support farmers in Washington, DC. She is for universal healthcare and the protection of rural hospitals. She is a nurse! She worked as a U. S. travel nurse and saw the medical needs of the USA. She believes in the power of the people with a strong House or Representatives that listens to its constituents. She is a dedicated person and will be a good representative for us.
I am a Public Health Nurse, and I want a nurse in DC to help with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and stop the measles outbreaks now! Go to www.steinerforiowa.com to learn more.
Colleen M. Lemkuil, RN and Public Health Nurse, Spirit Lake
I fear becoming curmudgeonly, complaining that things aren’t what they used to be. But sometimes they really aren’t. Consider what General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II and President from 1953-1961 said in 1953 about war.
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hope of children.”
Having experienced two wars, Eisenhower worked to foster peace globally; during his presidency not one U.S. soldier died in combat.
Our current president mocks POWs, received a medical deferment for a “temporary” bone spur, and has taken our country into a war of choice for which he has provided no consistent, credible justification and to which there is no clear ending.
Already the war has caused global disruption, severe price hikes, 13 U.S. military deaths, many civilian casualties and widespread damage. Instead of mourning those costs, Trump wants us to pay 47% more, not less, to the renamed Department of War. He says the federal government’s responsibility is “…one thing: military protection. We have to guard the country. But all these little things (referring to Medicaid, Medicare, daycare, etc) you have to let states take care of them.”
The General excelled at war and treasured peace; Trump understands neither.
Sue Ravenscroft, Ames
A T-shirt worn by Rob “Hunter Fisher” Sand, candidate for governor of Iowa: Bluer Redder Truer Better. Lines drawn through Bluer and Redder.
And why not? Why not — draw lines through blue and red — make a point that a two-party system isn’t working. Vote for a person who is better than that. Think outside the box, as much as you can. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome — a well-known adage/proverb. The U.S.A. needs a mental health check-up. Voters have elected cookie-cutter representatives, etc., who brag that everything they do is for Donald Trump.
A letter writer’s perspective (May 8) chooses to describe Rob Sand as a crossdresser. “So you like Rob Sand. You see a Boy Scout out of Central Casting. I see a cross-dressing Abigail Spanberger posing as a centrist” (page 14B).
To write “cross-dressing” is button-pushing bigotry against self-determined gender or anything other than cisgender. Boy Scout is a put-down as used by the May 8 letter writer.
I could ignore the letter but should I? Put-downs and bigotry may be a person’s individual free speech, but I think it’s harmful and depressing. It’s arguably most depressing to the one who writes put-downs. If a person thinks and writes negatively about others, he/ she/they also think negatively about themselves. Thought is action, which is why words matter. The choices we make matter, even when — or especially when — writing or speaking.
This same letter writer continues by referring to No Kings protesters as “geriatric old bags with bright, blue hair and complicated glasses.” He suggests instead a No Drama Queens Rally. I don’t have a response to that but maybe you do.
Gretchen Reeh-Robinson, Mount Vernon
Truth must establish the foundation for our democracy. Therefore, the delivery of said truth by local, regional and statewide newspapers is rather essential in order for citizens to make informed decisions regarding their communities.
Fortunately for the greater Iowa community, Jen Olson and Art Cullen, as well as the entire editorial staff of the Storm Lake Times Pilot have dedicated themselves to providing reliable truth for their readership. At times, publishing the truth in its good, bad and ugly dimensions is rather difficult, but necessary. In this regard, their collective editorial efforts to consistently and reliably furnish the truth allows the SLTP readership an opportunity to respond, providing sound feedback and, in some cases, forging novel solutions. Ergo, the greater Iowa community should applaud and continue to support their worthwhile efforts in this rather crucial endeavor.
The editorial staff writes and offers us the truth, but its delivery to the greater Iowa community is undertaken by a superb support staff, with special appreciation to Jenna Bernhoft. Without this total and combined effort, Iowans would be without the truth.
Sometimes, understanding the printed news may be difficult, but the SLTP has provided a creative solution. Within its editions, SLTP political cartoons capture the human emotions associated with experiencing the truth of current events and the impact of said events on our everyday lives. These valuable political cartoons remind one of Boss Tweed’s famous comment regarding the well-known political cartoonist Thomas Nast. “Stop them damn pictures [cartoons] ... my constituents can’t read. But, damn it, they can see the pictures [cartoons].” Therefore, please keep supplying us with these wonderful/insightful “pictures.”
Lastly, the combination of both the written word and the visual picture can and does provide the greater Iowa community with the truth needed to foster and, thereafter, support a vibrant democracy.
John M. Mishler, Harpswell, Maine
There is a saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” The trees around you are so tall, you can’t tell you’re standing in a large forest.
America’s political parties are currently in a political gold rush to gerrymander (change congressional district electoral boundaries) in as many of the 50 states as possible. Those state efforts are the trees that occupy our attention.
However, because of these trees around us we are unable to see the larger forest, the biggest gerrymander of all.
That, folks, is Homeland Security’s yearly mass deportation out of the country of anywhere from 500,000 to a million brown-skin, Democrat-leaning Catholics from south of the border. Republicans don’t want them to ever get anywhere near the voting booth in America.
Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah
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