Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Herb Larkin

To the Editor:

As an old, eccentric, opinionated octogenarian (Google it), if you read page four in The Standard dated April 24, 2024, then you read a report on the County Supervisor meeting held Monday, April 22, 2024. If you studied it as I did, you have to know that inflation is here to stay.

With raises recommended by the Allamakee County Compensation Board in a range from six to eight percent for elected officials, only to be lowered by 50 percent by County Supervisors; with non-elected department heads and union employees getting three percent; with Chauffeurs Teamsters’ Helpers Local Union Number 238 getting three percent increases yearly for three years, it is easy to see that the inflationary spiral is set at, at least three percent annually for at least three years.

We all know that gas is high, groceries are high, new or used cars are high, cigarettes and alcohol are not cheap, and that six-dollar cup of Jo (yes, cup) will soon be eight dollars, if not already. UTVs are not getting any cheaper, taxes and rents are not going down, and how about a new phone?

Now there is an outside group pushing the County Supervisors for 30 or 40 acres for a solar project. I commend the Supervisors for at least delaying this project and keeping it as agricultural land. It is well worth your time to read and understand what is happening right in plain sight, in this, our county.

We are lucky to have three very capable County Supervisors taking care of this, while the rest of us are not paying attention, and very happy to let them do it.

I am not opposed to pay raises. I have worked for 35 cents per hour, and $100 per month, and farmed for 35 years, (starting farming in 1957 to help my aging parents). When I worked for wages after farming and was paid $4.85 per hour, I begged for a raise. I finally got an additional 15 cents (oh, boy).

I am now as unbusy as anyone, so have time to take note of what we are being told.

I do not know the answers to the problems in the USA. There are people who are sleeping in the streets, who do not work, but cannot afford rent and groceries. Just think of the ads on TV begging for money (only twenty, thirty, or fifty per month to support not only children, but dogs and cats, alligators, save the elephants, etc.).

All things important are local, even politics, and if things are out of control locally, we may need divine help.

Respectfully,
Herb Larkin
Waukon