Viewpoints

CAUCUS vs. PRIMARY

by Denise Beyer, County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections

What is the purpose of the caucus?
The caucus is held in every state as an opportunity for each state to give their “vote” for who the Republican and Democratic parties should nominate as their candidate for President. The office of President/Vice President is not on the Primary ballot because that nomination is determined at the conventions of the Republican and Democrat parties.

What is a Primary election?
A primary election is held to nominate candidates for public offices for the Republican and Democrat parties, such as U.S. Senator or Representative, State Senator or Representative, and County offices. The Primary is unique because no one is actually elected, just nominated for the General election. The candidate(s) with the most votes at the Primary are put on the General election ballot.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that yesterday (as I write this) was May Day. The name comes from the 1917 Russian revolution by workers against an oppressive government. And as has become the usual thing, there were “worker” riots in many nations, including the United States, again this year.

That bothers me, because the current presidential election seems based on a conflict between the “haves” and the “have nots.” I fear that if the “have nots” are successful, the same fate could await that movement as happened in Russia, because by November of that year, the Communist party was able to stage a coup and take over the government, and that has lasted to this day.

So, when I think of May Day, I really think more of “mayday,” which is roughly the translation into English of the French term m’aider, which means “help me!” It’s what naval aviators are taught to broadcast in the event of a dire in-flight emergency.

To the Editor:

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors is considering a proposed ordinance to increase public roadway access to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) traffic and recreational use. As an emergency medicine physician and an ATV injury prevention researcher, I cannot stress enough how dangerous this decision would be. Although only a small percentage of ATV riding presently occurs on the road, over 60% of all ATV-related deaths have resulted from roadway riding.

Some argue that the ATV riders will be safe as long as they stick to lower-traffic roads, but this is incorrect: Two-thirds of ATV deaths and an even greater percent of roadway injuries do not involve another vehicle. In addition, 49% of Iowa ATV roadway deaths have occurred on unpaved roads.

by Hugh E. Conway

Children in Wexford
Cemetery - Part V

From 1880 to 1900, at least 27 children were buried at Wexford. During the next 20 years, there were at least 42 young lives lost and buried at Wexford. The majority of child births were at home but often a doctor would be called.

Doctors were now available to assist at the home but the main means of transportation was by horse and buggy. Many rural residences did not have telephone service and a person was sent to find and fetch the doctor. Distance and time were factors working against sick children and for problematic home childbirths.

Additional listings for young deaths in the Wexford Cemetery include:

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that as I sat down to write this around noon on the last Monday of April, I could hear on TV the sounds of a Donald Trump rally taking place in Rhode Island. I could not see the TV screen, but what I heard would seem to only reinforce what I intended to write about. It sounded as if he had to stop several times while protesters were removed. And during those pauses his fans engaged in choreographed chants of support.

In other words, a real mob scene.

This morning, I read an op ed piece urging getting rid of the Electoral College.

Trump is upset because while he is winning the popular vote state-by-state, his opponents are “picking off” delegate support at a level greater than their popular vote draw. Trump’s cry is that this is not the democratic way to do things, and this is supposed to be a democracy.

Except it isn’t.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I pretty much hibernate in winter as I age, but with the first of a few nice days recently, I ventured out on a trip to Lansing and parts of eastern Allamakee County.
I think I have to start getting out more, because I saw things which surprised me, and I admit to taking my eyes off the road for longer periods than I should have.

First sighting came just a few miles east of Waukon off the Elon Road. Out of the corner of my eye across farm fields and woods devoid of any foliage, I thought I saw a huge tree nest, and sure enough, it was an eagle’s nest. I know because there was a white head showing, meaning the nest was in use. I had heard that Pool 9 (New Albin, Lansing, south to Harpers) contained the greatest number of nesting eagles of any pool along the Iowa east coast. Have eagle numbers grown to such an extent that they are often nesting inland too?

To the Editor:

During the month of April some organizations, businesses, individuals, etc. were doing things to shed light on child abuse since April is Child Abuse Awareness month. In 1996, our government deregulated and legalized a form of child abuse.

Since then, we as a nation have allowed, promoted, financed, supported, etc. this form of abuse. The government has forced it upon us, but ‘we the people’ are openly welcoming it, when we should be standing against it.

Let’s define child abuse. According to the New Lexicon Webster Dictionary, child abuse is physical, emotional or sexual harm as well as anything that brings on developmental impairment or death. Child abuse is to be dealt with by law.

To the Editor:

The other day I became curious about a petition that was presented to the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors, so I went to the Auditor’s office and picked up a copy of the petition, along with the names of people who had signed it. When I read the petition, my immediate reaction was, “You have got to be kidding.”

Who would sign that petition? Then I realized there were a lot of names. I did see the names on the top sheet, but I kept myself from looking at the others because I didn’t want to have negative thoughts of anyone, especially when I did see the names of the top sheet and they were friends of mine. I’m sure they thought it was the truth.

The statement that really caused me to wonder what is really going on here was “We have become aware that the Board is planning to divert $158,000 of our County’s road use tax dollars away from their intended use and, instead, use them at the Driftless Center project.”

To the Editor:

As professionals in the Waukon community, we would like to share some factual information regarding our property in response to Russ Martin’s letter to the editor (The Standard - April 13, 2016) and other various, false statements made about us publicly. We purchased our home in Waukon approximately two-and-a-half years ago excited about the large lot with a private driveway making it a good location to raise a family. Our future plans included adding on to the house and doing some landscaping.

To the Editor:

I must say that there was murder most hilarious committed at Waukon High School over the weekend of April 15-16. Arsenic and Old Lace mixed homicide and hoopla as our own fine young secondary students romped and mugged their way through an evening of misdirection, misappropriation and misadventure, all to the delight of an audience not quite so shocked by the cavalier demise of quite a number of unfortunates.