Viewpoints

To the Editor:

Here we go again, and I find it very hard work for me to write because of being 95. Age does something to you.

I have a few questions for you: Do you like what Putin has done to Ukraine? Yes or no? Is he a war criminal? Yes or no?

Do you like what Biden has done to our country with high-priced gas, much higher food prices, our open borders, our disastrous departure from Afghanistan, all paid by our dedicated, hard-working taxpayers? This list could go on and on. Biden’s been in Washington, DC for 47 years. Can you name one piece of legislation accomplished by him?

We are now in a severe downhill slide, and we could see $5 gas by the end of the year, food prices much higher, plus shortages, interest rates could go up, home heating bills up over $1,000 for winter. Older people with fixed incomes will suffer, and young working people that make our economy do well will be paying the bill.

Feeling lonely?

You’re not alone. In our country, more than a quarter of adults over age 60 live alone, according to a Pew Research Survey. Of them, 43 percent reported feeling lonely even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a situation which has worsened in the past two years.

Young people are lonely, too. In fact, new Harvard research suggests feelings of social isolation are on the rise and that those hardest hit are older teens and young adults.

Whatever your age, loneliness has significant health consequences. One study found that loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and contributes to early mortality because it puts you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, dementia, and depression.

To the Editor:

Our Veteran organization has many helpful programs for youth, community and our veterans. Our Veteran organization also lobbies for our veteran benefits to get and to keep the benefits that we have.

They also hire Veteran Service Officers that work in some of our medical centers and also in our Veterans Affairs (VA) regional offices that are advocates for our veterans and dependents and fight for their disability claims or survivor benefits as well as help with the appeal process, or act like your attorney in a VA appeal. These service officers are a very important part of getting claims granted.

Without our service organization, we would not be able to have many of the benefits that we do have. We need members to maintain those organizations as well as active members who can help continue to keep these organizations going.

To the Editor:

Yellow River State Forest is our own wonderful, driftless corner of Iowa. A valuable economic resource, with spectacular vistas, great hiking, backpacking and equestrian trails, camping, fishing, birding, mountain biking - whatever you do to escape life and enjoy nature. We have a gem here in Allamakee County that draws visitors from all over the country. They bring much-needed business to our communities.

With all these people and activities, there’s bound to be accidents, mishaps, maybe some not so legal activities. Then there are the spring/summer rainstorms which can cause flash flooding, putting campers along the river in grave danger. Unfortunately, there is no ranger at the forest to attend to these issues.

To the Editor:

The mental health system in the United States is currently in a state of crisis. Consider the following:

To the Editor:

Dear People of the Great State of Iowa,

Hello! I am a third-grade student in Northern Virginia. Our class is learning about the United States, and I will be teaching our school about the state of Iowa. In the month of May, I will create a display for our State Fair that I hope will make you proud.

Although I have gathered facts about your state from books and websites, I think that I can receive the best information from the people who live there. This is why I am writing to you. I am hoping that you would be willing to send me some items to help me learn more about the best things in your state. You might consider sending items such as postcards, pictures, souvenirs, this newspaper article, or any other unique items that would be useful or show your state pride. Here are a few questions:

To the Editor:

Ann Fields gets a letter grade of “F” in Economics 101 for her letter of March 9. She claims that everyone will have less with the new tax policy recently signed by Iowa’s governor. Ms. Fields fails to recognize that if Iowans are paying less income tax they automatically have more money available for their own personal needs.

Nor does she acknowledge that the State currently has a budget surplus that can be spent to cover any unexpected expenses on the part of the State. It appears to me that the legislators, who represent us, have done a great job in keeping spending under control, thus accounting for the current budget surplus. We should be applauding those efforts and remind our Federal Government that Iowa is a great example for fiscal responsibility.

To the Editor:

Hard-working Iowans deserve a fair tax plan which would ensure that tax cuts go to the middle class and the wealthy pay their fair share.  The bill recently passed by the Iowa Legislature, and signed by the governor, implementing a “flat income tax,” does neither.

Iowans deserve to know the truth about who really benefits from the plan: high income people would see immediate income tax cuts, while middle-class Iowans would not see even small cuts for several years, and many lower income earners would see little or no cuts at all. In fact, under this plan, it will take the average Iowan a century to receive the same tax benefits that the ultra-rich will receive in a single year. How is this fair?

To the Editor:

We are so grateful for the Waukon Volunteer Fire Department, and the Decorah, Lansing and Waterville Fire Departments. Two fires in less than a year, and we still have our building.

The night of the February 13, there were times we didn’t know what was going to happen. With having a father, husband and brother serve as firefighters, we know first-hand what they go through - frigid temperatures and all.

We appreciate family and friends for all their phone calls, texts and concerns in helping out in any way. We are fortunate that we only suffered smoke damage and closed for two weeks.

We are also very appreciative of Servicemaster Restore for their quick service and long days. I was so glad I was able to celebrate my 38 years this February. It may be safe to say we have the luck of the Irish, and on March 17 our Irish eyes will definitely be smiling.

To the Editor:

The political party in control of the Iowa Legislature is proposing decreasing Iowa income taxes, exempting all retirement income from Iowa taxes, eliminating capital gain state tax, and decreasing corporate taxes. I have one question: If Iowa has less tax revenue, what services will be cut?

As every household knows, if income is cut, households have less money to spend. If a family’s income is reduced, it means expenses must be cut. In order to have a balanced budget, less income means expenses have to be cut.

The State is the same. If the State reduces its income, then expenses will have to be cut.

According to the governor’s proposed budget, in 2022 Iowa’s income will be $9,065 million. According to the Legislative Services Agency, the tax cuts proposed will subtract $500 million in 2024 and when fully implemented will subtract $1,625 million from Iowa’s income, which means almost 20% less income.