Iowa socializes the cost of polluters’ mess
$25 million. Think about that for a minute. Somehow the state government found $25 million to fund nitrate removal from drinking water. Is that $25 million taxpayer money? So, where did the nitrate come from? Who put it there? Seems like somebody is getting a “get out of jail free card” here.
Is this responsible use of your hard-earned dollars? I might be alone on this, but I don’t like paying for somebody else’s mess. Time to hold those causing the problem responsible for that problem.
Mark Mahoney, Urbandale
Imprison violent criminals. It doesn’t have to be expensive.
The Register editorial about warrant resolution clinics says the murder suspect who attended Polk County’s clinic “was not convicted of anything” in connection with an alleged attack on a domestic partner. Well, that statement goes to the heart of the problem, because she had been convicted and spent time in jail previously.
Incarcerating people does not have to be costly. We only think it is because we allow prison unions limit how things have to work. In parts of California they take abandoned old schools, put barbed-wire fences around them, and send 200 incarcerated inmates in to clean, cook and live there. Two guards deliver the daily food and take photos of anyone attempting to escape.
George Montross, Winterset
Nominal pay ranking leaves out cost of living
A May 3 story said that that Iowa ranked 30th in teacher pay. Maybe we need a ranking that also includes the cost of living of the states. Yes, the paycheck might be 30th, but Iowa is one of the cheapest states to live in. Add that into the equation and then see how we compare. California paid the best, but what is the cost of living there?
Dennis Pine, Sioux City
Health worker conscience bill is contrary to freedom
A bill “protecting” freedom of conscience in health care is awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature. I urge her to veto the bill. Proponents of the bill believe that an employee should not be forced to provide care that goes against their sincerely held religious beliefs, and that it should be illegal for an employer to fire an employee who refuses to provide care that is legal and otherwise required by the employer.
A fundamental “first principle” in civil society should be freedom of association. That is, relationships between and among people should be voluntary. No person should be able to use force, including the force of government, to require one person to associate with another. In this case, employees are never forced to work for any particular employer, and employers cannot force employees to continue employment. If an employee, for a religious or any other reason, does not want to perform the legal requirement of their employer, they should quit. Otherwise, the employer should be able to fire the employee.
Kurt Johnson, Urbandale
Big ballroom spending doesn’t trouble our senators
A new 33-story residential structure is rising in downtown Des Moines. It’s been reported the new property will house 390 residential units and high-end amenities like a rooftop swimming pool, at a cost of $150 million. For perspective, compare this 340,000-square-foot Iowa skyscraper to the proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom. While President Donald Trump initially estimated the ballroom would cost $200 million and be paid for by private donors, recent estimates have climbed to nearly $400 million. Now, a proposal led by Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa seeks to allocate $1 billion in taxpayer funds specifically for security enhancements.Wow! You can build a 33-story skyscraper for $150 million in Iowa, but a new ballroom will cost taxpayers more than $1 billion? Has Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa lost her squeal?
Charles Nixon, Coon Rapids
Preserve UNI’s Alumni House
I am writing to express concern over the University of Northern Iowa’s request to the Board of Regents to raze the former Alumni House. In recent years, we’ve seen a troubling pattern of historic campus buildings being allowed to deteriorate to the point where demolition becomes the only option. The 2024 demolition of the historic West Gymnasium is a clear example.
I recognize that all three of Iowa’s public universities face growing deferred maintenance challenges. Still, the university first sought permission to the raze the Alumni House in 2021, and for more than four years both it and the Honors Cottage have sat empty, facing accessibility and aging conditions. These beautiful homes, each over a century old, have served many purposes.
A university’s character is shaped by its campus and its history. If we can preserve landmarks like the Campanile or Lang Hall, we can find a way to care for these homes. I urge UNI leaders to work with the Board of Regents and the Cedar Valley community to pursue a creative preservation solution.
I am not an engineer or historian, but I am a proud UNI alum who values our university’s history. UNI should reconsider and preserve it.
Noah Hackbart, Ankeny
Animal torture penalties are good. What about farm animals?
House File 2348, making it a felony for torturing companion animals, now goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature. A person would be found guilty of animal torture who “intentionally, willfully, and maliciously mutilates, burns, poisons, drowns, starves or causes intensive or prolonged pain or death.”
This law is necessary but no animal, however, should endure pain, stress, willful and intentional death. But isn’t this what we do each and every day to our hogs, cows, and chickens in huge feeding operations? Let’s take hogs, for instance, given that Iowa is the largest hog producing state in the country. Just imagine the life of this hog. Born indoors in a farrowing crate where the mother has only enough room to stand or lie down preventing her from turning around and engaging with her piglet. For the newborn piglet, the first sensations are the press of metal bars, the lack of warmth from its mother, and the constant presence of other hogs in close quarters. There is no soil to root in, no open air, no sunlight, strong odors of manure and ammonia are pervasive, and the noise level is constant and loud. The piglet’s life from here is focused on rapid weight gain through food additives in order to get to market as quickly as possible. And then, of course, the hog is slaughtered. Hogs are born into a life of stress, anxiety, and painful experiences. Hogs possess a nervous system capable of processing pain. Many studies have been conducted showing that animal withdrawal from harmful stimuli, specific vocalizations, and behavior changes are all consistent with pain perception.
Peter Sanger in “Animal Liberation” argues that the ability to suffer, not intelligence, should determine moral consideration. There is no question that today’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are huge breeding sites for the suffering of animals. Sanger also suggests that ignoring the suffering of animals can desensitize individuals to suffering in general, potentially leading to a more violent or indifferent society. The idea is that if people become accustomed to treating animals poorly, they also become more likely to accept violence against other humans. State Sen. Mike Bousselot says in support of House File 2348: “We know the link between animal cruelty and how it will affect society as a whole in the future; that it is predictive of not only malignant personality but predictive that they are going to harm a person.”
Bousselot and Peter Sanger seem to be saying the same thing. If we, as a society, allow cruel and inhuman treatment of any living creature, we lose a piece of our own humanity.
Patsy Shors, Des Moines
Care is required on right to repair
There is a lot of talk right now about “right to repair” legislation in Iowa. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea. But the details matter. Today’s farm equipment is incredibly advanced. It relies on software and precision systems that are far more complex than what existed even a decade ago. Changing how those systems are accessed and managed is not a simple policy decision.
These proposals would require companies to open up key technology and change how parts, tools, and support are provided. That could have unintended consequences for safety, reliability, and long-term investment in new equipment. It also raises a bigger question. Should government be stepping in to dictate how private companies operate and price their products?
Farmers and businesses already have more repair options than ever, and those options continue to grow. Before making major changes, lawmakers should be sure they are solving a real problem and not creating new ones. Iowa’s agricultural economy is too important to get this wrong.
Chris Pierson, Iowa City
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa socializes the cost of water polluters’ mess | Letters
Reporting by The Register’s readers, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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