Letters: Fox News’ lying shouldn’t be shrugged off

Fox News’ lying shouldn’t be shrugged off

Fox News hosts and producers left a paper trail of messages, admitting that they were lying about the 2020 election being rigged. I hope independent voters, the people who can make a difference in election outcomes in almost every state, will start unwinding the braids of lies woven into the narrative that Fox has fabricated.

— Nancy Brown, Urbandale

No justice for stalkers

It must be nice to be rich, white, well-connected guys in Iowa. Owning a bar or two can't hurt. That's the message our justice system sent the rest of us when plea deals resulted in suspended sentences and minor fines for two men who stalked a woman with a GPS device just for breaking up with one of them.

A woman no longer has the right to end a relationship on her own terms without fear. We have to live with the fact that some angry, resentful guy and his hulking friends can track our every move, get us alone outside our home and pay us back as he sees fit. Not to worry — a good lawyer will get him off.

The guy pays the fine and throws one back at his bar to celebrate. Being a thug, or a "real man" he’ll call it, is just who he is, after all. There's no law against that. Well, there is, but who cares? Iowa has declared women second class to zygotes. No surprise we’re now second class to grown men with a grudge.

More: Des Moines bar owners Steve McFadden, Edwin Allen III plead guilty in GPS stalking case

— Suzan Erem, West Branch

Troopers should have respected judiciary

To put it simply and briefly, the Iowa State Patrol should not be stooges for the governor.

The State Patrol was little more than that in aiding and abetting the governor in trashing policies and procedures of Iowa's judiciary (“Kim Reynolds was in Iowa Supreme Court’s secure office area before arguments on abortion ban,” April 13).

— Herb Strentz, Urbandale

USDA inaction is shameful

I am disgusted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's unwillingness to shut down Stonehenge Kennels in West Point after finding countless instances of inhumane treatment of the dogs held there for breeding (“Major Iowa dog breeder has license suspended,” April 15).

The owner, Steve Kruse, should be ashamed of himself for the pain he is inflicting on the dogs in his care with his ongoing negligence. Why is it that the USDA is unable or unwilling to shut his operation down after so much evidence of cruelty? A 21-day suspension of his operation is all the department seems to be willing to enforce.

Our own Tom Vilsack is the head of the USDA. Mr. Vilsack, can't something be done?

I implore people who are looking to buy a purebred puppy to do your research! Or, better yet, consider breed-specific rescue organizations.

— Gail Turner, Polk City

Reynolds goes off track on LGBTQ issues

I consider myself to be a progressive Democrat who appreciates our governor's accomplishments and her compassion for the many Iowans who have suffered because of multiple disasters during the past two years. She is quite obviously a loving mother and grandmother. I also admire her ambition.

However, her "Trump in high heels politics" and draconian policies inflicted on the LGBTQ population will create not only more of a brain drain but possibly an exit of LGBTQ-friendly companies. Who does this to a state that is trying to find its identity? It may also slow down economic progress because companies won't consider locating to a state where LGBTQ people are afraid for their lives.

— Deborah Guthrie, Windsor Heights

Bird adds to punishment for victims

Shame on Attorney General Brenna Bird’s decision to stop payment on emergency contraception and abortion for survivors of sexual assault. This move will further harm survivors who already face impossible barriers.

As someone who has directly worked with survivors of sexual violence, I have seen the challenges many face accessing reproductive health care after an assault, with cost being one of the main reasons for not accessing care. Iowa’s crime victim compensation program, which is funded entirely from the fines and penalties paid by convicted criminals, not tax dollars, is a glimmer of hope for those who have to make the decision between receiving life-saving health care after a traumatic event or being able to pay this month’s rent.

Bird prides herself on protecting victims of crime in our state; however, her actions are not lining up with her words. I have listened to countless survivors share their stories with me, whether it was at a police station, courtroom, or hospital room. I can honestly say survivors of sexual violence are some of the bravest people I have ever met. They do not deserve any further harm, especially at the hands of an elected official. Instead of taking away crime victim’s rights, Bird should be working to better the services available to victims of this harrowing crime.

— Abby Michael, Robins

Republicans want to ensure they aren’t held accountable

We’ve all heard the axion “follow the money.” In the case of Republicans recent legislation to restrict the state auditor’s information access (Senate File 478), it’s about bringing the only Democratic-controlled executive branch office to heel.

More: Iowa House votes to restrict state auditor's access to information, ability to go to court

Neutering the auditor’s office will put an end to pesky investigations that hold government officials accountable. Isn’t it odd that Republicans waive all accountability for their estimated $350 million-dollar annual taxpayer subsidy to private schools but feel it’s necessary to rein in the auditor’s authority? Republican legislators continue their legacy of building false narratives to advance self-serving legislation designed to keep them in power. State employees should work for Iowa’s taxpayers, not any political party. Maybe Iowa’s voters will recognize it’s time to restore balance to our government.

— Frank McDowell, Spirit Lake

Lawmakers shouldn’t decide how caucuses are run

Caucuses are the private businesses of each political party. The Iowa Legislature should not dictate if, when, or how the caucuses are conducted. If the Democrats want to allow mail in ballots, so be it. If Republicans only want to admit those who are registered 70 days in advance of the caucus, so be it. Neither party should try to dictate how the other party runs its caucuses.

— Kurt Johnson, Urbandale

We’re no safer with more guns

"An armed citizenry makes us all safer." How many times have we heard that from our Republican legislators and others who are against any and all sensible gun safety regulations? Considering all the mass shootings in this country, I'd say that's not quite true.

Now we are seeing more instances of armed citizens who are so trigger-happy they are shooting first and not even bothering to ask questions later.

A 16-year-old in Missouri innocently rings the wrong doorbell and, before he can say "I’m sorry", is shot multiple times and killed.

Two girls get lost in upstate New York, pull into a driveway to turn around, and without warning, the homeowner just shoots them dead like they were rabid dogs.

A cheerleader in Texas opens the wrong car door in a parking lot and a guy gets out and just starts shooting at the group of cheerleaders she is with.

All these folks with guns, scared to death of their own shadows, looking for a reason to shoot.

People are not invasive raccoons to be exterminated like vermin.

Now tell me again how we are so much safer when everyone is armed. I'm waiting...

— John Moore, Newton

Republicans smooth the way for cheaper labor

At nearly 5 a.m., while most Iowans were asleep, the Republican majority in the Iowa Senate voted to advance a bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds, who cannot legally purchase or consume alcohol, to serve it in restaurants and bars.

This vote came after Republicans took the possibly unprecedented step of refusing to answer Democrats’ questions about the content of the bill, which would also allow minors to work on manufacturing lines and in other questionably safe work environments during hours that may interfere with their educational pursuits.

What is their rationale? It’s good for kids to start working early in life and Gov. Kim Reynolds babysat at age 12. Peachy.

What is really at play here is the fact that Republicans are trying to address Iowa's worker shortage but don’t want to support living wages and benefits for adult workers. After all, it’s way more profitable for businesses to hire kids than adults who are trying to support THEIR kids. When I was 16, grocery store employees, for example, were full-time adult workers. Many food store workers are now part-time high school and college students. Meanwhile, Republicans want out-of-work adults to lose unemployment benefits by forcing them to take poverty-level jobs if they can’t find positions comparable in pay to those they’ve lost.

Add this to other bills that have been introduced and even passed by Republicans that deprive LGBTQIA kids of compassionate treatment and equality in schools, eliminate protections for children against firearms in schools, churches, day care centers and other public locations, enact unpopular “school choice” vouchers, and limit or eliminate women’s very personal health care choices. It should be clear that Iowa Republican elected officials don’t really care about Iowa children or adult citizens – especially vulnerable ones – or what they think and want from the Legislature, all the while ignoring the need to advance meaningful legislation to, among other challenges, clean up our contaminated rivers and lakes or repair our crumbling roads and infrastructure.

— Gordon Miller, Waukee

Bill gives corruption a free pass

Senate File 478 is a bill that would supposedly protect personal information but actually protects government waste. Some confidential information possessed by government agencies may not be released to the public, for example, law enforcement records that are part of an ongoing investigation.

Under current law the state auditor can obtain such information to pursue investigations of fraud or waste, and the auditor is prohibited from making that information public. The latest version of this bill mandates that an agency can refuse to supply the auditor with nine kinds of information unless needed to expose theft. If a government agency refuses to give the auditor the information requested, the dispute goes to a three-person panel, one from the agency refusing to release the information and one appointed by the governor. There is no appeal of the panel’s ruling and litigation is prohibited.

So the governor may block the auditor from accessing any information she deems confidential and not required for an audit. Any scandal may be covered up by starting an investigation and not completing it, so it is an ongoing investigation. Any wasteful practice can be covered up by claiming that it does not involve theft. This bill should not become law.

— James Eliason, Storm Lake

Answering questions should be a basic expectation

I understand that Republicans have a super-majority in the Senate, but does that give them complete freedom to pass bills without questions being answered?

According to Jack Whitver, the Senate majority leader, Iowa Republican lawmakers will no longer answer Democrats’ questions during floor debate, because of an Iowa Supreme Court decision that criticized Republican lawmakers and cited former Sen. Michael Breitbach for giving inaccurate and unhelpful responses about a bill. The court also indicated “the proposal did not go through the normal legislative steps, and asserted lawmakers did not know what they were voting on because the bill was produced for the first time on the same day it was passed.”

There are so many red flags in all of that. 1) Why wouldn’t legislative procedure be followed for all proposals? 2) A bill that is produced in a day is probably in need of discussion and possible revision. 3) If you are giving inaccurate answers regarding a bill, that indicates that either you don’t have all the facts or that you are purposely giving out false information.

Discussion, debate, and questions would seem to be a rational process for any legislative body.

— Sandra Smith, Underwood

Senator’s raccoon story wasn’t funny

As a city dweller, I understand that raccoons and other wildlife might become nuisances, especially in rural areas. However, I was taken aback by the cruelty evidenced in the article on the new open season law on raccoons and opossums. Sen. Bill Dotzler, after leaving the window of his RAGBRAI bus open, was incensed that a raccoon broke in and ate his food, and worse, defecated in his hat.

He went on to say that he set some mousetraps baited with peanut butter on the hood of the bus, found them scattered around, and crowed, "So I figured I at least got his fingers."

Would Senator Dotzler enjoy getting his fingers caught, and possibly severed, in mousetraps and then spending the rest of his time in pain and possibly bleeding to death? "Nuisance" wildlife may need to be dealt with, but cruelty should not be an option.

— Deborah Kolb, Des Moines

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Letters: Fox News’ lying shouldn’t be shrugged off