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Columnists

Medicare and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

We will be probably be “Riding the Storm Out” for another two years as insurance companies try to keep their Medicare Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans afloat. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Medicare Part D—our nation’s prescription drug benefit for seniors and people ...

The Ian Roberts scandal should teach government boards four important lessons

The lesson of the hot stove emerged again. That is the lesson toddlers learn early and smart ones retain for a lifetime. Touch something hot and you know not to touch it again. Educator Ian Roberts delivered a new rendition of the lesson over the past fortnight. Time will tell whether ...

10 year Anniversary on 10-10

10 on 10-10. On October 10th, Ginnie and I have been married 10 years. 10 years ago I set up a backstop of red barn board in the back yard of the home we had newly moved into, the small group of people we invited to the wedding sang “Going to the Chapel” by the Dixie Cups and, as the words ...

Trump’s rural recession: Trade wars and health cuts effect

The phrase “You gotta dance with the one who brought you to the party” is an early 20th century Southern dance etiquette saying. It is an idiom that means you should have gratitude to the people or things that helped you succeed. Sixty-three percent of America’s 3,144 counties are ...

The call to service

Service has always been a defining pillar of my life. I answered my own call to serve our nation when I joined Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at Iowa State University and stepped on a path that spanned 23 years in uniform. This decision gave me the opportunity to help pay for ...