2025 will be a year filled with change. Just as we see our weather swing wildly back and forth as we move through the seasons, this year marks another important season of change. The citizens of Marshalltown get to determine their future in the November elections for City Leaders! The mayor and four of seven city council members are up for election.

All throughout the world, winds of change are flowing like shipping containers from far off lands. It appears many 3 rd world countries are tired of always being the 3 rd world countries and never making it to 1 st world country status. Many of the ordinary people from 3 rd world countries just picked up everything they had and walked to the best 1st world country on the American continent. The United States of America.

Makes you wonder, what if all the countries on our continent had to follow the same EPA, OSHA and Labor laws as the USA had to follow, would they be 1 st world countries then? Maybe they might want to be another State of the United States of America? Of course, they would have to vote to follow our rules. The USA certainly doesn’t want to go to $2/hr factory labor like it is south of our border…we would want them to follow all the rules we do here. So, their labor for Factory work goes to $20/hr starting wage with benefits. And boom, no tariffs. Much better deal for a country to have our rules than theirs…cause their rules allow their people to be exploited. Maybe a “country” would vote to become a United STATE of America with voting rights. Interesting concept.

Food for thought as we move forward, what should we expect from our factories in Marshalltown? To pay a fair wage so people can afford to raise a family? Just had a report presented to the City Leadership that 41% of the working people in Marshalltown do not qualify for welfare, but barely make it by with rent, food and gas. The “Service Nation” promised by more people going to college never quite materialized. The factory work still needs to be done and those people don’t need to compete with a country right next door paying $2/hr factory labor.

Vote-the last freedom of the Citizen.