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Facts on the U.S. budget deficit and income taxes

The US has a budget deficit because the government spends more than it receives. Deficits have continued in Republican and Democratic administrations. Deficits can be reduced by increased taxes or decreased spending or both. This letter provides facts about taxing only the wealthy. The definition of wealth in this letter is taxpayers reporting over $500,000 of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Tax statistics are not provided for taxpayers over $400,00 of AGI. US Budget Totals for 2021 (the latest year reported) 2021 US Receipts $4,047,000,000,000 2021 Outlays (payments) ...

Surprising endorsement

In Marshalltown, District 4 our Representative is Randy Feenstra. I’m not surprised if people don’t know that. He doesn’t talk to constituents, and he follows the national party establishment and corporate donors in their land grab for the CO2 pipeline. But some people are tired of that, including his Republican primary competitor, Kevin Virgil, who still has questions. Why isn’t he doing anything about Iowa’s high cancer rates, the number of children living in poverty, the disappearing family farm and the lack of mental health support? Since Rep Feenstra isn’t bothered ...

The big paradox

Professor Deborah Stone in her book “Policy Paradox” says paradoxes are nothing but trouble. They violate the most elementary principle of logic. Something cannot be two different things at once. Two contradictory interpretations cannot both be true. In the week of the Democratic Convention, every speaker said that abortion and women’s reproductive rights and the right to love who you want (a nice way of condoning gay and lesbian rights) are truly the American way and two of their main priorities. This is where the paradox comes in. The Democratic Party and the Holy Bible ...

Getting paid by the county to farm

I have lived and farmed in Marshall County for over 30 years. I work hard every day of the year to provide for my wife and kids. I raise crops, some livestock, and I do everything I can to take care of my land and animals so my family can continue to survive on the farm. We work hard while our county superintendent is able to farm all day for himself while pulling in his $70-80,000 a year salary plus cheap insurance with good coverage. He leaves work by 7:30 most mornings to go home to farm and alot of days doesn’t go back at all. I pay over $1,000 a month for insurance to cover my ...

Thankful for Marshalltown educators

School kicks off fully in Marshalltown on September 3. We want to thank and encourage all of the education professionals in our community. Marshalltown is blessed to have exceptional public and private schools. Working in education is a tough gig. There are a lot of people looking for reasons to criticize our schools and the people who serve our community in education roles. This criticism is uncalled for and unfounded. Our local education professionals are doing an outstanding job! Our kids are receiving a world class education. We appreciate everyone serving in these important ...

Reducing the red tape for firefighters

Our rural communities depend on volunteer firefighters to respond to emergencies, help staff local fire departments, and keep our families safe. These men and women dedicate their time to public safety and put their lives on the line to save others. They volunteer many hours to ensure that any call for help is answered swiftly and professionally. Unfortunately, government bureaucracy threatens to make their already hard and strenuous work much more difficult for no reason at all. Earlier this year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – better known as OSHA – proposed ...