What’s up with the HyVee Employees PAC? Reader letters for April 14, 2026

Readers soundoff on Iowa issues: April 14, 2026

HyVee bothsidesing:

• “I saw your piece about grocery shopping in Iowa. Thanks!I don’t know if this has ever been investigated by ISL, but there is a HyVee Employees PAC that takes in and distributes a fair amount of money to political candidates. …Some time ago I wrote the HyVee CEO and expressed my dismay that they had a PAC and that they were supporting political candidates. My thought was that this didn’t seem to be compatible with ‘a friendly smile in every aisle (their old ad campaign slogan). [ED. NOTE: Excuse me, it’s ‘helpful smile,’ and now this song is in my head.]

  I got a letter back from someone in their marketing office explaining that the PAC wasn’t a company thing, that it was an employee thing separate from the company. And, the letter said, the PAC supports Democrats AND Republicans—the implication being ‘What’s the fuss, Jack? Both parties get a taste. So leave us alone.’

  I wrote back, scrawling my letter on the back of their response to me in which I argued that anyone seeing HyVee PAC contributions would assume it was a HyVee company-sponsored activity. Furthermore, I argued that anyone in HyVee marketing should understand that the company brand being used for non-company activity is as good as saying that the company is involved. Why, I asked, would they allow their name to be used for an activity that the company doesn’t allow for itself?

  Anyway, just venting. I’ve moved all my shopping to Aldi, Costco, and the NewPi Co-op.” — Bill R., Iowa City

Contact info for elected officials:

• “Could you construct a post to remind your membership (and the general public) to email their elected congressional representatives and senators? This posting needs to contain their email addresses and encourage people to write them.Each of us need to write in our own words to our [congresspeople] and be reminded that Trump needs to be removed from office. Killing innocent Iranians is not what our country is about, nor the direction the madman wants us to go.

  They, the members of Congress, need to remember they were elected to represent the will of the people. He has shown he is unfit for office.

  Born in Iowa but a Colorado voter—I will write (unfortunately my red country/district) Lauren Boebert and anyone else I have access to their email. Thank you for all you do.” — Melinda H.

  (NOTE: The Sierra Club has a nice, updated list of contact information for state and federal leaders from Iowa here.)

Feds taking control of election via the SAVE Act:

• “Absolutely unconstitutional! The Constitution is very clear that it is the states who have the say about how their elections are conducted, and not the federal government.This is just part of Trump’s ongoing effort to control who can vote, and we all know by now whom he wishes to prevent from voting!” — Greg C.

Wahls v. Turek:

• “Zach Wahls is my preferred candidate for the US Senate. I witnessed his sincerity and passion for supporting the best interest of working-class Iowans in person, at a coffee house meet-and-greet in my small NE Iowa hometown.He shared his goals of protecting Social Security, Medicare and retirement plans; restoring reproductive freedom and investing in rural healthcare; fighting for Iowa workers’ right to organize, including supporting the PRO Act, and ensuring safe workplaces; tackling the cost-of-living crisis and lowering costs by taking on corporate price gouging from the cost of groceries to drugs; [and] fighting for public education so Iowa schools can be first in the nation again.

  I am also not a fan of spineless Chuck Schumer, who is supporting the primary candidate that Zach is running against.

  Zach Wahls can, and will, defeat [Ashley] Hinson.” — Dawn W. 

Books you’re reading:

• “Wanted to share thoughts about [two] books I checked out from Carnegie-Stout in January:‘McNamara At War: A New History’The Vietnam War has grown more and more on me as something to read about, and Philip and William Taubman’s book is an excellent addition to my study. Their subject is Robert McNamara, who was Secretary of Defense for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

  The book goes deeply into McNamara’s youth and college days where he was a brilliant student managing to both keep to himself and be outgoing. It then talks about McNamara’s World War II service followed by his time at Ford Motor.

  But Vietnam defined his life. He was hawkish to begin with and for many years insisted the war could be won. This book talks about his emotional battles which started around 1965 where he secretly tells others the war will lead to disaster while reaffirming to President Johnson that the war was being won or would be. I learned many things and enjoyed the storytelling even with the story being a tragedy.

  Steven M. Gillon’s ‘Presidents at War‘ was a lot of fun. He writes about how service in World War II influenced every president from Eisenhower to George Bush. The book has an amazing amount of information and Gillon’s writing is strong with the feeling of a conversation, which is my favorite style.” — Don C.

Money in college athletic programs:

• “[Time] for an investigation into payments made to intercollegiate athletes at Iowa State and other schools.On the surface, it appears many are becoming more of an employee than the historical, conventional ‘student/athlete.’ Payments to them (albeit from donors and channeled through a non-profit fundraising group) are much more than the traditional scholarship packages. … It would seem that a person should be able to know what amount of money is being paid to highly-prized and publicized athletes …Proponents of these payments to athletes would likely claim that such information is protected by strict rules of confidentiality in relation to student privacy. Or they may argue that revealing such information would be akin to revealing funding sources and trade secrets. Or they may claim that the funds are not from taxpayer money but from donors to the We Will Collective that channels funds to athletes. Oh, and yes, the WWC is a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning it does not pay income taxes and that donors can receive a tax credit for their gifts. …

  Also, a 2022 article in the ISU Daily says that the intent of the WWC has been that the funds paid to an athlete will be tied to a charitable organization that an athlete works with. Sounds great. The article hints, however, to a concern that the funds would be used a part of ‘bidding wars’ to attract athletes to the university.

  Sports columnist for the Des Moines Register Travis Hines wrote in June of 2025, ‘Never before has money so nakedly been the key to success in college sports.’ …

  There is also concern whether Iowa State will be able to continue raising enough funds to continue competing at a high level of competition, when powerhouse athletic programs can generate larger pots of gold. …

  All of this sounds ludicrous.

  Universities have gotten into the business of athletics as a money-maker, and one might say they should never have taken that route—never sold their souls to the devil. Maybe they will implode upon themselves with the rapid rate of change and increasing public disillusion that their programs are about education and their players are student/athletes.” — Helen G., Ames

No Kings Des Moines:

• “Here [are some] signs from Des Moines.” — Joanna S.
  
  

  No Kings Des Moines protest in March 2026. (Courtesy of reader Joanna S.)

  

  No Kings Des Moines protest in March 2026. (Courtesy of reader Joanna S.)

  

  No Kings Des Moines protest in March 2026. (Courtesy of reader Joanna S.)