The Other Side Of Iowa You Should See

On By randy-evans

Years ago, when I was a young pup of a reporter for the Des Moines Register, my assignment was covering state and federal courts. Normally, it amounted to reporting on the dirty laundry of society that gets scrubbed in the courts — the murders, the robberies, the embezzlements and the civil lawsuits. But whenever time permitted, I would grab a seat in the back of U.S. District Judge William C. Stuart’s ornate courtroom in the federal courthouse in Des Moines and watch as he administered the oath of citizenship to newly naturalized citizens of the United States. It was always […]

What Is Going On In Our Classrooms?

On By randy-evans

One of the most common types of violence in Iowa’s K-12 schools does not involve fistfights or guns. This form of violence often flies under society’s radar, not receiving attention it should from school boards, the governor, the Legislature, and from the news media. This explosive behavior involves students who go on rampages in classrooms, cursing and screaming at the teacher, tipping over desks, knocking computers, books and other supplies to the floor, and who force the teacher to shoo other students into the hallway for their safety while the teacher tries to persuade the out-of-control student to calm down. […]

The Caravan Congress Should Be Focused On

On By randy-evans

A small caravan crossed the United States border last month, but this was not the kind of caravan that has been in the news for more than a year. The caravan was not being led by a “coyote” who was guiding hundreds of illegal immigrants to the border so they could try to sneak into the U.S. Instead, at the head of this group of cars and SUVs from the Twin Cities was a Minnesota mother in her minivan who was leading everyone to a pharmacy five hours north in Fort Frances, Ontario. These travelers were crossing into Canada to […]

There’s Judicial Activism You Like – And Dislike

On By randy-evans

One of the most contentious issues in the Iowa Legislature this year involved the way the state’s judges are chosen. That process was established 57 years ago when voters amended the Iowa Constitution. It’s worth noting that Republicans held solid majorities then in the Iowa House and Iowa Senate. In the years that followed – when governors were Republicans, as well as when they were Democrats – the stature of the Iowa judiciary was saluted across the United States for its fairness and nonpartisan nature. But this year, the Republican majorities in the House and Senate came to Des Moines […]

It’s Wrong To View Iowa Citizens As Nuisances

On By randy-evans

There have been plenty of examples that raise questions whether government boards in Iowa truly understand they work for the people, not for government officials and employees — and that they are supposed to be looking out for the best interests of taxpayers. The latest example comes from Polk County, where county officials seemed determined to keep the public in the dark until after they had formally decided to sweeten the severance benefits for a handful of top employees — at a cost to taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have seen similar examples, both in local government and […]

Free Speech Is Sometimes Uncomfortable

On By randy-evans

The First Amendment isn’t long, but it certainly packs a lot of angst into those few words: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Most Americans embrace these concepts that are important foundations for democracy in the United States — although there are times when these freedoms make us uncomfortable. One of those times was in 1978 when the American Civil Liberties […]

What You Do With Your Money Tells Us Something

On By randy-evans

When you drive down Columbia Street in Bloomfield, you will roll past two lessons on selfless giving. Both of those “lessons” are wrapped in one important building, the Bloomfield Public Library. More on the library’s lessons in a moment. All of this is pertinent to our discussion today because it seems as if Beto O’Rourke, one of the flood of Democrats who want to be our president, never really grasp the lesson about the importance of giving that many of us have learned. O’Rourke is wealthy, both by Davis County standards and by Washington, D.C., standards. The nonpartisan Center for […]

College Sports Want It Both Ways With Athletes And Coaches

On By randy-evans

A few days ago, a friend repeated a maxim about what it’s like at his work these days: When the company wants him to do something after hours for no pay, the boss points out this is his calling. But when he asks for a raise, the boss winces and reminds him this is a business. It’s like that with the NCAA, too. The organization wants it both ways. The NCAA reminds us about the glorious thing that is amateur athletics — the competition against rival schools, rabid fans wearing their team’s colors, alumni coming back to campus. It’s all […]

Hey Lawmakers, Let Local Government Govern

On By randy-evans

When members of the Iowa Legislature show up at coffee shops in their districts on weekends, you won’t hear them talking about not trusting local government officials. But that is at the heart of a bill that would turn city and county government topsy-turvy and place a straitjacket on the governments that are closest to the voters. House Study Bill 165 is the product of Republicans who hold a majority of seats on the House Ways and Means Committee. A subcommittee has recommended approval of the bill. If that doesn’t occur this year, don’t assume for a minute the idea […]

Bloom Where You’re Planted: Thoughts On A College Admissions Scandal

On By randy-evans

The altar at the First United Methodist Church in Cedar Falls was decorated with bouquets of beautiful flowers last week. Dozens of people gathered there to celebrate the life of a wonderful woman at the conclusion of her 84 years on this Earth. Those blossoms offered especially poignant symbolism. Ruth was a true treasure — to her family, to her friends, to her community where she lived, and, when you stop to think about all of the people like her, to the world around us. Like the phrase encourages us, Ruth bloomed where she was planted. But sitting in that […]