Readers sound off on Iowa issues: April 21, 2026
HyVee ‘Employee’ PAC:
- “I worked at Hy-Vee for over 20 years, mostly in the Des Moines area, and I only learned of the Hy-Vee PAC in my last couple years with that company.It’s been a few years since I left HV, but as I remembered it, PAC membership is only open to store directors, and corporate executives and membership and contributions to the PAC were mandatory for those people. By and large, the hard workers at each store don’t even know the PAC exists—much less contribute to it or have any input on where the funds are allocated—so calling it Hy-Vee ‘Employee’ PAC is disingenuous at best. Also, that employee representative saying the PAC is totally separate from Hy-Vee 100% did it with a wink and a nudge.
I’m fine with you using my comment, but I do not wish to be named.” — Reader from Des Moines
Watering our lawns:
- “[I] suggest ending lawns. If you stop mowing and allow native ground cover plants to take over (violets, etc.), no more watering. Eventually they crowd the grass out. Or grow meadow.” — Lynn J.
Universities and science research:
- “In all fields, universities were established to study curricula, which is the theoretical aspect. Recruitment and employment is the practical and training aspect. Therefore, we need to revise policies and strategies. In recruitment, the university’s recruitment committee should be to apply science. … This means we must give the student the university degree, the appointment letter, and the salary certificate. Because the state is far from applying science. We need to reinstate public sector employment.” — Amani B.
Reader feedback:
- “Please stop emailing me. I don’t care.” — Tayden M.
Books you’re reading:
- “Wanted to share thoughts about [three] books I checked out from Carnegie-Stout in January:
Devin Gordon’s ‘So Many Ways to Lose’ is one of the best books on sports I’ve read. Gordon looks at the history of the New York Mets in a way which made me laugh many times. Gordon is gifted both as a comedy writer and storyteller when things are serious. His chapters about when the Mets forced franchise legend Tom Seaver out of town and the sad stories of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry are fantastic. Any baseball fan would love this book.Andy Greene’s ‘The Office’ is a history of the famous NBC sitcom. I’ve never watched an entire episode of The Office, but the show’s official YouTube channel and the Peacock channel have put up so many clips I’m a little familiar with the show. Green did a fantastic job with all the interviews in putting together a chronological remembrance of the program to make for an easy and incredibly informative read. There was one minor point that is not a comment on Green, but those with the program who were interviewed. The book’s subtitle is, ‘The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s.’ Many who were with the show stress the greatness of it while making snarky remarks about other sitcoms. It grows annoying at times. Nonetheless, this book is well worth your time.’38 Londres Street’ by Phillipe Sands is a superbly researched and written book about Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. 38 Londres Street was a place in Chile which became known for its detention of political prisoners during Pinochet’s reign in the 1970s and ’80s. The book focuses on the attempt to bring Pinochet to justice after he was forced out of power in the 1990s. I didn’t know anything about this story and was overwhelmed by all of the information presented. The book is a fine addition to the study of recent history.” — Don C.
Wild Iowa weather:
- “During the great Mississippi flooding of ’65, I was a senior in college (St. Ambrose College in Davenport), and I remember standing with others along the levee desperately filling sandbags. Of course I was young and it was something that I remember as more of an ‘adventure’ than tiring.
As for the blizzard of ’73, that was my first year as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, and I sought to return to Des Moines from my hometown (and legislative district) in Davenport as soon as possible. Once Interstate 80 was declared ‘open’ — NOT to be confused with ‘cleared’ — I set out for Des Moines. In many cases, the open lane was just a single passage through mounds of snow. I distinctly remember passing a buried car with just its driver’s side window and door partially visible. (How I prayed that the driver and any passengers had safely exited!)” — Greg C.
No Kings Clinton:
- “These were at the peaceful Clinton Rally where there were 400 persons attending.” — Tammy M.
