It’s Friday, Apr. 11, 2025.

🗣️ It’s Friday: Time for the Reader Sound-Off, where our main export is tariff-free hot takes!

 

But first, here’s the Pet Photo of the Week:

These are Jet and Ruby, “new puppies added to the family” in February, says reader Bonnie A.

 

Trying to disguise themselves as adorable fluffy slippers, I see!

 

Send me your pet photos here.

Readers are invited to add to the conversation by emailing responses@iowastartingline.com. Please include your first name and last initial. You may also want to include your city, but that’s up to you.

This week, we asked: When do you put new plants in your garden?

• “In Iowa, Mother’s Day or just before for the best selection. Earlier than that there’s a risk of frost. I don’t want to bother with covering and uncovering; too much hassle.” ~MaryJo D., Davenport

• “Try hard to get them in the ground before Easter, but since Easter is late this year, I’ll shoot for Tax Day instead.” ~Clare S.

• “Whenever I get to it? I wish I was better at getting organized but wow this world….” ~Elizabeth E.
  

 

Next week’s question:

 

I was unpleasantly surprised to see my mortgage payment increase by over $200 per month recently. When I called to ask why, they told me it was thanks mainly to higher insurance rates (due to Iowa’s increasingly unpredictable weather) and property taxes. Ugh.

 

Has your mortgage or rent payment gone up recently too? What else is costing you more these days? Click the button below and email me.

What Congress should do about Trump’s tariffs:

• “Grassley’s 60-day rule on tariffs is meaningless. Sixty days of damage in an administration that doesn’t do anything that lasts more than a dozen news cycles won’t help anything. He’s simply gesturing toward ‘reasonableness’ to protect his next run (oh, yes, he’ll run). Gesturing toward reasonableness is all Chuck has ever done for Iowans. He loves to say he’s just a farmer from Iowa trying to do the right thing. I’m waiting for him to stop being a redneck farmer and start doing the right thing.” ~Bill R., Iowa City

• “Congress should revoke Trump’s ‘war powers’ invocation. We are not at war and Congress should have said no to this, and they still could take back their power. I believe that was one of the amendments that Dems offered in the budget debate. Grassley knows that his bill has no chance of passing the House and would be vetoed by Trump. This is Grassley’s way of looking like he is doing something while backing Trump all the way.” ~Jane T.

• “Moving for impeachment of Trump. It would make the majority of Iowans happy. Just ask them.” ~Larry M.
  (NOTE: The latest Trump approval rating as of Mar. 27 shows 50% of Iowans approve of the president while 47% disapprove, so he’s still got the slimmest of majorities here. However, that’s much lower than the 56% who voted for him in November.)

Looking to get involved:

• “Hi, would like to get more involved with your organization. I support the ideas that I see your organization supporting. I’d like to know about protests or other actions that I can be a part of. Things need to change before it’s too late.” ~Dorothy T., Brooklyn
  (NOTE: In Poweshiek County where you’re at, it looks like the Grinnell Organizing Collective, started by folks affiliated with the Grinnell United Church of Christ Congregational, has organized some recent protests. Start there—and if readers want to share others in Poweshiek Co., please do!)

• “Do you know of any way to get hold of anyone who’s organizing the protests in Cedar Rapids?” ~Mark T., Cedar Rapids
  (NOTE: You might start with the Indivisible Linn County group, which organized the latest Hands Off! protest; here’s their Facebook group.)

For all the RSS reader folk:

• “Do you have an RSS feed?” ~Lucas B.
  (NOTE: Today I learned that we do! https://iowastartingline.com/feed/)

Memoir from a refugee who escaped to Cedar Falls:

• “I am helping a friend that I knew long ago when she was a newcomer to Black Hawk County. She is trying to get the word out about her memoir and her story of survival. It seems more important now than ever.

  This year marks the 31st anniversary of Dr. Clementine Msengi’s arrival in the United States. This milestone underscores her resilience and determination after escaping the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Her first stop in America was Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she was welcomed with open arms, beginning a new chapter in her life. As a survivor, former refugee, graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, and now a leader in education, Dr. Msengi’s journey is a testament to hope, perseverance, and the strength of the human spirit. 

   

  Dr. Msengi’s experiences, chronicled in her memoir, Spared, provide a powerful account of survival, faith, and rebuilding a life in a new country.“ ~Gabbi D.

We asked for your opinions in a survey this week, and some of you replied directly:

• “I am … a retired 75-year-old male who lives in Moline, Illinois, which is 4 miles east of Bettendorf. I served 22 years (1971 to 1992) in the Army Reserves. Donald Trump is a convicted felon and should be in jail.” ~David G.
  
  
• “Starting Line is the best and cannot be improved.” ~Charles W.

Reply to last week’s Letter of the Week regarding medical cannabis:

• “This cannabis story was very informative and I am glad to know more about its benefits. Anything that helps without the side effects of most meds should be more widely available. Of course, the pharmaceutical companies would want to interfere with that. Thank you for sharing your experience!” ~Carol/Butch M.

Thanks:

• “Formerly from Hamburg, now living in Denver. I enjoy reading your emails.” ~Hank J.

• “Just want to say I do appreciate all the links you provide to articles. I am an info nerd and use your articles to provide talking points in my volunteer job as a member of Iowa CCI writing to our elected officials. I will definitely keep up my annual contribution to ISL! Thank you for making Iowa your home and the fighting you do for us.” ~Jean O., Des Moines

• “I loved this news about the cats and the cat adoptions!! Thank you for sharing something so positive.” ~Michael G.

Proper TP orientation:

• “Well—this should eliminate the controversy. Paper against the wall is violating the intent of the patent holder.” ~Robert C.

Letter of the Week:

Taking away federal grants means patients pay more

• “I’m 70 years old, retired, living in Coralville, immunocompromised with failing eyesight. For the past four years, I have been relying on United Way’s VIP ride service to get back and forth to medical appointments. At one time it was it was costing me $500 a week out of pocket before I hooked up with VIP.

   

  Earlier in March, I was notified that United Way was no longer able to seek federal grants to underwrite the logistics backing the service, and was therefore going to cease operations. When I contacted Grassley’s, Ernst’s, and Miller-Meeks’ offices, I have been ignored—or in Ernst’s case, yesterday, I was told to contact United Way for a ride in her pro forma response.

   

  These days, I can Uber or take a bus if I’m willing to expose myself to potential infection by the community. Three years ago that was impossible because the only dialysis chairs open were in Cedar Rapids, hence the $500 a week transportation costs. I can only imagine the difficulty if I wasn’t living a couple of miles from University hospitals.

   

  I don’t get why the feds are making the grants unobtainable. In my case, the Medicare-related billings of a couple of nights in the hospital will quickly eat up any grant-related savings.

   

  As I understand it, the federal grants were simply to underwrite the staff and resources related to the scheduling of drivers, as well as the insurance to indemnify the volunteer drivers who were using their own time, their own gas, and their own vehicles to give me and others like me a ride to dialysis or chemo.  

   

  Bottom line: It was a cost-effective solution for me, people like me, and Medicare. The congressional delegation representing me and others like me are completely out of touch while they bask in their DOGE fantasies. The story needs to get out.” ~Douglas Nartker, Coralville

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