Reader letters for Aug. 18, 2026:
Pactiv Evergreen strike / Should corporations share more of their wealth?
“Absolutely.” — Marshall D.
“First, we need to look at the tax structure for corporations. They are not contributing as much as they should; some are not at all. Then we can raise the minimum wage so corporations are required by law to give workers a living wage. Then we can talk about ‘sharing.’ Labor unions used to set the stage for ‘sharing,’ but they have lost their power through corruption and greed. When will we address the elephant in the room? GREED!!” — Saundra R.
“They are dumb to go on strike and it could result in the company moving to a foreign company. They would be hard pressed to find such a good job. The average annual salary for an employee at Pactiv Evergreen is approximately $78,897 per year, which translates to an average hourly rate of about $38 per hour across all corporate, technical, and manufacturing roles.” — Paul B.
[NOTE: “Average” is doing a lot of work here—corporate and technical roles generally pay far higher than manufacturing jobs. According to ZipRecruiter, packing jobs average under $37,000—which isn’t affordable in the Cedar Rapids area for even just one adult living alone.]
Rob Sand threatened at State Fair:
“I would like an article about an incident yesterday about Turning Point USA thugs harassing Rob Sand yesterday at the Iowa State fair. Why no news coverage?” — Owen S.
“Did Sands have the belly poops when he sent 15 minutes in the bathroom at the fair.” — Kenneth W.
TSA sharing airline passenger information with ICE:
“What a bunch of bull shit!!! How does TSA sharing information with ICE affect you??? Maybe Mollie Tibbetts would be alive today you moron!” — Bradd M. [NOTE: Mollie Tibbetts’ family has said repeatedly they don’t want people to use her death for anti-immigrant positions.]
No more feet:
“I enjoy your site and appreciate the fair and relevant reporting. However, it is hard to take Zach Oren Smith seriously when he’s wearing sandals and bare feet. Even at a social event, that choice might warrant a critique. Displaying those feet is distracting at best, and the choice lacks seriousness. It seems to be a choice that many dislike.” — Nathan F.
[NOTE: I asked my colleague for his response; here it is: “Send him to my wikifeet… You can add that my dawgs’ll be out till the first frost.”]
Release the Epstein files:
“Ashley Hinson should have access to unredacted Epstein files. She should be familiar with the contents of those files. If not, why not? If so, why does she not act on that?” — Greg H., Waterloo
Special election upcoming:
“Do you have an article on the early vote for the Ankeny Sales Tax increase? Starts Aug. 19 at the Polk County Election office. The election date is Sept. 8.” — John P.
Need more candidate info:
“Where do the people running stand on gun control and the 2nd Amendment? Where do they stand on immigration? Where do they stand on support of law enforcement personnel?” — Dixon A.
Feedback:
“I’m not a pundit—just an independent USA citizen who likes to see positions from both sides of the aisle. Notably, the comments regarding the Iran war yesterday: It was healthy to see individuals supporting the strategies of our current POTUS as well as those asking questions about our current POTUS’s strategy. Thank you again.” — Steve T.
“The way it’s reported and the reporters themselves have, in my opinion, drastically changed. Now even reporters have divided. I wish there could be some way to put up on screen how the information reported has been verified—so as a consumer, I, too, can look up verification. Or, have a list of sites available to verify information stated.” — Kay L. [NOTE: That’s why I love linking! Feel free to follow any highlighted links you see in our stories for the sources.]
“I’m hearing panic more than ideological division. When did we allow ourselves to be ruled (not governed!) by a despot with no respect for law or humanity?” — Steve R.
“Hi Amie. Iowa boy here. You should consider incorporating a dating app on your newsletter. I have some other ideas too on how to expand it. Thanks!” — Steve A., Alta/Storm Lake
“HI I’m Bryan.” — Bryan P. [NOTE: Hi Bryan!]
“A Democratic campaign worker is my live-in for a few months. She is working for the Iowa Democratic Party—typical of the several campaign workers we have hosted over the years: from the east or west coast, know little about Iowa or Iowa issues …
When Sadie arrived, we started talking and didn’t stop until her 29-hour drive from Seattle caught up with her. One of her first requests was that I give her as much reading material as possible so that she could learn about Iowa. Ergo, you are it.
I will be forwarding everything I get from you to her—she’ll eventually subscribe—so that she can learn that Iowa is more than straw bales (like who even raises oats anymore?) and flannel shirts. You will be helping her to help us elect the people who have a vision for Iowa that is long on health and short on cut-and-paste legislation.” — Dianne P.
“I would like to see fact checking on all the TV ads. Be brave and call out the half-truths and total BS as you find it for candidates of all persuasions. The negative ads disgust me, and I would so prefer to see policies discussed and explained. You could do that by comparing and contrasting candidates positions on specific issues. Thanks for your coverage of the news!” — George H.
“Maybe the mental health crisis is a worn-out topic or maybe it needs to be reframed so change happens. But on Aug. 13, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released a press statement that the shooting of 7-year-old Jean Grey Irvin in May was intentionally committed by her older half sister. You might recognize that this county is also the county where the boys killed Nohema Graber in 2021.
What’s happening here that such violent crimes are being committed? Lack of accessible services? Too much poverty? Not enough investment in public education? Or are other crimes not violent enough to warrant press? Thank you for all you do.” — Robin G.
“I want to know more about how communities are responding to the fast pace of license applications for data centers, especially large scaled. I also want to know if it’s true that a company can sue a city if they enact a moratorium on building. Thank you.” — Marcy R.
“Whoof. Mayor John Billups has some big feelings, eh?” — Ana F.
