34 Comments
User's avatar
Cathy Haustein's avatar

If they aren't hearing from their constituents, it's because they blow off or even insult their constituents.

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

yes, we know all about that in Marion County, don't we?

Expand full comment
Suzan Erem's avatar

Did it, Bob! Though these guys and women have made it clear it just doesn't matter what we think. When Elon and his pals can buy elections (and primaries) with more money than we could ever imagine, it's hard to believe our objections matter.

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

Thank you Suzan.

Expand full comment
Denise OBrien's avatar

Thank you for including contact information for everyone to use. You make it easy to make our voices heard.

Expand full comment
thomas scherer's avatar

A quick comment Bob regarding Senator Grassley floor remarks yesterday. I was glad to see the Senator stand against Russia and stand for Ukraine. I know this is not part of your post but maybe there could be a sliver of hope on the Republican side of the aisle.

Expand full comment
Suzanne's avatar

Thank you for posting this. My husband and I are farmers and he is our senator. We told him how all of the policies and firings affected us. Thanks

Expand full comment
Ken Chester's avatar

Perfect! Thank you for spelling this out for the folks in the back! If I might add one more point of interest: According to the Iowa Corn Growers Association, 62 percent of the corn grown in Iowa is used in the production of ethanol, which represents 30 percent of all ethanol produced in the United States:

https://www.iowacorn.org/corn-facts-faq/#:~:text=Iowa%20leads%20the%20nation%20in,%2C%20marshmallows%2C%20crayons%20and%20paper.

And that the administration's pick to lead the EPA (the federal agency tasked with setting ethanol blending numbers) has been vocal in his opposition to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS)

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/business-inputs/article/2024/11/12/trump-epa-nominee-zeldin-opposed

If you are a row crop farmer growing corn in our state, you need to start asking questions!

Expand full comment
Linda Barnett's avatar

Jim, here: Some haven't, and perhaps never will have, a desire or capability of showing support and compassion for those on the other side of the fence, be it politically or literally. They have all the answers - speaking as though they have absolutely no capacity or inclination for "critical thinking". In truth, they may not know what it means to "think critically". I will pray for all of us to have circumcised & clean hearts —no matter the 'side' we stand on.

Expand full comment
Thea's avatar

Not only are the answers 'blowin in the wind' but our top soil

Expand full comment
thomas scherer's avatar

Top soil blowing in the wind for sure. Driving along rural county roads last Friday, I noticed how black and dirt stained the snow drifts in the ditches appeared. The field opposite of the ditch was NOT a no till field.

Expand full comment
Tom Gronstal's avatar

One of my favorite songs is Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”. The sound poses 9 questions. The eighth question is “How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?” The sixth question is “How many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn’t see?” For Republicans “The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

Expand full comment
James addison's avatar

I have a question. Our so-called representatives are not respectful of our needs and are frequently condescending when responding to questions. Shouldn’t respect go both ways? I have every right to be angry with DOGE, our feckless congress and our so-called President who becomes more unhinged and abusive every day. I will respect my representative when he/she respects me.

Expand full comment
Sharon Lawrence's avatar

Focus on getting them out of office. Thats the way to get the message across. Run against him!

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

I understand completely. It has to go both ways. The Senator I wrote about here has been disrespectful to me in the past and here is how I responded. https://rleonard.substack.com/p/iowa-state-senator-ken-rozenboom?utm_source=publication-search

Expand full comment
thomas scherer's avatar

Bob you wrote that the Senator is a powerful man. He appears to lack any part of humility. The folks in his district need to vote him out of office.

Expand full comment
Barbara Cole's avatar

I admire you ability to have a friend and to acknowledge your friendship with someone with whom you obviously (and correctly) disagree so much. An admirable trait in any situation but all the more so in this situation. So many do not understand the ramifications for themselves and for others now and in the future by the disastrous behaviors and decisions being made by this WH. Thank you as always.

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

Thank you Barbara.

Expand full comment
RabidGiraffe's avatar

We in Texas support Iowa!

Expand full comment
Joann Schissel's avatar

Iowa farmers may not feel the ramifications right now but they will by the end of the year when they can’t sell their harvest and our crops are rotting on the ground and they don’t get their CRP funds.

Expand full comment
Jim Sayers's avatar

Interesting the increase in show of law enforcement officers. I wonder if this is happening at other locations across the state? Was it a local decision or a new strategy initiated by state leadership to show people who is in charge- with a demonstration of possible intimidation?

In the future will security guards (by whatever name you give them) become the norm to protect all elected officials from those who disagree with them?

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

I’m sure it is happening everywhere. That poor woman in Idaho…

Expand full comment
Mary C. McCarthy's avatar

Last Saturday I attended the League of Women Voters forum. Attending on a Saturday is always a hard decision as it is one of my usual volunteer foodbank shifts. However, I went as the topic was water quality. It was held in the Coralville City Council Chambers; we did not have a police presence. We did have five Democrat elected Iowa State Senators and Representatives. The area Republican officials did not show (not unusual from past forums). Water quality has become a partisan issue. I learned that in a subcommittee on health that is looking at the cancer rates, the issue of water quality can not be brought up. So much for transparency in our Iowa Golden Dome.

Expand full comment
Robert Leonard's avatar

I think, and as Chris Jones regularly says, that it should be a winning issue for Democrats. Thanks, Mary.

Expand full comment
Marita Sullivan's avatar

Governor Shapiro just won a suit concerning the freezing of funds for Pennsylvania governors need to get involved also to support their constituents. It is pretty pathetic that the Iowa representatives are so out of touch with what is actually going on. Someone needs to help the farmers organize!

Expand full comment