Guest commentary by Gary Thelen
IPERS, finance and fundamentalism
The people of Iowa enjoy a good life but are totally unaware of it. The talk show hosts constantly bombard the airwaves with negative images of a failing school system, a government that does not work and a moral standard that is despicable. They would have us believe that we already have one foot in hell with the handbasket in our arms. Why is this?
The extreme religious right wing, which has taken over the Republican Party in Iowa, would like to create a negative image of our public schools. After all, don’t we educate students about sex? Don’t we encourage toleration of all peoples? Don’t we teach science instead of creative design? These bigots want Iowans to believe that the schools are a dismal failure. Then maybe we would approve the appropriation of state funds to support private religious institutions. That is a clear violation of the First Amendment. These people apparently ignore this document.
The Department of Education (despised by the extremists) has declared that Iowa has the highest level of literacy of all the states. Does that indicate failure? Our SAT scores are among the highest in the nation? Does a failing system produce scholars like that? What is wrong with these people?
There are those who would punish Iowa’s public school teachers for being progressive, liberal (another dirty word to the bigots), hard-working people who devote their all to the education of Iowa’s future workers and leaders. These leaders are sectarian and not religious. They tolerate blacks, gays, Asians and even Southern Baptists. Why should such people enjoy a comfortable and well-earned retirement?
I have heard fundamentalists proclaim the IPERS system a fat boondoggle. Benefits should be reduced to contain costs. The system is losing money. The end is at hand. The George W. Bush economic meltdown of September 2008 caused all investors to lose money. IPERS, however, sustained losses much lower than comparable institutions. Harvard University, one of the best endowed institutions in the U.S., lost $8 billion. The California public retirement system might run out of money before Social Security does. The Oregon system has needed infusions of cash from the Legislature to stay afloat. None of these scenarios have happened in Iowa. And they won’t.
The only thing the people of Iowa have to fear is the short-sightedness of its leaders and the religious bigotry of the people controlling the airwaves. The situation existing today will not last forever. My own investments have recovered 50 percent since the economic collapse. Perennial pessimism creates its own disasters. We in Iowa seem to suffer from a great inferiority complex fueled by an extremist clergy who have everything to gain from such an attitude. They derive power from fear.
Iowans are smarter than to buy into that. CV
Guest commentary by John Hicks
Who cares?
Where are all those moderate Republicans? Where are those representing 70 percent of the population? The Right Wing extremists are playing the game in concert while the rest of us are twittering our thumbs.
Afraid to stand up? Perhaps.
Too busy? Probably.
Apathetic? For sure.
Reminds me of middle-class Germany ignoring the beatings of Jewish neighbors. These past few months we have had talk show hosts, their guests and any number of congressional Republicans spewing out hate, racism and one lie after another, but people in the United States whom we would expect not to put up with such a circus are saying nothing.
Where are Robert Ray, Joy Corning and even our ex-governor Terry Branstad? Where is the leadership of church congregations? Where are our local officials? Where are my Republican friends? Where is George W. Bush? Where is our leadership — period? Why are we taking such horrible behavior as if it is the norm?
OK. There is a sizable percentage of the American population which likes the hate mongers. We have seen Republican congressmen and women and senators who seem to love the lies and hate and add to them. We have seen Grassley, King and plenty of other politicians throughout the country egg the haters on. We see political want-a-bees never willing to consider “balance.” All of them care more about themselves than their country. And the rest of us sit on our duffs and let them raise hell.
Destroy our democracy? Sure, why not?
Create a theocracy? Sure, why not?
Riots in the streets? Sure, why not?
A take over? Sure, why not?
Who cares?
Only the extremists, of course — or so it seems. CV
