Government officials put on a good public face, but that’s where it stops
“Smart, idealistic but earthly pragmatic, Mari Culver is a political spouse one wishes were running for office herself,” said The Des Moines Register on Jan. 13. That is exactly how I felt after having spent some time with Mari Culver, along with two mothers I brought to Terrace Hill, to discuss the unwillingness of Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) to enforce court ordered child support orders.
However, several months later after having received no response, nor seen any improvement in the mothers’ situation, I feel quite differently. Even the mothers have stopped asking me if I have heard anything from Mari Culver. They realize like me that she is no different than anyone else in politics.
We don’t have the luxury to “raise our children without hired help” because we don’t get our child support (our hired help is “daycare” often paid for by taxpayers) while we are forced to go to work, often having several jobs to still not make ends meet. Our primary job is not “parenting” no matter how hard we wish for it.
Laws mean nothing in this nation when it comes to child neglect. Gov. Chet Culver stated, “With God’s help, all things are possible.” Except when our government officials don’t do their job for abandoned mothers and children. So we should blame God and not our government officials?
Diane Butrum
Des Moines
Knowing is half the answer
I appreciate your “It’s Your Money” section in Cityview each week. I’m a 21-year-old Libertarian and, even at my young blood age, I notice (and am scared as hell) how this country is run. I don’t care about what political party anyone’s with, people need to open their eyes and really see how much government is out of control and over-involved. Obviously this includes how they recklessly and carelessly they spend our hard-earned money, with their endless and growing list of taxes. And I thank you for that.
David Hendren
Des Moines
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