Posted March 25, 2025in Stray Thoughts
As the president, governors and legislators elevate the stress and anxiety in higher education in the United States by seeking to change how colleges and universities operate and what they teach, the contrast between how an Ivy League school and an Iowa university responded shows the courage gap among college
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Posted February 24, 2025in Stray Thoughts
Iowa taxpayers provided about $104 million last school year directly to parents choosing to send their K-12 children to private schools. The price tag for these education savings accounts, or vouchers, is expected to climb to $294 million this school year as more families become eligible. During the 2025-2026 school
Read More →Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird again tried to put herself in the national spotlight last week as leader of a group of Republican attorneys general who fixed their sights on Costco over the warehouse retailer’s DEI policies. The state attorneys sent a stern warning letter telling the company, “We …
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Posted January 27, 2025in Stray Thoughts
I was in Eagle Grove last week. Like many travelers in Iowa, I stopped at Casey’s before leaving town. Eagle Grove is a meatpacking community, and many jobs are held by Hispanic men and women. As I waited with my coffee in the check-out line, I was behind a Hispanic
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Posted January 20, 2025in Stray Thoughts
Gov. Terry Branstad was frustrated eight years ago with what he believed was the inability of officials to tell the public why a government employee was fired or resigned under pressure. When the Legislature convened in 2017, he shepherded through the Legislature important new language in the public records
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Posted January 06, 2025in Stray Thoughts
I have been kicking myself since being reminded that procrastination comes with a price. This lesson arrived the week before Christmas when I spotted a small obituary in the Bloomfield Democrat. Seven succinct paragraphs informed readers of the death of Titus Wagler, 66, a longtime Davis County business owner. In
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Posted December 23, 2024in Stray Thoughts
When it comes to freedom of religion and the rights enshrined in the 45 words of the First Amendment, the devil is in the details in Iowa. Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration recently revoked permission for the Satanic Temple of Iowa to place a display in the Capitol and host a
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Posted December 16, 2024in Stray Thoughts
A public policy dispute over plans for about 1,000 miles of carbon dioxide pipeline across Iowa took a concerning turn last week. The pipeline company’s latest tactic demonstrates why Iowa should finally pass an anti-SLAPP statute that has been floating around the Legislature for a few years. Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Posted December 09, 2024in Stray Thoughts
When and why did the United States turn into such a cesspool of hatred? Some people may disagree with that characterization. But events last week have or should put those questions front and center because the kind of cold-hearted reaction we have witnessed is disgusting. See what you think: About
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Posted December 03, 2024in Stray Thoughts
Many people would rather get their teeth drilled than discuss economics. If you are one of them, dial up your dentist, because today’s topic probably will make you uncomfortable. Some politicians like to talk about other countries “stealing” the jobs of American workers. The politicians would have us believe these
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