Moses would have needed a forklift

Several weeks ago, Civic Skinny shined the light on some of the goofiness in the Iowa Republican Party platform. I have been waiting for a similar review and enlightenment on the Iowa Democratic Party platform for 2014

It contains more than 430 items of support and opposition. Moses would have needed a forklift to deliver all that on tablets.

As might be expected, it was heavy on ideals and low on specific actions, effects, costs or savings. Here were just a few:

• No. 85 supports choice of doctor for compensation injuries but at the same time No. 335 opposes Medicare/Medicaid vouchers. Apparently the poor and elderly should just go where they are told.

• They support No. 330 Medical cannabis but No. 336 opposes public Rx drug advertising. No sense in letting the public evaluate benefits and risks.

• Under mental health, they support 10 things No. 338 a-f and 339-341 but oppose nothing. If they believe there is nothing to oppose in the mental health care in Iowa, they might want to titrate up on their medicines for delusion.

• Under education, they support 28 items No. 146-173 but only oppose two items, No. 174 expansion of home school law and No. 175 “parent-controlled schools.” I wonder why they put quotation marks around that one.

• Under funding our future section, No. 176 says: “Funding to at least their previous highest inflation adjusted levels.” Wouldn’t we all like to have that guarantee to our jobs and salary no matter how much effort we did or did not give? I can’t wait to see the non-incumbent party platform.

The real story

Civic Skinny missed the real story in the July 30 edition. IPTV has for one of its conditions to be part of the gubernatorial debate contributions to a campaign of at least $50,000. Civic Skinny reports the current governor received that amount in a single check. Thus, with only one supporter, the Republican candidate meets an IPTV qualification. How does that indicate broad public appeal for the candidate to be in the debate? The Libertarian Party candidate for governor, Dr. Lee Hieb, has more than one supporter, although none of them has given her campaign $50,000.

Immigration debate continues

Recently you had someone comment on Gov. Branstad failing to provide a moral solution to the immigrant problem (Political Mercury, Aug. 7). You have no idea how many Mexicans we already have here in Iowa, or how that number has grown over the last couple of decades. It used to be that just the east side had a few, now the whole southeast side of town (which used to be all Italians) is almost Mexican as well. I’d say it’s fairly obvious that the whole country of Mexico is attempting to transplant itself over here onto American soil. Any economy/government is better than what they have, and they’ll do anything to get over here, including sending children by themselves. This is a very smart move. Just one look at their wittle faces and it’s “awwww,” and later the pubescent Mexicans turn into grown-ups who later make more of themselves.

The prediction of 2035 being the year that us regular caucasians are due to be the minority in this country has already been refuted; the year is coming sooner than that.  I can understand the government’s position on this; we already have more than enough. Besides, Gov. Ray’s case was different, as those were true refugees of war.  These aren’t refugees. These are people who know where to get the handouts and how to make it so we don’t turn them away.

Pitch for new CV columnist

You’ve published letters from Rick Smith three weeks in a row, all parroting Democratic Party talking points (many of them pure fabrications). Isn’t it time to give him a regular column and admit that his views reflect those of the paper?