Braley’s bailing isn’t the first

Mr. Gartner’s mention of Bruce Braley bailing out of Iowa after an election loss (Comment, April 16) reminded me of other past politicians who professed an “all for Iowa” loyalty and then walked. Probably none were more blatant than ex-congressman and gubernatorial candidate Fred Grandy. While he professed to be all Iowan, he seemed to spend less time here than the Love Boat spent at Gray’s Lake. Then there was former congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot who seemed to hotfoot it out of Iowa before the ink on his election loss for governor results was dry. To be fair, Robert Ray, Roxanne Conlin, Doug Gross and Terry Branstad (during his first political retirement) did all stay and contribute.

Still, it begs the question: How are you going to keep them down on the farm once they have seen D.C.?

Mike Rowley
-Clive

A long time coming

Yes. Glancing through the wedding advertisements recently made me proud to realize that our own Cityview had room for some ad pages for the LGBT community, too (Wedding Guide, April 16). Gays and Lesbians have worked for years for marriage equality, and I salute your two pages dedicated to us. However, I think you ran the fact sheet from last year without checking the incredible revolution that has taken place recently, as 20 more states now have marriage equality. That would mean that 37 now honor committed relationships between two people of the same gender — not 17 as you reported in the ads. The Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments later this month and will announce their decision in June whether all states will be required to give marriage licenses to gay, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals. Iowa should be proud to be one of the first to make this commitment to all its citizens. I believe the court case deals with the federal court district involving Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky. Please apologize to Shaffers, Nationwide, downtown Marriott and Milroys for the misinformation on their behalf. It would be nice to run some Cityview stories on the many Iowans who are currently getting married. That story is one many of us have been waiting for a long time to read.

Rick Miller
-Des Moines

Editor’s Note: You are correct. Our apologies.

Double standard?

I saw an advertisement in Cityview for a LGBT wedding guide (April 16). Isn’t a wedding guide solely for LGBT discriminatory against heterosexual couples? I believe if there was a wedding guide solely for heterosexual people there would be an uproar and people would demand that this guide include LGBT individuals. Isn’t this a double standard?

Ken Zinkula
-Des Moines

Hillary Clinton shines in spite of distasteful Republican smear tactics

Duffy’s View last week (April 16) depicts Hillary Clinton approaching a 2016 starting line with a “beware” Iowa sign. Considering her 2008 loss in Iowa, it’s not surprising Duffy would portray her looking over her shoulder as she approaches Iowa for the 2016 cycle. However, this doesn’t look anything like 2008. In her first week in Iowa, she conducted a successful reintroduction to average Iowans. Clinton focused on low-key and intimate meetings and listened to the concerns of ordinary Iowans. Her face-to-face small group encounters provided the opportunity to talk about issues important to all Iowans. Clinton’s focus on listening to Iowans first and campaigning later will resonate with Iowans. However, Republicans don’t want to listen; they unleashed a torrent of attacks on every element from her logo to her age. Yet the public has a realistic and positive view of her experience and accomplishments. The repulsive smear tactics the Republicans are using against her may backfire. Republicans’ hurtful and unfounded attacks against Clinton contradicts “Iowa Nice” and Iowans’ sense of fair play. Let’s all take a breath; it’s just started, and we have plenty of time to welcome back and reconnect with Iowa’s longtime friend Hillary Clinton.

Rick Smith
-Urbandale

Find solutions to benefit all Iowa families

Republicans are giving the excuse for not setting the FY17 school budget because the chambers are split between Democrats and Republicans, like this has never happened before. Republican’s hardline stance is not in the best interest of the students. Since Iowa is at 0 percent school budget increase for FY16 and FY17, is the next step to start cutting education funding? With decreased state income caused by unnecessarily large industrial and commercial property tax cuts, what other incomes are the state legislature going to cut off? It looks like we are on a slippery slope. We only need to look at Minnesota to see economic growth and prosperity that is being reinvested in its citizens. Please look at different economic plans to find solutions that will benefit all Iowa families. At least give a 2.5 percent increase that would be 1.25 percent each for FY16 and FY17.

Julie Stewart Ziesman
-Waukee