CEDAR RAPIDS — A Dubuque woman who helped her boyfriend and another person buy heroin that later led to a fatal overdose was convicted Thursday in federal court. Jacqueline M. Birch, 23,...

On Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds removed some restrictions on businesses in the 22 counties that have been seeing higher numbers of Iowans affected by COVID-19, including Linn and Johnson counties....

Coronavirus provides a chilling lesson about crowding. The disease originated in a densely packed Chinese City. As it moved worldwide it struck most heavily in crowded places where people live and...

This Mother’s Day, April Kelley just wants to give her daughter Jessica Kelley a hug. But she can’t. Jessica, 21, works on the COVID-19 floor at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. To...

Mother’s Day celebrations will look different for many families this year as we follow social distancing guidelines. Fortunately, we don’t have to be in proximity to express our love...

At the same time Vice President Mike Pence was in Iowa on Friday to discuss the nation’s food supply security, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack called on the administration to take more measures to...

4:43 P.M.: GOODWILL PLANS TO REOPEN 11 EASTERN IOWA RETAIL LOCATIONS Goodwill of the Heartland will reopen 11 retail locations in Eastern Iowa next week, including all its Cedar Rapids stores,...

DES MOINES — More than 20 days after Iowa signed a $26 million contract with a Utah company to expand testing in the state, the machines the firm supplied to run the samples still have not...

A man suspected of a workplace shooting last month at a vinyl window manufacturer in southwest Cedar Rapids turned himself into authorities Friday. Jamal Devonte Edwards, 26, has been wanted since...

DES MOINES — In traveling to Iowa to call attention to the burdens COVID-19 brought to religious services and the food supply, Vice President Mike Pence unwittingly called attention to another...

Iowa State University graduates who celebrated commencement Friday saw lots of caps and gowns, red-and-gold confetti and arenas packed with friends and family. But none of those images were from...

A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin. For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and...

11 a.m. Iowa sees 214 more positive tests for coronavirus The Iowa Department of Public Health on Saturday reported nine more deaths from COVID-19, for a total of 252 since March 8. An additional 214...

STEPHEN &Quot;STEVE&Quot; MATTHEW PERSON
Tipton

Stephen "Steve" Matthew Person, 71, of Tipton, died suddenly on Sunday, May 3, 2020, while at his home. Private family funeral services will be determined at a later date and all updated service information will be posted on the same website where you are invited to share online condolences: www.fryfuneralhome.com.

CEDAR RAPIDS
Beverly Medberry, 87, died Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion.

RUTH &Quot;JOAN&Quot; BOYANOVSKY
Springville

Ruth "Joan" Boyanovsky of Springville passed away on April 25, 2020, at the age of 91 after a brief illness. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, Joan is survived by her son, John (Betsi)
of Springville; daughter, Jane French of Waubeek; four grandchildren, Jennifer (Shane) Leytem of Mechanicsville, Erin Edenfield, Kari (Tad) Clothier and JD Boyanovsky, all of Springville; seven great-grandchildren, Ciara (Travis) Smith, Taylor Edenfield, Alexa Hutchcroft, Devin and Prestin Leytem and Kelcie and Carsyn Clothier; and great-great-grandson, Hayden Smith.
Joan was born July 10, 1928, and was a graduate of Marion High School. She was a longtime Springville resident who had been an avid golfer, gardener and animal lover. She loved baking, and could always be found with a book by her side. She had a great love of sports and always had golf, NASCAR, basketball, football or baseball on TV.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett (Cy) and Elizabeth Gibson; her husband, Jack; and son, Jim.
Joan will be greatly missed by those who knew her. Memorials can be directed to the family at this time.

MERVIN L. CHAMBERLIN
Olin

Mervin L. Chamberlin, 89, of Olin, passed away quietly May 4, 2020, at the Clarence Assisted Living Center. Private graveside services will be held at the Olin Cemetery. Dawson Funeral Services of Olin is assisting the family at this time.
Mervin was born Feb. 17, 1931, on the farm between Stanwood and Olin to Clarence and Mae (Jackson) Chamberlin.
He graduated from Stanwood High School. On May 29, 1955, at the Olin Community Methodist Church, he married the love of his life, Mary Ann Hart.
He was a farmer at heart and loved spending time hanging around his farm. He enjoyed bird watching, hunting, fishing and telling a good sports story from the old days. He had a great love for horses and polka music and enjoyed spending his time watching both on TV.
Those left to cherish his memories are his wife, Mary Ann; his five children, Randy (Valerie) Chamberlin of Center Point, Rick Chamberlin of Webster City, Mitzi (Virgil) Matzen of Davenport, Rodney (Kathy) Chamberlin of Jesup and Melody (Chris) Rady of Poplar Grove, Ill., 16 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren.
He has preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Theola; and a brother, Gerald.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dawsonfuneral.com.
Memorials may be left in his honor to the Olin Community Methodist church.

VERYL ARDIS HANSEN
Cedar Rapids


Veryl Ardis Hansen passed away Wednesday morning, May 6, 2020. A private family service will be held for Veryl at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. She will be buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City beside her mother and father.
Arrangements are being handled by Cedar Memorial
of Cedar Rapids.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Hansen;
her four children, Daniel, Andrew, Jane and Jill; and a granddaughter, Christine.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Viola Sorensen; father, Harry Sorensen; and brother, Charles Sorensen.
Born Veryl Ardis Sorensen on April 27, 1928, she grew up on a farm between Thornton and Swaledale, Iowa. She graduated from Swaledale High School in 1945. She attended Wartburg College in 1945-46 and graduated from St. Mary's School of Nursing, Rochester, Minn., in 1949. She worked for St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, later in her career she worked as a visiting nurse. While dedicating her life to nursing, she raised four children and pursued numerous interests. She had a lifelong passion for music which she passed on to her children. She also loved the outdoors and wilderness areas. The family regularly took camping trips to parks in the western states, canoed Iowa rivers, and visited the Boundary Waters wilderness area in Minnesota many times. Later, Veryl and Richard continued their travels including a tent trip to Alaska. They also visited Germany, Korea, Japan and China.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.cedarmemorial.com.

KARINE HATESA LEOTA-EVANS
Cedar Rapids

Karine Hatesa Leota-Evans, 16, of Cedar Rapids, passed away on April 20, 2020 at St. Luke's Hospital. Home going services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, Garden of Serenity.
Karine was a sweet, loving, well-mannered and soft-spoken daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece and cousin.
She loved to watch and take pictures of sunsets, road trips to her aunts and uncles in Missouri and Wisconsin, sing, dance, connecting on social media, shopping and her cat Miss Samoa. She will be greatly missed by her family and everyone who knew and loved her.
Karine was preceded in death by her mother/grandmother, Karine Hatesa Apineru-Evans.
Left to cherish Karine's memories are her parents, Jennifer and Nofoasaefa Leota; sisters, Fagaeolemasina "Mary" and Taofegauia'i "Amayah"; brother, Rapi Quincy; father/grandfather, Shawn Evans; her Apineru Family; and her Leota Family.
Condolences may be left at www.cedarmemeorial.com under obituaries.
Messages from your sisters.
A message to my little sister:
Karine, this was such unexpected timing, I was hoping to go see grandma first, but I guess you beat me to it. You were such a special girl, beautiful and always full of imagination and the resemblance between the two of us is uncanny. This year 2020, I am to graduate high school, and I was hoping to finally get to meet you in person, I loved our long phone calls but I wanted the real life version of everything but I guess that shall wait till it is my turn to join you up there. It has been four years since I have heard your sweet voice, and it pains me to say I was not able to hear it again one final time before your departure. Here on Earth everything feels different, there is an emptiness. I hope you're dancing in the sky; I hope you're singing in the angel's choir, and I hope the angels know what they have. It must be so nice up in Heaven since you arrived. Never had I ever cried a river of tears, but when you decided to leave there was no holding back, the 4 oceans could not withstand the flood of tears that ran quickly down my face. But I am sorry, I never told you all I wanted to say, never had I imagined living without you, but I know you're shining down on me from Heaven. Tell grandma, Mama Susie, Pops, Nana, Pago and everyone we love up there with you that I said I hope one day I can make all of them proud, and that I miss all of them very much. I am your big sister Rine, and I hope you know how much I love you uso! Always and forever, till no end.
-- Taofegauiai Amayah Leota

To my dearest beloved baby sister,
No words can explain how much I love and miss you, it's even harder for me to write this to you because I never thought of losing you in such a short period of time. Ever since I heard the news of your loss I didn't know what to do or how to feel but deep inside there's a pain that I never felt in a long time, especially losing my own baby sister it was something really unexpected and heartbreaking. I was really looking forward to seeing you one day and spending time with you and have a sisterly bond with you that I will cherish every moment of it. But now without you, my life will be like a book without page numbers. The story will go on, but it might feel out of order. I miss her, my sister, her spirit dulled to a whisper. My sister was a gift I never asked for, but I always wanted. A lost sister is like the missing piece in the game of life. When she was alive, I didn't always miss my sister - now I can't stop missing her. See you when I see you ok, kisses to the sky to you uso. I love you with every beat of my heart and I miss you every day of my life.
--Your older sister, Fagaeolemasina Mary Leota.

CATHY VAN NEVEL
Belle Plaine


Cathy Van Nevel, 63, of Belle Plaine, passed away Thursday, May 7, 2020, at Keystone Care Center, following a long illness.
Cathy was born Feb. 4, 1957, to Tom and Donna (Looney) Kelley in Burlington, Iowa. She graduated from Marion High School in 1976. She married Bill Van Nevel Nov. 18, 1988. Cathy and Bill loved to travel, especially going on cruises. She enjoyed spending time with family, camping, roller skating, shopping and caring for her grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband, Bill Van Nevel of Belle Plaine; sister, Debbie (Mike) Whitson of Cedar Rapids; brother, Charles Kelley of Cedar Rapids; children, Jason (Stephanie) Van Nevel of Iowa City, Jenny (Jaime Gutierrez) Perez of Marion, Stacey (Brett Feuerhelm) Van Nevel of Van Horne, Jeff Van Nevel of Belle Plaine and Donna (Dan) Sun of Cedar Rapids; and grandchildren, Cheyanna, Breanna, Savanna, Elysia, Mia, Allie, Kaylee, Cameron, Ashlyn, Adrian and Oliver.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, David and Marjorie Looney, Bruce and Iva Kelley; parents, Tom and Donna Kelley; mother-in-law, Marcella Van Nevel and three granddaughters, Selena, Bella and Aria.
A private family graveside service will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery, Belle Plaine. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Huntington's Disease Society of America, HDSA.org. Online condolences can be sent to the family at neuhausfuneralservice.com.
Hrabak-Neuhaus Funeral Service is assisting the family.

Watch my video and see what a decentralized WordPress environment might look like. Almost everything we rely on to operate online is a centralized platform. WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, you name it—they’re all gigantic, centralized platforms. Ok, sure, but why does that matter? It matters because the bigger centralized platforms get, the less freedom users […]

Tthink about the great relics of human civilization—the pyramids, the magnificent castles of Europe, the Great Wall of China, meticulously detailed sculptures from different eras, the awe-inspiring churches and temples that dot almost every landscape we’ve ever inhabited… All made of stone. All hundreds of years old. All crafted with the intention of permanence and […]

We all know elections matter. Local elections matter in particular because these elected officials have significant impacts on our daily lives. Government here in our community impacts us through our schools, in our streets, and on our property.

Electing a sheriff is unique because it’s a direct link between the voting public and a law enforcement official; we all have a stake in the sheriff election. The public should take a critical look at each candidate, examine the candidates’ goals, and their plans for attaining them. Look at the substance and nature of their campaign. Scrutinize their grasp of the office.

I’m running because I see where the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office can improve our services and have specific plans to achieve these goals. My campaign has focused on engaging people and groups across the county to listen to what is important to people when selecting a sheriff and sharing tangible, achievable goals to keep the Sheriff’s Office moving forward.

Perhaps most important, though, the next sheriff must also understand the role the office holds in county government. It is vital to understand the scope of the office as well as the legal and ethical boundaries that the sheriff is held to and must operate within.

I’m confident that my experience within the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office — and appreciation of the responsibility — provide voters with an additional measure of comfort when casting your ballot.

When electing a sheriff, voters should examine the career, character and commitment to the community displayed by the candidate. As a lifelong resident of this community and a career public servant to Johnson County, I’ve grown with this community and have a deep understanding of where we’ve come from and where we’re going. A sheriff’s office is a complex organization, and my experience as a deputy sheriff is invaluable to understanding the dynamics of the different divisions within the office. I also have important budget and personnel experience through service on the Solon City Council and on nonprofit boards. The sheriff is also a department head and it’s important to have a strong grasp of finance and management skills.

I’m proud of my proven record of service to public safety, public office and our nonprofit partners in Johnson County, and I will continue my commitment to service as the next Johnson County sheriff.

Brad Kunkel is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County sheriff. kunkelforsheriff.com

“It is hopelessness even more than pain that crushes the soul.”

-William Styron.

In my 35 years on earth I’ve heard the term “unprecedented” used only a handful of times to describe global events. I don’t know about you, but as I write this tucked away in my basement where I’ve been working from for the last two months, I’m pretty darn sick of the word “unprecedented.”

All of us are now experiencing the culmination of a global pandemic, a painful economic reality and the challenge of stay at home orders.

Social connectedness is one of the most important aspects of the human condition. During times of crisis we come together, not apart. Time spent with friends and family is immensely important to our well-being, heck, even time spent with co-workers has its benefits. Physical proximity to our supports matters, it matters a lot.

For those of us with a history of mental health struggles (and without), this “unprecedented” crisis has presented unique challenges to our well-being: uncertainty, fear, and a sense of hopelessness. The daily loss of life, the 24-hour news cycle with its constant focus on the pandemic, and a massive economic crisis. Good news is hard to come by.

The psychologist and suicidologist Edwin Schneidman coined the term “psychological pain” to describe “how much you hurt as a human. It is mental suffering; mental torment.”

All of us hurt right now.

During times of stress, it is not uncommon to experience thoughts of suicide.

The vast majority of individuals who experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors go on to live healthy and full lives. During this time where many of us have already felt financial impacts or experienced increased depression, the possibility of experiencing suicidal ideation or behavior increases.

Support is available, help is out there.

1. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) to immediately speak with a counselor (24/7/365). If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about someone else, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available.

2. Mobile Crisis Outreach: If you live in Eastern Iowa you can call the Iowa Helpline (855-581-8111) to receive free telehealth services from a mobile crisis counselor. Counselors will connect with you via telehealth to provide screening, immediate intervention and guidance.

There are several warning signs that can help you determine if you or a loved one is at risk for suicide. These include:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves

• Looking for a way to kill themselves, like purchasing a firearm

• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain

• Talking about being a burden to others

3. Social distancing does not mean social isolation. While we can’t be physically with many of our friends and family, we should still make an effort to connect with them. If there is someone you’ve worried about in the past, a friend or family member with a history of depression, now is an important time to reach out and see how they are doing.

4. Take care of what you can. I’ve noticed with many of the clients I work with (and myself) that as social distancing and stay at home orders have been in place for nearly two months now, sleep habits and routines have started to change. I find myself staying up later and sleeping in later. Sleep and mental health go hand in hand. It’s hard to feel good when we are not sleeping, or if our sleep cycles are significantly disrupted. Depression can drive us to want to sleep away the days. This is something to be avoided and tends to compound our feelings of loneliness.

5. Connect with your mental health providers. Connecting with a mental health provider remains an important component of support. Let your provider know that you’ve had thoughts of suicide so you can work collaboratively on treatment and support.

6. Know that you matter. Individuals who experience thoughts of suicide and/or depression will often report that they feel or think their lives don’t matter. As Kevin Hines, the motivational speaker and suicide prevention advocate says “You matter to people you haven’t even met yet.” Treatment for suicide ideation and behavior is very effective. You are worth it. The vast majority of people who experience suicide ideation go on to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.”

-Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations.

Drew Martel (LISW, CADC) is the director of crisis services at Foundation 2 and has been involved in several suicide risk assessments, as well as provided trainings across the state on suicide intervention and treatment. Drew also provides individual therapy at Meadowlark Psychiatric Services and is an adjunct instructor at the University of Iowa School of Social Work.

In response to the coronavirus, Americans were told by their federal and state governments to shut down their businesses, stop going to church, work, school or out to eat, travel only when necessary and hunker down at home. Originally, Americans were led to believe this was for a two- or three-week period, in order to flatten the curve and not overwhelm our health care system.

At seven weeks and counting, with staggering economic loss that will leave families and thousands of small businesses and farmers with profound devastation, the question must be asked, are we trying to flatten the curve or flatten our country?

The initial models that pointed to staggering loss of life from the coronavirus have proved wildly inaccurate. As of May 2, the CDC placed the number of deaths in the U.S. from the virus at 66,746. While all loss of life is deeply regrettable, these numbers cannot be considered in a vacuum. For perspective, deaths from pneumonia in the U.S. during the same period were 64,382, with average yearly deaths from influenza in the same range.

The original goal of closing much of the U.S. economy and staying at home was to flatten the curve of new coronavirus cases so that our hospital systems would not be overwhelmed. Hospitals built by the Army Corps of Engineers to handle the increased volume have mostly been taken down. Except for a few spots in the U.S. the health care system was not overwhelmed. As the medical models of casualties from the coronavirus continue to be adjusted down, it is clear the curve has been flattened, so why do we continue to stay closed and worsen the economic devastation that tunnel vision has thus far kept many of our leaders from acknowledging?

Many health experts say 80 percent of Americans will get the coronavirus and experience only mild symptoms. The curve has been flattened. Our health care system is not overwhelmed. Why is our economy, for the most part, still closed?

A University of Washington study recently revised the projected number of deaths from the coronavirus in Iowa from 1,367 to a much lower estimate of 365. While all loss of life is horrific, we must also consider the devastation being done to our economy, our families and our way of life by actions taken to combat the coronavirus.

It must be noted that 578 Iowans died from the flu and pneumonia in 2017, a greater number than are likely to pass away from the coronavirus. We also know that many who die from the virus are elderly with underlying health conditions, increasing the likelihood that any serious illness could result in their death. Are draconian government restrictions in response to the coronavirus still needed and economically sustainable? The data shows that the answers to both questions is no. We are no longer flattening the curve; we are flattening our state and nation.

We have seen the medical data. What has been less visible in news conferences and in the overall reporting of the coronavirus and our response to it, are the economic and human costs of what we are doing:

• 30 million Americans are out of work and the number grows daily.

• Dairy farmers are pouring out milk they have no market for.

• Pork producers are euthanizing hogs they have no market for.

• According to a study by Iowa State University, the losses to Iowa Agriculture are at a staggering $6.7 billion and growing, with the largest losses in pork production and ethanol.

• In Iowa, the economic loss for corn is estimated to be $788 million, $213 million for soybean and $34 million for cattle.

• The Iowa Restaurant Association estimates that between 10 & 25% of Iowa’s restaurants will not reopen.

• Iowa’s public universities are predicting a $187 million loss.

• Iowa is spending $200 million or more per month on unemployment claims, with over 171,000 Iowans unemployed.

• 29 percent of the U.S. economy is frozen as a result of government action, with U.S. economic output down 29 percent.

• U.S. unemployment could soon hit 47 million.

• Losses to U.S. tourism are predicted to top $910 billion.

• Retirement plans for millions of Americans are being decimated, with recent reports projecting the average 401(k) loss at 19 percent.

• Drug and alcohol addiction and relapse are increasing.

• Testing for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease are being delayed, which could lead to increasing health problems and life-threatening illnesses in the future.

• Economic damage to rural hospitals could lead to hospital closures and less access to health care in some areas.

• Warnings of a possible meat shortage in the U.S. have been issued by executives of Farmland and Tyson, with reports that the food supply chain is under stress. Several grocery store chains are now limiting meat purchases and some national restaurant chains are no longer offering certain meat products on their menus. Higher meat prices are almost certain in the months to come.

• Huge U.S. debt increases unlike anything seen since World War II, to the tune of over $3 trillion and counting, are adding to the already monstrous $22 trillion in U.S. debt. This does not bode well for our children or future economic stability.

The list of consequences goes on and on, and behind each of the statistics is a family struggling to survive, a father and mother fearful of how they will care for their children, a small-business owner seeing their dreams and hard work destroyed overnight by draconian government mandates, a restaurant owner deciding never to reopen, a dairy farmer throwing in the towel and a business owner postponing indefinitely plans for expanding.

Behind these numbers is an economy greatly impacted by the government response to the coronavirus, with implications for our economic well-being profound and long lasting. Expansion projects delayed, business closures, layoffs and contraction for many businesses will likely keep unemployment numbers high and depress economic expansion for an unknown amount of time.

Let us be clear, it grows worse every day we remain closed.

Steve Holt represents District 18 in the Iowa House.

I was happy to read Joe Coffey’s article in Sunday’s paper (“The birth of news in Linn County”) about the history of newspapers in Linn County. But I was disappointed that Mr. Coffey did not include mention of the Metro Libraries’ historical newspaper databases. All of the papers mentioned and pictured in his article (and many more!) are available in scanned, full-text, searchable versions, through the websites of the Cedar Rapids and Marion Public Libraries. There is no charge to browse or search these delightful old editions, and in fact, you don’t even need a library card.

I encourage anyone with an interest in local history, or just with a little time on your hands, to look at some of these old newspapers. It’s a delightful adventure to read about lives in other times.

Jo Pearson

Marion

I’m Admiral Mike Franken, and I’m a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Months before COVID-19 gripped the world, and what feels like an eternity before it began to run roughshod over Iowa, I decided to run for U.S. Senate. Why? Because Iowans deserve experienced leadership in Washington.

Now, Iowa suffers one of the worst outbreaks in the nation; currently, three Iowa cities are the home of the second, forth, and fifth worst outbreaks in the country.

During a crisis, especially a crisis of this severity, there is no alternative to leadership, experience, and vision. Unfortunately, political decisions have taken precedence over workers and their families. Our governor is insistent on opening the state as local experts and the CDC frantically urge otherwise. Sen. Chuck Grassley has said little.

And, indefensibly, Sen. Joni Ernst is declaring that “Iowa has fared pretty well” despite what we know to be true: Iowa still is in a crisis. And the worst still is to come.

Iowa doesn’t just suffer from a pandemic, we suffer from a profound failure of leadership. The question that voters must ask ahead of the June 2 primary is clear: Where can an Iowan look for leadership?

A lack of leadership may come from a lack of experience, as well. I’m no stranger to dealing with disasters, pandemics, or other crises. Hurricanes have slammed economies, and, working for the Department of Defense, I helped rebuild them. Ebola decimated communities and, working in the Pentagon and in Africa, I helped rally the international efforts to save them. I’ve been here before.

My plan is to win this race by offering a showcase of leadership. Recently I began a Daily Coronavirus Briefing on Facebook Live to fill the vacuum of leadership left by Joni Ernst and others. I use these daily opportunities to set the record straight, to discuss what is best for Iowa, how to recover from this pandemic, and kick start our economy, and ultimately build a new America. In short, I will lead to achieve these opportunities.

On June 2, we have a close race for the U.S. Senate. Let’s chart a new course. I am the only candidate with the experience to lead Iowans out of this crisis. Let’s cast a vote for principled, experienced leadership for Iowa.

Michael Franken is a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

“Past performance is no indication of future results.”

That’s a favorite mantra of many business analysts. It may be true when pondering statistics. But when considering people, it’s a false positive. You certainly can predict how people will perform, based on what they’ve said and done.

For example, if a business owner has historically forced employees to work in hazardous conditions for minimum wage, it’s no surprise that now, they are compelling workers to choose between risking their health even further or go without a meager paycheck.

If elected officials have historically favored those business owners over working people, it’s no surprise that now, they are threatening to deny unemployment benefits to those workers who don’t return to their hazardous jobs.

Those historically silent about this and other injustices are remaining silent now — and we shouldn’t expect anything different from them.

I have been a business owner for nearly three decades, but I am pro-people.

Because I made personal concessions during the Great Recession, no one at UIG, the property and casualty insurance agency where I am president, lost their job. I have done the same this year with COVID-19. And will do it again to put my employees first.

Because I believe in workers’ right to organize, I supported my campaign staff’s successful effort to unionize with the Campaign Workers Guild, becoming the first senate campaign in Iowa to do so. This guarantees they receive a dignified living wage, get paid time off, unlimited paid sick leave, and fully paid health insurance. We did this together. Which is the way business should work.

On the contrary, the lobbyist-backed candidate, Theresa Greenfield, bankrupted her company in 2013, and went on to evict several small businesses with Colby Interests so she could replace their storefronts with an Aldi. We all have seen what happens with a real estate developer in power, and it has certainly not benefited hardworking Iowans.

COVID has revealed fissures in America’s bedrock. To fix the cracks, we need leaders who have proved they can craft solutions to assure every worker of a dignified wage, a safe workplace, paid time off and sick leave, and affordable, accessible health care.

These days have taught us that past performance certainly is an indication of future results. We need to look closely at what someone has said and done when considering what they may say and do in office.

Eddie Mauro is a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

After more than a decade in the making, the Tea Party moment has finally arrived.

The movement originated in 2009 as a challenge to runaway taxes, spending and regulation. Organizers sought to restore the constitutional balance of power between the states and the federal government.

Eventually, the Tea Party devolved into a catchall for right-wing populism, and a magnet for xenophobes and culture warriors. In 2016, its early adherents overwhelmingly fell in line with President Donald Trump, choosing protectionism over freedom.

But that original Tea Party spirit — the charge to buck the national government in favor of local control — was on full display recently from two unlikely sources.

Trump decided early on in the coronavirus pandemic that the federal government would not centrally coordinate the purchase and distribution of medical supplies. That might have worked fine, except the Trump administration actively undermined state governments’ efforts. The federal government has outbid state buyers and even seized products from states.

After 3 million masks ordered by the Massachusetts governor were confiscated in New York, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker decided to sidestep the usual procurement process. He sent a New England Patriots’ private airplane to bring supplies back from China.

In Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan coordinated a large COVID-19 test order from South Korea. The delivery was facilitated by the National Guard and state police, and the tests were put in a secure location with armed security.

“We guarded that cargo from whoever might interfere with us getting that to our folks that needed it,” Hogan said last week in an interview with Washington Post Live.

Hogan and Baker don’t fit the common perception of the Tea Party mold. They both have harshly criticized President Donald Trump and supported the impeachment inquiry. Hogan openly considered challenging Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.

They are among the last vestiges of moderate conservatism in American executive office, and yet they are the ones waging a battle over federalism and states’ rights.

The political minds built for this moment — the ones who have long fantasized about escalating the state-federal power struggle — are not up to the task. The conservative firebrands who should be taking up this fight instead are beholden to Trump and whatever cockamamie plans he comes up with.

At a news conference last month, Trump made a striking claim about his powers in managing the public health crisis: “When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that’s the way it’s got to be. It’s total.”

That should have been a flashpoint for conservatives, the beginning of a revitalized Tea Party that recognizes the enormous threat Trumpism poses to our values.

But it wasn’t. Loyalists brushed it off, again, as Trump misspeaking.

The small-government philosophy is founded on the likelihood that the levers of government power will eventually be grabbed by some menace, an incompetent or malicious figure. But when that menace is your friend, your fundraiser and your public relations manager, it proves hard to slap his hand away.

adam.sullivan@thegazette.com; (319) 339-3156

I have been a Johnson County resident since 1977. I grew up in Clear Lake, a small farming community in North Central Iowa. I came to Iowa City after being recruited by Dan Gable to wrestle for the University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team and placed 3rd place in the 1980 NCAA Division I.

I met my wife Teresa and we settled in Iowa City. I have two children, Melissa, 36, and Anthony, 25; and grandchildren Emma, 9, Ellie and Emilia, 4-month-old twin girls, and Jack, who passed two just before his 2nd birthday. I am a cancer survivor and support cancer research and patient support.

I was a maintenance supervisor at the old Cantebury Inn, I owned and operated Advance Property Management for 23 years and drove a school bus for First Student, Inc. While working at First Student I was one of the driving forces in the campaign for the workers to unionize with the Teamsters. I was asked to join the Teamsters as a full-time organizer after the campaign, which I did for 13 years. I found my calling as an organizer because I was able to help others stand up for themselves and really change their lives.

I made the decision to run for Johnson County supervisor because we need to bring some common sense back to Johnson County government, and run a smarter government that works for all. The supervisors need to oversee the county departments better to stop wasting county funds paying settlements to individuals because of illegal action by department employees. Rules are for everyone and if you work outside the rules there will be costs and consequences.

I want to bring new blood to the board as well as new ideas. County supervisor is a public service position of honor and trust. Being a supervisor is about following through on jobs you were elected to do for the people. The supervisors need to finish jobs that they started but never completed. You should never leave a job half done!

I hope the voters agree the Johnson County Board of Supervisors need to answer to the public for their actions and their employees. We can no long just “sweep issues under the rug.”

Dean Phinney is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors consists of five at-large members. Recently some people in the rural community have advocated for a board elected from districts within the county. A House Study Bill a few years ago would have required counties with a population greater than 150,000 to elect supervisors from districts, though a similar bill had failed earlier.

While districting a board of supervisors may appear to provide more representation to rural residents, the opposite would result. Currently, any resident anywhere in the county has five supervisors to whom they can communicate their needs. With districts, residents would have only one supervisor representing them.

There are many reasons electing supervisors from districts is not a good idea for Johnson County. But here is why, in fact, it’s a bad idea.

In Johnson County, our current practice for funding projects is determined using a needs assessment approach. This can be seen in our Five-Year Road Plan and works quite well. It is a triage of sorts, with the greatest need addressed first. With districts, it would become necessary to rotate projects based on the district in which it is located rather than the greatest need.

Imagine what might have happened in the 2016 emergency situation on the Highway 965 bridge over the Iowa River! During routine bridge inspections, county engineers determined repairs to that bridge to be our county’s greatest road need. It was an issue of public safety. Our at-large Board of Supervisors approved that project for immediate repairs.

Had we had districts, that project would land within my district and might have been put on hold, waiting for my district to have its turn at a big roads project. Just a couple years later, Swan Lake Road bridge over I-380, also in “my district” was deemed in need of immediate repair. While there is not a lot of traffic on that bridge, it is an essential route for farmers in the area. The closure was inconvenient during one farming season, but is now open and in good repair.

With districts, that bridge, in particular, would still be closed because it would be unfair for one district to have two big bridge repair jobs done before other districts had one done.

There are many other reasons why Johnson County’s Board of Supervisors should continue as an at-large body. Each county should be allowed to determine its own board of supervisors structure.

Lisa Green-Douglass is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

I grew up on a Heritage farm (150 years in the same family) near Sutliff, and attended K-12 in the Lisbon school system. I am an alumnus of the University of Iowa. I have held several positions in the field of human services, including six years with the Department of Human Services and six years as executive director of the Arc of Johnson County.

I am married to Dr. Melissa Fath, a research scientist at the University of Iowa and a volunteer pharmacist at the Free Medical Clinic. We have three adult children — Rachel, Jordan and BJ, and have served as foster parents for another 50+ children.

I am a member of several community organizations, including: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parent Association, NAMI, Center for Worker Justice, ACLU Hawkeye Chapter, AFT Local 716, and Iowa City Federation of Labor. I also served four years as chairman of the Johnson County Democratic Party.

Some of the accomplishments of which I am proud:

• Leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.

• Leadership during 2008 floods.

• Raising the minimum wage — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed a Human Rights Ordinance — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed a Sensitive Areas Ordinance — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed the Conservation Bond Initiative — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed the Community ID Program — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Started 1105 Project with gift of old Public Health building.

• Saved Sutliff Bridge after 2008 floods.

• Started trails funding.

• Created the Free Tax Help project.

• Created the Livable Community for Successful Aging.

• Added outdoor warning sirens to unincorporated Johnson County.

• Created the Local Foods Policy Council.

• Heritage AAA Outstanding Elected Official — 2009.

If reelected, my goals are:

1. Continue community recovery from COVID-19;

2. Begin serving people at the GuideLink Center;

3. Improve affirmative action results;

4. Renegotiate six union contracts to the benefit of all.

I am grateful for your past support, and I thank you for your future consideration. I promise to never take this position for granted! I respectfully request your vote on or before June 2.

Rod Sullivan is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

Like everyone, U.S. oil companies have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they are looking for relief. . Oil companies have requested special access to a $600 billion lending facility at the Federal Reserve, and the administration seems keen to deliver. The president just announced that the Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Treasury would make funds available, and the Department of Energy is also floating a $7 billion plan to pay drillers to leave oil in the ground.

Unfortunately, at least one faction of the industry — a group of refiners that traditionally profit when crude feedstocks are cheap — is angling for much more than a financial bailout. They are using the pandemic as cover to cannibalize markets vital to U.S. biofuel producers and farmers.

Their plan, outlined in letter from several oil-patch governors, would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It would allow refiners to stop offering biofuel blends at the fuel pump, eliminating the market for U.S. ethanol and biodiesel and decimating demand for billions of bushels of corn and soybeans used to make renewable motor fuel.

With half the nation’s 200-plus biofuel plants already offline, thousands of rural workers facing layoffs, and millions of U.S. farmers on financial life support, the destruction of the RFS would be an economic death knell for rural America.

It’s hard to imagine why refiners would expect the Trump administration to take the request seriously. The misguided plan would inflict incredible collateral damage on our economy, our energy security, and to the President’s prospects with rural voters. Notably, the courts rejected similar abuse in 2016. Even former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who scorned American farmers, rejected a similar plan back in 2017.

Nevertheless, refiners saw the current health crisis as a political opportunity and went for a kill. Fortunately, farm state champions are pushing back. Governors from Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota condemned the oil-backed plan. They wrote, “Using this global pandemic as an excuse to undercut the RFS is not just illegal; it would also sever the economic lifeline that renewable fuels provide for farmers, workers and rural communities across the Midwest.”

Aside from the sheer audacity, the refinery-backed plan also suffers from a major flaw — it wouldn’t change the economic situation of a single refinery. They claim that lifting the RFS would eliminate the costs associated with biofuel credits known as RINs, which are used to demonstrate compliance with the nation’s biofuel targets. Refiners that refuse to produce biofuel blends can purchase RINs from those that blend more ethanol or biodiesel into the fuel mix. In turn, when they sell a gallon of fuel, that RIN price is reflected in their returns. The oil industry’s own reports show that “there is no economic harm to RIN purchasers, even if RIN prices are high, because those costs are recouped in the gasoline blend stock and diesel.”

Even in a fictional scenario where costs aren’t automatically recouped, a detailed EPA analysis found that “all obligated parties, including the small refiners subject to the RFS program, would be affected at less than 1 percent of their sales (i.e., the estimated costs of compliance with the rule would be less than 1 percent of their sales) even when we did not consider their potential to recover RIN costs — with the estimated cost-to-sales percentages ranging from -0.04 percent (a cost savings) to 0.006 percent.”

Clearly, a 0.006 percent savings isn’t going to protect any refinery jobs, but refineries are betting that DC policymakers don’t know the difference between RINs values and compliance costs. They open one side of a ledger and hope that no one asks to see the next page.

Meanwhile, the nation’s biggest oil lobby, American Petroleum Institute, is calling on the EPA to simply cut 770 million gallons of biofuel out of the 2020 targets. Earlier this year, regulators approved a modest bump in biofuels to addresses a small fraction of the four billion gallons lost to secretive EPA refinery exemptions. The courts have since sided against the handouts, but the EPA has refused to implement the decision. Now, API says the agency should rip away the few gallons clawed back by U.S. farmers. It’s a baseless argument with one goal: blocking competition at the fuel pump.

Keep in mind, collapsing demand for motor fuel is just as hard on the nation’s biofuel producers. RFS targets enforced by the EPA are based on a percentage of each gallon sold — so if refiners make less fuel, their obligations under the law shrink at an equal rate. Meanwhile, biofuel producers across the heartland are closing their doors, as even their modest 10 percent share of the market has been cut in half.

Biofuel advocates are focused on their own survival. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley summed it up, saying “[T]here ought to be parity for all liquid fuels. So I look forward to working with (Agriculture) Secretary (Sonny) Perdue to make sure that our biofuels industry gets through this crisis so that we can continue to use America’s (home) grown energy in our gas tanks.”

Parity makes sense, but refinery lobbyists want more. The Trump EPA should reject the latest anti-biofuel pitch because it’s bad policy, but more than that, it’s an insulting attempt to capitalize on a health crisis to make an end run around the truth.

Former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent spearheaded the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005. He currently serves as co-chair of Americans for Energy Security and Innovation.

Chet Culver really should have known better.

Iowa’s former Democratic governor wrote a letter to current Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds decrying her administration’s declaration that workers who refuse to return to jobs amid COVID-19 fears would be denied unemployment benefits. He was among many who questioned whether Reynolds’ policy is even lawful, considering that unemployment rules allow Iowans to claim benefits for unsafe, intolerable or detrimental working conditions.

“Any such ill-conceived scheme that deprives them of choice and forces those hardworking, yet vulnerable, employees to report to unsafe workplace environments, while the positive incidences of COVID-19 infection are on the rise, is not merely penny-wise and pound-foolish — it is just plain wrong,” Culver argued.

But Culver should have known any overture for the rights of workers during the pandemic would fall on deaf ears. We learned Tuesday that more than 1,600 workers at four meatpacking plants tested positive for the virus. Reynolds continues insisting companies such as Tyson, with more than 1,300 cases at three facilities, are doing all they can to protect workers. In one Tyson facility at Perry, 58 percent of its employees contracted the virus.

Culver lost in 2010 to the Branstad-Reynolds ticket, a team that would go on to gut collective bargaining for public employees and make it far more difficult for injured workers to get compensation, among other greatest hits composed by its big business allies.

And Culver was bounced from office after issuing bonded debt to help Iowa communities, including Cedar Rapids, recover from natural disasters of 2008. Republicans dubbed him “Big Debt Chet” and decried his mismanagement of a crisis.

Strong management, apparently, is Reynolds’ decision to partially reopen 77 counties even as COVID-19 case numbers grow and deaths mount, and before ramped up testing and modeling provide critical information on the scope of the virus.

On Monday Reynolds received a lofty “A” grade from FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Reynolds appeared on a conference call sponsored by the groups to talk about her strategy for reopening Iowa.

FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity are conservative groups playing a key role in organizing “liberation” protests in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and elsewhere. FreedomWorks, with roots in the Tea Party movement, has been mobilizing local protesters and organizing events, according to The New York Times. It’s also conducting tracking polls in swing congressional districts and sharing data with presidential advisers and congressional staff.

“This isn’t political, and it shouldn’t be for anybody,” Reynolds told reporters this week when asked about her virus response.

FreedomWorks is among 24 groups who sent a letter to the president in April urging him to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard for the rest of the year due to pandemic concerns, potentially freeing Iowa farmers from more of their already scarce income.

So step aside Big Debt Chet. We’re unleashing prosperity. Even if workers get trampled.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

Another day, another devastating new uptick in Iowa’s COVID-19 figures.

Several times in the past few weeks, Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced a new daily high in Iowa’s positive COVID-19 tests or deaths. On Tuesday, yet another striking record — 19 deaths in a 24-hour period, or nearly 10 percent of the state’s total COVID-19 deaths to date.

For a governor who says she is staking her pandemic response on data and metrics, those grim numbers don’t seem to weigh heavily on Reynolds’ decision-making.

“The fact is we can’t prevent people from getting the COVID-19 virus,” Reynolds said at her Tuesday news conference. “If we weren’t testing in these areas, people would still have the virus and without being tested, diagnosed and isolated it could spread even further.”

In one breath, Reynolds tells Iowans we are helpless to stop the virus’s spread. In the very next breath, she explains how testing and isolation can help prevent the spread.

It’s just one example of the confusing guidance Iowans are getting from the governor and her team. Iowans looking for answers about how to protect themselves and their families are finding seemingly conflicting answers.

They report we have reached the peak, only to backtrack. They say we’re in this together and there’s a statewide plan to confront the outbreak, but then they tell us it’s really about “personal responsibility.” They tell us to stay home as much as possible, then pivot to emphasizing the need for people who feel sick to stay home.

Sometimes, it almost feels as if Reynolds is blaming Iowans for getting sick.

Early on, Reynolds used a regional strategy to track the virus, based on factors such as hospitalizations and health care resources in six multicounty regions across the state. That approach has been brushed aside with little explanation to the public.

Instead, Iowa now has “open” and “closed” counties — 22 where significant restrictions remain intact, and 77 where businesses can open in a limited manner. After less than a week under the county-by-county strategy, there are early signs that the 77 counties are seeing an uptick in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

• Gov. Reynolds is disrupting her own virus response plan

Reynolds’ response in this phase of the pandemic is just as crucial as the initial phase, to prevent a deadlier wave. Shifting to the personal responsibility path also decentralizes leadership, which creates more uncertainty.

If Iowa’s “open” counties see a surge, will Reynolds relent and reimpose restrictions?

We have reason to doubt it. Just this week, Reynolds co-authored a Washington Post guest column with other governors, arguing “our approach worked.”

In Reynolds’ mind, she has already defeated the virus, so she’s retreating from the fight. That’s bad news for Iowans who are still very much on the front lines of this pandemic.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com

Serving as state representative of House District 85 for the past few years has been a privilege and an honor. I have worked hard to stand for the people of my district fighting for issues that are important to them and to the voters of Iowa City. I want to continue that advocacy and am running for another term in the Iowa House and ask for your vote.

I vigorously support adequate funding for education from pre-school to our community colleges and universities. Our young people are Iowa’s future and deserve the best start available through our excellent education system in Iowa. But we need to provide the dollars necessary to keep our teachers in the classroom so our children are prepared for whatever may lie ahead of them.

I have advocated for the fair treatment of workers in Iowa and support their right to organize. I have worked on laws for equal pay for equal work and whistle blower protection.

I am for essential funding for mental health services for Iowans of all ages. Children and adults who are struggling with mental health issues should have services available to them no matter where they live in this state.

I have fought to keep government open and accessible to Iowans. I support open records and open meetings laws to ensure that availability and transparency to all Iowans.

Keeping voting easy and accessible to voters has been a priority of mine. I support a fair and balanced redistricting system for voting in Iowa.

I have advocated to keep the bottle deposit law in place and expand it to cover the many new types of containers available.

I have worked on oversight legislation after several investigations into defrauding government which involved boarding homes, government agencies and pharmacy benefit managers (the “middleman” between pharmacies/Medicaid and the healthcare insurance companies.)

I cannot avoid mentioning the challenge of the coronavirus in Iowa. It has impacted our health, jobs, families and businesses. No one could have predicted this pandemic but as Iowans, we need to do our best to limit contact and the spread of this disease. My sincere appreciation goes to those workers on the frontlines of this crisis: the healthcare workers, store owners, businesses, farmers, teachers and workers who show up every day to keep this state moving forward. Thank you all!

There is still much work to be done to keep Iowa the great place where we live, work and raise our families. I am asking for your vote to allow me the privilege of continuing that work.

Vicki Lensing is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Iowa House District 85.

Right now, there are so many things that are hard to believe. It’s hard to believe we’re in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s hard to believe how much things have changed how incredibly quickly. It’s hard to believe I’ve only been the Iowa Department of Human Services director for six months. What is not hard to believe is how our team at DHS has stepped up during this public health emergency. In my short time in the great state of Iowa, I have seen our team do incredible things. In honor of Public Service Recognition Week, I want to take a moment to talk about #TeamDHS and their unwavering dedication to those we serve.

The DHS mission is to help Iowans achieve healthy, safe, stable, and self-sufficient lives through the programs and services we provide. To accomplish this mission in typical times, our team wakes up every day to do difficult work. Our front-line staff often work holidays, evenings and weekends, sacrificing time with their own families to serve others. Our team members hear difficult stories, make tough decisions and assist families when they are at their most vulnerable. Their jobs are tough under normal circumstances — navigating a global pandemic has challenged everything we do, but the work has not stopped, because the work cannot stop. Iowans need us now more than ever.

COVID-19 impacts the way social workers support families. It impacts the way facilities support and protect the individuals we serve. It impacts the mental health of countless Iowans. It impacts the needs of Medicaid members and Iowans receiving other assistance.

As an agency impacted from top to bottom, I’m proud to share our collective response effort. The Medicaid and Adult, Children and Family Services (ACFS) teams kicked into high gear and set forth waivers that will truly help those most in need; ensuring access to medical care, food and economic assistance. Our income maintenance workers stand ready to assist those families who have questions or find themselves now in need of supports.

DHS went from an agency with no telecommute policy, to deploying more than 2,000 people to work from home. Our IT team stepped in to help disassemble and lift computers for those team members who couldn’t. Our fiscal team shifted paper approval processes to electronic streamlined processes to assist our new telecommute capabilities and continues to source supplies to meet our entire system’s personal protective equipment (PPE) need. We’ve even been able to help some of our partners out in the community obtain PPE. And many, many team members have stepped into new roles when asked because there was a need.

If this isn’t teamwork, I don’t know what is.

Many of our staff continue their work on the front line every day, despite these uncertain and unprecedented times. I know for many of them it is challenging, and our work and our lives are changing in ways we would never have imagined just weeks ago. We know there is more to come, and our response effort must pivot on a dime. So, to my team, thank you for stepping up and leaning in. And to my fellow Iowans, I ask you join me in thanking them, and all of our public servants and essential workforce during Public Service Recognition Week.

Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is May 3-9, celebrated the first week of May since 1985 (beginning on the first Sunday of the month) to honor the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county and local government employees.

We’re asking individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by one of our team members, to reach out to them directly with an email or video message to thank them. Whether it’s a case worker, social worker, income maintenance worker or direct care staff, now more than ever they deserve to hear how they’re improving the lives of Iowans.

We’re hoping we can count on you to get the word out and support our public servants. Notes directly to DHS team members are a really impactful way to personally show gratitude. This week we’ll also be encouraging people to thank those in public service using the hashtags #PSRW and #TeamDHS. Stay tuned to our social media to see how you can help celebrate our public servants.

The bravery, grace, and sacrifice our team shows every day is what true public service looks like. From one very proud DHS team member to her more than 4,100 colleagues — thank you. Public service is indeed a noble calling.

Kelly Garcia is the director of the Iowa Department of Human Services.

I’m Steven the electrician, not the politician. I’m asking for your vote and support in getting there.

• Never held public office in Iowa or Illinois, check my competitors.

• No endorsements so no worries about draining that swamp here.

• Pro-life and Birthright supporter.

• 2nd Amendment and gun rights supporter.

• Legal immigration and revision of laws.

• Supporter of the constitution as written.

• Israel supporter.

• Farm owner and advocate for agriculture and fair trade.

• Check who funded my campaign, I owe no favors or pay backs.

• Still working hard for my family and married 40 years.

• I will budget your money if elected, and no tax increases.

• End of government overreach.

• Proud of our military and their never-ending service.

I’m not the establishment, but your candidate.

Steven Everly is a candidate in the Republican primary for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.

Several hundred cars were parked outside a food bank in San Antonio on Good Friday — the food bank fed 10,000 people that day. Such scenes, increasingly common across the nation and evocative of loaves and fish, reflect the cruel facts about the wealthiest nation in the world: 80 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and 100 percent of Americans were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. People are hungry due to macroeconomic and environmental factors, not because they did something wrong. Although everyone is at risk in this pandemic, the risk is not shared equally across socioeconomic classes. Universal basic health care could resolve this disparity and many of the moral and economic aspects associated with the pandemic.

Increases in the total output of the economy, or the gross domestic product (GDP), disproportionately benefit the wealthy. From 1980 to 2020, the GDP increased by 79 percent. Over that same time, the after-tax income of the top 0.01 percent of earners increased by 420 percent, while the after-tax income of the middle 40 percent of earners increased by only 50 percent, and by a measly 20 percent for the bottom 50 percent of earners. At present, the top 0.1 percent of earners have the same total net worth as the bottom 85 percent. Such income inequality produces poverty, which is much more common in the U.S. than in other developed countries. Currently 43 million Americans, or 12.7 percent of the population, live in poverty.

At the same time, 30 million Americans are uninsured and many more are underinsured with poorly designed insurance plans. The estimated total of uninsured and underinsured Americans exceeds 80 million. In addition, most of the 600,000 homeless people and 11 million immigrants in the U.S. lack health care coverage. Immigrants represent an especially vulnerable population, since many do not speak English and cannot report hazardous or unsafe work conditions. Furthermore, many immigrants avoid care due to fear of deportation even if they entered the country through legal channels.

Most people in poverty and many in the middle class obtain coverage from federal programs. On a national level, Medicaid is effectively a middle-class program and covers those living in poverty, 30 percent of adults and 60 percent of children with disabilities as well as about 67 percent of people in nursing homes. In Iowa, 37 percent of children and 48 percent of nursing home residents use Medicaid. Medicaid also finances up to 20 percent of the care provided in rural hospitals. Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Hospital Insurance Program (CHIP) together cover over 40 percent of Americans.

In addition to facilitating care, health care policy must also address the “social determinants of health,” since the conditions in which people live, work, and play dictate up to 80 percent of their health risks and outcomes. This means that health care reform requires programs in all facets of society. Winston Churchill first conceptualized such an idea in the early 20th century as a tool to prevent the expansion of socialism, arguing that inequality could persist indefinitely without social safety nets. Since that time most developed countries have implemented such social programs, but not the US.

All developed countries except the U.S. provide some type of universal basic health care for their residents. Universal basic health care refers to a system that provides all people with certain essential benefits, such as emergency services (including maternity), inpatient hospital and physician care, outpatient services, laboratory and radiology services, treatment of mental illness and substance abuse, preventive health services (including vaccinations), rehabilitation, and medications. Providing access to these benefits, along with primary care, dramatically improves the health of the community without imposing concerns regarding payment. Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. reports a lower life expectancy and higher rates of infant mortality, suicide and homicide compared to other developed countries.

Countries such as Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and Japan all produce better health care outcomes than the U.S. at a much lower cost. In fact the U.S. spends about twice the percentage of its GDP on health care compared to these countries. With that being said, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), which facilitated a decrease in the rate of the uninsured in the U.S. from 20 percent to 12 percent, also decreased the percentage of the GDP spent on health care from 20.2 percent to 17.9 percent in just 10 years. For this reason, most economists agree that universal basic health care would not cost more than the current system, and many would also argue that the total costs of the health care system cannot be further reduced unless everyone has access to basic care.

Achieving successful universal basic health care requires a serious long-term commitment from the federal government — contributing to Medicaid and financing its expansion are not enough. It requires courage from our elected leaders. The ACA took several important steps toward this goal by guaranteeing coverage for preexisting conditions, banishing lifetime maximums for essential services, and mandating individual coverage for everyone, though Congress repealed this final provision in 2017. At present, the ACA requires refinement and a public option, thereby preserving private and employer-based plans for those who want them.

Without universal basic health care the people living at the margins of society have no assurances that they will have access to basic health care services, especially during times of pandemic. Access to food and medications is less reliable, large families live together in small spaces, and public transportation facilitates frequent exposure to others. Childhood diseases such as asthma, chronic diseases such as diabetes, and diseases related to smoking such as COPD and cancer are all likely to worsen. Quarantine protocols also exacerbate the mental health crisis, further increasing rates of domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, depression, and suicide. In the last six weeks over 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits, and as people become unemployed, many will lose health insurance.

Access to basic health care without economic or legal consequences would greatly enhance all aspects of pandemic management and response, from tracing contacts and quarantining carriers to administering tests and reinforcing supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected minorities and the impoverished in both mortality and livelihood. Universal basic health care helps these vulnerable populations the most, and by reducing their risk it reduces the risk for everyone. In this way, universal basic health care supports the best interests of all Americans.

Like a living wage, universal basic health care aligns with the Christian tradition of social justice and is a moral and economic imperative for all Americans. Nurses, doctors, and other health care providers often observe a sharp contrast between the haves and have-nots when seeing patients. The homeless, the hungry, the unemployed, the working poor, the uninsured; people without families, patients with no visitors, those who live alone or lack support systems; refugees and immigrants — all of these people deserve the fairness and dignity provided by universal basic health care and programs which improve the social determinants of their health. The ACA moved U.S. toward this goal, but now it requires refinement and a public option. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgency of this imperative by demonstrating how universal basic health care could decrease the risks to those less fortunate, thus significantly decreasing the risks to everyone.

James M. Levett, MD, serves on the board of Linn County Public Health and is a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon with Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa. Pramod Dwivedi, MS, DrPH (c), is the health director of Linn County Public Health.

Immigrants have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 pandemic. They’re more likely than native-born Americans to be laboring to keep our essential services running, especially in the food processing sector that has been ravaged by the pandemic.

And yet immigrants living here illegally — including many food industry workers, their family members and people who have been living here since they were children — do not get the same coronavirus relief that legal citizens do, such as the $1,200 federal payment millions of Americans are receiving.

To remedy the situation, Iowa could coordinate direct cash payments to undocumented immigrants who were left out of the federal program. California announced such a program last month, offering $500 payments to thousands of undocumented Californians.

The public health crisis is tightly bound to the immigration crisis. It has exposed disparities in the workforce and also given rise to protectionists who want to restrict migration.

Iowa’s meat processing industry has been slammed by the virus, with at least one plant in Iowa reporting more than half of its workers have tested positive. Those production lines are heavily populated by immigrants. Well over 1,000 combined cases have been reported at four major packing facilities.

Nationally, 28 percent of agriculture workers and 29 percent of food processing workers are foreign-born, according to the pro-immigration New American Economy Research Fund.

Most immigrant workers have legal status, but many don’t. Some of those who are legal have family members who are undocumented. An influx of cash would help bring some stability to struggling families so they can weather the crisis.

At the same time we are asking essential workers to risk their health to sustain us, the anti-immigration lobby has used the pandemic as an opportunity to ramp up their campaign to cut off the flow of workers across borders. As one recent example, four GOP senators — including Iowa’s Sen. Chuck Grassley — sent a letter this week to the Trump administration, asking for guest worker visas to be suspended until next year.

In the pandemic, the idea of giving people money quickly gained political support. Direct payments are not mucked up by the corporate cronyism that plagues traditional economic development, a la checks to companies and targeted tax breaks. When politicians and bureaucrats pick certain businesses to stimulate, they do a bad job.

As long as the government is doing stimulus, the best avenue is writing checks to individuals. People need to buy stuff and as long as the economy limps on, they can buy stuff with money. Immigrants are people, even if they came here illegally. They are also workers, caretakers and taxpayers.

Direct payments would not be a special kickback or a reward for people living in the country illegally. It would be just like the $1,200 direct deposit I got from the government. It comes with a recognition that they are the same as us, important contributors of our culture and economy who are victims of an unworkable legal system.

If the federal government won’t do it, Iowa should.

adam.sullivan@thegazette.com; (319) 339-3156

Please join me in voting for Christina Bohannan for Iowa House of Representatives District 85. Christina is an energetic and passionate leader. She has broad experience as a law professor, an environmental engineer, and an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. These experiences give her a unique perspective and the ability to comprehend legislative issues from many different points of view. She sees the big picture and knows that she can support economic growth and small business while also advocating for basic human rights and fairness.

Christina shows up for people all over the community and is an advocate for people of color, immigrants, and others from disadvantaged or marginalized backgrounds. She is a strong voice for labor, collective bargaining rights, and a living wage. She will stand up against wage theft and other unfair practices.

In the state Legislature, Christina will be a fearless and energetic advocate for each and every member of her district. She also will be a dedicated and collaborative partner with local government. This is why so many local officials are endorsing her.

Please join me and many others in voting for Christina Bohannan for Iowa House District 85.

Mazahir Salih

City Council member

Mayor pro tem

Iowa City

My litmus test for a sheriff is someone who understands the community, partners well with different levels of government and law enforcement and stands up for the powerless. Brad Kunkel has been coordinating with all levels of local government as part of the Johnson County Emergency Operations Center pandemic meetings. He knows his community, and I’m confident he will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable, especially victims of domestic violence and at-risk children. That’s why I am voting Brad Kunkel for Johnson County sheriff. I hope you will, too.

Janice Weiner

Iowa City

VOTE411 provides voters with information about the candidates on the ballot in the June 2 primary election. The League of Women Voters created the election-related website as a one-stop location for nonpartisan information for the public.

Each candidate was invited to respond to a set of questions. You can see their responses online at VOTE411.org. If you don’t see responses from every candidate running in your house or senate district, please contact them asking that they participate in VOTE411.

For this primary election, we are asked to vote absentee if possible. Input your address in the VOTE411.org website and get information about how to get your absentee ballot, register to vote, and who will be on your ballot.

The League of Women Voters of Iowa wants you to educate yourself and then vote in the June 2, 2020 Primary Election.

Cathy Eisenhofer

LWV Johnson County

Coronavirus provides a chilling lesson about crowding. The disease originated in a densely packed Chinese City. As it moved worldwide it struck most heavily in crowded places where people live and work in proximity.

Medical experts advise us to stay home and keep fellow humans at a distance. Isolation works. If a pathogen can’t reach us it can’t cause harm.

The same holds true for food. Years ago farmers planted diverse crops in relatively small fields, and raised modest numbers of chickens, pigs, and cattle. One cornfield or chicken coop was, essentially, isolated from the next closest counterpart, making it hard for a disease to jump from one farm to the next.

Modern Agriculture, in contrast, raises hundreds of thousands of chickens and turkeys crowded together in single buildings. Hogs and cattle are also crammed together, as are crops. Essentially the Midwest is one continuous cornfield stretching from Ohio to Nebraska. Once a pathogen mutates a new disease can easily sweep across vast fields or through crowded growing buildings, leaving a path of death and food shortages in its wake.

Modern mass agriculture is efficient, providing consumers with inexpensive eggs, milk, vegetables and meat, but it is vulnerable. Today’s farmers recognize disease potential and practice scrupulous biosecurity to keep pathogens away from their crops and animals. Still, all it takes is one mutation or introduction of a foreign microbe and a high percentage of American food is lost.

Families can reduce their vulnerability to mass food production by growing some at home. During The Second World War the government encouraged families to plant victory gardens and keep one to two hens per family member. Many households were able to grow up to 40% of their annual dietary needs, even in small yards. It freed commercially produced food for the military. Yards remain capable of growing significant quantities of nutritious food using three techniques.

Gardening: An amazing quantity of nutritious food can be grown in even a small sunny backyard, especially when intensive gardening techniques are used.

Foraging: Delicious wild foods grow in unsprayed yards and are free for the picking. Our family, for example, enjoys nettles, lambsquarters, purslane, acorns and dandelions. Learning to identify, harvest, and process them is not difficult. Ironically spraying a yard kills plants people can eat to favor inedible grass.

Chickens: A six hen backyard flock will produce two dozen eggs a week. They need some commercial feed but recycle kitchen scraps and garden weeds into eggs. Cedar Rapids and other towns allow families to keep chickens with a few restrictions.

Families unable or unwilling to grow backyard food can boost food security by buying vegetables, meat and eggs from small local producers.

Coronavirus has taught us about contagion and helps clarify the threat that mass production poses. Raising backyard food enhances resilience. It’s satisfying and helps ensure there will be something to eat.

Rich Patterson of Cedar Rapids is a writer, former nature center director and ecological consultant who co-owns Winding Pathways LLC with his wife, Marion.

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