Recent editorials published in Iowa newspapers

Des Moines Register. January 3, 2019

Roses & Thistles: Grassley, Ernst make history in Senate leadership roles

Roses to Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst for being the first two Iowa senators in state history to hold U.S. Senate leadership roles at the same time.

Ernst, Iowa’s freshman senator, will serve as vice chair of the Senate Republican Caucus. She’s the first woman to hold the position in nearly a decade, according to Grassley. The caucus serves in part as the media center for Senate Republicans, communicating their activities and positions on issues

Grassley, by virtue of being the majority party’s longest-serving senator, took over the role of Senate president pro tempore this week when the new Congress convened. He’ll preside over the Senate and will have responsibility for maintaining the rules and traditions of the chamber. He’ll also be third in the line of succession to the presidency, after the vice president and speaker of the House.

Grassley outlined some worthy goals for the post in a guest column earlier this week: “I plan on using this platform to promote important principles I have stood for during my entire Senate career, including transparency, accountability to the people and oversight of the federal government.”

We hope he’s serious. Too often, the majority party in the Senate has gamed the chamber’s rules or traditions for partisan gain. One recent example was Senate Republicans’ adoption of the so-called “nuclear option,” allowing the appointment of Supreme Court justices with a simple majority vote.

The leadership roles are a mark of our senators’ clout in Congress, and that can be a valuable asset for Iowans - as long as our elected officials put our interests ahead of party politics.

A rose to Sue Braverman and her dog Maggie. The certified therapy dog, an English Setter, is 13 years old and retiring after eight years of comforting patients at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She and her owner visited inpatient units twice a week, volunteering at the children’s hospital, the adult cancer unit, cardiac unit and bone marrow transplant unit. Maggie stays with patients for 10 to 20 minutes, snuggling in their hospital bed or sitting next to them in a chair. Physical therapy patients can walk her around the hospital as part of their treatment.

“I always knew how much people liked dogs, but now I know how much people love them and what an impact they have on our world,” Braverman said.

A rose to Carroll Moore, owner of Tub Shine, which does in-house bathtub refurbishing. The 74-year-old, who opened the Highland Park business in 1987, has made school bus rides fun for students passing his storefront.

Moore changes the window display daily, standing behind its wall and pulling strings through a home-made pulley system. Kids traveling in buses are met by a waving green ogre Shrek, a blonde-haired doll taking a bubble bath, a stuffed frog lounging in the sink or other creative characters.

Students cluster to one side of the bus as it passes, talk about that day’s display, look forward to the next one and even ask their parents to drive by on the weekends.

Moore, who seems as excited as the kids about his window, has amassed an arsenal of stuffed animals that include a panda, purple monkey, overstuffed elephant and a life-sized teddy bear he recently bought for $8 at the Salvation Army.

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Quad-City Times. December 31, 2018.

Understanding one another in an age of polarization

This year is sure to be a challenging one in the political arena.

With split control of Congress and the beginning of the campaign to see who will run against President Trump in 2020, there will, no doubt, be heightened political tension.

As if it could get much worse.

The political polarization we’re experiencing today has been a subject of study for years. Where it started - who started it - is even a point of divide. Some trace it to the election of Barack Obama as president; others to the Reagan era.

We’re not here to solve that argument. But we would like to issue a challenge to our readers for the coming year, one we intend to take on ourselves. We’re sure this is not a novel idea, nor one that hasn’t been tried before. But here in the Midwest, where we pride ourselves on our reasonableness, our friendliness and - in Iowa - our privileged place on the political calendar, we think it’s worth stepping into the shoes, or at least the head space, of people on the other side of the political fence.

And there perhaps is no better way to do that than by consuming political news differently.

Next year, we would suggest, instead of just turning to the comfort of your familiar sources of news and opinion, add a source that might make you feel uncomfortable. A source you know will hold an opinion that differs from your own. Read it frequently and try to understand why they might believe the way they do.

We happen to think, as you might expect, that local newspapers are a good source for news and opinion. But we also know people have choices. Above all, we hope you choose sources that are reliable and that deal in facts.

None of this is aimed at convincing people to drop their principles or political beliefs. Nor do we believe it is a prescription to be taken in equal measure, given that we have a president who repeatedly misrepresents the truth. But we believe there is value in all of us trying to understand people who hold different beliefs.

Our broken politics is real. It is an issue that must be dealt with. The fragmentation of media and the growth of social media has made it so much easier to burrow into silos of comfort. We do not think that is healthy for a democracy. And, we should note, political polarization is a problem that predates Donald Trump. It will also be with us long after he is gone.

There is a potential downside to trying this. Researchers at Duke University earlier this year conducted an experiment that exposed conservatives and liberals to social media messages from elected officials and opinion leaders of opposing political viewpoints. They found that conservatives became more conservative and liberals more liberal as a result, though not in equal measure.

The study had limitations, but this may well be a sign that Facebook and Twitter aren’t the places to try what we’re suggesting.

Perhaps a good way to go about this is not to focus on the people or types of news and opinions that tend to divide, but rather on things that may be less polarizing.

So, instead of reading various opinions about the White House’s demand for $5 billion for a border wall, study the impact that immigrants have on the U.S. workforce. You might be surprised to find it is more complex than you think.

Then, go and read about the conditions in Central America that are driving people and their families to escape north. You might find an empathy that didn’t previously exist.

Perhaps study reports about current border security measures.

This likely won’t be as viscerally rewarding as flaming the other side with a perfectly worded tweet or posting a link to a news site of dubious origin (think, Russia). But it might help.

We hold no naive belief this will change the political culture in this country. However, it may be a way to better understand your neighbors, even if you don’t end up agreeing with them. And there may be no better place than the Quad-Cities to understand the other side. After all, the other side is all around us.

Just consider Scott County. In 2016, the county was pretty evenly divided between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Clinton won by about 1,300 votes.

In 2018, meanwhile, Fred Hubbell and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds nearly evenly split the vote among the counties that touch the Mississippi River.

We are neither red nor blue.

Our neighbors are our political opposites.

We should get to know each other just a little bit better.

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Dubuque Telegraph-Herald. January 2, 2019

First citizen Award winner Collins an inspiration

If you know Loras College President Jim Collins at all, you know these three things for certain:

. He bleeds Duhawk purple.

. He is a gifted orator, one who consistently finds the right words at the right time.

. When it comes to serving others, he doesn’t simply spout platitudes to inspire students. For him, it’s a way of life.

For his gifts of leadership and inspiration shared with the Loras College community, and for his dedication and commitment to serving the Dubuque community overall, in myriad capacities, Jim Collins is a most deserving recipient of the Telegraph Herald First Citizen Award.

Raised in the Chicago suburbs, Collins began his career at Loras soon after he graduated from the college in 1984. He started in admissions and went on to hold several positions, building relationships and developing his business and financial acumen along the way.

Twenty years later, Collins took the helm as president during a challenging period in Loras’ history. Collins lifted the morale of the campus community and initiated many needed program changes, capital improvements and reforms.

With compassion, he makes difficult decisions to endure tough financial times and guides Loras with grit and grace. He’s now the longest-serving president in Loras history.

Collins represents Loras and Dubuque on a regional and national level, serving on multiple educational boards across the country.

While those achievements fall under his professional responsibilities, Collins has brought his leadership to bear in the wider community. He has served on - and, in many instances, headed - several local organizations. They include Greater Dubuque Development Corp., Carnegie-Stout Public Library Foundation, Archdiocese of Dubuque Board of Education, Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Junior Achievement and Stonehill Retirement Center.

It is one thing to be admired by your friends and colleagues. However, the true admiration for Collins and his dedication to service work extends far beyond his closest allies. Among those inspired to write letters of support for Collins’ nomination for the First Citizen Award were people who worked for him, people for whom he worked, community leaders, past First Citizen honorees and even the president of a Loras competitor.

The effusive commentary on the standard Collins sets for himself and inspires in others made the remarkable case for his nomination. Here is a sampling:

. “I have greatly admired Jim’s commitment to community service. Importantly, that commitment filters down to the Loras ethos. Loras College is known for producing graduates with a commitment to service. That commitment, I believe, begins at the top.”

. “He has a gift for identifying a need and collaborating with others to make things happen.”

. “He consistently acts with humility, compassion and conviction based on Christian values.”

. “Jim is the consummate doer and giver. He has helped make me, Loras College and the City of Dubuque much better.”

. “I have marveled during many events in which his words were a memorable and inspiring core of what to ’take away and store’ in personal life-shaping recollections.”

. “He doesn’t seek the spotlight, and shares his success with the many people he works with. His spirit of partnership exemplifies the type of public-private partnerships that regularly define Dubuque.”

. “Perhaps Jim Collins’ greatest gift is his love for all things Dubuque. He speaks truth to power yet always appeals to our better angels in doing so. This adopted son of Dubuque is surely among our greatest citizens.”

Indeed. Now Jim Collins joins the all-star group of humble leaders we call First Citizen Award recipients.

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