To the editor:

There is no question that the upcoming midterm elections are critical in determining the course of events in this nation and in our state. Local decisions across the state and country impact the overall direction of state and national policy. In our local area we find a clear distinction between candidates for the State House District 4 and the Iowa Senate District 5: Democrats Jake Thompson and John O’Brien opposing Republicans Mike Sexton and Tim Kraayenbrink.

Iowa’s majority GOP party has made it clear that they have little regard for the plight of underpaid, underemployed Iowans who make up nearly 40 percent of the Iowa workforce. The GOP claim for Iowa’s low unemployment is little satisfaction for those who must work multiple jobs and are a crisis away from financial failure and poverty. What we have seen from the GOP is tax breaks and tax credits for corporations and mega-companies such as Apple and Microsoft who have no need for such benefits.

The gap in teacher pay compared to other professions grows larger by the year. There has been no attempt on the part of our GOP controlled legislature to increase education funding for our public schools, universities and community colleges to even meet the cost of inflation. By stripping Chapter 20 protections from teacher unions, the Republicans deprived teachers of the right to bargain for many aspects of their employment. The next GOP target will be the Iowa Public Employment Retirement System. Public employees across the state have much to lose as the Republicans set their sights on those funds.

O’Brien and Thompson offer a change in direction, a return to priorities that Iowans value whatever our political affiliation — increased educational opportunities, adequate health care for all, a living wage, the right of public employees to organize and bargain. In short, O’Brien and Thompson represent an agenda of government for the people, in stark contrast to the GOP agenda of privatization and profit at the expense of the people they are supposed to represent.

Mark Egli

Manson