To the editor:

Reading The Messenger’s coverage of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign rally in Fort Dodge left me scratching my head. She told the crowd of 45 “We respect you,” and she very well may respect those in attendance, but her actions as governor have not demonstrated respect for the average Iowan, or the average Iowan’s intelligence.

Tax dollars are in short supply, but since taking office Kim has used our tax dollars to quietly pay multiple settlements and judgments. $1.75 million were spent to make the sexual harassment charges leveled against President of the Senate Bill Dix go away. She also spent $4 million of our dollars to settle the sexual harassment charges against her personal friend James Jamison, the man she had appointed director of the Iowa Finance Authority. With the boatload of unresolved sexual harassment charges still pending, I have to wonder how much more will be spent.

The Environmental Working Group has found Iowa’s municipal tap water to have widespread problematic contamination, but that may not even be on Kim’s radar. She seems OK with our rivers being used as open sewers full of agricultural runoff and industrial waste. It is not unusual for our lakes to be closed to swimming, why does she not act?

She is taking tax money that is meant for public education and giving it to private schools. I am sure she has done the political calculus and believes this misuse of our tax dollars will benefit her.

Family farms and small towns are disappearing at an alarming pace, yet the governor shows little interest.

With Big Ag and large donors owning Iowa’s Republican Party, and the Republican Party running the state, is there really any question as to why our interests are not always being served?

Shortly after 1/6 she went on the stump telling us we felt we could not trust our elections to be fair and honest. To quote former GOP gubernatorial standard bearer Doug Gross, what Kim was saying was “bunk.” Regardless, the legislature did her bidding and enacted new restrictions on voting with little discussion, debate or public input.

Kim has made the Democratic candidate for governor, Deidre De Jear out to be a radical enemy of law enforcement and dangerous threat to Iowa. Voters were eager to hear the candidates but, aside from one pseudo debate on Public Television, Reynolds refused every invitation to debate De Jear. Did the public not deserve opportunities to learn something about those wanting to lead us? Is the governor afraid of voters seeing there is a rational alternative to the kabuki theater that passes for government in today’s Iowa?

Thomas Knapp

Fort Dodge