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Government employees need to get back to work

Government employees showing up for work shouldn’t make headlines. But recently, it has. Bureaucrats from the Department of Labor gathered at work earlier this year to protest their “right to work remotely.” And if that isn’t rich enough, the event occurred outside of a federal building named in honor of John F. Kennedy, the president who inspired the nation with his call to public service: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” In President Joe Biden’s backward world, Kennedy’s call has been flipped upside down. Not ...

As FDSH principal, Bob Bargman cared deeply for students, faculty, staff

To those who knew and worked with Bob Bargman, principal of Fort Dodge Senior High School for 15 years, he was first and foremost a people person. He was the guy, they would say, who Barbra Streisand might have had in mind when she sang, “People who need people are the luckiest people ...

Securing victories for Iowa agriculture in the Farm Bill

In the early morning hours of Friday after nearly 14 hours of deliberation, I voted — alongside my Republican colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee — to advance the 2024 Farm Bill out of committee and send it to the House floor for a vote by the full House. This legislation is not only critical for our farmers and our economy, but it’s also vital to our global leadership and our competition against China. By fully funding crop insurance protections, opening new export markets for Iowa agriculture, and investing in cutting-edge agricultural research and development, we can ...

The power of kindness: Uniting hearts for mental health awareness

As May unfolds, so does Mental Health Awareness Month – a time dedicated to illuminating the importance of mental well-being in our lives and our community. We’re often weighed down with challenges, uncertainties and adversities – resulting in our mental health needs being put on the back burner. During May, we remember that nurturing our mental health is not just a personal responsibility but a collective one. At UnityPoint Health – Fort Dodge, we use this month as a reminder that together, through acts of kindness and understanding, we can make profound differences in the lives ...

Corralling the federal budget problem

Washington has a chronic budgeting problem. Before 1974, the congressional budget process was akin to the Wild West. Each committee had free rein of the public purse. No topline number steered appropriators within a fiscal fence. Nothing kept authorizers from tying new mandatory programs to the taxpayers’ saddle. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 sought to corral these unruly practices by forming congressional budget committees, establishing the Congressional Budget Office to estimate the impact on the budget with any proposed legislation, and moving the fiscal year start date ...

Turn to Iowa Secretary of State and your county auditor for trusted election information

In today's digital age, we find ourselves engulfed in what seems like an endless sea of information. Our social media feeds overflow with memes, news articles, and posts from friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. Streaming platforms bombard us with a new TV show every week, and even our text messages overflow with ads, links, and requests for donations. Among the deluge of information, we also contend with a rise in mis-, dis-, and mal-information, often from bad actors trying to sow doubt in America’s democracy. It’s easy to get lost in the noise, but I encourage Iowans ...