Letters: Joni Ernst should do her job instead of obstructing and complaining

Low pay an important factor in indigent-defense discussions

The Feb. 25 story on indigent attorney fees in the Register was well worth reading and made a significant point.

It did disappoint in not identifying a simple fact: that indigent defense attorneys in Iowa are paid too little. For instance, South Dakota pays a much higher rate to private lawyers who do indigent defense. Furthermore, the work often requires doing preparation and facing expenses the state will not repay.

I did this work for many years. It is genuinely worthwhile. It never paid enough to keep my practice going.

Tom Graves, Urbandale

Prosecutors, judges also have a role in defense costs

The report in the Feb. 25 Register regarding the financial impact on defendants represented by court appointed counsel touched on a number of factors that inhibit affordably representing indigent defendants. You missed two very important factors: prosecutorial discretion, and proper assessment of costs.

The prosecutor has wide discretion regarding which transgressions to formally charge and how to resolve such cases. What is the "value" of a crime? Does the infraction have such social or economic impact to justify a full-blown prosecution, or can it be resolved through alternative means that reduces or eliminates the need for a defense lawyer?

Will restitution, community service, or an apology serve as sufficient remedy and deterrent? Do we really need to impose a criminal record for minor infractions that will be like toilet paper stuck to a defendant's shoe? Prosecutors have the discretion to weigh the totality of the circumstances.

What about assignment of attorney fees on cases that are dismissed? In incidents of illegal behavior by law enforcement, or weak evidence, leading to dismissal, the defendant shouldn't bear the cost of their defense. In these cases, some, or all, of the cost of the prosecution should be borne by the law enforcement agency or the prosecutor's office. Without some financial consequences, there is little incentive not to pursue weak or flawed cases. A case dismissed just prior to trial will have had substantial time invested by defense counsel. The agency (not the state) should pay that expense.

Kent Balduchi, Des Moines

Too little attention on education for disabled children

The Feb. 25 guest essay by state Rep. Josh Turek on Iowans with disabilities was devastating. How did we become a state that does not take care of their disabled citizens? This has to change. We all know families struggling to take care of a physically or mentally disabled family member. Iowans do care about their neighbors and community, but those governing want tax cuts and a surplus.

This piece did not touch on how we are handling schoolchildren in our state with disabilities. I would like to see the state report on the number of disabled children starting school this year and how they will help schools. The Legislature makes laws affecting special education teachers without any type of research on what teaching methods work best for disabled children. Private schools do not have to accept children with disabilities.

The citizens of Iowa deserve to know all the facts on who is affected when laws are written and changed. Politics and culture wars are lawmakers’ top priority. They are not supporting those who actually live in our state.

Lynn Cannon, Des Moines

IVF debate results from Republicans getting exactly what they wanted

Republicans have been trying for decades to convince everyone that a group of zygotes (fertilized eggs) barely visible without a microscope, are actually the same as a class of  kindergartners. The have also been packing the courts with right wing extremists, including so-called Christian nationalists like the Alabama chief justice.

Now those two efforts have intersected with the Alabama IVF (in vitro fertilization) ruling, and everybody is backpedaling so fast their legs are cramping up.

If the fertilized egg is a person, and IVF necessarily creates eggs that are discarded, there is no reconciliation of the two. That is unless the Republican politicians decide that they will write the complete book of rules for in vitro fertilization, which I'm sure will be next. That will be fun. A case of unintended consequences.

Frank McCammond, Redfield

One place you won’t find a mass shooter

The editorial board’s Feb. 25 piece “To keep Iowa schoolkids safe from guns, look to research, not more guns,” which opposed allowing teachers and other school employees to carry weapons, omitted a valid question: When was the last time a would-be shooter opened fire at a gun show?

Todd Blodgett, Mason City

Republicans aren’t stopping at abortion limits

The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are considered children and subject to the wrongful death of a minor law, if one is destroyed. Ridiculous, you say? U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra must not think so, as they sponsor the Life At Conception Act, along with over 120 other Republicans.

The Republican Party has become a patriarchal theocracy. Republicans seek to control a woman’s body. They intend to control our reproductive freedom, our right to abortion, IVF, and soon, contraception. The U.S. Supreme Court is deciding the legality for the distribution of mifepristone, known as the morning-after pill. This is given to women who have been raped, though not in Iowa, as Attorney General Brenna Bird apparently does not believe in it.

Iowa women, have you had enough? It is the Republicans who are banning books. It is the Republicans who are rewriting our history. It is the Republicans who control funding for education. It is the Republicans who want to control what they refer to as “recreational sex.” It is Republicans who want to control you.

It is up to women, and those who support us, to defeat them at the ballot box.

Ann Hart, Waukon

Public transit deserves investment

I'm amazed that the Des Moines City Council is considering cutting back an already inadequate public transit system. I learned the importance of public transportation during my final 10 years of my working career moving homeless people into "productive society." It can't be done without a good transit system. Most of today's jobs are located where the poor can't afford to live. Most poor folks live a good distance from a grocery store or a doctor.

This council likes to pass resolutions about the city becoming carbon neutral, but when it comes to funding public transit, it ain’t worth a 2.5% franchise fee. All talk and no hat.

Jeff Clingan, Van Meter

Of course laws on auditing are political

I would take issue with state Sen. Michael Bousselot's statement that "only in politics can hiring an independent … accountant be political." The context is reducing the authority of the state auditor. You don't have to be a CPA, which I am, to know that last year the allowing the audited departments to withhold documents would make it impossible to have a complete audit. This year Bousselot wants the departments to hire their own auditors rather than use the state auditor, though that office would be allowed to review the work. Not very economically beneficial.

These two attempts to reduce the authority of the auditor are political, as the auditor is the only state office not held by the party in power. These provisions are insulting to our intelligence and insulting to the voters who elected the state auditor, and now these limitations are an attempt to overturn that election.

These same attempts were used to try and limit the authority of Tom Miller. the previous attorney general. No limitations are proposed for the new attorney general.

This would seem to support the old saying "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." With these provisions in place, corruption is soon to follow.

Roger Jacobsen, West Des Moines

Are all lives precious?

So, in Alabama frozen embryos are protected, but the death penalty is in full effect? I’m beyond confused.

Mark Mahoney, Urbandale

Iowa representatives should force a vote on Ukraine aid

The United States is in danger of breaking a promise to provide military aid to help Ukraine fight Russian invaders, simply because House Speaker Mike Johnson won’t allow the House to vote on a Senate bill that allocated $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine.

While Donald Trump and his devotees play political games, Ukrainian troops are forced to ration ammunition, which puts them at a considerable disadvantage when fighting the Russians. The Ukrainian people are dying every day from Russian bombing and rocket attacks, because Ukraine no longer has the necessary ammunition and equipment to defend its people.

The only way to bring the Senate bill to a vote without Johnson’s consent is to use one of several arcane parliamentary rules, all of which would require at least four Republicans to vote with Democrats. All four of Iowa’s representatives should take a cue from our senators and put the need to support a democratic ally above the political whims of one man. If we abandon Ukraine now, we will be responsible for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian deaths, not to mention the other depredations inflicted upon them by vengeful Russian conquerors.

Jim Whalen, Des Moines

Today’s animal agriculture hurts everybody

Michaelyn Mankel’s Feb. 14 opinion piece about water quality and her work at Food & Water Watch resonates with Iowans. Those of us who grew up on a family farm have seen farming go from a way of life to an extractive, destructive agribusiness industry. The advent of CAFOs has brought about the most significant changes in the history of animal agriculture, to the detriment of all who live here.

The negative consequences for animal welfare are undeniable. Beach lovers have been impacted, particularly. In the Memorial Day through Labor Day period for Iowa’s 39 public beaches, the Iowa DNR issued 21 beach advisories for microcystin and 111 for E. coli. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District issued 19 advisories for E. coli on the six beaches it monitors on Iowa reservoirs. Pine Lake Beach had the most advisories for E. coli, one for every week of the summer monitoring period.

As Rep. Art Staed said when he introduced House File 2354, “Voluntary approaches have proven that Iowa’s corporate agriculture industry will not regulate itself.” I agree with him. That’s why I’m asking you to urge your Iowa House and Senate representatives to support the Clean Water for Iowa Act.

Jan Corderman, Pleasant Hill, member of Iowa Alliance for Responsible Ag steering committee

Biden uses our money to buy votes

Recent polls indicate President Joe Biden is losing the approval of the younger voter. Traditionally, he has been able to count on this voting bloc for support. I find his recent decision to forgive over $1 billion in student loans to be a devious move to purchase votes without the use of campaign funds. Rather, he has used the money from taxpayers like me to underwrite his drive for another term as president.

Stu Bassman, West Des Moines

Why are nursing-care deaths shrugged off?

Please explain why, when a death in a child day care center occurs, the proprietor is arrested. But when a death in a care center for the elderly occurs, the management receives a fine. How do you justify the discrepancy?

Elaine Hood, Humboldt

Zach Nunn has voted against Head Start

Congressman Zach Nunn recently wrote to his constituents after he visited a Head Start program in Red Oak.

“Head Start is critical to improving child development,” he wrote, “by providing kids in need with a little extra help before they start kindergarten.” As a nearly 20-year veteran working for Head Start at the Iowa Department of Education, I was thrilled he visited that center. I could not agree more. Head Start is critical.

Unfortunately, Nunn forgot how critical Head Start is for children in the 3rd Congressional District when he voted twice to cut its funding. First to support a Debt Ceiling Bill last spring (HR 2811), and second as part of a Continuing Resolution in September (HR 5525). Research shows that funding for early childhood development returns seven times its original investment in benefits and cost savings. Nunn should either be a real supporter of Head Start and not a phony one, or just admit that he is all right with shortchanging Iowa’s children and spare us his empty praises.

Tom Rendon, Des Moines

Joni Ernst should do her job instead of obstructing and complaining

In her nearly 10 years in the Senate, Joni Ernst has had few public town halls in Polk County, which has over 10% of Iowa's population.

So, I traveled to Pella recently to see her and follow up with coffee and pastries. I was disappointed in her attitude that it is so hard to get things accomplished in Washington. Especially when she said that changes in the asylum laws won't be accomplished in her lifetime. They missed their shot.

Well, nothing is impossible. And she's not that much older than I am. So the notion of something not being addressed in my lifetime is pathetic.

That's your job. To go to the table, and hammer out a solution. It may not be perfect, but progress moves us forward and we can build on that. If you can't do your job, Iowans deserve someone who will show up, listen and get to work. We deserve someone who will stand up to fight disinformation and extremists, even in their own party. Do your job.

Lori Hunt, Des Moines

More: Ernst criticizes failure of bipartisan border deal amid 'raging river' of misinformation

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Letters: Joni Ernst should do her job instead of complaining