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Reynolds is a divisive leader

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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But she'll win handily anyway:

Kirk Nelson
Nov. 2, 2022 9:15 pm, Updated: Nov. 3, 2022 5:45 am

Headlines in major Iowa papers state that Gov. Kim Reynolds has already won the Iowa governors race. It is time for all Iowans who get their main source of information from Fox News to understand what that means.

If you really care about democracy and the future of Iowa, please discuss two things with your family: the definitions of democracy and racism?

Iowa currently has authoritarian leaders. Reynolds will go down in Iowa history as the most corrupt, anti-science, (10,000-plus have died of COVID), anti-public education and divisive leaders. As a teacher of U.S. history and government and superintendent of six Iowa school districts, I am appalled that Reynolds follows a racist former president, who was twice impeached and a serial liar who lied more than 30,574 times to all Iowans and Jan. 6 coup instigator as her model trailblazer.

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I recommend all families watch the conclusion of the hearings on the insurrection on C-SPAN. It presents very clearly how Donald Trump planned and attempted to overturn our U.S. Democracy. Trump Republicans should be held accountable for refusing to vote for an investigation to find the truth that enabled Trump’s attacks on democracy. What Iowans failed to see was Reynolds’ regret in not joining 12 other states in disqualifying millions of votes in four states to assist Trump’s insurrection. Iowa was saved by Attorney General Tom Miller, who Reynolds is now attempting to purge from office.

Reynolds followed Trumps authoritarian rule by purging enemies who did not agree with her, beginning with Des Moines’ school superintendent for valuing student and faculty lives when Iowa experienced its highest infection rate. She never cared how many educators or meatpacking workers died. She got Trump to use an executive order to keep packing plants open, refused to allow a shut down for even a week to clean plants. Many workers died and thousands were infected. Reynolds valued dollars over lives. She threatened college instructors for wearing protection. A state public health spokesperson was fired when she refused to hide public information. The state is now being sued.

Educators have been demonized over false claims of cancel culture. Hundreds of teachers leaving due to low pay and constant attacks by this governor. Ask any Iowa teacher how verbal and physical attacks have increased under Reynolds’ leadership. She has no expertise in curriculum, but she now is mandating teaching only whitewashed history. This follows Trumps attacks on minorities.

As a school superintendent in Iowa for several decades, I’ve seen the consequences of underfunding Iowa schools. Schools received funding of minus 10 percent in 2010, and since then funding has been zero to 2.5 percent. It now takes 3.5 percent to 4 percent to just break even, resulting in staff reductions. Reynolds touts the billions of dollars Iowa has in savings but allots little for education.

Gov. Reynolds’ currently has aired a racist ad showing a Black, female congresswoman from Missouri calling for defunding the police, her Black female opponent, governor candidate Deidre DeJears, falsely implying she takes the same stance. I am hoping Iowans read what DeJears wants for all Iowans, which is very different from Reynolds’ tax reductions for the very rich and authoritarian rule.

Reynolds is the first Iowa governor to purge her own party’s members because they did not support taking public funds for private schools. She is the first Iowa governor to demonize all teachers and interfere with school boards’ local control. She continues to meet secretly with select parents and school board members to work against policies protecting gay and transgender students and staff from harassment and bullying.




Iowa is experiencing a huge shortage of teachers which will get worse due to low pay and continued attacks by Trump/Republican leaders. Do not believe me, ask the teachers. It has never been tougher in Iowa to be a teacher. Reynolds touts her interest in increasing parent involvement in schools. Of course, every school encourages parental participation, when in actuality Reynolds is seeking censorship. Parents can work with teachers when they have concerns regarding the curriculum. However, parents cannot censor other children.


Where is Reynolds environmental plan for the future? She has none while nitrates in our water have increased. Many states pay farmers for a strip of land along water ways to filter amendments, but not in Iowa. Where’s the support for small farmers? Corporate farm producers call the shots. What about family farms and century farms?


Take a serious look at our court system. Iowa had one of the best Supreme Courts in the U.S. due to the selection process which nominated judges based on merit selection, not politics. Reynolds harmed this fair process. She has more authority to guide the selection process now. Look what nominees have accomplished so far: women’s reproductive rights have been set back 50 years. Sixty-five percent of Iowa women believe health care is a right between them and their doctor. Let’s hope Iowans stand up for women’s right to control their own reproductive decisions.


Reynolds touts her support of police, “the Blue,” however, where was her support for the police officers who died or were wounded at Trumps’ Jan. 6 insurrection? Ask any policeman if they want to go up against military-style weapons easily obtainable in Iowa? Check out how many educators are worried about unlimited guns. Remember the Second Amendment was about single shot muskets not AR-15-style rifles. Ask educators how many times they have been threatened? Google how many mass shootings have occurred in schools. Have you ever talked to a parent or educator after the Sandy Hook shooting? It comes down to gun rights or kids’ lives.


Dr. Kirk Nelson ED. D lives in Clear lake and Iowa City and served as superintendent at Jordan, Minnesota, Dumont, Iowa, Ackley-Geneva, Aplington, Wellsburg, Prairie City/Monroe, & Belmond-Klemme. ttn@netscape.com

 
That's what I'm talking about when discussing funding schools. Districts can't keep up financially and we continually lose our biggest asset - adults. We need many more adults working with kids, especially those kids who need extra attention. It's frustrating as a teacher, and I know it is for the students, when ONE KID takes up 80%+ of the ONE ADULT in the room's attention. We need more adults!!
 
I'm not saying she's not but after that Biden Speech last night I think the devisive accusations card needs to go to the bottom of the deck.

We've been dealing with people like trump and her for over 6 years and Biden makes a speech last night and you conclude the dems are equal and shouldn't be talked about. The state of the republican party is a disaster and that needs to be called out. People need to hear the truth.
 
Republicans made a lot of people mad so they gave the Democrats a chance in 2020. The Democrats, in spite of Biden promising otherwise, decided to go so far left and are going to get crushed on Tuesday because of it. The party that can moderate itself will have success. Neither party seems capable of doing that.
 
Republicans made a lot of people mad so they gave the Democrats a chance in 2020. The Democrats, in spite of Biden promising otherwise, decided to go so far left and are going to get crushed on Tuesday because of it. The party that can moderate itself will have success. Neither party seems capable of doing that.
🤣
 
Republicans made a lot of people mad so they gave the Democrats a chance in 2020. The Democrats, in spite of Biden promising otherwise, decided to go so far left and are going to get crushed on Tuesday because of it. The party that can moderate itself will have success. Neither party seems capable of doing that.
Evidence, besides ads with ominous music and grainy footage, of the Democrats going far left?
 
Divisiveness aside, what kills me about Reynolds is that mediocrity is celebrated. Iowa used to be tops in the nation in areas like education. But now, we're middle of the pack. Under her water keeps getting worse, small towns keep drying up, and young professionals keep leaving the state for better opportunities. And what kills me is that she doesn't seem to care. She's not the worst governor in America. But, boy, is she pretty lousy at her job.
 
I am not a fan of the loan forgiveness but please tell me why it was ok when Trump started the trade war with China that did cost American farmers tens of billions in grain export it was fine for Trump to create the "market facilitation program" which doled out 80 billion to farmers on the taxpayer dime?
Was that going extreme right? Or left?
I got some of that money but did not think it was correct.
The Trump passed covid bill passed out PPP money to many farmers and small business owners who did not lose out due to covid.
Big dairy operator in Nebraska bragged about getting a half million in covid money...used it to buy farmland in Iowa.
Far left? C'mon it's actually middle of the road policy in 21st century America.
 
Both sides are divisive. Why is it so hard to understand that. One side does or says something so the other side returns fire. At some point the middle needs to distance themselves from the far left and far right. Unfortunately, both are letting themselves be controlled by the few on the far ends of the spectrum. They’re too worried about their party rather then the people who they represent.
 
Both sides are divisive. Why is it so hard to understand that. One side does or says something so the other side returns fire. At some point the middle needs to distance themselves from the far left and far right. Unfortunately, both are letting themselves be controlled by the few on the far ends of the spectrum. They’re too worried about their party rather then the people who they represent.
Not so. One of the parties is not like the other. It has not been taken over by the lunatic fringe. Hint; it's not the Republican Party.
 
I am not a fan of the loan forgiveness but please tell me why it was ok when Trump started the trade war with China that did cost American farmers tens of billions in grain export it was fine for Trump to create the "market facilitation program" which doled out 80 billion to farmers on the taxpayer dime?
Was that going extreme right? Or left?
I got some of that money but did not think it was correct.
The Trump passed covid bill passed out PPP money to many farmers and small business owners who did not lose out due to covid.
Big dairy operator in Nebraska bragged about getting a half million in covid money...used it to buy farmland in Iowa.
Far left? C'mon it's actually middle of the road policy in 21st century America.
Say what you want about PPP loans, and yes it was a disaster, but at least it passed Congress. I’m fine with student loan debt forgiveness if it passed Congress. I’m not good with Biden using an executive order to do it, knowing it’s probably illegal but trying to buy votes.
 
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Say what you want about PPP loans, and yes it was a disaster, but at least it passed Congress. I’m fine with student loan debt forgiveness if it passed Congress. I’m not good with Biden using an executive order to do it, knowing it’s probably illegal but trying to buy votes.

If that's all you have against Biden, you must really hate the republicans.
 
If that's all you have against Biden, you must really hate the republicans.
There’s a laundry list. But Afghanistan started this free fall. But the economy is going to decide midterms. I was hoping the Democrats would take advantage of their momentum in 2020. But that’s not been the case. Republicans will take the senate in 2024. Next chance the democrats will have for all presidency, house and senate will be 2028.
 
Not so. One of the parties is not like the other. It has not been taken over by the lunatic fringe. Hint; it's not the Republican Party.
Obviously each party is unlike the other. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in the messes we’re in as they’d just agree and get things done instead of playing the blame game and no helping turn the country around. Each does it there’s no denying that. Sure one may do it more than the other when one party is in control.
 
There’s a laundry list. But Afghanistan started this free fall. But the economy is going to decide midterms. I was hoping the Democrats would take advantage of their momentum in 2020. But that’s not been the case. Republicans will take the senate in 2024. Next chance the democrats will have for all presidency, house and senate will be 2028.
Afghanistan was a mess before Biden took over, and trump had already made the decision to leave. The economy was because of the pandemic. It's very hard to "take advantage" of anything when you're fighting through the pandemic. The problem that exists today is that republicans seem to want to hear lies and they've found a large number of politicians who are willing to lie to them. It's like arguing with anyone in a cult, they don't see the real world and so they tend to get more extreme. It's going to take a long time for this country to recover (if ever). Places like Iowa, where people in general are more isolated, will take longer.
 
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Afghanistan was a mess before Biden took over, and trump had already made the decision to leave. The economy was because of the pandemic. It's very hard to "take advantage" of anything when you're fighting through the pandemic. The problem that exists today is that republicans seem to want to hear lies and they've found a large number of politicians who are willing to lie to them. It's like arguing with anyone in a cult, they don't see the real world and so they tend to get more extreme. It's going to take a long time for this country to recover (if ever). Places like Iowa, where people in general are more isolated, will take longer.
I kind of hope you aren’t defending Biden’s conduct with Afghanistan. Even my most staunch liberal friends were embarrassed by our conduct and ineptitude at the end. Biden hasn’t recovered from it.
 
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I am not a fan of the loan forgiveness but please tell me why it was ok when Trump started the trade war with China that did cost American farmers tens of billions in grain export it was fine for Trump to create the "market facilitation program" which doled out 80 billion to farmers on the taxpayer dime?
Was that going extreme right? Or left?
I got some of that money but did not think it was correct.
The Trump passed covid bill passed out PPP money to many farmers and small business owners who did not lose out due to covid.
Big dairy operator in Nebraska bragged about getting a half million in covid money...used it to buy farmland in Iowa.
Far left? C'mon it's actually middle of the road policy in 21st century America.
The sooner "yea, but what about this other thing that isnt related" stops becoming an acceptable debate tactic, the better off everyone will be....
 
I kind of hope you aren’t defending Biden’s conduct with Afghanistan. Even my most staunch liberal friends were embarrassed by our conduct and ineptitude at the end. Biden hasn’t recovered from it.

I'm not defending it, but it's not a topic that's going to win or lose my vote. Do you really think people are so concerned about how we got out. I think people are more happy that we just got out. If I really cared, I'd be more pissed about all the wasted time, money, and lives that were wasted for years in that country, and the government fell within minutes. The whole Afghanistan experience was a failure, I'm not going to worry about how we got out.
 
The words "Reynolds" and "leader" used in the same sentence.

Never thought I'd live to hear that!
 
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