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Reynolds is a divisive leader

Columbus Day, wants to secularize Christmas, thanksgiving, that’s the first few that come to mind.
WTF you talking about? Where do you live?
Columbus Day? I have lived in Iowa all my life and Columbus Day has always been treated Much like Groundhog’s Day....what’s the big deal about it?
Where in your Iowa do they NOT celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas?
 
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

Now do Biden who promised unity.
 
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.
Have you noticed all the dipshit teachers posting on here? Maybe start getting rid of them if you are looking to improve education.
 
Have you noticed all the dipshit teachers posting on here? Maybe start getting rid of them if you are looking to improve education.
Waterboy...you have to admit, Reynold’s leadership certainly is not challenging Iowa or Iowans to do anything great. However, she does reap all the low hanging fruit...something her mentor was very good at, too.
 
Have you noticed all the dipshit teachers posting on here? Maybe start getting rid of them if you are looking to improve education.
Dipshit teachers? I assume you did poorly in school and hate teachers. They do amazing work, no idea how they do it. I know I couldn't. Makes their jobs so much harder with parents with your attitude that they pass on to kids.
 
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