Viewpoints

To the Editor:

The non-profit government watchdog Common Cause has sued the current administration 37 times since the beginning of the second term for actions either unethical, illegal, immoral or just plain vindictive.

So many activities have slipped by under the radar, not making the media reporting. Some examples: Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) youngsters, many of them his employees, have gained access to all of our private information, a huge ethical concern. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is demanding that states turn over their voting rolls so they can purge the voters who do not support them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has backslid on clean air and water regulations, allowing big manufacturers to pollute with impunity, eliminating incentives for clean energy and pushing coal and oil.

To the Editor:

In her letter to the Editor April 15, Ann Fields claimed that President Trump prioritizing military spending on the war in Iran would mean less funding for Medicare and Medicaid. Wrong. At no time did he state that. The increase in spending for the war in Iran will not lead to cuts in Federal spending on those social services.

The Islamic regime in Iran would like to be able to control the world petroleum market, however, President Trump has made that impossible. We know that the price of crude oil is at an all-time high. We also know that is transitory and will soon end. At no time during the president’s address April 1 did he suggest that Medicare and Medicaid would be cut in any way.

To the Editor:

I would like to make two comments regarding Mr. Lowell Engle’s letter to the editor (April 8, 2026).

First, Mr. Engle appears to believe that all “illegal” behaviors are the same and should be treated the same. However, our legal system makes a distinction between “civil” and “criminal” actions, and they carry different penalties.

Most Americans do not think living in the U.S. without documentation or overstaying permission to be in the U.S. are the same as committing a violent act. For the last 30 years administrations of both parties before Trump’s have held that immigrants who have lived in this country for years could be subjected to detention and deportation only if they were deemed, after a judicial hearing, to be a danger to society or a flight risk.

To the Editor:

The Saturday, April 11 Waukon High School play “Launch Day” was out of this world! This story was set in the year 2108 on a planet colonized by young people looking to start their lives and loves. Do they take the shuttle back to earth or do they stick it out and find someone to share their experience?

Nine connections of boy and girl showed us that maybe the “meet cute” will not be so different in the  future. The pairings of actors was fun to watch as they navigated sharing “too much info” or not enough.

Love and ambition, friendship, first dates, chance meetings, passion and rejection, unrequited love all got treatment in a most human way despite living in an AI environment.

To the Editor:

I can finally feel the impact of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that his party’s senators and representatives so proudly passed last year. I got a $1000 tax refund. However, it wasn’t the many thousands that Trump and his party promised.

In fact, my household seems to be losing money. Even on Medicare our health insurance climbed by $1400. Our car and home insurance increased $700. Gas prices are up, food prices have skyrocketed, and inflation is up. I’m further in the hole than I was a year ago. The USA is further in the hole thanks to Trump and his party’s Big Beautiful Bill adding $4 trillion to the national debt.

To the Editor:

I would like to think our Legislators are doing the job of finding ways to improve our lives, and that includes decreasing the risk of cancer. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released from soil and rock that can enter buildings through foundations and accumulate indoors.

The EPA and CDC identify radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths each year. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and exposure combined with smoking significantly increases risk.

Iowa experiences some of the highest radon levels in the nation, approximately 71.6 percent of Iowa homes have radon concentrations at or above the EPA action, the highest proportion of any state. The EPA has designated all of Iowa as Zone 1, meaning the state has a high potential for elevated indoor radon levels due to underlying geology.

To the Editor:

Saturday, I attended the Grand Opening of the Neste Valley Recreation Area. The recreation area is the newest gem in Winneshiek County’s recreation facilities. There was a chilled wind and some rain that did not diminish an invitation to explore the beauty of the property. This opportunity for recreation is located less than five miles from downtown Decorah.

The new two-lane entrance road and camp sites laid out on a hillside are evidence of the completion of an early development phase. Future development of a playground, restrooms and a trail are described in phases. Completion of the Dry Run Bike Trail phase will connect Trout Run Trail in Decorah to the Prairie Farmer Trail between Calmar and Ridgeway.

To the Editor:

In her letter to the editor April 1, Ann Klees made several statements that appear to be no more than what that date is known for, April Fools Day.

The main thrust of her letter appears to be complaining about the high cost of items needed for our daily survival and ongoing operations. Those prices are high. However, Ann clearly lays the blame on the Trump administration. Her arguments show that she has little understanding of world events and international markets.

What Happens When We Die?

What happens to you when you die? This is an important question, one that we certainly shouldn’t just ask ourselves when we’re 80 or 90 years old. It’s a question that we should ask ourselves today, because death doesn’t just come to the old. We could die today. This is why Moses writes, “So teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

So, what happens to us when we die? Some say, nothing happens. When you’re dead, you’re dead and that is it. There are others who think that when you die, you become an angel or perhaps come back in a different form like a butterfly or deer. Others say that everyone who dies, simply goes to a happier or “better” place. But what does the Bible say?

To the Editor:

President Trump in his address to the nation April 1, 2026, stated that prioritizing military spending on the war against Iran will mean less funding for Medicaid and Medicare. Stop! What?

Trump’s war on Iran is financed with our taxes that we have paid. Now he is asking for $1.5 trillion more and, thus, will have to cut Medicaid and Medicare to offset the war expenses. Our military spending will increase 44%, more than any other time except during WWII.

This “war of choice” has raised gas prices, increased fertilizer prices, increased trucking and travel costs, and is putting thousands of lives at risk. Now Trump threatens to cut essential services to the citizens of the U.S.

Trump and his rich Congressmen are not concerned with everyday Iowa citizens and their lives. First, they don’t understand the economic crisis for thousands of Iowans due to inflation and increasing prices.