It was interesting to note that according to a T-T News Chronicle article [campaign ad for governor] Democrat State Auditor Rob Sand, is the most popular politician in Iowa. Certain figures from a Des Moines Register/MediaCom poll were given to support the popularity statement. The Des Moines Register is certainly and admittedly left-leaning. Does this mean that the poll was not scientific? No, but it is certain that the article was a campaign ad posing as a news article.

Governor Reynolds has supported some things that are more controversial, one being school choice. That is, certain state money is following children whose parents want to send them to accredited schools that are more in line with their worldview. Even though the Constitution does not state freedom from religion, but freedom of religion, it is certain that this is not, nor is it meant to be, taking tax money to support or promote religion.

Almost all schools that are private are affiliated with some church or group of churches, or simply like-minded people. But that is not the issue. It is not costing us any more money, and shouldn’t we want our neighbor who is responsible for their children’s up-bringing, to have more ability to carry out that responsibility? Governor Reynolds, and most of the legislature, do. For decades now we have offered our college students the opportunity to attend private colleges using Pell Grants at the federal level, and Iowa Tuition Grants at the state level. These grants are literally the same as the governor’s school choice program called Education Savings Accounts, yet no one seems to complain about those.

When we pay our property taxes, over half goes to the local school district. Let’s just say, for instance, some fictitious person with school-age children doesn’t like things that his local public school is teaching and not teaching. This person cannot support certain mandatory activities and courses. He sees a Woke agenda being implemented, etc.

So he conscientiously pays the tuition to a private school of his liking, and puts his children there. And he also pays his property taxes. So he’s paying double for his children’s education, including being forced by the government to pay the taxes. That form of coercion isn’t right, and that parent should have options about where they send their child to school regardless of their income level.

Brian Squiers

Tama