Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson talks about presenting herself as a human being, "fallible like anyone else." Kelsey Kremer,



Politics are no longer just Democrats and Republicans

In a nation divided by the ever more ruthless game of party politics, it is the American people who suffer. The recent government shutdown was the longest in U.S. history, lasting 35 days. It cost our economy $3 billion in permanent losses and forced over 800,000 federal employees to go without a paycheck for over a month.

At the end of the day, the dispute boiled down to a struggle for the upper hand between the two major parties. The Republicans, led by President Trump, demanded $5.7 billion in federal funds to build a grandiose wall on the southern border. The Democrats, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, chose to prove their superiority through petty jabs and an insincere concern for the people.

That is why I chose a third way: The Alliance Party. We aim to create a bridge across our divisions by offering practical, thoughtful and centrist solutions to the complicated challenges our nation faces. We refuse to believe the people should be given only an impossible choice between one evil or another.

The Alliance Party offers some things we find severely lacking in today's politics: Functionality, moral conviction, a sense of duty and pride in serving the people and a promise. We will serve the American people's best interests, no matter what, and we will not surrender to those who would seek to manipulate us.

We are a party of the people, by the people and for the people, and that will never change.

More: Rob Sand can be state auditor without CPA license, independent board confirms

— Alexandra Dermody, Davenport

Mental health needs accurate prescriptions

The Register editorial got it half right. Iowa does face a dire shortage of mental health professionals, particularly those qualified to prescribe medications [Iowa needs much more than a few additional psychiatrists to address mental health crisis]. However, before jumping to the conclusions that the answer lies in allowing therapists to prescribe, it may make more sense to recruit or train more nurse practitioners who are board certified in psychiatry/mental health.

Like psychiatrists, we practitioners are trained in primary health care before getting specialized training in psychiatry to fully evaluate, diagnose and treat mental illness.

The broader training of physicians includes things like setting broken bones or delivering babies, but few psychiatrists are comfortable practicing that expansively. Modern psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners are generally interchangeable in our capabilities and independent practice. We’re both trained in psychotherapy, but meager insurance reimbursement and overwhelming demand has driven most psychiatric specialists to focus narrowly on prescribing drugs.

Still, some of us still invest the time for actual conversation, discussion of treatment alternatives, counseling and collaborative problem-solving. Patients are more than just a checklist of symptoms.

I have little doubt that some therapists would prove fully capable of understanding the pharmaceutics and dynamics of prescribing, with adequate education and training. My concern is the potential to underestimate the education and training necessary to prescribe well, and this risk may be elevated by the eagerness of the Iowa Legislature to quickly “fix” the shortage of psychiatric prescribers.

More: How journaling can teach lessons and help make sense of the ups and downs of life

— Megan Berryhill, Newton 

We must clean up our water and communities

After four years of undergraduate studies, I have learned a lot about what it means to be a health promoter. Coming into contact with the issues with the Renewable Fuel Standard brought me to a different side of what I thought I knew about health.

Increased crop production for the biofuel industry has resulted in run-off pollution. The use of chemical fertilizers is filling Midwest waters with more pesticides, and ramping up cleanup costs.

In order for me to promote the health of a population, I need a population to do so as well. We need safe outdoor recreation areas with clean bodies of water to allow communities to come together to be active.

More: Record cold causes water main break in Des Moines' East Village

— Lindsay Fowler, Pleasant Hill  


King's recent remarks didn't help his case

This past weekend, Rep. Steve King came to the area and swooped in and out with talking points [Steve King on charges of racism 'They are denigrating Western civilization'].

I just wish he would respectfully resign. Not exclusively because of his latest remarks with the New York Times, but because of all of his past remarks.

He is a stain on the perception of Iowa and should refrain from further comments. He is now proclaiming he was misquoted and that it wasn't taped. We all know that there have been multiple gaffes and fingernail-on-the-chalkboard moments.

Iowa does not need this type of notoriety. Give it up please, Rep. King, and let Iowa grow. Iowa is so much better than this.

More: Steve King gets praise, recites poetry at first Iowa town hall since recent controversy

— Mary Ann Meyer, Paullina

Is the independent vote the way to go?

Here we go again. I am being told that if I vote for an independent candidate, that they can’t win, it will elect the other guy and that I will be throwing my vote away.

We all know the gridlock in Washington is caused by the right- and left-wing fringe of both parties.

Being a lifelong Democrat, I find that I also have conservative views on some subjects. So I ask myself, who should I cast a ballot for in the next election?

Should it be a hair-on-fire progressive candidate that promises pie-in-the-sky proposals we all know we can’t afford? How about a man with no moral compass and a self-absorbed ego? Or should it be an independent person who could do some good? The last option would be not to vote at all.

After all, if you want to use the word deplorable, it would really describe the choices we were given in the last presidential election. Ask yourself the same question.

More: Independent candidate calls for change in livestock production

— Norman Schmidt, West Des Moines  

Why didn't Ernst step up for Blasey Ford?

The revelations that surfaced last week regarding Sen. Joni Ernst’s personal life are truly heartbreaking.

However, in light of these disclosures, I find two two things even more perplexing.

First are Ernst’s aggressive campaign ads where motorcycles, guns, hog castration and the “make 'em squeal” tagline featured quite prominently (surely the most toxic masculine imagery one could conjure).

Second is Ernst’s unflagging support for Brett Kavanaugh. Didn’t Ernst hear echoes of her own story in Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony?

Simply put, have Iowa’s politicians become so blindly beholden to party politics that their own histories don’t matter and don’t inform their judgement?

More: What Sen. Joni Ernst's experiences with domestic abuse can teach the rest of us

— Kentin Waits, Knoxville 


2020 brings renewable standard to the table 

With 2020 presidential candidates already visiting, Iowans can expect to hear quite a bit of discussion regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This is an issue close to many, mostly due to the fact that the production of biofuels has been lucrative in this state.

On its face, the RFS is a well-meaning and seemingly positive concept. By mandating that a certain amount of fuels produced must be biofuels, our nation hoped to protect the environment while stimulating a fledgling industry. The problem is that the incentives for which the RFS provides worked a bit too well, contributing to the destruction of more and more wild lands to plant corn and soybeans.

This wanton destruction has deprived Iowa's diverse array of wildlife of the habitats it so dearly depends upon while also consuming 40 percent of all corn produced in the United States. Clearly, the RFS has bred unintended consequences far outweighing its potential benefits. It is time for this state to reinvest in its already-successful wind power infrastructure and continue pioneering a cleaner, less harmful environmental future.

More: DuPont sells Iowa ethanol plant to German company; it will soon make renewable natural gas

— Phoebe Stratton, West Des Moines 

Border control requires an up-close look 

I appreciated recently reading the commentary from Denny and Patty Coon [A view from Iowans helping migrants at a Mexican border].

My husband and I recently returned from volunteering at the border in Nogales, Arizona. We had the opportunity to meet with judges, law enforcement, immigrant and defense lawyers, migrants and asylum seekers. It was an eye-opening and sobering experience.

Border security and immigration policy is complicated. The farther away you live from the border, the easier it is to imagine a wall being a simple and practical solution. The closer you get to the border, learn about the issues and meet the people who live along it, the more simplistic and financially irresponsible a wall seems.

For example, I was stunned to learn that the majority of illegal drugs entering the U.S. comes through legal ports of entry hidden in trucks, trailers and other vehicles, not through the “unwalled” desert.

Border security advocates (people who actually live along the border) wish for more border patrol agents, people who inspect incoming vehicles where the bulk of drugs and human trafficking takes place. For example, only 6 of 14 gates are open in Nogales due to lack of agents, despite the fact millions of dollars were spent remodeling and adding gates.

As we move forward, it is critical that people who live farthest away from the border listen to and understand the real needs and situation of people who live closest to the border.

More:Veteran's view: Don't pit border security against diplomacy, foreign aid

— Jane Shuttleworth, Okoboji

U.S. health care definitely needs changes 

I find guest columnist Don Racheter's comments about the US health-care system somewhat lacking in factual information [Medicare overhaul would hurt Iowans, unless Sen. Chuck Grassley stops it].

Without any facts, he states we have the best health-care system in the world. Fact: This is the same system that allows insurance companies to determine when you can or cannot receive care based on their policies, and not on your doctor's advice. This is the same system that created the opioid epidemic. This is the same system that earns us the rank of 14th in the infant mortality rate during childbirth. Not to mention that it's inaccessible for many people on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder.

He points out that "tycoons, royalty and other wealthy foreigners" seek out our health care rather than "seek(ing) care in their socialist systems." That may be true to an extent, but only because they may have the money to afford our health care. Too bad our general population doesn't have similar financial assets.

More: Our growing dependence on China for pharmaceutical drugs is a national security concern

— Kevin Green, Huxley 


Where is the outrage for Ernst's sexual assault?

A half-drunk Sen. Nate Boulton puts his hand on the precious backside of some affluent women and all hell breaks loose. Iowa Democratic Senate Leader, Janet Petersen, and what passes for the #Metoo movement in Iowa now want to run him out of office [Iowa Democratic Senate leader says Nate Boulton should leave the state Senate].

Harley-riding, hog-roasting Sen. Joni Ernst from very rural Red Oak relates a story of actual sexual violence and abuse, and what do we hear from Petersen and the cashmere sweater feminists in our college towns and in Polk County? Nothing. [Report: Sen. Joni Ernst says she was sexually assaulted in college, details abuse allegations].

All of this outrage from the left regarding male behavior seems very selective. It seems partisan, shallow and self-serving.


— Michael Devine, Fort Dodge

Presidential candidates should not bash Trump

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and other potential or official Democrat presidential candidates should know that trashing Trump and his policies without acknowledging his or Republicans’ successes will not establish those people as “working across the aisle."

If I were trying to “unite our populace” I would avoid inflammatory labeling of my opponents. Hickenlooper specifically failed in that regard. 

More: John Hickenlooper in Iowa promises pragmatism in taking on Trump

— Tom Carlstrom, Clive

Parizek is a great voice for police department 

I am consistently impressed with Des Moines Police spokesman, Paul Parizek. He displays professionalism both on TV and in the written media as he explains the often-tragic and newsworthy events that the police are faced with daily.

His concise and calm responses with sensitivity to all involved both within the department and in our community cannot be recognized enough.

Thank you to the police department for assigning this officer these responsibilities and to Sgt. Parizek for his service and while showing glimpses of his own humanity.

More: Des Moines man accused of hijacking DART bus, threatening to kill police officers

— Lloyd Kaufman, Des Moines  


Ag gag shouldn't have been created at all 

After reading the guest column [Ag gag stalled revelation of systemic animal cruelty], l was sickened. The cruelty that that law allowed was a disgrace to farmers and major producers of chickens, hogs, etc.

The fact this law was enacted to begin with shows the power of the agricultural industry. If there had not been covert investigations, these cruel practices would still exist if they do not already.

l applaud the courts for overruling ag gag laws. Our representatives need to think before enacting such laws to begin with. It all goes back to if you have nothing to hide, you should be open to oversight.

More: With Iowa's ag-gag law ruled unconstitutional, animal rights group seeks undercover investigator

— Judy Avritt, Des Moines  

GOP's concern about Ocasio-Cortez is laughable

The hypocrisy of the GOP is astounding. In response to Marc Thiessen's column [If Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were a conservative], political conservatives put a political neophyte in the White House, a man of wealth and privilege who'd spent his life racking up business failures and who had neither the knowledge, integrity nor the judgment to lead this country.

Yet here Thiessen is whining about newly elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, because he thinks she isn’t fit for the job. He wants to complain that she's dishonest? Well, President Donald Trump averaged 15 lies a day, and no other politician even comes close.

Time will tell if Ocasio-Cortez is up to the job, but in the meantime, anyone who supports Trump is in no position to judge her.

More: 4-H LGBTQ policy: 70-plus Congress members accuse Trump's USDA of 'inappropriate' overreach, want answers from Ag Chief Sonny Perdue

— Elizabeth Shriver, Coralville  


All government branches should be equal

The Trump shutdown revealed a constitutional crisis but not the one the president and his Republican allies suggest. Our nation's founders created three co-equal branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. Each branch was designed to provide a check and a balance on this experiment in democracy.

If any of the branches chooses to not exercise its responsibilities, we face losing our democracy and, in this case, we face a looming oligarchy.

The House passed legislation in December to keep the government open and to continue talks about border security. However, the president told Senate Republicans he wouldn’t sign it so they didn’t bring it to the floor. Three weeks later, after 800,000 government employees were either furloughed or required to work without pay, the president backed down and the Senate was allowed to vote to reopen government.

In the meantime, Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst went along with the idea that the president can call the shots and are seemingly willing to forgo their constitutional role to legislate. Maybe it’s time to elect someone who sees the legislative branch as a co-equal branch.

More: John Hickenlooper in Iowa promises pragmatism in taking on Trump

— John Beisner, Ames 

Mandelbaum should not support DMU project

I am urging Des Moines city councilman and environmental lawyer Josh Mandelbaum to oppose Des Moines University's (DMU) bid to rezone a wooded area south of Grand Avenue to build a parking lot.

DMU is seeking to expand its footprint into a historic neighborhood by building a parking lot in a wooded area. If city officials allow the project to go forward, it will not only destroy the beauty of the neighborhood but also risk flooding residents downhill of the university by increasing water runoff from the parking lot.

The Des Moines Zoning Commission voted unanimously at its Jan. 17 meeting to reject DMU's rezoning application. The matter now goes to the City Council for a vote. As the councilman for Des Moines' 3rd Ward, Mandelbaum should be at the forefront of the effort to put DMU's plans to bed and go to bat for his constituents.

Instead, at a neighborhood meeting, he lobbied residents on the university's behalf by explaining that rain barrels would mitigate potential flooding.

Does Mandelbaum want his legacy in his first term to be a parking lot? I urge Mandelbaum to instead lobby the other council members to reject DMU's application. 

More: Find dozens of ideas for things to do, activities and events in Des Moines

— Mark Quiner, Des Moines  


The government shutdown was insanity

I just submitted my taxes this week. My family pays our fair share, even though we struggle with bills and live paycheck to paycheck. And our government wants to waste our hard-earned money on an expensive, useless border wall?

Not only are our government leaders, including Sens. Joni Ernst and Charles Grassley, wasting the tax dollars of every hard-working American, they left over 800,000 federal employees out to dry, who are now struggling even further because of this shutdown. History will not remember them kindly when it is shown that it's their party's fault for thousands of people being plunged into immediate poverty.

Federal employees shouldn't be getting second or third jobs to make ends meet and they shouldn't have to go to a food bank. People should be able to receive their SNAP benefits and we should get our tax returns.

If our government really cared about the security of our nation, they would always pay the Coast Guard, border guards, FBI, air traffic controllers and the TSA employees. This shutdown was insanity. 

More: Drake University offers free basketball tickets to federal employees, families during government shutdown

— Kristine Negron, Des Moines  

Do Democrats represent working Americans? 

For as long as I can remember, the Democratic Party has claimed to be the party representing working-class Americans. They now seem to be the party that represents unchecked, illegal immigration.

So please forgive me if I see that as being hypocritical. You cannot be both pro-labor and pro-open borders. As we let more illegal immigrants into our country, they will continue to dilute the labor pool and thus wages. I’d like to see Democrats make a choice. Are you pro-labor or pro-open borders?

More: Trump's arguments for border wall are full of holes

— Scott Little, Norwalk 

Americans need to think about their own first 

Does anyone really believe that the Democratic leadership would come out looking pristine if they and their staff were put under the same microscope that the current president has been examined with?

I don't particularly care for his personality but there are numerous things he has accomplished and that he is trying to get done that I feel are needed.

The wall is not the negative thing that Democrats portray. The Affordable Care Act should have been eliminated and all those who are paying huge increases should think about what it would have cost to pay for coverage for a child/young adult under the old payment schedules.

Sometimes it is about what is best for your own first.

— Beryl Richards, Nashua




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