Iowa needs a new direction in November

I am recently new to this area of the state. I am a former school administrator, former college instructor, and former county supervisor in northeast Iowa. I write because of my high level of concern about the future of Iowa if current trends continue.

The 2018 midterm elections on Nov. 6 will be pivotal, given the potential consequences to the state of Iowa. For anyone who feels as I do, electing Democrats to the Iowa House, the Iowa Senate and the governorship is crucial.

My sense about the recent legislative session is that a group of elected Iowa Republicans, influenced by far right activists, sought to fundamentally change our state government and further reduce the services the state has traditionally provided. (Two prime examples are the failure to maintain Iowa's traditional support of education and the huge mistake of privatizing Medicaid.) In addition, while reducing services to the average Iowan, the Legislature made tax law changes that benefit the wealthy and tax credits and write-offs for large national corporations.

These same kinds of decisions have been made in several other states where the far right has political control. If Iowa Republicans are allowed continued control of the House, Senate and governor's office, the policy trends that have been established will continue to flow until Iowa is but a shadow of its former self. Our role in solving this problem is to elect Fred Hubbell as governor and Democrats to the Legislature.

John Andersen

Mount Vernon