GOP likes handouts, just not for you

I grew up in the Iowa of long ago. My father, a small farmer, was able to provide all four of his children with a college degree from one of our state universities. In those “before” times when the leaders in Iowa provided nearly 80 percent of the funding to those schools, tuition was affordable for the masses. Our legislature currently provides 30.5 percent of Regent’s funds.

The hypocrisy of today’s Republican Party is getting harder to swallow. President Biden’s plan to forgive 169,000 Iowans up to $20,000 of Pell grants given to those with exceptional financial needs, was deemed by Gov. Kim Reynolds as “an insult to working people” who themselves do not have college debt. I remind Reynolds that in 2019 alone, Iowa farmers received $2.34 billion in federal government subsidies paid by American taxpayers who mostly are not engaged in farming.

Our own Sen. Chuck Grassley through his family farms has benefited from $1.74 million in farm subsidies in the last two decades. Must we be reminded again that Rep. Ashley Hinson’s husband had $143,000 of loans forgiven through the federal Paycheck Protection Program? How about Jeff Kaufmann, head of the Iowa GOP, whose family submitted over $53,000 forgiveness through Federal PPP. (Bleeding Heartland Aug. 22, 2022.)

So save me the hypocrisy of calling it a “redistribution of wealth.” We know what you really mean. It’s fine for me but not for thee.

Ann Hart

Waukon