Ashley Hinson

Could 4 libraries work together?

With more support, existing programs can buttress rural health

Ashley Hinson’s bill would be a gift to China

Political patterns are shifting

Could 4 libraries work together?

Every city in America is wrestling with the same problem: rising costs and limited revenue.

Libraries are not immune. Public safety, infrastructure, employee benefits, insurance, and basic city services all compete for the same municipal dollars. Even well-used libraries find themselves defending their budgets year after year.

Perhaps it is time to ask a different question.

Instead of asking each library to absorb another round of cuts, should neighboring libraries look for ways to reduce duplication while preserving service?

Des Moines, West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Clive already function as a regional library network through Iowa's Open Access program.

A Central Polk Library District deserves study.

This is not a proposal to close libraries, eliminate local service, or request new taxes. It is a proposal to determine whether four neighboring libraries could share administration, purchasing, technology, planning, and other behind-the-scenes functions before reducing public services.

Urban library districts are common elsewhere, but Iowa has never created one. Iowa's three existing library districts — Scott, Dubuque, and Woodbury — were established in the late 1940s.

Beginning with four neighboring cities creates a manageable pilot that could become a model for other Iowa communities.

The first step is not creating a district. The first step is conducting a careful feasibility study. Before reducing library hours, collections, or programs, shouldn't we first determine whether working together could preserve more service for the public?

Garry Rowland, Des Moines

With more support, existing programs can buttress rural health

Guest columnists Ramsey Alwin and Alan Morgan are right that if Iowa is serious about rural health, we also need to be serious about helping older adults remain at home.

Iowa is not starting from scratch.

Area Agencies on Aging across Iowa are already doing this work through fall prevention, caregiver support, nutrition, transportation, and home modification efforts. Milestones Area Agency on Aging’s HARP program is one example of how these services can help identify fall risks and fund practical changes in the home.

HARP, or the Home Hazard Removal Program, is an evidence-based program that includes visits with an occupational therapist to address fall risks in the home. These visits often lead to practical recommendations such as grab bars, shower equipment, improved lighting, and other modest equipment or home modifications that make daily life easier and more manageable.

HARP has been a critical step in recognizing the need for home modifications and beginning to fund them. Milestones has shown that a modest equipment budget can solve many hazards in the home. But it has also highlighted the next gap. Ramps and accessible bathrooms can cost several thousand dollars, and those needs often exceed what a small program budget can cover.

Ramp costs for a modest Iowa home are significant, in part because of our aging housing stock. Recent quotes from licensed contractors ranged from $4,500 to nearly $9,000 due to the configuration needed to meet ADA-compliant ramp design while working within existing home structures. For many Iowans, especially those who make too much to qualify for Medicaid or other assistance programs but do not have the financial flexibility to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket, this cost is unattainable.

Even older adults who qualify for Medicaid home- and community-based services may still struggle to access needed modifications. In practice, waiver limits and authorization processes often do not match the actual cost of helping someone remain independent at home.

Communities have tried to fill this gap in different ways. Polk County’s Emergency Home Repair Program is one example of a local effort to address urgent home repair needs. The city of Dubuque and East Central Intergovernmental Association have also historically used Older Adult Home Modification Program funding to support low-cost, high-impact home modifications. Nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together have also stepped in to support home repairs and modifications.

That is the important point. The work is already happening. The need is already clear. Now Iowa has an opportunity to build on these efforts and make home modifications a more realistic option for older adults across the state.

Healthy Hometowns should include the aging network, Area Agencies on Aging, occupational therapists, licensed contractors, local repair programs, nonprofits, and community partners who already understand what it takes to help people remain at home. For many rural Iowans, a ramp, an accessible bathroom, or the right piece of equipment can be the difference between staying home and being forced into a higher level of care.

Alwin and Morgan are right to call for home- and community-based services to be part of Iowa’s rural health strategy. Iowa also has existing models that show us what is possible. The next step is making sure those models have the funding and coordination needed to reach more older adults, especially in rural communities where access to care and support is already limited.

Sydney Marshman, Des Moines

Ashley Hinson’s bill would be a gift to China

As a third-generation independent Iowa pig farmer, I can say plainly: Rep. Ashley Hinson has betrayed Iowa family farmers with her so-called Save Our Bacon Act — a gift to China wrapped in the House farm bill.

Family farmers like me know the biggest threat to our farms is global hog operators undercutting us with unsafe and inhumane practices. The Save Our Bacon Act would strip away the very state laws that keep that playing field level. The biggest winner if it passes? Smithfield Foods — owned by China's WH Group, and the largest pork producer in America. Wiping out state laws lets Smithfield undercut family operations like mine and dot our communities with “hog skyscrapers,” as they do in communist China. Hinson may have industrial operators in her corner. But family farmers know she sold us out, and America.

Chris Petersen, Clear Lake

Political patterns are shifting

The rise of outsider candidates, populist movements, and anti-establishment voices shows that many voters believe Washington has failed to address their concerns.

This dissatisfaction is not limited to one political party. Republicans faced their own internal transformation with the rise of the Tea Party movement in the early 2010s. Democrats are now experiencing similar pressure from progressive candidates challenging longtime leaders.

The message from voters is clear: Many people are looking for politicians who represent their priorities rather than the traditional structures of power.

Americas politics are changing. Everyone’s starting to open their eyes about both parties. Money, operations, and entanglements. The American people are disappointed with their politics, and it’s clear change is inevitable.

Tyler Fahey, Anamosa