David Hotle
September 21, 2024
Dear Editor,
District 95 Representative, Republican, Taylor Collins, goes to great length in a recent column, "Retiring in Iowa vs. Minnesota," to tell seniors there is but one reason to spend the golden years in Iowa and not Minnesota. Lower taxes. He speaks of nothing else.
Drawing comparisons among our 50 states is tricky business but having been a Hawkeye and a Gopher I see clear distinctions beyond taxes, that are important to seniors.
As a senior in rural Iowa, I place health care at the top of my list. Per the National Institute of Health, there are 215 practicing physicians in Iowa per one-hundred thousand in population while 307 practice in Minnesota. Near the bottom, Iowa ranks slightly ahead of Mississippi.
In Iowa, 71 of 99 counties do not have a practicing OB-GYN. Iowa has the seventh highest rate in the nation of the incidence of new cancer per 100,000 in population. (CDC). And, ever heard of the Mayo Clinic?
Seniors care about the education of their grandchildren. Iowa's public education slide continues. Once best in the nation, test scores and on-time graduation rates are in decline with Iowa now ranked behind a much larger and more diverse state, Illinois. Minnesotans see public education as an investment in their future while Iowa Republicans see it as a piggy-bank for private schools.
The best senior life is an active life. The venues and infrastructure for big-league sports, i.e. Vikings and Twins and lakes, rivers and woodland require tax commitment as investment. Iowans travel out-of-state for the big-league experience and outdoor recreation, at considerable expense. Minnesota's tourism revenue far exceeds that of Iowa.
Each summer many of our lakes and beaches are closed due to pollution. Here in Henry County, e-coli levels have limited Lake Geode's availability where the beach was once packed with kids on hot summer days. A wonderful group of New London volunteers is working tirelessly to fix things up. They do so with personal finance that might go to another charity of their choosing.
In Minnesota, the lake would likely not be polluted in the first place. If it were, taxpayers statewide would be asked to share costs and the kids would be on the beach.
Why does Rep Collins fail to mention these Quality-Of-Life issues? Simply put, the declines in health care, education, recreation and water quality continue to worsen on the Republican watch.
Collins and his "know-it-all" colleagues are consumed with one thing. Eliminating taxes. Perhaps it is youthful naivete' or just plain greed but they need to appreciate how most seniors wish to spend their golden years. Minnesota provides a good example.
David Helman
Salem, Iowa