To the Editor:
J. D. Scholten, candidate for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, leaves a lot of daylight between his stance and incumbent Steve King’s.
First, he shows up. He’s been in Greene County at least four times this year answering questions from the public. In mid-October, he visited residents in Churdan for part of an afternoon. Representative King hasn’t held an open meeting for years in Greene County. His infrequent visits are exclusive fundraising events for the Republican Party faithful where you have to pay to get in.
Scholten is most often asked about the rising costs of health care. His position is to make it more accessible and affordable and to ease the way for Medicare-for-All. Representative King voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing insurance for many Iowans.
Scholten daily hears from farmers about falling crop prices coupled with rising prices for seed, fertilizers, herbicide and other chemicals. Representative King missed many of his committee meetings and is overlooked for Farm Bill conference committees.
Scholten advocates for a fair tax system. Representative King voted for a massive tax overhaul that benefits the wealthy and corporations almost entirely.
Representative King labels Scholten and his supporters ”radical lefties” and “Marxists” without any specifics. In a recent Republican fundraiser in Jefferson he was reported complaining about Senator Cory Booker’s (a Scholten backer) personal food choices. He is trying to divide us even in our diets!
Indeed, it is Representative King in the embrace of radical ideas, spending much of his time in Austria talking with leaders of the far right about gathering power by stoking fears of immigrants and refugees in the populace. The Intercept recently reported that King spent more than $118,000 of taxpayer money for his fact-finding trips, often to visit the far right in Austria.
He pursues his own personal agenda, leaving behind the critical problems for his constituents such as high healthcare costs, limited job opportunities, tight farm labor supply and the cost-price squeeze that are the issues Scholten cares about.
In 16 years in office you would suppose Representative King had learned the meaning of the term “public servant”. Clearly he has not. By far the superior candidate in this race is J.D. Scholten. Vote Scholten November 6!
Sincerely, Jane Alexander, Jefferson
