The trades people I know still have trouble finding good help, and have plenty of work. Maybe that's about to change. Maybe not. Layoffs at John Deere due to a 20% drop in sales are high profile and most of us aren't affected. But Gates Company in Newton, who supplies Deere with hydraulic hoses is closing, costing 41 jobs. Our 12-year old loader tractor has a notice under the floor mat that says it was painted in Allison.

The right to vote forms the bedrock of our democratic republic and gives an important voice to the people — of which, by which, and for which our country was established, and President Lincoln so eloquently put during his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. Men and women in uniform have sacrificed their own lives to ensure that our nation could be free and that we all have the right to participate in our system of government.

Money….it’s always a controversial topic, don’t you think?! It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about how much someone should get paid, how much something costs, etc…you can find anyone with an opinion about it all. Well, unfortunately, Franklin County needs money to provide services to you, the residents and tax payers. What do you mean services?!

We are in Minnesota at the lake. I mentioned to my step-brother that the Iowa Utilities Commission has decided that Summit Carbon Solutions may use eminent domain to take land for a CO2 pipeline to North Dakota for sequestration. Peter said, “Why not let ChatAI write the article for you?” So I did. I looked at it for curiosity's sake.

As we went through school we all learned very important lessons like how to play Three Blind Mice on a recorder or what the square root of an obtuse angle is on a Tuesday. (Yes, I know that last one isn’t really a thing, but I think you get my point). What we didn’t get an education on is mundane things like balancing your checkbook, how to fill out a W4, or how property taxes are figured. So, I thought we’d touch on that last one this week.

Last month, I traveled to Israel to meet with government officials about the ongoing war. We walked the Kibbutzes where innocent Israelis were murdered, raped, beheaded, and tortured by Hamas terrorists and learned more of the horrifying details about the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

We have a 14-year old John Deere tractor (5105M) with a front end loader. The handle that controls the loader is two pieces of plastic about 5” long. When new, the handle wiggled around on the post, but that got way worse, and the cable ties and duct tape were beneath my high standards. So I called the dealer and was quoted $876 for the part.

One of my many duties as Auditor is to be the tour guide of the Courthouse. It doesn’t happen often, but a couple times of year we either have visitors pop in and want a formal tour or we have a class from one of the schools in Franklin County come for a tour. Because of this duty, I’ve learned a lot about the history of the Courthouse and I thought it would be fun to share that with you today!

Darrell Speck, 79, of Waterloo, passed away on Sunday, June 23, 2024 at UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Funeral services are pending with the Surls Funeral Home in Iowa Falls.

 After months of delay, the Farm Bill is finally moving in Congress. The House Agriculture Committee passed its draft of the 2024 Farm Bill on May 23, the first step in a process that will include a Senate draft followed by floor debates later this year.
 
Buckle up. We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there. The current Farm Bill expires September 30.
 

The Election is pretty much wrapped up in our office. The results were canvassed by the Board of Supervisors yesterday and results made official. We also held our post-election on Monday and are happy to report that the results reported on Election night match exactly as when the ballots were hand counted, so our machines worked the way they were supposed to!

Looking back it is surprising how many jobs I had in the food business. McDonald's taught me to stay busy, and be neat and clean. Benton's was in Laguna Beach and it taught me that rules are only the start of what guides a restaurant.

Our economy is in tough shape. Cumulative inflation has skyrocketed by nearly 20% since President Biden took office while real wages have fallen by roughly 4.4%. The Bureau of
Economic Analysis estimated that the economy grew at a rate of only 1.3% in the first quarter of
2024 – three points lower than predicted – while interest rates have surpassed their highest levels in 23 years. 

It’s like the day after Christmas around the Auditor’s office. The letdown after the big event. Well….kind of! The Primary Election is over. The votes have been cast, the results reported to the Secretary of State, the polling places are being picked up and supplies tucked away until November. But, this doesn’t mean our work is over. People often ask the day after an election occurs if we’re relieved, but the reality is our work is

Down the street from us in Newport Beach lived John Wayne, Iowa hero for some reason; mostly a product of Hollywood propaganda. His wife, Pilar told our neighbor that he made patriotic movies to assuage the guilt he felt for staying home during World War II. Other movie stars at the time gave up their careers in film to fight in the war. Clark Gable was an aerial gunner over Europe.