Editor:
A baked potato and green beans are a great compliment to my Iowa Premium Prime Rib dinner at one of a handful of my favorite Central Iowa steakhouses. I’ve never told anyone that, “you can’t pass up the baked potato at That Place near Conrad”, or “the green beans at Babe’s Steakhouse in Radcliffe are worth the drive from Des Moines”. I can tell you while visiting Honolulu, Hawaii as I type that I recommended both steakhouses to fellow guests at the hotel here on Waikiki Beach because of their amazing prime rib.
What do prime rib, baked potatoes and green beans have to do with anything but my plans upon returning home?
Many of our Iowa Legislators have decided to convince Iowans that they need a baked potato and green beans when all we really want is the prime rib or that we love the prime rib and the other two are fine as sides.
For many Iowans reading this your prime rib is medical freedom, health care privacy, the ability to work without being medically extorted, and the ability to take care of what was created in God’s own image. Instead, legislators are tying tort reform for truckers, unemployment reform, and medical malpractice tort reform to the MFPA.
Back in the day (I’m only 45) we called that “pork” and purists like my dad hate it, and I learned why he hates it, and I hate it too. The other pork in the bill that would have protected Iowans is valuable and has some direct correlation to MFPA legislation. Sadly a supermajority of Iowans aren’t looking for that pork, they want the prime MFPA.
So, last week Iowans’ prime rib in the form of the MFPA wasn’t only watered down to the point it looked like one of those lab-based patty things on clearance in the local grocery store but they tried to convince us that we really wanted the baked potato and green beans with that patty thing, (other legislation tort reform for truckers, medical malpractice tort reform, and unemployment reform). Again, Iowans really want that amazing prime rib but for some reason, we can’t have that unless we agree to the two complementary sides.
I’ve read and heard that the prime rib was an easy way to get people to put the potato and beans on their plate. I’ve heard and read that the beans and potato weren’t strong enough to stand alone so the prime rib was the bargaining chip. Few have mentioned that not enough lawmakers knew what the quality of the prime rib was but figured we’d be OK with it if the two sides made an appearance. Then you have the legislators that blatantly hate prime rib and don’t care for beans or potatoes either. We want to see which lawmakers believe that the slice of medium-rare Iowa medical freedom could and should be able to stand alone in an unadulterated form and have it on record.
Iowans aren’t stupid, we see through the smoke and know that bundle deals are never the best deals, and anything worth passing onto Iowans should be capable of standing on its own. We were told that if the prime rib wasn’t good in the fall of 2021 we would get better prime rib in 2022.
The session is winding down and legislators can’t wait to leave Des Moines so they can campaign in order to convince you that the baked potato and green beans they served you this session are just as tasty as that prime rib and you want more of those beans and potatoes. Fortunately, the readers that finish my editorial today after Googling: That Place and Babes will take the time to demand their current legislator give them prime rib or let them know you’ll find someone that will. There are lots of primary races and still time to ask for a special nominating convention and find someone that will value your life and livelihood.
I have high hopes for the last few weeks of the session but until I see stand-alone bills head to the floor to see who wants to give Iowan’s prime rib, and who prefers to give us potatoes and beans.
Lastly, does anyone know if anyone actually promotes themselves as having the best baked potatoes or green beans in Iowa?
BJ Hoffman
Liscomb, Iowa
