CRESTON FRONT PAGE: “Sand Advocates for Listening to Locals”

DES MOINES, IA – Yesterday, Democratic nominee for governor Rob Sand headed to Creston for his Union County town hall to answer Iowans’ questions in front of a “standing room only” crowd. Rob addressed concerns on everything from our state’s sky-high cancer rates and water quality to mental health and government accountability. Throughout the conversation, Rob emphasized a simple idea: the people closest to a problem usually know the most about how to solve it.

Creston News Advertiser: Sand advocates for listening to locals

• It was standing room only in Creston, the first of four stops Wednesday for Rob Sand during his 100-town-hall tour as he works to earn Iowans’ votes for governor this November. Housed at A&G Restaurant and Lounge, questions ran the gambit of taxes, water quality and Political Action Committee money, all while keeping Sand’s goal of bipartisanship at the forefront. 

• “The best decision makers are the ones that are closest to the problem because they have the best understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their community,” Sand said. “I tend to think that on the taxation questions, you want to listen more to people at the local level.”

• The [water quality] plan includes keeping chemical companies accountable for pollution, investing in water quality monitors, starting a new manure management plan, expanding current conservation programs with tax credits for farmers and increasing wetlands across Iowa. 

• “We know that farmers want to be doing a better job, and we want to treat them as part of the solution. They recognize that they have an impact on our water quality,” Sand said. “They want to do better. Let’s help them do better. We should be doing more of those conservation programs. We should have more cover crops. We should have more bioreactors. We should have more buffers.”

• Sand said another major point in taking corruption out of the legislature is through accountability for the politicians. This included term and age limits, as well as requiring candidates to pass a civics test before being placed on the ballot. 

• Though any mention of politics can often become a fighting match, Sand encourages people to find common ground rather than arguing. When finding oneself disagreeing with a loved one, he said to ask more questions.

• “I know we can win this race. It’s not because political prognosticators in and outside of Iowa say we can; it’s because I talk to Iowans all the time,” Sand said. “Red and blue are colors, folks. How did we get to a point where people can say, let’s make Iowa red or blue and think that it means anything,” Sand said. “When I send my kids to school, I don’t tell them, ‘be blue.’ I say, ‘Be good. Listen to your teachers; help your classmates; tell the truth.’ That’s what we need to be focused on. We have gone so far down the line that people talk about making a place red or bluer. Let’s make Iowa better and truer instead.”