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Dear Editor, If you saw an ad urging voters to re-elect County Supervisor Dan Langreck in the October 17 Decorah Leader, and then in the Driftless on October 22, you may have wondered who placed these ads, because each said: "Paid for by __________." That's right, just an empty blank. That's a problem, because Iowa law requires such ads to say who paid for them. The same Langreck ad appeared again in The Leader on October 24, but this time with the blank filled in. It said: "Paid for by Langreck for Supervisor." But the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure website shows the "Langreck for Supervisor" entity was not created until AFTER the two ads with blanks ran. So it could not have run those two ads, and voters still don't know who did. Staff at the Iowa Ethics Board in Des Moines have said the "paid for" portion of those ads was "obviously … not correct," and the Ethics Board has opened an investigation. Election law compliance is important, especially when transparency is the issue. But these irregularities remind us that Langreck as a supervisor has shown a casual disregard for legal requirements. Take, for example, the unlawful attempt to abruptly eliminate the Roadside Vegetation program, leading to the resignation of respected program director Corey Meyer (who, like Langreck, is from the South Winneshiek area). Even if we set aside the apparent failure to comply with Iowa election law, we're met with the ad's highly doubtful claims. The ad says Langreck is "[w]illing to listen to all county residents." But the 450 county residents concerned about flood prevention who tried to stop the Langreck-led majority from selling land in Freeport earlier this year surely don't feel very "listened to." (Recall that only three members of the public supported the sale!) The ad also says Langreck is "[d]evoted to serving county residents." But just how "devoted" to public service was Langreck when he repeatedly voted AGAINST recording supervisor meetings for those who couldn't attend on Monday mornings? And how well were 'county residents served' when our county engineer resigned after a 23-year tenure, blaming the Langreck board's failure to engage in fact-based decision making? The ad goes on to say how Langreck "[w]ill eliminate wasteful spending." But a recent lawsuit against our county repeatedly cites his much-criticized handling of a public hearing relating to plans for an anaerobic digester near Ridgeway. Taxpayer dollars will pay the lawyers defending our county in that lawsuit. That's "wasteful spending" in which Langreck had a direct role. Our county deserves better. Cheryl Wieseler, a long-time resident of rural Winneshiek County, is running for Langreck's seat. She's an educator, a small business owner, and a political independent committed to a non-partisan approach that involves researching the issues (like legal requirements) and genuinely hearing the views of county residents. We would be doing ourselves a big favor by making Wieseler a supervisor. Steve St. Clair Decorah, Iowa Knowledge is power! Stay empowered by subscribing to the free newsletter, packed with valuable insights, stories of local newsmakers and ideas to get your weekend started.

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Letter to the Editor - Langreck Ads: "Paid for by ________?"