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Letter: Kaufmann works with both political parties
Op-Ed · October 31, 2014


What a pleasure to be in my native West Branch over the weekend: The Hoover Foundation annual dinner, another Bears football victory at historic Oliphant Street Field, visiting with longtime friends and the 50th anniversary remembrance of the state funeral for President Herbert Hoover.


And hats off to the Lions Club for its community project in the spirit of Mr. Hoover’s humanitarian ethic. Another highlight of the weekend was working across the table from state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann as we joined many scores of volunteers who packed some 84,000 meals bound for east Africa and food assistance programs in eastern Iowa.

Rep. Kaufmann and I have a good working relationship across the state Capitol rotunda, from his seat in the Iowa House and mine in the Iowa Senate. In two short years, Mr. Kaufmann has established a reputation for working with members of both parties in both chambers on legislation that addresses the concerns of Iowans and moves our great state forward.

In a recent Times column, state Sen. Robert Dvorsky noted the strong financial position state government is in. You can thank Rep. Bobby Kaufmann and his majority party colleagues in the House for their important part in ending years of deficit spending by previous administrations and getting Iowa back on the right track after the national recession.

During my visit I sensed a growing excitement about things to come in West Branch. Bobby Kaufmann is the type of locally driven leader who best fits a time for optimism and positive growth. With his proven record in the Iowa Legislature, he deserves to be re-elected to another term as your state representative from District 73.

David “Vid” Johnson, Ocheyedan

State Senator, District 1

Assistant Senate Leader