SHAWN OLORUNDAMI

A Son of Sioux City

I was born here. Raised here. And educated here on the Westside of Sioux City.

I grew up on the Westside in the days of neighborhood schools you could walk to (RIP Smith!), local markets every few blocks you could sneak away to, and more pools and parks than a kid knew what to do with.

I went to the old West Middle and then West High, where I graduated as a State Champion hurdler. I attended the University of Iowa and then Buena Vista University, where I was a three-time NCAA All-American Hurdler and graduated with a degree in English-Language Arts Education.

Then, I returned to Sioux City, my home, to start my adult life. I got a job at North High teaching English, and I met my wife, Mary, while we were both coaching the dance teams there. We won multiple state titles—and even a national title!—coached several athletes to qualify for the state track and field championships, and led the award-winning Mass Communications program at North High. But I stepped away from all of that when it was time to start a family. Eleven years in, and we have four wild kids. And when I look at their childhood here, I can't help but notice how distinctly different it is from the one we enjoyed...and not for the better.

The Communities We Deserve. The State We're Owed.

The Iowa my kids have now is not the Iowa we had.

Like many Iowans our age, we look around today and think, "What happened here?" What happened to that Iowa that excelled and thrived, and had people moving to it instead of moving away? What happened to the Iowa that welcomed, and innovated, and prized our liberties while expanding our rights? That Iowa still exists. It's here. But the people we've put in charge are doing their best to snuff it out.

We gave ourselves over to 'leaders' who fear progress...who fear a future they can't understand and won't control. They're angry that the world is growing without their permission. And they have for 10 years now fought tooth and nail to drag us into the past so they can feel safe again...even if it costs Iowa and Iowans everything.

This isn't right. It's not acceptable for elected officials to use their office and power to control and contain Iowans just so that a powerful minority can feel better. And the costs of those actions are more than we—or our kids!— can afford to pay. The neighborhood schools we enjoyed...they don't exist anymore because we can't pay for them. Why? Because legislators in Des Moines refuse to properly fund education at a rate that keeps up with inflation, sending local school districts scrambling to cut costs. The parks and pools we had...closed or closing. Why? Because the Iowa legislature hasn't passed a balanced budget in God knows how long; and they make up for their deficit by taking money from our cities and counties, who then have to cut services and amenities they can no longer afford. The local markets we used to frequent...they're fewer and fewer because the policies out of Des Moines incentivize out-of-state big box retailers who are not invested in the growth of our home. They take their profits—which would be staying in our communities if they were locally owned—out of state, leaving our communities poorer, and less self-sufficient—hollowing out our pockets and our neighborhoods.

But the ball doesn't stop rolling here. Healthcare, eldercare, accessibility, water quality, streets and bridges, childcare—the list goes on and on!—all of it is tied to the policies coming out of Des Moines, written by the people who are supposed to have our best interests in mind.

We deserve better. We are owed better from the people who are meant to represent us and our communities. We should be getting more than stupid 'solutions' to bullshit culture wars. We should be getting solutions that improve the health of our bodies, the health of our bank accounts, the health of our communities, and the health of our families.