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Letters to the Editor

Urges people to exercise their rights

To the editor: We will be called upon to go to vote again. Are we happy with how our country has higher food costs, the tariffs, and no solution as promised? At the grocery store hamburger is $7 a pound and other items still going up. Have you had to make a choice of what you can afford or do without? As to the shutdown — when most people do their job, they only get paid when they show up, unless they have vacation, leaves or excused absences. Do our representatives still get their paychecks when not doing the job? What groups aren’t paid or their checks held back by the ...

Urges yes vote on Iowa Central issue

To the editor: A crop of yard signs is mushrooming, reminding us of the election coming up in November. On the ballot will be an important GO bond extension for Iowa Central Community College. Dr. Jesse Ulrich, president of Iowa Central, has provided a clear, bold plan for the funds. He has done this quite simply to be transparent and for us, the voters, to be able hold Iowa Central accountable to it. Here are the facts of that plan: • Property taxes will not increase. This is a tax levy renewal. The levy rate will not increase. The cost to the average household is approximately ...

Fort Dodge deserves fiscal honesty

To the editor: I believe the hardworking taxpayers of Fort Dodge are being taken advantage of. The city of Fort Dodge is in a huge debt hole. The 2024 outstanding obligations for Fort Dodge are $197 million, as reported by Roby Smith, State of Iowa Treasurer. This debt hole includes general obligations and revenue bonds. The hardworking taxpayers are being squeezed by rising property taxes, water bills, and sales taxes to fund this out-of-control spending. When some citizens open their property tax bill and water bill, they have to make serious decisions about how to cover ...

Iowa Central bond is an investment in the future

To the editor: As president of Iowa Central Community College, there is not a single day that passes without a business owner or community member asking me how we can increase the number of people in the skilled workforce that our region, state, and nation so desperately depend on. On Nov. 4, our region will have the opportunity to support the infrastructure essential to enhancing our workforce needs by extending Iowa Central’s current General Obligation Bond. This renewal continues an existing levy, meaning no increase to the current property tax rate. For the average homeowner ...

Supports Moss for City Council

To the editor: I am composing this letter to show my support for Jeanette Moss who is running for City Council in Ward 3. I met Jeanette at Community and Family Resources in 2018 when I was beginning my sobriety journey. Jeanette herself was a couple of years in her journey, and she was bringing in a support meeting from the outside to encourage others. You know how they say there are pivotal moments, or people who come into your life at just the right time? Jeanette was one of those people for me. When she came into the treatment center, there was an air about her that contained ...

Armstrong Park deserves better

To the editor: For over 28 years, I have had the privilege of living across from Armstrong Park. I’ve seen neighbors cast fishing lines into the pond, children running along the banks, and families gathering to picnic and enjoy nature. Armstrong Park has always been more than just land and water — it is a vital part of our community’s identity and quality of life. That is why it breaks my heart to see the park fall into decline. Since the reconstruction project began in June of 2020, what was meant to restore and protect the pond has instead been left to deteriorate. The fore ...