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Letters to the Editor

Job well done, city recycle truck driver

To the editor: It was recycling day for my neighborhood this morning, so I placed my dumpster out the night before. I knew we had several inches of snow in the forecast and didn't want to drag the dumpster out over the snow in the morning. Through the night we received at least 5 inches of snow. When I looked out the window in the morning to see the snow amount, I noticed the snow plows had knocked the recycling dumpster over on its side, not all the way over but at least half over. My first thought was that the recycling truck would pass it by if it wasn’t straight up and ...

It is raining!

To the editor: We often hear that the state’s financial reserves are set aside for a “rainy day” and I am writing this letter to say It Is Raining! The mental health needs of our children in Iowa are intense and growing and the time has come to mobilize our efforts to support an estimated 1 in 5 children (Youth Mental Health First Aid) who may be struggling with anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, or other diagnosable illnesses. We need to advocate with our policy makers to take some of the $127 million that Governor Reynolds touted as “flush reserves” in January’s ...

E15 ban needs to be lifted

To the editor: The Trump Administration has recently directed the Environmental Protection Agency to allow sales of E15 year-round rather than the current Sept. 16 to May 31 timeframe. While a longer window to purchase E15 is important to me as a corn producer, it is also important to all Iowans for the economic value additional usage of the locally produced fuel brings to our state. Like most Iowans, I am proud Sens. Grassley and Ernst were instrumental in urging President Trump toward this directive. Unfortunately, that process has been stalled by a number of factors, including ...

Time out on CAFOs

To the editor: Rep. Sharon Steckman (D-Mason City) has introduced a bill calling for a moratorium on factory farms in Iowa. As an Iowan concerned about the health and future of our children we need a timeout. I am asking fellow Iowans to join with me to provide a means for study and planning, i.e. a moratorium. This is a move most Iowans could support. The over 10,000 factory farms in the state are destroying our water quality. We have over 750 impaired waterways in Iowa as a result of over 22 million gallons of manure being spread on fields and leeching into our waterways each ...

What is a trillion?

To the editor: Let’s consider this for a second; A day on Earth consists of 86,400 seconds. One MILLION seconds is 11 1/2 days, one BILLION seconds is 31 years, and, one TRILLION seconds is 31,000 years. Those zeros sure add up. Now let’s consider that the U.S. government is $22 TRILLION in debt and will soon be running a one TRILLION dollar deficit every year in the future. I have not mentioned all the unfunded mandates coming soon which is projected to be about $240 TRILLION. $240 TRILLION is about $750,000 for every man, woman and child in America, while polls show that the ...

Still time to sign up for Strengthening Families program

To the editor: Strengthening Families for parents and youths 10-14 is about to start in Fort Dodge the week of Feb. 10. This PROSPER program will begin its 18th year of programs with sixth-graders and their families. Families that participate in the programs delivered through PROSPER can expect more time spent together as a family to feel closer to one another, and to use more effective and consistent discipline. As one mom shared after the fall session, “I was hesitant to sign up at first due to the time commitment, however, it has been so well worth the time. Even though I feel ...