Viewpoints

Wed
05
Apr

Letter to the Editor: Help children grow and mature

To the Editor:

It takes nine months for a baby to fully develop. If at any time prior to this a baby leaves the womb, it is premature. That means the baby left the womb before it was fully developed and ready for the outside world. How ever many days, weeks or months premature will determine the degree of intervention that will be needed to keep the baby alive, if possible, until the baby is fully developed.

At first, a baby stays put. Where you lie the baby down is exactly where the baby will be when you come back. In due time, that will not be the case. At that time, the baby has acquired the ability to rollover and scoot around but the brain has not yet developed the concept of an “edge”. Therefore, for the baby’s protection, the baby is put in a playpen or a bed or sofa with things around it to prevent the baby from falling over the edge and getting hurt.

Wed
29
Mar

Letter to the Editor: A dangerous consequence of the public notice bill: Iowans won’t know what they don’t know

To the Editor:

What separates average-to-good Iowa towns from thriving ones, former Governor Terry Branstad often said, is the presence of locally owned banks and a dedicated community newspaper. Community newspapers are a big part of what makes Iowa, well, Iowa.

And that’s why it’s so troubling that some in the Iowa Senate are considering requiring legal notices to be posted on some to-be-created state-run website and would not be required to be published in a local newspaper.

Senate File 546 would in practical terms eliminate an essential part of your newspaper, limiting the news, and in so doing, cripple many newspapers, many of which are already facing financial struggles.

Wed
29
Mar

Letter to the Editor: Is this really a good idea?

To the Editor:

We understand that Alliant Energy (a public utility granted a monopoly, with the trust they will act in the public interest) has plans that will likely destroy many of the roads in eastern Allamakee County. This area actually has very few roadways to support its population.

Alliant has three plans that will likely decimate the major roadways in this area.

Wed
22
Mar

Word for Word 3/22/23

Rev. Grant VanderVelden
Rev. Grant VanderVelden

“Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.” (Ruth 1:22)

What a pathetic pair of sad-sacks they were that day – Ruth and Naomi – as they shuffle into Bethlehem looking like 40 miles of bad road.

People feel sorry for them, but Naomi wants nothing of their pity. What she really wants is for the gawkers to get as angry with God as she is. And so she tears into Almighty God with the fury of a woman scorned:

“Time was when my name meant ‘Pleasant,’ and I used to be a pretty pleasant person, too,” Naomi laments. “But that was before God messed with my life. Now just call me ‘Bitter,’ because that’s what I am, and it’s all God’s fault!  God is to blame for moving me from Pleasant to Bitter. So come on, folks: Let’s shake an angry fist at Almighty God!”

Wed
22
Mar

Letter to the Editor: Losing local control

To the Editor:

The local option sales tax was approved by Allamakee County voters in 2008 and added 1% to the state sales tax of 6%, for a 7% sales tax rate. The 1% local option sales tax is distributed by the county where it is collected.

In the unincorporated areas of Allamakee County, the voters again approved the measure in 2014. Ballot language stipulated how the funds would be used. It is scheduled to be on the ballot again in 2024. This makes sense - collecting local money and distributing it locally where it is needed.
Senate Study Bill 1125, however, would eliminate the local option sales tax, and increase the state sales tax to 7%. Then the State would determine how to use the extra 1% sales tax.

In Allamakee County, the 1% sales tax receipts are almost $1 million and are distributed as follows: 40% to townships for services that include fire and ambulance, 30% for rural services including law enforcement, and 30% for secondary roads.

Wed
22
Mar

Letter to the Editor: The moral of the story

To the Editor:

A society in which its citizens are unable to agree on what constitutes the truth will find it difficult to reach agreement on pressing issues. That is why the recent revelations documenting the intentional spreading of false information by one of the most popular news sources for many Americans is so troubling. Fox News is watched by 1.6 million people each night and led millions of Americans to believe that Joe Biden had stolen the 2020 election.

One of the major claims pushed at Fox was that the Dominion voting machines had been programmed to switch votes cast for Trump to Biden. Leading Fox commentators including Bret Baier, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Maria Bartiromo and Lou Dodds continued after the election to repeat the Big Lie and to give airtime to election conspirators Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani.

Wed
22
Mar

Letter to the Editor: March is National Social Work Month

To the Editor:

March is National Social Work Month and offers us a chance to recognize not only the effort, compassion and dedication of those who choose the profession, but also the importance of the work itself.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers and Iowa Citizen Foster Care Board (FCRB) volunteers closely collaborate with social workers to ensure the children and youth in the child welfare system are safe and receive the care and services they need to thrive.

Social workers are on the front lines of complex life, family and societal issues. They help break down barriers that prevent people from living more full and purposeful lives. They do this on the individual level, helping people with crises like food insecurity, lack of affordable housing, or limited access to good health care, and they do it on a systems level to ensure everyone can access needed services.

Wed
22
Mar

Letter to the Editor: A recipe for disaster

To the Editor:

Based on a true story, unfortunately…

It was a relaxing Saturday morning, until we opened the mail. I opened a letter from Allamakee County, started reading it and asked, “Honey, what’s a large-scale borrow pit?”

“Why?” she shot back at me, sensing the concern in my voice.

I said, “There’s going to be one in Allamakee County.”

Anna grabbed her phone and searched for ‘borrow pit.’ Her face went pale as she handed her phone to me.

That began a slew of phone calls and late-night searches for information that took us down one rabbit hole after another. And I’m sorry to say, we found a lot more than cute little bunnies. Our concern has kept us up until 1 a.m. each night, researching details and calling everyone we can, to find out more about what is happening to Allamakee County.

Wed
15
Mar

Letter to the Editor: Keeping the community in Community Based Corrections

To the Editor:

Community Based Corrections, or CBC, provides a vital service to Iowa communities. In corrections, prisons and jails are well known, but CBC is a part of the system that you may not know about because it has been operating quietly in the background for the past 50 years, saving millions in taxpayer dollars.

Unfortunately, legislation has been proposed that may have serious unintended consequences to our unique and effective system. We are asking all Iowans to learn about CBC to understand why its current structure is valuable.

CBC is responsible for providing services to Iowans involved with the criminal justice system, from pretrial release all the way through to parole. The majority of our clients are on probation, given an opportunity to remain in the community while on supervision in lieu of going to prison.

Wed
15
Mar

Letter to the Editor: Heroes among us

To the Editor:

I had an incident early one recent Saturday morning around 3:30 a.m. that called for the ambulance, EMTs and other volunteers from the Waterville Emergency Services crew. After their prompt response, I have a huge appreciation and respect for what they do for the community.

They are selfless and dedicated people. They donate themselves to be called on any time of the day or night and also do the training to be the best they can be when called. In our community they are ordinary citizens, like most of us, but when called on they are truly the heroes among us.

These volunteers, which include firemen as well, are in every community in the area. I thank them for all their service and the sacrifices they make to do it. It’s comforting to know we are in good hands.

Terry Oesterle
Waukon

 

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