By Ed Flaherty, Iowa City The Iran war is not going well for the U.S. And, please, call it war, not a conflict, not a military operation. This war began on Feb. 28, with no congressional approval and with no notification to the U.S. public. I believe Iowa’s senator Charles Grassley is uniquely situated to […]
Letters
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Letters to the editor: We need leaders like Rod Sullivan to build up Johnson County
By Mark Patton, Iowa City; retired executive director of Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity I have known Rod Sullivan as a member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors for more than 25 years. In all of that time, he has never shied away from taking on the tough issues of the day: from more […]
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Letters to the editor: Reelect Rod Sullivan to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors
By Emily Domingues, Iowa City My name is Emily Domingues, and as a decade-long resident of Johnson County, I am proud to endorse Rod Sullivan for Supervisor. I had the pleasure of meeting Rod and working closely with him through the 2020 Democratic Caucus season when I served as his co-captain for our precinct. Through […]
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Letter to the editor: The University of Iowa must end their relationship with Aramark
By Sam Golden, Iowa City Aramark is a multi-billion dollar company that provides food, facility management, and more services to health care facilities, universities, schools, prisons, stadiums and more. At the University of Iowa, they manage the athletic dinner services. Most notably, they run the concessions at Kinnick Stadium and other arenas on campus. There are three main […]
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Letter to the editor: Regulate kratom, don’t ban it
By Chad Timblin, Coralville I’m writing about HF 2133, the bill to ban kratom in Iowa. I’m a Coralville resident who uses kratom tea a few times a week from a reputable company that lab-tests its products. It’s a meaningful quality of life benefit for me, and I’m one of thousands of Iowans who use […]
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Letter to the editor: HSB 657 is a pathetic response to Iowa’s dirtiest problem
By Jennifer Sotelo, Atalissa There has been a lot of crap coming from the Iowa House of Representatives lately, and Study Bill 657 is no exception. It would require the DNR to determine what percentage of excrement came from what animal in a polluted river before it could be added to the impaired waters list. […]
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Letter to the editor: Stop asking young people to defend the status quo
By Finch VanDyk, Iowa City I’m a 28-year-old community organizer in Iowa City and I am younger than everyone I work with by an average of 30 years. Many of my colleagues express relief at my presence on the scene; they’re not used to seeing someone my age. Everywhere I go, at every meeting and […]
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Letter to the editor: Iowans should continue to fight discrimination, despite SF 579
By Anthony J. Zarzycki, Des Moines On March 10, Governor Reynolds signed Senate File 579 into law. The act, among other measures, prohibits cities from adding more protections from discrimination than what is in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Although I serve on the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission, I speak only on […]
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Letter to the editor: Democracy does not protect itself
By Joel E. Wells, Iowa City What would you do if armed federal agents were pounding on your door? Not in a movie or a history book — but tonight. Your house. Your family. History shows that free societies rarely lose their freedoms overnight. They lose them gradually, while citizens assume the institutions of democracy […]
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Letter to the editor: Two bills would require Iowa schools remove and punish kids who are even mildly disruptive
By Jenny Schulz, Cedar Rapids; Kids First Law Center executive director My dad was a high school teacher. Once, school kids threw a rock through our living room window. The “Party Crew of 1982” spraypainted our house and car. My dad took it in stride and said, “Kids will be kids.” He understood kids misbehave […]
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Letter to the editor: Community ID has only helped Johnson County. It is under threat by the state.
By Mazahir Salih, Johnson County As HF 2296 moves to the Iowa Senate, Johnson County residents should understand what is at stake. Johnson County is currently the only county in Iowa operating a Community ID program. This program did not appear overnight. Nearly 13 years ago, the Center for Worker Justice began raising questions about […]
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Letter to the editor: ICCSD, get the books straight before asking for more money
By Joe Younker, Iowa City Public school advocates have argued that a 2 percent increase in state funding isn’t enough. Class sizes are growing. Programs are being cut. Teachers are leaving. The funding formula is broken. That’s what they say, and they’re right. And then there’s the Iowa City Community School District. Last August, district […]
