Letters

By Mike Fallon, Iowa City Submitted May 29 Perhaps you’ve seen the recent e-mail on COVID-19 quarantine guidance from Matt Degner, Superintendent, Iowa City Community School District? The cautious tone of his e-mail bespeaks of an embattled and beleaguered public official. Reading between the lines, Matt is between a rock and a hard place, so […]

By Trish Nelson, Iowa City In a fundraiser letter, Second-District Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks repeatedly referred to Democrats as “Socialists.” Miller-Meeks is either very confused or is giving her constituents a bum steer. Historically, Republicans have used the scary word “Socialism,” referring to programs that benefit people, dating back to Jim Crow days. They said laws […]

Submitted by Alyssa Palante on behalf of the ICCSD Districtwide Parents Organization In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-7), the Iowa City Community School District DPO (Districtwide Parents’ Organization) would like to thank each and every one of the amazing teachers, teacher librarians and other district and Grant Wood AEA employees who work […]

By Mallory Hellman, Iowa City I’ve lived in Iowa City for just over a decade. Like so many of us, I came here for grad school and never left. Also like many of us, I’ve spent these final gasps of pandemic-altered life privately harboring serious concern about what our beloved city will look like once […]

By Ellen Ballas, Iowa City Second-District Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 7), an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that created a minimum wage under FDR. The Paycheck Fairness Act “addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex,…”. Specifically, it limits an employer’s defense that a pay […]

By Christina Bohannan, State Rep. House District 85, University of Iowa law professor; and Janice Weiner, Iowa City Councilor In response to racial justice protests last summer, Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have introduced bills that ramp up penalties on protest activity and limit local government discretion in dealing with protests and public safety issues. […]

By Chad Cooper, Cedar Rapids Re: Brock About Town: Being an adult in Cedar Rapids is weird After reading, I wondered if the writer was paid by the stereotype. There are plenty of valid swipes one can take at CR; you just won’t find any in this article. In addition to the author’s yikes-inducing take […]

By Trish Nelson, Iowa City Riding on President Biden’s coattails, second-District Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks, who voted against the American Relief Plan, is making hay from a tour administering COVID-19 vaccine shots. She even sent a letter to President Biden offering “targeted, meaningful” coronavirus relief before voting to oppose the plan. If Democrats did not make […]

By Miriam Kashia, North Liberty One of the ways I manage the isolation and stress of the COVID pandemic is to take long walks. I’m blessed by living in North Liberty adjacent to the Cherry Creek pedestrian trail, so I often walk or bike there, and nearly always find a plastic bag which I put […]

By Miriam Kashia, North Liberty If you are paying attention to the news, you’re undoubtedly getting a major daily dose of crisis, dishonesty, corruption, conspiracy, illness, death, conflict and on and on and on. This is a tough time to be living on planet Earth, whether you have skin, scales, horns, fur, feathers or leaves. […]

By Heather Dunn, Iowa City As a trans woman I’m tired of bullies! I’m tired of the bullies in our state government who try to vilify us, erase us, deny us our rights based off their narrow ideology rather than modern science and medicine. I’m tired of healthcare providers and parents of trans and non […]