By Mandi Remington, Johnson County Supervisor Johnson County cannot afford to ignore the serious problems with our current jail. People who are incarcerated deserve safe and humane conditions. The people who work in our detention facilities deserve safe working conditions. And our community deserves a public safety system that is effective, accountable, and built around […]
Letters
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Letter from Oliver Weilein: The proposed jail would bankrupt efforts to end homelessness in Johnson County
By Oliver Weilein, Iowa City Council member On Nov. 3, I will be voting No on authorizing Johnson County to borrow $94.5 million dollars (plus approximately $30 million in interest) for the purpose of building a new, bigger jail. I strongly urge my neighbors and fellow community members to vote No as well. There are many […]
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Letter from Mandi Remington: Guaranteed income helps Iowa families focus on what matters
By Mandi Remington, Iowa City Most of us want the same basic thing for our families: to know that our children are safe, fed, and cared for, and that one unexpected expense won’t send the whole household into crisis. I know what it feels like when that security isn’t there. Seven years ago, I left […]
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Letter to the editor: Will Republicans vote for a Democrat?
By Paul Deaton, Solon It is a commonplace of 2026 Iowa Democratic campaigns that candidates must appeal beyond party lines. With the registration numbers (only 527,675, or 29 percent, of Iowa’s 1,807,752 active registered voters are Democrats), winning non-Democratic votes is essential. My question is whether Republicans will actually vote for a Democrat. It is […]
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Letter to the editor: It’s time for Coralville to try fare-free buses
We ask that the city of Coralville implement a pilot program for fare free busing. Coralville was specifically mentioned as an ideal candidate for adopting fare free in the Nov. 18, 2025 New York Times article by Cara Buckley about the successes of the Iowa City fare free program. We are situated between two cities, Iowa City […]
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Letter to the editor: Congress should oppose the integration of U.S. and Israeli defense
By Ed Flaherty, Iowa City The U.S. Congress is preparing to give Israel unprecedented privileges via the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Section 219 of the draft NDAA directs the Secretary of Defense to expand integration of the U.S. and Israeli military sectors. If Section 219 becomes law, U.S. and Israeli militaries will be […]
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Letter to the editor: Where were the candidates at Iowa City Pride?
By Kate Carroll de Gutes and Laura Julier, Iowa City We’re writing to express our disappointment and, frankly, outrage that Christina Bohannan, Josh Turek, and Rob Sand failed to show up for the Iowa City Pride parade on Saturday, June 20. The Johnson County Democrats and part of each candidate’s team were there waving signs. They even […]
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Letter to the editor: Local voices matter in the conversation over nuclear power
By Paul Deaton, Solon On June 18, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported the Iowa nuclear task force wrapped up its work, saying, “Task force members reiterated the importance of community education on the topic, noting that residents and lawmakers often have misperceptions about nuclear energy.” But what if community members are already well informed and […]
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Letter to the editor: WRAC, an important resource on the UI campus, is being restructured. We’ve seen this playbook before.
By Nicole Yeager, Iowa City We’ve seen this before. Fast yet slow, the dismantling of the Women’s, Resource, and Action Center (WRAC) appears imminent. In 2024, staff at the Rape, Victim, and Advocacy Center (RVAP) began to sound the alarms as university officials assured the public that they were simply “assessing” and making “strategic decisions,” […]
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Letter from District 3 candidate Marco Battaglia: Abolishing ICE is the conservative position
By Marco Battaglia, candidate for U.S. House Iowa District 3 Representative Abolish ICE. If you don’t hold this position, do not claim to be a constitutional or fiscal conservative. For starters ICE costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars annually, and for some, it costs them their liberties, their inherent rights, and for others, their […]
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Letter to the editor: Rob Sand and Josh Turek are dead wrong about trans athletes
Running statewide in Iowa is a heavy lift for Josh Turek and Rob Sand. I’m sure that they’ve arrived at their position on trans women in sports based on careful study of public opinion, or perhaps sold to them by highly paid political consultants. That’s cool, except for one thing.
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Letter to the editor: V Fixmer-Oraiz is a forward-looking candidate for District 4
By Aaron Silander, Iowa City I wholeheartedly support V Fixmer-Oraiz in the Democratic primary for County Supervisor in District 4. I see V as a forward-looking candidate with the ability to bring about positive change with thoughtfulness, clarity and creativity. Indeed, they are already doing so. With education and experience in community and environmental planning, they’re a tremendous […]
