Cedar Rapids entrepreneur Steve Shriver wrote a letter to The Gazette in February chastising those raising concerns and criticisms of the upcoming newbo evolve festival. Shriver asked, “What do you gain by complaining about an upcoming event?” Shriver’s loaded question reveals his defensive attitude and skewed perception. It’s also emblematic of what is wrong with the current “creative brain trust” in Cedar Rapids.
Letters
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Building heights and the future of development in Riverfront Crossings
Iowa City Council’s consideration of a rezoning application for 12 Court St in the Riverfront Crossings District has sparked a kerfuffle about high-rise buildings and the future of development in Iowa City. The debate generally centers on building heights. Whether one supports high-rise buildings — that is, any building over nine stories — is typically framed as an aesthetic preference.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Cultivate compassion in children
By Lynn Gallagher Children naturally feel compassion for animals. That’s a good thing. We should not encourage them to repress their compassion by teaching them to treat animals like objects. That’s exactly what we are doing when we encourage them to participate in a rodeo. Unfortunately, the Johnson County Fair will include a kids’ rodeo […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: We can end the opioid crisis
Eighty-five percent of heroin users start by taking legal opioids. Fentanyl and carfentanil are involved in a clear majority of overdose deaths. Even combining these with moderate alcohol use can be deadly. Scientists were learning the powers of synthesized opioids prior to the start of the war on drugs. You likely have not heard of carfentanil. It is a manufactured weapon in a manufactured crisis. The toxicity of carfentanil has been compared to that of nerve gas. Yet it is only classified as Schedule II under the Controlled Substances Act in the United States.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Too many hogs, too much corporate greed
Two thousand four hundred ninety-nine. That is the magic maximum number of hogs allowed to construct a new confined animal feeding operation (CAFO, or factory farm) in Iowa without notifying local or county officials or adhering to state government regulations. Only a cursory review and approval by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and filing a plan for manure management with the county auditor, are required. There are no minimum requirements for acreage or distance from residences, schools, parks and sources of water unless the CAFO contains 2,500 hogs or more.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: My first flotation tank experience
By Ron Wright With the help of his father and some friends, Patrick Krier has renovated a space in an office building into an otherworldly experience. The Iowa Recovery Room has been open since April 17 and has seen an increasing amount of interest in their floatation tank business. Also called sensory deprivation tanks, the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Stories of resilience from the 2008 flood
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City residents recall the devastating flood of 2008, from the tragic loss of businesses, homes and workplaces to the silver lining of hope, new beginnings and community growth over 10 years of recovery.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Iowa must flip flippable districts
It is appalling and shameful that the Iowa legislature and Governor Reynolds just passed the largest tax cut in state history, over $2.1 billion over the next six fiscal years. This huge tax cut will disallow adequate funding for education, health care, environmental protection and many other essential programs. It is a giveaway to wealthy individuals and large corporations and will provide minimal benefits and raise property taxes for working families, seniors and small businesses.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Zach Wahls will lead Iowa out of ‘dark times’
Our family has worked closely with Zach and his family over the last several months. One of the greatest joys of this campaign has been getting to know Zach, the women who raised him and his sister. It’s easy to see where Zach gets his compassion, his work ethic and his strong moral compass. Zach is remarkable because he was raised by remarkable women.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Mike Carberry puts policy over platitudes
I’m supporting Mike because he is the only candidate who supports the new County Land Use Map that promotes growth around cities and discourages the rezoning of agricultural land for residential subdivisions in rural areas where no infrastructure exists. He is committed to protecting farmland from development in the North Corridor.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Mike Carberry will continue to move Johnson County forward
By Tom Carsner Mike Carberry made an immediate difference when he was elected to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in 2014. His vote was decisive in passing a minimum wage ordinance, the Community ID and stopping urban sprawl in the North Corridor and preserving farm land. Mike has continued to make a difference by […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Cathy Glasson ‘gets it’
Cathy Glasson is the woman to lead Iowa into the next decade. Her bold, unapologetic stances are, to put it frankly, necessary. We are far past the time of nuance when talking about health care, equal rights and strong laws for workers. It is far past time to adopt bold policies in these areas which have been under direct assault for a long time. The way we fight back is to present a clear bold choice to Iowans. Iowans have been taken advantage of for decades by the establishment. It is time to take our state back.
