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Great-grandma knows best

2/4/2015

I am an avid reader of Cityview and always enjoy Civic Skinny. I’m also thankful for Brian Duffy’s cartoons. I was raised in a newspaper family, so I always read the articles thoroughly, which is why I was so taken aback while reading your comments about Marty Tirrell and the snide, unnecessary remark about KRNT’s music for people over 95! Well, sonny, I’m only a great-grandmother of 80 years (and able to use a computer), but KRNT is my radio station of choice to hear the pleasant, relaxing music and songs I’ve listened to all my life. The other stations only offer loud noise with indiscernible lyrics. Now I’ve been snide, but these words were necessary. So, cop the attitude, apologize to your great-grandparents and hope you can reach 95 so you can enjoy KRNT’s music. Try it — you might like it! Have a better day, and don’t worry, I’ll continue to read Cityview.

Judy Marshall
-Des Moines

 

Ernst needs to let her actions do the speaking

It is a long way from Red Oak to the inner cities of our nation. While bread bags may have protected Joni Ernst’s one pair of shoes while growing up in rural Iowa, there are children in this country who may have no shoes at all. Ernst is living the “American Dream” as she emerges from her humble background to being the rising star of the national Republican Party. Yet, today, in the richest nation in the world, one in five children is living in poverty in America (2012 U.S. Census Bureau) with no opportunity of ever achieving his or her dream. Joni Ernst now can work to change the lives of these children. At present, Ernst would repeal the Affordable Care Act. She would defund Planned Parenthood where women and men have access to comprehensive healthcare and education allowing them to make their own health care decisions. The Federal Department of Education will be abolished if Ernst has her say. Raising the national minimum wage to $10.10 would not be supported by Ernst. Ernst favors a reduction in spending for entitlement programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. When children in poverty have food in their stomach so they can learn in schools that offer the best teachers, educational programs and access to technology; when children and their parents have access to affordable, quality healthcare; when women are allowed to make their own health care decisions; when parents make a living wage, have paid sick days and mothers receive equal pay for equal work; when entitlement programs are available; when there is equal opportunity for all, then we can talk about Joni Ernst’s humble beginnings. Ernst needs to put her “vote” where her “bread bags” are.

CNA - Stop HIV Iowa

Barb Yankey
-Clive

 

Koch’s bid to buy free speech in America

Every American should be concerned about the Koch brothers’ announcement to spend close to $1 billion on the 2016 campaign. That amount will exceed the combined amount that both the Democratic and Republican Parties spent in 2012. It will give these two brothers the unprecedented advertising power of a third political party and the ability to pick and choose individual candidates. They held their first audition of possible 2016 Republican presidential candidates last week at their secret meeting in Palm Springs. Directing their vast sums of money for a specific candidate or aiming it against their opponent, the Kochs will be able to dictate the choice for voters. The two Kochs, ranked fifth- and sixth-richest men in America, could conceivably buy all the total advertising time of every television and radio station in America leading up to the 2016 campaign. The 2010 Supreme Court decision (Citizens United) case, which struck down limits on corporate and individual campaign spending, was based on a “right to free speech” argument. It is now obvious that it has enabled the wealthiest Americans to buy up all the free speech and the ability to silence every opposing voice in America.

Rick Smith
-Urbandale

 

The Kate Upton lesson

In your story about computer hacking, you said/implied that people’s online behavior is why they get hacked and their private photos stolen and leaked on the Internet. While on the one hand I agree that people should be careful what they do online, I feel it may be worth mentioning that Kate Upton’s leaked nude photos had been deleted several years ago.

Julie Luepke
-Windsor Heights

 

Missing Heidi Soliday

As a local television sportscaster on channel 8, Heidi Soliday always made me smile. With her runner-up selection in last week’s “What The ..?” caption, she shows she can continue to entertain central Iowa readers.

Mike Rowley
-Clive

 

 

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