Posted January 10, 2013in Featured Story, Iowa Watchdog
IA: Police pension fund loses $7.3 million in investments
DES MOINES – Iowa’s pension fund for police officers lost $7.3 million in investment returns last fiscal year, a newly released report from the state auditor’s office shows. The Peace Officers’ Retirement, Accident and Disability pension system, which is partially propped up by taxpayer dollars, has an unfunded liability of
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Posted January 09, 2013in Featured Story, Iowa Watchdog
IA: Welfare money flows to recipients without state oversight
DES MOINES — Iowa lawmakers and taxpayers have no way of knowing where and how welfare recipients spend roughly $100 million a year in federal and state money. Federal banking laws prohibit state officials from obtaining transactions made on EBT — Electronic Benefit Transfer — cards issued to welfare recipients, according to
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Posted January 09, 2013in On The Tube, Recent Posts
Lena Dunham strikes again
The comedy phenom is on a roll with the second season of ‘Girls’ Part of me would love to be 26-year-old Lena Dunham: widely hailed as a comic genius when her series “Girls” premiered on HBO last year. Another part of me wouldn’t want to be Dunham at all: forced
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Posted January 09, 2013in Recent Posts, Sound Check
CD Reviews
Dropkick Murphys ‘Signed and Sealed in Blood’ Born and Bred Records It’s 2013, so it’s time for a new Dropkick Murphys album. The Irish punk Massholes have been releasing a new album every two years like clockwork and, on the heels of 2011’s “Going Out in Style,” “Signed and Sealed
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Posted January 09, 2013in Featured Story, Food Dude
Updating the Mexican restaurant scene
In greater Des Moines, new national chain restaurants debut amidst a barrage of hype. Openings last year of Twin Peaks, Whole Foods and Chick-fil-A became publicity circuses attracting campers and live television news reports. Even smaller Iowa companies like Pizza Ranch and The Other Place attracted huge crowds here from
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Posted January 09, 2013in Cover Story
Back to work
Politicians are descending upon Des Moines. Dressed in their snappiest suits and pantsuits, Iowa’s elected officials are arriving in droves to Capitol Hill with what we hope are the purest intentions in their hearts to make a difference for the citizens of this state. The 85th Iowa General Assembly is
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Posted January 09, 2013in Duffy
Guns kill… and protect
Cityview’s Dec. 27 issue ran local citizen’s opinions about the Connecticut shooting. They demanded an end to gunned-up America. Their talking points were Miss Manners-sincere yet cub reporter routine. The gun issue is big and bad. It’s bombs away in the global and national media. Humpty Dumpty pundits drop facile
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Posted January 09, 2013in Joe's Neighborhood, Recent Posts
18 years old
To look at the world out of 18-year-old eyes brings a certain clarity to the landscape, a certain freshness to encounters. Every day is literally a new day, because you haven’t experienced that many days as an adult. When you’re 18, relationships are budding, flowering or blossoming. “Withering on the
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