Posted August 15, 2018in Stray Thoughts
Once again, our government has demonstrated that common sense really isn’t so common. I understand that Americans are not of one mind on the issue of immigration. I understand that people who break the law ought to face punishment. What I don’t understand are two cases involving foreign-born women —
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Posted August 08, 2018in Stray Thoughts
There was snow and ice on the ground in Burlington on the morning of Jan. 6, 2015. About 10:30 a.m., police were summoned to 104 S. Garfield Ave., where Autumn and Gabriel Steele were arguing outside their house. Less than a minute after Officer Jesse Hill arrived to investigate, Autumn
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Posted July 31, 2018in Stray Thoughts
The Iowa Legislature wrote some wonderful concepts into the state’s government transparency laws. For example: “This chapter seeks to assure, through a requirement of open meetings of government bodies, that the basis and rationale of governmental decisions, as well as those decisions themselves, are easily accessible to the people. Ambiguity
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Posted July 17, 2018in Stray Thoughts
The University of Iowa announced last week that it will close seven academic centers, shrink three others and eliminate 33 jobs. The reductions will save $3.5 million, officials said. The announcement should come as no surprise if you have been paying attention to events in our state. The university has
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Posted July 10, 2018in Stray Thoughts
Don’t be surprised if a guy named Jamie Campbell turns out to be one of the key players in the 2018 race for Iowa governor. Campbell’s name will not be on the ballot in November. He will not be crisscrossing the state, appearing at one campaign event after another. But
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Posted July 04, 2018in Stray Thoughts
The economics of foreign trade The school year is finished, but whether we like it or not, Iowans have been sent to summer school this year. The subject for our summer education: the economics of foreign trade and tariffs. Professor Donald Trump assured us this would be really simple to
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Posted July 03, 2018in Stray Thoughts
Sunday morning, government officials gathered in Des Moines to brief journalists about the storm that swamped the city and surrounding area with between 5 and 10 inches of rain Saturday night. Among the reporters there was William Petroski, who has covered state government for the Des Moines Register for 37
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Posted June 27, 2018in Stray Thoughts
If you go out East this week and swing by places like Mount Vernon, Monticello and Montpelier, don’t be surprised if the soil has been disturbed over the graves of our Founding Fathers. Those founders of this beacon of freedom known as the United States of America surely have turned
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Posted June 06, 2018in Stray Thoughts
When Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the large tax-cut bill into law last week, she talked about how the legislation will allow hard-working Iowans to keep more of their paychecks. What the governor did not mention was how there are other real-life consequences for the people of Iowa that go beyond paying
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Posted June 06, 2018in Stray Thoughts
It’s immaterial whether a government agency communicates with its board members through government-provided email addresses or personal addresses. I sometimes think government officials overlook the important role the public plays in our system of government. That was my takeaway last week from the monthly meeting of the Iowa Public Information Board.
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