Fairfield News

The Des Moines Register, Dec. 28Here are resolutions for Iowa lawmakers? 2014 session On the first day of 2014, many Iowans will promise to lose weight, quit smoking or save more money. New Year?s resolutions are about making changes now in order to improve your life going forward.Members of the Iowa Legislature have the power to do this too, taking action that can improve the lives of all Iowans. Lawmakers ...

To the editor:In this season of gratitude for the unfolding of our spiritual lives it is nice to know the Fairfield area has four labyrinths.Labyrinths are best known for being in the main floors of the great Gothic Cathedrals in Europe, the most famous of which is Chartre Cathedral outside Paris. A recent count in Denver, Colorado, found more than 100 labyrinths there and the suburban city of Littleton is ...

To the editor:Benjamin Franklin had a low opinion of people pretending to be lovers of liberty and freedom while they begrudged paying for the defense of it.Shame on you, Washington D.C., as some of you have recently been guilty of holding hostage America?s veterans and the men and women of an all volunteer military that have taken the oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from ...

Quad-City Times, Dec. 12Iowa voting crackdown finally yields arrests Iowa?s highly touted crackdown on improper voting finally has resulted in some arrests that appear to justify Secretary of State Matt Schultz? concerns. We?ll leave it to voters to decide if Schultz? concerns merit the breadth of his two-year, $280,000 investigation.Schultz drew headlines ? and some catcalls ? when he cross referenced ...

Last week, I took a few vacation days to spend time with my daughter Kendra, who is home visiting for Thanksgiving and an early Clark-family Christmas dinner.Being home on a weekday gave me a chance to watch some TV programs I normally never watch, like Wendy Williams? talk show, where I learned Kanye West thinks he and his baby?s mama, Kim Kardashian, are leading the way for American?s acceptance of interracial ...

To the editor:There are a variety of different taxes we must all pay. There is sales tax, gasoline tax, income tax, property tax and so on and so on. But, the tax that pays for our public safety is property tax.Residents of incorporated cities, who own property, pay both city and county taxes.Prior to 1972, the city of Fairfield and Jefferson County had numerous discussions on how to replace an out-dated jail ...

To the editor:Gov. Terry Branstad is very much like the dictator of a Third World country.His main concern and service is to large rich corporations. He certainly does not represent the average citizen of Iowa.I am a senior citizen suffering with an extremely painful medical disease. He has made it very clear to me directly that he will not allow me to have the medication that I so desperately need. Why is ...

To the editor:I would like to take this opportunity to urge everyone to get out and vote in the upcoming election Tuesday.It is really sad when only 18 percent of eligible voters turned out at the recent election to elect the mayor and fill two council seats. If you care about this community surely you can find time to get out and vote.Instead of 18 percent, wouldn?t it be nice if in this election we could ...

Quad-City Times, Nov. 30Iowa reports record year in the liquor business By any business measure, Iowa?s government-run liquor wholesaling business is a phenomenal success.New figures released by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division report a 34.8 percent gross profit margin. That helped drive a record-setting $295.6 million in revenue, a 5 percent jump over last year.Look back even farther to see how this ...

The Des Moines Register, Nov. 24Tinkers still inspire in speaking for free speech It must have been sweet for Mary Beth Tinker and brother John to revisit the scene of the First Amendment battle that resulted in a famous U.S. Supreme Court case bearing their names.The Tinkers were in Des Moines last week to visit the city schools they attended nearly 50 years ago and to carry a message to current students ...

To the editor:I read with concern Lucas Burge?s letter Nov. 21 about Jordan Morris?s CAFO being built 0.6 miles from Burge?s Eco-Resort.I can understand the distress of Eco-Resort and the 70 Batavia families who oppose the CAFO.I am remembering back (was it 20 or 25 years ago?) when zoning was being discussed for Jefferson County. My late husband Francis was part of a committee that was formed to explore the ...

To the editor:If I were to be asked who I would have liked to have had for a student it would be Anne Frank.Why, you might ask? Because she represents for me the kind of student I always enjoyed teaching ? curious, enthusiastic, smart, engaged, challenging on every level and full of the right kind of spirit: a free spirit with lots of surprising and interesting traits, a person who is still open to change and ...