Opinion

To the editor:As we draw closer to the elections, many people are very concerned with the condition of our country ? the economy, the unemployment numbers, increased government control ? the list goes on. We are told that the economy is on the rebound, but it?s difficult to find evidence of that. We have seen reports of unemployment rates going down, but many of our friends and family members are still looking ...

To the editor:Republican Congressional Candidate John Archer told a Burlington area service club recently there must be ?shared sacrifice? in addressing the nation?s spending habits. (As reported in the Hawk Eye, City and Region, Sept. 14, 2012, p. 3A).Archer says ?Everybody is going to have to feel the pain,? and it?s going to take people getting over the ?entitlement mentality.?Apparently, those he expects ...

To the editor:Fairfield 1st Fridays Art Walk is grateful to everyone who participated in this year?s ?Harvestfest? themed Art Walk. Despite the rain early in the evening we had a good turnout on the square!A HUGE thank you goes to our September Event Sponsors, Radiance Dairy and Hy-Vee. Their sponsorships were a perfect match to this month?s theme!Attendees enjoyed the fabulous lineup of talented musicians: ...

To the editor:An exciting event is about to take place in the Fairfield community. The 2012 Fall 40 Days for Life campaign begins Wednesday, Sept. 26, and will end Sunday, Nov. 4.40 Days for Life is 40 days of prayer, fasting, and community outreach to end abortion.The first organized campaign began in 2007, and through the power of prayer and fasting, continues to experience many blessings. Caring people have ...

Aug. 10, 2016Washington, Iowa To the Editor:The editorial ?Was RAGBRAI a success?? by Mary P. Delaney, Aug. 3 issue, brings to mind: ?Under Iowa law, bicycles and motorists must comply with the same rules of the road and be given the same rights. Sharing the road means sharing these rights and responsibilities? (quoted from Driver License Manual). The manual also states that pedestrians (walkers) have ...

August 23, 2016West Chester, Iowa To the Editor:This is a horrible affliction, and we need to figure a way to stop it immediately.Luckily, we have just such a method. Years ago, we could kill mosquitoes easily. Do the letters DDT mean anything to you? This is absolute death to mosquitoes, and it lasts a long time.We used it everywhere ? farms, cities, all over. It actually lasted too long; we stopped using ...

?I am not jumping this fence! I just came out the front door of The Journal office!?OK, let?s be honest. It would have been more accurate of me to say to the man who stopped me in between the barricades surrounding the stage set up on Marion Avenue, ?I am not jumping the fence this particular time. I jumped the fence four times about 30 minutes ago and I plan to jump the fence again when I come back. You just ...

Aug. 1, 2016Washington, Iowa To the Editor:Thank you to the RAGBRAI committee members, subcommittee members and hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly to prepare for ?RAGBRAI Coming to Washington.? Your commitment and efforts are so appreciated ? and what a success the event was ? you did an amazing job and should be so proud of yourselves! We heard tons of positive comments from bikers and ...

Aug. 1, 2016Washington, Iowa To the Editor:RAGBRAI has come and gone and it was a day to remember. Washington?s effort to make sure all the bikers felt welcomed when they rode into town was outstanding. One of the most colorful and welcoming sights to greet the visitors was the wonderful array of colorful flowers that were on display in the section of Sunset Park that is home to the Log Cabin. This showcase ...

To the editor:Someone wrote that Branstad should ban Monsanto. Take a short drive north of Fairfield on Highway 1 at the airport turn and take a good look at the organic corn and bean crop. You won?t find much else than weeds. That land is some of the richest soil in the world. It could have fed thousands.The world population will reach 9 billion people by the year 2050. Without doubling the yields on the same ...

To the editor:Municipal Home Rule is sanctioned by the Iowa Constitution. Forty-three of the fifty states support Home Rule. Iowa City, Iowa, is a Home Rule Charter City. We would like to see Fairfield revise its charter and become a Home Rule City, as well.The two main advantages of a Home Rule City Charter are: A Community Bill of Rights; and citizens may bring issues to the ballot for a referendum vote.With ...

Aug. 1, 2016Washington, Iowa To the Editor:As Friday?s RAGBRAI experience becomes part of Washington?s history, I have been reflecting on how we shaped this event and how it shaped us.The first things that RAGBRAI director, T.J. Juskiewicz, explained to the volunteer Washington RAGBRAI organizers in February were 1) have fun, 2) don?t be greedy. ?Have fun? was challenging to do all the time, but it was a ...