Opinion

To the editor:The original idea behind biofuels was good: to create a farmer-owned industry to produce home-grown fuels ? preferably for on-farm use -- with the expectation that over time feedstocks would transition from erosive and nutrient-leaky row crops (corn and soybeans) to more sustainable perennial cropping systems. That didn?t happen.The ethanol industry was mostly taken over by large corporations, and ...

The Burlington Hawk Eye, Feb. 1Public purposes: Iowa?s Lake Delhi to return with taxpayer help It?s been four years since a raging Maquoketa River destroyed the 80-year-old dam that created Iowa?s Lake Delhi.The ruined dam and now-dry lake bed are near the Delaware County town of Delhi, which is midway between Waterloo and Dubuque.The 2010 flood also took out the spillway and the county road that ran along ...

Mason City Globe Gazette, Jan. 23.Legislation aiding veterans belongs on fast track Gov. Terry Branstad says he wants to make this legislative session a landmark one for the state?s veterans. We support that support for those who have served and are glad that legislation to aid them appears on a fast track.Legislation to exempt military pensions from state income tax is moving quickly through the Senate, ...

To the editor:It?s a mistake, to me, for Fairfield Parks and Recreation to turn an excellent recreational facility, the racquetball courts, into ? a lobby.Those courts were actually very busy when they were built ? tournaments included.I think the problem was the past administration?s mentality that said, ?Here?s a money-maker. Let?s raise the price like that other town did.?Thus, when the cost soared to $10 ...

To the editor:What are members of our national government trying to pull over on us now?Did you know that Senators Max Baucus, Orrin Hatch, and Representative David Camp have just conspired among themselves to make a back room deal, just the three of them, to put a fast track bill for the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership up for the direct vote of Congress?The Trans-Pacific Partnership, usually designated ...

To the editor:I read with sadness and frustration the article about the impending closure of the gymnastics program at Fairfield Parks and Rec.My 9-year-old granddaughter, Juliette Pohren, has been taking classes with Jeff Ide for the past four years, from the program?s humble beginnings in his garage in Brighton. Her progress under his tutelage has been phenomenal; she was the 2013 State of Iowa trampoline ...

To the editor:Mark Twain once stated: ?A favorite theory of mine?to wit, that no occurrence is sole and solitary, but is merely a repetition of a thing which has happened before, and perhaps often.?Does history repeat itself? It often seems so. And many feel that history is indeed repeating itself for our wonderful nation.America was founded on Biblical principles by men and women who held themselves accountabl...

To the editor:Today as this nation is in need of a revival of renewed hope and appreciation for sacrifices made to found and defend this great nation, we need to revisit our history.This nation was founded to serve as the gleaming ?city set on a hill,? to be a beacon of enduring freedom to all nations, as well as to protect this nation?s citizens from any future attempts at tyranny.The first brave immigrant ...

To the editor:Sunday, January 19, is Respect Life Sunday. This is a time to pause and reflect on what has happened in our country since the 1973 Supreme Court decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which legalized the taking of the life of an unborn child (commonly called abortion) up to the day prior to birth.It is estimated we have lost 50 million people as a result of these court decisions. This is ...

To the editor:Let?s talk tips.Tipping has fallen by the wayside in this economy. My husband and I continue to tip well. Some waitstaff are well below minimum wage and depend on their tips to augment their income (did you know waitstaff can be on a different payscale?).I feel especially mindful of those pizza/food delivery drivers who deliver our pizzas piping hot when the temperature is well below freezing. I ...

Mason City Globe Gazette, Jan. 5Legislature should toughen laws on distracted driving Iowa safety officials want drivers to focus on the road, so they?re focusing on putting some teeth into laws regarding distracted driving. We think they?re on the right road.All sorts of things qualify as distracted driving, of course: Putting on makeup, reaching for food or drink, tuning the radio, talking on the cellphone....

If you live in Iowa and you like basketball, I have great news for you. You are in the prime of your life. Treasure these moments, because they don?t come around very often.The Cyclones and Hawkeyes have terrific men?s and women?s basketball teams. All four of them are ranked in the Top 25. The Iowa State men and women are both perfect on the season and boast a combined record of 28-0. Iowa State Cyclones(14-0...