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15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Urban chickens in Ceda... · 0 replies · +1 points

How so?

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Plan calls for Cedar R... · 0 replies · +1 points

As a longtime CR taxpayer who has never owned a pet, I'm tired of paying the bill for animal control to round up and house other people's strays. Licensing is probably the best way to put the cost onto pet owners. Fines for the owners who actually want their pets back should be another option.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Woman who lost Linn Co... · 0 replies · +3 points

"Fact is" your comment about Marion cops tells me everything I need to know about you and value of your opinions.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Shields says City Coun... · 0 replies · +1 points

"At any cost"??? Are you kidding or, are you just another socialist who loves the idea of taking other people's hard-earned money and spending it whatever gives you a warm fuzzy feeling?

If you want to save it, use YOUR OWN money and/or raise money from any others who also wish to save it and buy it YOURSELF.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Windows shattered at C... · 1 reply · +2 points

If someone's goal was to drum up sympathy for Muslims and/or anger toward those who would be accused of persecuting Muslims, breaking a few windows in a mosque would be an easy and effective way of accomplishing that goal.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Human Services cutting... · 0 replies · +3 points

This is good news and, although it doesn't go nearly far enough, it helps to reveal how we no longer need 99 counties.

Anyone know why Iowa has 99 counties? It was setup to ensure the Iowa resident can travel to the county seat, conduct his or her business there, and return home, all in a single day, without the need for an overnight stay in the county seat. Of course, this was designed back in the 19th Century, when people traveled by horse.

Obviously, if we were to use the same reasoning to redraw county lines today, we don't need 99 counties or the 99 treasurers, courthouses, boards of supervisors, auditors, etc. that come along with them. How about combining our 99 counties into something more like 20? Just imagine how many millions of taxpayer dollars would be saved annually.

But, I'm not holding my breath. The state legislature will never go for it.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - ImOn expands its netwo... · 0 replies · +3 points

Bring it on, ImOn. The sooner I can tell Mediacom good riddance, the better!

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Branstad picks Sen. Re... · 1 reply · +4 points

Iowa hasn't had a male Lieutenant Governor since ... looking it up ... January 1987, when Robert T. Anderson was succeeded by Jo Ann Zimmerman.

If Reynolds wins, she would be the fifth consecutive female to hold the office.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Branstad picks Sen. Re... · 5 replies · -1 points

Wonder how long it will take the Culver camp to try to make something of her two DUIs. I think I heard she's been sober for 8 years now.

15 years ago @ GazetteOnline.com - Pomeranz compensation ... · 0 replies · +4 points

Such a deal! If memory serves, back in 2006, certain proponents of the council/manager form of government (Ron Corbett?) said it would cost us less than the old commission form. What a joke. That might have been true until Corbett and his cronies took over, gave Jim Prosser the boot (thanks for the memories, Jim!), and started handing out gold-plated, taxpayer-funded favors to their most-cherished friends.

Can't wait 'til the Home Rule Charter Commission reconvenes in 2011. Back when we had commissioners with clearly-defined responsibilities (Streets, Finance, Parks, Public Safety), those fundamental city services got done and were done well. That's simply because if any one of them wasn't done to our satisfaction, we knew who was responsible and voted accordingly on election day.

Now, this rag-tag bunch of know-nothings on the council can just stick a moist finger in the air to determine what's important today (hey, let's buy the MCI building from our past and future campaign donors, remodel it with union labor, and give it away! That'll fill it up with people to make our downtown donors happy!) vs. what can wait (crumbling streets? ... c'mon, we can come up with something more fun to make the voters forget about the streets ... how about let's buy the old Five Seasons Hotel, too?!).

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