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Letters to Editor

The fossil fuel industry’s control of our government

To the editor: The world as we know it today was built on the back of burning fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this process has come at a tremendous cost. Emissions from burning fossil fuels are rapidly warming our world at a rate that has never occurred in the history of our planet. Why, then, do we continue to burn planet-killing fossil fuels? One primary reason is the tremendous control the fossil fuel industry has over our government. The industry spends approximately $250 million per year lobbying elected officials. The vast majority of this money goes to Republican officials ...

Urges reducing pesticides in lawns to protect pollinators

To the editor: Pollinators may be small, but they are essential to healthy ecosystems and our daily lives. In urban areas, however, these species face growing challenges. Pesticides, both insecticides and herbicides, are designed to eliminate pests and unwanted plants, but they also harm these species and reduce the diverse plant life that pollinators rely on. When biodiversity declines, so does access to the nectar and pollen they need to survive. June is National Pollinator Month, a time to recognize the vital role these species play and the simple actions we can take to support ...

An outside perspective from a mayor’s point-of-view

To the editor: I'm Kurtis Bower, the current mayor of Roland, Iowa, and a Story County resident. You might be thinking, "What's his interest in our issues if he doesn't live here?" I campaigned to be a state representative in the Iowa House of Representatives, and during the campaign process, I got to know so many of you and I care about all of you. I find it amazing that many of you take an interest in your local governments and the processes that they undertake. I can tell you that as a sitting mayor of a small town, whenever you discuss money, it is often an unpleasant, but ...

Supports use of electric cars

To the editor, As communities across the country grapple with rising fuel costs, air pollution, and the growing impacts of global warming, one solution is becoming increasingly clear — the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Electric cars offer a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles. By producing zero tailpipe emissions, they reduce air pollution and improve public health, especially in urban areas where smog and poor air quality disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. When you factor in that EVs cost roughly 50% less to fuel, and ...

Tipping should be for good service, not automatic

To the editor: Tipping used to be something people did to reward good service. Now it feels like it’s being requested everywhere, all the time, no matter what kind of service is actually provided. I recently ordered a coffee through an app. Before I had even driven to the window or received my drink, the app was already asking me for a tip. How am I supposed to judge the service before the transaction has even happened? Another example was at Casey’s Arena in Des Moines. I grabbed my own slice of pizza, filled my own drink, and checked myself out at a self-service kiosk. Yet ...

Questions Webster City ordinances as Home Owners Association

Letter to the editor: I am sure that when I bought my property that Richard D. Gregory was the only name on the title and that pays the taxes and the bank. I was not informed that Webster City had a Home Owners Association. I thought I could use the property for hobbies, storing wood for my fireplace and parking trailers for that purpose. Suddenly administrators and councilmen think that they and their anonymous big nose friend should decide what happens on a property that they don’t own. If I park a trailer on my land whether it’s grass, gravel, cement or asphalt, if it kills ...