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Massive tax cuts won’t solve Iowa’s population challenges

Local Columns

I stumbled across a statistical tidbit the other day that probably will surprise many people. U.S. Census Bureau figures show that between 1900 and 2000, the state that grew the least in population, on a percentage basis, was Iowa. Read that again. No state had smaller population growth between 1900 and 2000, as a percentage, than Iowa. Not North Dakota. Not Montana. Not Wyoming. Not any other state. The census statistics show Iowa’s population increased 31% during that span of time. While that may seem like perfectly healthy, long-term growth, the next-closest state in the ...

Perspective — it makes a big difference

Local Columns

The (very old) story is told of a $20 bill and a $1 bill in the vault of a large bank. “Hey, Twenty,” said the $1 bill, “I haven’t seen you in a long time. Where have you been?” “Man, I’ve been having a ball,” replied the $20 bill. “I’ve been to the finest restaurants, to the biggest and best casinos, boutiques, shopping malls and even to an NBA game. How about you?” The $1 bill replied, “Oh, I’ve been to the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Church of Christ, the Episcopalian Church, the…” “Wait a ...

Panfish on plastics

Local Columns

Plastic tails that we put on the back of our jigs have proven themselves to be fish-catchers. However, until the past few years, there has been the belief that plastics are most productive in warm water fishing situations. In cold water, slow presentations are usually more productive, and ...

An anniversary with lessons

Local Columns

January is an anniversary of sorts for me. It’s an anniversary that has resulted in learning some life lessons. I married in 1969 and within eight months my bride and I had purchased a home and settled into the community. My wife loved her hometown and I did, too. We had no plans to move anytime soon. A short time after our third wedding anniversary my wife resigned from her job to become a fulltime mother and a few weeks later gave birth to our first child. We acknowledged that things would be tight financially on one income but we were prepared… or so we thought. Less than ...

Senate change won’t better inform Iowans

Editorials

Typically, in the days leading up to the start of a new session of the Iowa Legislature, the attention is on lawmakers’ goals and priorities — and on the pledges they make to work together for the good of the people of Iowa. This year, however, Republican leaders who control the Iowa Senate announced a controversial decision that erases more than a century of openness — evicting journalists from the floor of the Senate chamber. This ill-conceived action makes Iowa an outlier among the legislatures in the 50 states. You could count on one hand those that do not allow journalists ...

Sonar and ice fishing

Local Columns

Most people who go fishing on the ice will agree that sonar enables them to catch more fish. Sonar will reveal fish that are down there and it will show how the fish respond to the bait that you’re using. When I first started ice fishing forty plus years ago, the use of sonar wasn’t real ...