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Appreciation for the Marshalltown Public Library

With the consistent negativity expressed about the Marshalltown Public Library in the Times Republican from a local citizen, I decided it’s long overdue for me to express my appreciation to everyone involved in the running of our local library. That appreciation goes out to its director, Sarah Rosenblum, to the employees who check books in and out, shelve books, run programs for adults and children, order new publications, learn and assist with new technology, keep up with new authors, keep the library clean and in order, and so much more. My thanks also to the committees who make ...

MPL boardroom antics part 5

Editor, In August 2022, patron David B. offered to provide a one-year trial subscription to The Epoch Times to the MPL. Director Rosenblum countered by requiring a commitment of several year’s subscriptions (costing hundreds of dollars) up front. David B. declined. In Nov. 2022, My Statement of Concern requesting that The Epoch Times and The American Rifleman be added to the collection was acknowledged. Copies of the issues were not provided to the board as was done several months later concerning an unrelated statement. During the Dec. 2022 meeting, inaccurate, all negative ...

Top 10 ways Trump is destroying our democracy

It is frightening how Trump is destroying our democracy by ignoring our Constitution. Below are ways that Trump, like all aspiring dictators and oligarchs, gain power: 1. Curtailing freedom of the press: Suing ABC, CBS and The Wall Street Journal; refusing the Associated Press access to press conferences; defunding public broadcasting. 2. Curtailing freedom of speech. Our democracy was designed as a two party system so that ALL opinions could be heard without fear of retribution. Yet Trump threatens to sue, jail or extradite those who disagree with him and had demonstrators who were ...

Memories!

Often I look at memories from my birth, to this very moment. I was born an asthmatic and still have that same condition. But on December 7, 1941, The world changed for all countries, and all people. Japan attacked us at Pearl Harbor. The rest of the world was fighting Hitler and the Nazi’s. For six years, millions of people lost their lives being on one side or the other. We lived on the Western shore of Iowa. When all of America hunkered down in war-jobs, our parents made plans to move to Seattle, Port Orchard and Bremerton, Washington. America needed workers to repair our ships that ...

More lies, deception from Trump, his team

I’m 71 and retired. I live on Social Security. On July 3, right after the U.S. House narrowly passed Trump’s budget bill, the Social Security Administration sent me an email saying “The bill ensures nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits…” It included a fanboy boast by Commissioner Frank Bisignano that “this is a historic step forward for America’s seniors.” After some fact-checking, I learned the budget bill does not eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. Instead, it includes a temporary tax ...

We need to solve climate change

If you tell a teenager to clean their room and they respond with a sarcastic tone, “How do you clean a bedroom?” Well, everyone knows how to clean a bedroom. The same applies to climate change. When someone asks, “How do you solve climate change?” We know how to solve climate change. We just need to do it.