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Protect our farmland

Are you concerned about global warming? What would you say if Tama County has a machine that captures 305,000 tons of carbon dioxide and emits enough oxygen for 2,209,000 people to breathe every year with no carbon footprint, no cost at all. Too good to be true? Not at all. It’s a byproduct of the county’s cornfields. Hunger in the world is rampant, and the corn could really help with that. Unfortunately, the farmers that tend the fields still have to use diesel fuel, but farmers are doing what they can. The reduction in passes over the fields since I started farming in ‘74 ...

Ordinance changes shouldn’t be rushed through

Iowa has a specific law that lays out how cities in our state can pass new ordinances that govern the way by which citizens in those communities must abide. The laws states: Ordinances and amendments to ordinances must be passed by the majority at three council meetings before becoming final. However, city councils can waive the requirement to have three votes to approve an ordinance or amendment by approval of at least three-fourths of the council. What’s troubling to me is that city councils across Iowa — Marshalltown included — have started waiving the second and third ...

A Christmas story

When I was in seminary, in 1953,and living in Maryland. Eileen and I got into our 1940 Pontiac and headed for Iowa, to celebrate Christmas with our parents, living in Fort Dodge and Perry. It was a rainy rainy day and traveling through Marion, Ohio, I stopped our car, in the heart of downtown business district. When I got out of our car, Ginger, our dog decided to get out too. I was not aware that she got out of our car. Well, I got the windshield wipers fixed, got back in our car and on our way to Iowa. About a mile out of Marion, we looked in the back seat of our car and there was ...

Corbin is a Trump hater

I graduated from high school with Steve Corbin. When I see his photo in a letter to the editor, I don’t bother to read it. He has taken it upon himself to tell all of us how to live and what we should think — perhaps a combination of ego and Marxism. At our class reunion in 2016, Steve wore what I guess was a Trump wig. I and other classmates had no idea what was going on other than it was inappropriate. He is a Trump hater. If you enjoy reading his manifestos, ask him how many trips he has made to China and what was the nature of his business there. Steve evidently doesn’t ...

Some truth and a warning

This letter makes two points: one for the sake of truthfulness and the other as an ominous warning. First, a much-repeated must be dispelled - the reckless spending done by Joe Biden. During his presidency Donald Trump spent six trillion plus; President Biden has spent two trillion plus. Trump is the biggest presidential spender since 1923. The other point is a terrifying reality. Our legislators can and do disagree on things like tax policy, farm issues, abortion, education and countless other issues. But they have always been unified when the issue was protecting our country. Not ...

The best Christmas gift ever

When you’re young, Christmas means Santa Claus and an anticipation of toys, dolls, balls, electronics, etc. that we lump into a big stocking called gifts. At my age, you’ve accumulated more stuff than you will ever need, which leads to puzzling questions like, “What can we get Dad for Christmas that he doesn’t already have?” After a few gadgetry gifts, the kids finally give up and you end up with a gift card to a hardware store topped off with a box of Pecan Delights; which does beat getting some strange present promising to turn earwax into a profitable business. What ...