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So Orland Fish (July 31 letter) wants a divorce between the conservatives and liberals, eh? For a liberal like me, the terms are very good. Those gas-guzzling SUVs and Cadillacs will eat up what’s left of the oil fields here and abroad, so you are welcome to them. And since we no-good Marxists will have science on our side, the electric car will take the place of the ancient gasaholic vehicles of the past. Oprah and I will be sure to ...

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Regarding The Gazette July 28 editorial, it would appear that The Gazette does not understand the purpose of a city street. Using a public thoroughfare as a basketball court/playground should be against the law. There is also a city ordinance against children playing in the street. For three years, we’ve had to tolerate our street as a playground for tossing a football back and forth and traffic being slowed or stopped. Located very close to our residence is Cleveland School playground ...

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I had the misfortune of driving Interstate 380 several times over the last month and observed no slowdown of the motorists. When they approach downtown Cedar Rapids and the 55 mph speed limits, drop the green flag, the race is on. I decided to contact our new police chief, Greg Graham. My call was transferred to his secretary, a very nice lady. She told me she would give the information to the chief, took my phone number and hung up. I ...

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I oppose H.R. 2749 (food safety regulation bill in the House of Representatives). I feel that it gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration too much power and reduces the power of the local or small farmer. It has expensive registration fees and too much regulation on how crops are raised and harvested. Linda Conzett Hiawatha

There will be crashes, injuries and fatalities at those uncontrolled, blind county road intersections because drivers don’t slow and look both directions before crossing. There is or was a good common sense law that said to “reduce speed to a reasonable and proper rate” at such intersections, but most county sheriffs aren’t enforcing it and I haven’t heard any warning in the news about it. All we ever hear about is just be seat-belted. The seat belt law zealots want you ...

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If the proposed Freedom of Choice Act is passed, will it mean: 1. Closing religious-supported hospitals that would not perform abortions? 2. Nurses and doctors losing their jobs because they refuse to perform abortions? 3. The degradation of our country’s moral standards? We must answer to God for our actions. What is the difference between the killing of unborn children today and the babies who were killed by the German Nazis during World War II? At that time, we considered the killing of those ...

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All of the politicians and others who think that we should go to Mars are seriously misguided. What is to be gained from a destitute planet but increase the nation debt by more trillions? There are more pressing things than Mars, like the homeless. Yes, Cedar Rapids has many homeless and many are schoolchildren. Nationally, they are countless. People are losing homes and jobs at a rate not seen since the Great Depression. Two wars depleted the surplus President Bill Clinton ...

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On July 24, a devastating hailstorm struck Delaware County and several surrounding counties, causing multimillion-dollar damage to crops, buildings and livestock. The Gazette finally reported this incident the following Tuesday on the back page of the second section. In answer to a phone inquiry, I was told The Gazette was unable to obtain “accurate” information over the weekend regarding the damage. I can state that Delaware County has an emergency management director, as well as a sheriff’s office with deputies ...

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The Linn County Board of Supervisors is considering a Project Labor Agreement for the Community Services and Administrative Office Buildings. A PLA is an agreement negotiated between a public owner (Linn County) and labor unions before construction contracts are awarded and workers hired. The unions want to use a PLA to disqualify certain contractors from performing contracts. We feel a PLA would add unnecessary costs to taxpayers while saddling the county with the appearance of favoritism. Iowa law requires contractors to ...

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On June 27, The Gazette editorial accused our governor of playing “keep-away” with the state budget. We felt The Gazette’s references to the governor and his handling of the budget were very misleading. Despite the national recession, Iowa continues to invest in new energy technologies and business development through the Iowa Power Fund and the Iowa Values Fund. Iowa continues to expand health care coverage for children and continues to cut taxes on Social Security for senior citizens. Iowa is maintaining ...

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An interesting statistic is being used by opponents of health care reform to prevent creation of a public insurance plan. Opponents of health care reform say that more than 100 million private insurance beneficiaries would abandon their private companies for the less expensive public plan. Even Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has been quoted using this statistic, calling it “crowd out.” The Congressional Budget Office estimated only 11 million to 12 million would switch. It turns out that the so-called non-partisan Lewin Group ...

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Climate change legislation is moving forward in Congress, and Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, along with other electric utilities across the nation, is standing up to fight for fairness. As the energy bill stands, Iowa would pay more than either coast. Our representatives will be home in August, so make your voices heard. We stepped up early to fight for fairness and affordability in this legislation, which includes a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. While some ...

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Dear Mr. President: I was unaware until recently the skills you acquired as a community organizer. We have had issues in the Technology Corridor where your expertise will be of value. We have had shootings in Waterloo, muggings and underage drinking in Iowa City and a police officer assaulted in Cedar Rapids. You can find all needed information in The Gazette, Waterloo Courier and Iowa City Press-Citizen. No need to respond immediately; next week’s press conference will be soon enough. Daniel E. Spahn Cedar ...

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Congratulations to the city of Cedar Rapids. In a July 23 forum on energy issues, Pat Ball, Cedar Rapids utilities director, stated that he hopes the city will adopt an energy management plan by spring. I, too, hope the city of Cedar Rapids and Linn County finally will see the need for a waste-to-energy incinerator. Now is the time to get this ball rolling. Over the years, I have submitted several pictures and facts to the Cedar Rapids City Council and ...

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Re: “Why push trains when we have buses? Proponents push back on Amtrak hype” (July 27). Whether by accident or design, this particular piece of second-rate reporting raises more questions than it answers. First, why did The Gazette let some Burlington Trailways guy rail against Amtrak on page one and stick real news — Gov. Culver and the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit — on page two? Second, since when does this same station agent get to make decisions on transportation policy? ...

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The health care industry in America is all about money — making profits from other people’s misfortune. As a patient, you are subject to insurance guidelines that are geared toward maintaining the highest profit instead of the best result. From your health insurer’s point of view, any payments it makes for your medical care is a loss. This means that insurers try to deny as many claims as possible, and they also try to avoid covering people who are likely to ...

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I would like to remind readers that it is not uncommon for another individual in the community to have the same name or a name similar to that of your own. However, this does not mean you share similar opinions. My last letter to the editor was so long ago that I don’t recall the topic. It certainly wasn’t a political opinion. And it certainly wasn’t anti-Obama (July 23 letter, “Obama making our nation unrecognizable,” by Anita Hansen, Marion). Anita Hansen Cedar Rapids

President Barack Obama was elected because we, the American people, want universal health care, an end the war in Iraq, an end to trickle-down economics, improved public education, a coherent environmental policy that relies on science instead of religious dogma and a foreign policy that is based on diplomacy rather than military intervention. We would have all of these things already if not for the constant, unrelenting attacks on our president by the desperate GOP. It’s time for them to get ...

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In the past, America has prided itself with our advances in medical care that have regularly increased the life span of our senior citizens. President Barack Obama’s health care plan includes a provision that some senior citizens, depending on their age and medical problem, will receive some medication plus mandatory end-of-life counseling, instead of expensive, major, medical services. This gives the government control of the heavy medical expenses incurred with the senior population. By adjusting the age line of treatment, it ...

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Here’s how Republicans operate: Run up huge deficits by providing tax cuts for the rich and no-bid government contracts to huge corporations. Then hoot and holler about deficits when the opposition comes into power, shifting the blame onto Democrats, who unfairly have the responsibility to fix the mess and poverty created under Republican rule. They position themselves for the next election cycle by posing as fiscal conservatives. Once they get back into power, Republicans will cut social spending, pensions and funding ...

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Regarding The Gazette’s July 25 article about the resignation of Dennis McMenimen from the Cedar Rapids Public Library Board of Trustees: The impression provided of McMenimen’s service is one I barely recognize. In my year-plus tenure on the board, I found McMenimen to be a dedicated steward of the library. His involvement goes far beyond the building committee. In all cases, his thoughtful reasoning and the historical context he shared were of great value in our deliberations. It’s the responsibility of all ...

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I lived in Canada for 12 years, from 1992 until 2004, when my job took me back to the States. Republicans are portraying the Canadian health system unfairly, distorting the truth. Canadians can stop in at a walk-in clinic without an appointment any time during office hours (free). We can go to the emergency room at a hospital any time and will be evaluated immediately. If it is serious, we will be looked after immediately (free). If it is not deemed ...

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It amazes me that the liberals and Democrats who write to The Gazette never see the hypocrisy in their letters and blame others for what they do themselves. Shirley Frank (July 27 letter) is upset because she thought the Associated Press gave Sarah Palin better press than she deserved. Apparently it’s OK for the three major so-called news networks to kiss Barack Obama’s rear end for the last four years. They did everything they could to get him elected. Chris Mathews ...

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Brandy Shurbon’s July 26 letter echoes the latest Republican talking point about health care reform: “The Obama administration is pushing for a national health plan that private insurers can’t compete with.” First of all, who’s to say private insurers couldn’t compete with it? Second, why is competition bad? It is our only hope to bring down costs. Not long ago, the Republican argument against having a public option was their usual line “government can’t do anything right.” Government would screw it up ...

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If, as Charles Krauthammer says in his July 26 column, support for President Barack Obama’s plan for health care reform is sinking, it is because all it takes to possibly stop something that 80 percent of the public wants are two thing: invoke partisan pride, so that the conservatives and Republicans will reflexively oppose whatever it is, make up a bunch of scary-sounding baloney, much of it provided by the insurance companies themselves, and get friendly TV hosts and newspaper ...

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