Letters to the Editor

As President and Commander in Chief, Donald Trump’s primary responsibility is to keep us safe — domestically and internationally. On the world front, his statements to North Korea that they face the possibility of “fire and fury like the world has never seen” would indicate the United States is “locked and loaded” ie: prepared to start a nuclear war. Who knows what action this would bring from China and Russia? Does this make anyone feel safe?...

I hadn’t planned to submit a letter this week, but after hearing President Trump’s speech to a group of law enforcement officers at Long Island, New York, recently, I just could not be silent. His speech was notorious for its embrace of aggressive tactics of police officers. He encouraged police not to be concerned about physical harm to people taken into custody. Laws are stacked against police, he said: “Don’t be too nice!”...

Most of the Anti-President Trump Letters to The Editor merely repeat the negative stories being reported by the national news media. These so-called journalists include most major TV networks (ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, & MSNBC) and most major newspapers (NYT and WP). ...

As Iowa’s Commissioner of Elections, I take the integrity of our elections and every voter’s personal data very seriously. You can be assured that the state’s elections systems are protected, and your personal information remains confidential and secure in Iowa’s voter registration database. I’m writing this because I want to emphatically encourage all registered voters to ignore any suggestion that you should cancel your voter registration...

I am writing in response to Dr. Kyle Coble’s letter of 7/11/17: “We Are Your Neighbors.” Dr. Coble stated in his letter that “The actual editorial pieces are campaigning against manure management and hog farming, citing New Fashion Pork as the aggressor.”...

There is an implicit promise from one generation to the next to deliver a society equal to, or better than the last. The bulwark of the defense and advance of this promise includes the institutions that make up our daily lives including our religious, government and legal institutions. The men and women who labor within these institutions carry a burden of selfless dedication to deliver on that promise...

On July 14, the New York Times reported a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian operatives that took place about one year ago. Trump Jr. then was forced to acknowledge, that in June 2016, he had met with Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya and two other Russians, who promised damaging information on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. ...

Having heard Steve King's recent rants regarding the military, veterans, food stamps and any other group he can denigrate, discredit or dishonor, I feel compelled to write once again. After 15-plus years in his current job, he has attempted to improve his record of zero bills out of committee with some pretty outlandish bills aimed at demoralizing some of our citizens who most need support. ...

My mother was a British war bride. My father had met her when he was stationed in Liverpool during World War II. They fell in love, got married and then came me. I was 1-year-old when the war was over. Nine months later, mom and I joined Dad in Iowa. His mother and eight siblings had lived on a farm in Emmetsburg. It's still there. My cousin's family cares for it...

Yes, dear citizens, the CAFOs are coming, even to the Iowa Great Lakes. The hog slaughter plant being build in nearby Windom, Minnesota, puts Dickinson County directly in the crosshairs of the ongoing expansion of industrial pork production. Although other states have cracked down on Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), Iowa has rolled out the red carpet by weakening environmental laws and ignoring the vast research documenting the air and water pollution, human diseases odor issues, flies and economic damage that occurs in areas when this industry moves in.. ...

The solitary writer of Anti-Trump Letters to The Editor in our community continues to be worried about our future. His negative view is probably shared by leftists on the East and West coasts, mainly because President Trump was elected. Meanwhile, most of us in the Midwest – who voted for Trump - are enjoying our summer. ...

The advent of wind turbines coming to my farming community has opened my eyes to a whole new set of societal issues. There is a clear delineation between those who embrace the idea of wind turbines and those who do not want anything to do with them...

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank everyone who was involved in what made for an incredible Fourth of July. J & M Displays put on yet another fantastic show over West Lake Okoboji, enjoyed by thousands of friends and families. Even with a bit of rain, Lakes Area visitors and locals alike knew that the fireworks display would be worth it!...

The American media plays a central role in a functional democracy. In the political arena its function is not only to transcribe the words of our politicians to the public, but to analyze the statement for truth and consistency. Here, statements are fact checked to determine truth. ...

Most of the anti-Trump Letters to the Editor in this county are written by one person. Listening to what the candidate says during the election process would seem to be logical. But once the president is elected, doesn’t seem more logical to pay attention to his actions. It is refreshing to have a President who says what he means and means what he says...

As a resident of Dickinson County, I am growing increasingly concerned about agricultural activities taking place here. I keep reading editorials about farmers. Their contributions to the community from a financial aspect in terms of local wages ($120.4 million according to the 2012 Farm Census, employing 15.9 percent of Dickinson County's active labor force) or property tax contributions on the 187,363 acres of farm ground seem to be overshadowed by the fermented smell of politics and activism...

I am concerned about New Fashion Pork and their hog confinement being built in Dickinson County abutting Christopherson Slough and near Swan Lake. By using a loophole, they are going to injure the tourist trade here. Being an out-of-state owner, they are not following the rules set out by our state. The Swan Lake Winery and B&B is downwind of the farrowing barn and that is not good...

A few days ago, the New York Times published an article listing lies told by President Trump since he took office. As I went through the list I counted just about 100 up until June 21. They were easily fact-checked statements i.e.: crowd size at his inauguration, claim that he had the record for times on the cover of Time magazine (he had 11, President Nixon had 55); claimed the U.S. ...

Before I begin, let me point out that my views do not necessarily reflect that of the rest of the council, the mayor, or the administration! In reference to the letter sent last week addressing the police force and their lack of effort in investigating vandalism at Florence Park in Milford, maybe you should have done some homework before broadcasting instead of tuning in. ...

Dear Editor,   Today on CNN, Steve King was reported to have said that former President Barack Obama is partly responsible for the severe bipartisanship we are experiencing today. Shame on Mr. King. Apparently he has failed to remember that, on the night President Obama took the oath of office for his first term, Republicans held a meeting in which they pledged to do everything they could to discredit Obama and keep him from bringing forth any of his campaign promises. ...

The sore loser letters that have been frequently appearing in local newspapers has presented us with a smorgasbord of selected facts on the current administration. Not since the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and his inauguration in March of 1933 have we seen such rapid changes being made to correct years of poor administration. ...

This week I received a letter from a self-described “committed conservative and ardent supporter of the constitution” asking me to stop writing letters to the editor. Stating “Us Trump supporters certainly know by now that you don’t like or agree with him.” Further, that like so many of your fellow Trump opponents, your actions are counter-productive and detrimental to the common good...

Thursday, May 18 was as ordinary as they come in the mostly-quiet city of Milford, with the exception of the sweltering spring heat, of course. The children rode the bus to yet another day of school at Okoboji, the banks, restaurants and grocery store opened as they did every morning and the otherwise silent Florence Park waited for the families to come and play on it in the afternoon...

Is “climate change” guaranteed to bring us higher temperatures? Can man change the world’s climate? Back in the 1950s, we tried to create rain by seeding the clouds. We were not successful then and haven’t been more successful since in trying to control the weather...

Well, I certainly never thought I would be sending a letter like this one. But I must say, I already miss going to track meets and soccer matches! I say this more out of an acknowledgement of the efforts of our students than I do out of an understanding of what I am seeing (in either case). ...

I spent over six years as a commissioner on the Environmental Protection Commission. Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement spoke at most of our meetings in favor of cleaner water, and their solution was a moratorium on livestock expansion. I admire their goal of cleaner water — something we all want — but I disagree with their solution...

There seems to be some confusion in politics these days. Often it’s caused by not looking at all the facts. In a recent letter, the author thought that a reference to “super rich” should describe Hillary Clinton rather than President Trump because she raised more campaign money than he did. The Clintons are well off, but speaking of his personal wealth, President Trump, stating that he is very, very rich surely has the edge here...

In a recent letter to the editor about “Dark Money” the writer expressed the opinion that the “super rich” get their way – implying he meant President Trump. I would have thought he meant Hillary Clinton since she raised twice as many dollars in campaign funds as President Trump. Most of Hillary’s campaign money came from the “super rich” and Wall Street...

I want to extend a big “THANK YOU” to the Good Neighbor Agency and all of our community members who donated generously to their fundraising effort last fall. The donation that Meals on Wheels receives from our portion of the proceeds helps provide meals to the disabled and senior homebound population of the Iowa Great Lakes Region...

Thanks to our local papers for providing a venue for people concerned about their government who are willing to take time to make their thoughts known. A recent piece “Dark Money” dealt with benefits being afforded so the super-rich get their way and the dictatorial order by President Trump to fire rockets on Syria without congressional approval. Thanks Ray for your thoughtful note!...

Dickinson County CARES would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the following businesses and individuals for their generous support and donations for our CARES Carnival on April 22: Anne Jackson, Andrea Loerts, Arnolds Park Amusement, Arrowwood/Minerva's, Blank Park Zoo, Boulders Inn of Okoboji, Bridges Bay/Boji Splash Water Park, Brooks Golf Club, Business Today, Casey's General Stores, Carolan Rental & N-Flatable Fun, Central Bank, Christiansen-Bieri Dental Office, Coca-Cola, Daily Addiction, Dickinson County News, Elegance, Fare You Well food truck, Fareway, Farmers Savings Bank, Fridley Theatres, Grand Occasions, Grapetree, Great Lakes Edging, Great Lakes Motors, Hey, Good Cookies!, Hy-Vee, Iowa Lakes Community College, Indian Hills Golf Course, Jensen Realty, Jimmy Johns, Kathy Sprague, Lakes News Shopper, Milford Kiwanis, Kozy Heat, L & C Tire, Lisa’s Bakery, Lolo’s Cupcakes, Mary's Gift Shoppe, McKeen’s Pub & Grill, MHR Insurance, Milford Well Service, Missy Webber, Motor Inn, Ms. ...

Thank you again, Spirit Lake, for coming out and giving the blood of life on May 15, for the American Red Cross. We had a fairly good turn out but missed our goal by 3 pints. We had only two deferrals, 6-for-12 double red cells making a total of 44 units and our goal was 47 so only missed it by a few. We had 40 presenting donors...

After reading the article, by Seth Boyes, in the Dickinson County News, April 25, 2017, titled “Opposition greets manure management plan near Terril,” I have to say, I was taken back by the vast amount of misinformation that came from the board of supervisors meeting...

The writer of a recent Letter to the Editor seems to be confused about support for President Trump. He noted that Hillary Clinton received 3 million more votes than Donald Trump. What seems to be forgotten is – that since the inception of our country – our President is elected by the Electoral College. ...

This time of year, companies who are in the business of making money off of our emotions are successfully creating pictures in our minds of smiling families surrounding a mother and a father in celebration. However, many parents find Mother’s Day and Father’s day to be one of dread and sadness. So, it is important to remember moms and dads who have experienced infertility, pregnancy loss or the loss of a child of any age...

The Milford American Legion knows how the citizens of Milford support the military and our veterans and that same support also extends to the local law enforcement officers. Starting on Thursday and for the next week (at a minimum), the Legion is asking the public to show support for our local law enforcement officers. It is in times like the situation last Sunday night that our community needs to show we support our officers...

On April 22, we concluded the 2017 legislative session. Typically, this session was to have 110 days. We cut it down to 100 days in the de-appropriation bill, but went into overtime by about four days. We accomplished a lot this session. We were not elected to sit idle. We worked hard and got the people’s work done...

The news is out. Most Republicans who voted for Donald Trump think he is doing a great job. However, though Hillary Clinton got 48.2 percent, a 2.9 million advantage over Trump’s 46.1 percent in the popular vote, a number of Republicans must feel that Trump is not pleasing them, as his approval rating is at an all-time low of 40 percent...

Thursday, May 4, is the 66th National Day of Prayer. It will be celebrated around the nation. In 1952, under President Harry Truman, the Congress officially passed a joint resolution designating an annual National Day of Prayer. The first Thursday was made official under President Reagan. Since the beginning, all presidents have signed proclamations for a National Day of Prayer...

The 100th Day of session was April 18. Typically odd-numbered years mean a 110 day session. Earlier this year, we cut that down to 100 to save money in the de-appropriation bill. We often go beyond the set number of days each session. However, legislators stop getting per diem after the expiration of the allotted number of days...

A few weeks ago there was a Letter to the Editor criticizing candidate Trump for things he said during the campaign. You will recall there were 17 candidates vying for the Republican nomination. I believe it would be more productive to evaluate – now President Trump – on what he has accomplished since Jan. 20. Some examples:...

Survivors of assault and abuse often live in constant fear. Their days are filled with anxiety, knowing that their abuser or attacker might strike again. The Safe at Home program exists to aid survivors of domestic and sexual violence, stalking and trafficking by providing them with a legal substitute address, mail forwarding service and confidential voter registration. The program allows participants to return to active lives without listing their actual address on public records...

As I type today, we are quickly moving to adjournment for this legislative session. We have quickly moved budgets to the House Floor and the Senate has done the same. As I write, we are still working on the Appropriations Budget, medical cannabis, water quality, and a few other important bills...

The Dickinson County Trails Board will start its first maintenance project of the season on April 19 with the trail along 175th Street in the area of the Ranch Okoboji Mini-Golf Park. Anyone familiar with this area knows that it has been in rough shape for a few years due to water undermining the trail and sediment collecting at the bottom of the hill. ...

Q: Why do you keep bookkeepers at the Pentagon on a short leash?   A: In an era of political divisiveness, this is an issue that bridges the divide among Iowans across the ideological spectrum. Iowans have every right and good reason to care about the management of their hard-earned tax dollars. ...

Like other property owners in Senate District 1, my home mail recently included the always-anticipated 2017 Real Estate Assessment Roll from the county assessor, in which it states, “THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL.” 
That makes me feel better! I mention this because some of my Senate colleagues are claiming – in, I guess, a stab at winning votes – that assessors are hiking your taxes by raising the assessed value of your property. Let's shed some light on the property-tax system:
 ...

The board of directors of the Voluntary Action Center of the Iowa Great Lakes would like to thank all of you who donated to our recent March for Meals campaign. This money is used locally to fund our Meals on Wheels program, which serves the people of Spirit Lake, Orleans, Okoboji, Arnolds Park, Milford and Wahpeton. ...

Aren’t we all interested in the health and preservation of our Iowa Great Lakes? I am writing in support of Earth Day/Science Day, Sat. April 22, 2017. I am a recent transplant to the Lakes area from northern Wisconsin. I was born and raised in southeastern Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee back in 1972. I attended the first Earth Day in 1970, a teach-in, where Sen. Gaylord Nelson addressed a large crowd. It was a momentous day!...

The Dickinson County Assessor’s Office allows for review of assessed value of residential property every two years in the month of April. Board of review petitions are due at the Dickinson County Assessor’s Office between April 2 and April 30. These dates are the only window that the property tax-paying citizen of Dickinson County has to request a review of their tax assessment until April of 2019...

As we close in on the end of our legislative year, we have a few vital tasks to finish up. The largest one left undone is to formulate a budget that is both wise and prudent. In the last, week tremendous progress has been made in getting budgets out of committee and ready for floor debate in both the House and the Senate. ...