Le Mars Daily Sentinel: Opinion

Poll

Fining our way to prosperity? (03/19/10)
The government may have the best of intentions when they get involved with an issue, but, more often than not, their good intentions make things worse than they were before they started. We'd like to believe this is the case, because to do otherwise is to invite cynicism, something that is in plentiful supply today. If you could power the electric grid with cynicism, we wouldn't need to be talking about more base load capacity...

Sump pump to the rescue! (03/18/10)
Has spring sprung? The calendar says the season will officially arrive on Saturday, but there have been some signs of hope. As I write this on Tuesday, we have high hopes of a sunny St. Patrick's Day, which would break a nearly two week stretch without sunshine. Even though the sun hasn't been shining, temperatures have been rising, resulting in the retreat of snow from yards all over the county...

Copiers create new threat of identity theft (03/18/10)
With less than a month until tax day, you've probably got all your records together to prepare your return -- if you haven't already got your refund back and spent. It's a good time to pay special attention to the need to protect your identity. Most of us know enough not to give Social Security or credit card information out to someone who calls on the phone, to shred financial documents we no longer need and to be careful when making online transactions, but there is a new threat most of us haven't thought of.. ...

'March Madness' affects more than basketball (03/17/10)
The brackets have been released and the games are underway. The NCAA basketball tournaments are off and running. "March Madness," as the tournament is known, is afflicting basketball fans across the nation. But there is a different sort of "March Madness" underway in our state's capital. In Des Moines, where the legislature is franticly working to get the budget finalized and pass all sorts of last minute legislation, it appears that some have lost touch with reality...

Chinese finish Khrushchev's work? (03/16/10)
Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, in a speech to Western ambassadors given in 1956, said "we will bury you," referring to what he believed would be communism's victory over capitalism. Historians say that the quote was mistranslated, but the message was very clear -- the communists want to defeat capitalism and democracy. ...

Power from the people? (03/15/10)
There's no doubt about it, we love our electricity. Whether it is lighting our streets and homes, heating or cooling businesses and homes, or simply powering the cell phones, televisions, computers, iPods, Xboxes or any of the other countless gadgets we can't seem to live without, we need electricity like we need air...

They said yes (03/12/10)
In the last 25 years, kids have been bombarded with messages. They've heard things from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers and Hannah Montana. They hear things from Taylor Swift and every ad that flashes across their screen while they're watching TV or spending time on Facebook...

Death and other conspiracy theories (03/11/10)
The doomsday fascination continues. I never cease to be amazed at our society's obsession with death and apocalypse. There have been literally days worth of programming on the end of the world. The current fascination centers around December, 2012, when the Mayan calendar ends...

How much is prevention worth? (03/11/10)
That's the question that is being asked about several issues, nationally and locally. On a national level, health care costs continue to rise at a much higher rate than inflation. Health care reform seems to be a no win situation. If the Democrats use reconciliation and get enough members of the House of Representatives to tow the line and pass the Senate version, will they have won the battle, only to ultimately lose the war?...

Making lemonade, not an exact science (03/10/10)
We have all heard the positive thinking phrase, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade," something the Le Mars Community School Board is hoping to do with next year's budget. Monday night the board made the decision to proceed with the budget process, including the 2 percent allowable growth from the state. ...

Culver needs to be seen (03/09/10)
We have received reports and photos of sightings of robins, the snow is melting at a safe and gradual pace and we are cautiously optimistic that spring is on its way. Another sure sign of spring in an even numbered year is the return of the politicians. Yes, much like the return of the robins, those that would be our next elected representatives have come calling...

"Ward, I'm worried about the beav.." (03/08/10)
June and Ward Cleaver began many discussions about their children with this phrase during the six-year run of the situation comedy "Leave It to Beaver." The Cleaver family: Ward, June, Wally and Theodore (aka The Beaver) were considered to be a typical middle class American family...

Winds of change saving more than pennies (03/05/10)
Living in Northwest Iowa, we are very familiar with the wind. Nearly every day, there is a breeze or something stronger (as witnessed this winter) blowing. It makes sense that harnessing this resource would be a paying proposition. In the past decade, wind turbines have been sprouting out of the countryside, silently generating electricity...

Based on what I've seen.... (03/04/10)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present their awards on Sunday night. It's the 82nd gathering of the famous and those that hang around those that are famous. I enjoy the movies. Always have. In my lifetime, I saw the decline and death of small town movie theaters, the rise of the multiplex and stadium seating. I remember renting a VCR (which was as big and heavy as a full size suitcase), seeing my first DVD and now being able to rent a movie for 99¢ from a vending machine...

Send in the lawyers (03/04/10)
We have often commented that the school system is, by default, the last line of defense for civilization. In addition to educating our children, the schools are increasingly called upon to care for and teach our children, doing things that we feel should be done by parents...

It should be a good month for appliance sales (03/03/10)
As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus bill, the federal government gave each state funds to help consumers purchase energy efficient appliances. In Iowa, the program was administered online and by telephone, using a first-come, first served basis to serve customers. The system was overloaded on Monday, the first day that funds would be made available. The response was so great that callers experienced backlogs and the website was overwhelmed...

It doesn't make sense, but... (03/02/10)
It's March, time to think about St. Patrick's Day, springtime and the NCAA basketball tournament. Unfortunately, March is also the time of year that gasoline prices begin their run-up to summer pricing. We have seen this begin already, with gasoline prices rising in the past week. The excuses, er explanations have already begun. Even though the economy is still week and demand for fuel is less than robust, investors are betting that the economy will improve and the demand for fuel will rise...

Coming soon: More nuclear power in Iowa? (03/01/10)
Among the budget talks and banning of texting while driving, a small group of legislators, including our Rep. Chuck Soderberg, have been crafting legislation that would encourage the production of nuclear energy in Iowa. The bill would allow utilities to levy a surcharge on their customer's electric bills for three years to pay for a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a second nuclear power plant in Iowa...

Trends we'd like to see continue (02/26/10)
The Le Mars Police Department has issued their annual report, which covers many categories from juvenile offenses to arrests, and for the seventh year in a row, many of the categories show a decrease. Police Chief Stu Dekkenga, interviewed in today's paper, is hesitant to speculate on the cause behind the decline in arrests, but is encouraged by the trends and feels that the numbers "say something really positive about Le Mars."...

Redesign the hot dog? (02/25/10)
The longer I live, the more amazed I am that I have survived. On a seemingly daily basis, someone, somewhere finds a new way for common, every day things to become a threat to human existence. The latest threat to humankind? Hot dogs. Yes, hot dogs...

Parlor move is good for all (02/25/10)
It's good news for downtown Le Mars that the Wells' Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor and Museum will be moving from business 75 to 115 Central Ave. NW, in the building occupied for years by Spurgeon's Department Store. The move will occur next year. The Ice Cream Parlor and Museum have been open and attracting visitors for the past ten years. ...

New credit card rules are not the final answer (02/24/10)
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which went into effect this week was long overdue, but don't be lulled into thinking you still aren't open to being taken advantage of. The main points of the bill: Card issuers cannot increase rates during the first year on new accounts, and in most cases, retroactive rate increases are prohibited...

Doing what's best for the children (02/23/10)
The Le Mars Community School Board, faced with declining enrollment and unsure about the amount of state funding the district will be receiving, worked for several months to find $1 million to trim from the 2010-11 school year budget. Among the proposals voted on last night was the elimination of a section of kindergarten, first and second grades. ...

Decision time (02/22/10)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." -- Theodore Roosevelt The Le Mars Community School Board will decide the fate of many things at their meeting tonight. Squeezed by declining enrollment and cuts in state aid, the board is looking to trim $1 million from next year's budget...

The once and future governor? (02/19/10)
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad visited Le Mars yesterday, marking the 43rd county his campaign's "Comeback Tour" has visited. Before his visit to the Ice Cream Parlor, which has become a staple in state and national politics, Branstad stopped by the Sentinel for an early morning visit...