and lastly, we have this one, who thinks that paying state employees' salaries from private funds is unethical, to say the least i'm sure. do i agree? yes. vilsack, for all the good he's done, isn't perfect and made a whopper of a 'mistake' with this one. i'm sure he has his reasons, and they're probably as sound as a bu$h excuse. but hey, lets not get in the habit of this sort of thing. if donors want to pay state employees' salaries, let them pay the road workers and the social workers.
DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "Private payouts
Regarding the plan to pay Iowa's director of economic development in part with private funds:
The use of private funds to supplement state employee wages is inappropriate, especially if the beneficiaries of the private largess will be making decisions about the distribution of state money that could go to the donors.
Mark L. Smith,
Des Moines "

the register is just full of it today. it != shit .. but a good example of how a whole lotta people seem to be feeling these day. here we have someone who would have a very hard time sweating out an answer as to just where did george bu$h "plant his seeds?"
DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "Being rich: An OK goal
As the gap between the 'rich' and the 'poor' continues to increase, several thoughts come to mind.
I remember when those 'without' used to admire those 'with.' I remember when those 'without' aspired to be like those 'with.' I remember the media didn't make a big deal out of the difference.
As years go by, this gap between incomes and net worth will continue to widen due to the following fact:
Rich people continue to do what makes them rich, and poor people continue to do what makes them poor. Imagine that. That is why no matter what is done to try to make everyone the same, it will never happen.
A wise man once told me, 'Young man, if you never get around to planting any seeds, how do you ever expect to live off of the harvest?'
Kurt E. Brewer,
Des Moines."

the hangover must be wearing off.
DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "Regarding a quote in the July 20 Register story, 'Swift Victory, Ill-Planned Peace':
'Pentagon officials said they are studying the lessons of Iraq closely - to ensure that the next U.S. takeover of a foreign country goes more smoothly.
' 'We are going to get better over time,' promised Lawrence DiRita, a special assistant to [Secretary of State Donald] Rumsfeld. 'We'll get better as we do it more often'.'
What outrageous statements. U.S. citizens gave President Bush a free pass with Iraq because it seemed terrorism could be encouraged by Saddam Hussein. But to talk of other takeovers is chilling.
What country and time are we in? I do not see any understanding or appreciation of other cultures by this administration. No wonder Bush's poll numbers continue to slide.
Bonnie Pitz,
Newton."

great letter today in the register.
DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "Hook President Bush up to a lie detector and ask him if he hyped intelligence to justify the Iraq war. He will answer 'no' and the needle won't even quiver.
The deception Bush practices is self-deception. He hears what he wants to hear and believes what he wants to believe. Common enough, but potentially deadly in a president.
Ian Brinnie,
Des Moines."

corporate welfare? if we're going to do a cost-estimate ratio thing, then lets get busy. because the cost of not providing basic healthcare and foodstamps to the poor, is right up there when it comes to how much the state could save by offering the tidbit assistance it's being asked for, and in cases where poopyheads are writing the checks, denied.
DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "Wells Fargo reportedly may ask state and local officials for $25 million to $30 million in aid. "

i didnt even have to get past the 1st line, much less to the end of the 1st paragraph to know this letter writer was from west des moines, poopyville of the midwest.
DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "I'm afraid I can't conjure up any sympathy for these complaining U.S. soldiers. The poor babies have been away from Mama for almost six months now. But it is easy to see where the liberal media would pick it up and try to make a big deal out of it."

a few months ago, mason city iowa voters approved a 1% local option sales tax that was supposed to offset the budget cuts hitting our schools. today, news of the school board continuing to cut staff & services to the tune of $373,000. i'm just sick.

as they say in washington: how much do ya got?
Yahoo! News - Police Departments Turn to Private Money: "Police and foundation officials say they guard against the possibility of wealthy donors winning undue influence.
Without question, some donors are helping themselves. The handbag manufacturer Coach, Major League Baseball and the Motion Picture Association of America earmark their donations for the NYPD's trademark-infringement unit, contributing to a $200,000 account that is used to make undercover purchases of counterfeit CDs, clothes and other goods.
Supervising Sgt. Tom McFadden said the funding does not compromise his unit's independence. "

FBI AND US SPY AGENTS SAY BUSH SPIKED BIN LADEN PROBES BEFORE 11 SEPTEMBER: "But the FBI files were closed in 1996 apparently before any conclusions could be reached on either the Bin Laden brothers or the organisation itself. High-placed intelligence sources in Washington told the Guardian this week: 'There were always constraints on investigating the Saudis'.

They said the restrictions became worse after the Bush administration took over this year. The intelligence agencies had been told to 'back off' from investigations involving other members of the Bin Laden family, the Saudi royals, and possible Saudi links to the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Pakistan."

DesMoinesRegister.com | Opinion: "In his July 14 letter, Greg Heartsill indulges in some illogic by equating the donors to a given political party with those most helped by a party. He claims that more big-money donations are given to Democrats than to Republicans and then draws the conclusion that the 'Democrats are actually the party of the rich.'
That can only be true if one assumes that the Democratic Party pays back these rich donors with pro-wealthy policies. Heartsill makes no such claim.
Of course there are wealthy Democrats, just as there are Republicans of modest means. But the test of a party lies in its policies and values, not in its donors. The policies of the Democratic Party are more closely aligned with the economic interests of families of average means than are those of the Republicans.
Robert Bataille,
Ames."

i was never scared about the threat from iraq. but i AM scared of the north korean threat.