DesMoinesRegister.com - OPINION

Lamberti fit to serve, in spite of arrest

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:55:00 CDT

Gov. Terry Branstad has taken a hands-off position on whether Jeff Lamberti, his appointee to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, should be elected chairman of the regulatory board.

When up actually means down

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:17:00 CDT

Surely, this is 'poli-speak' at its finest: 'We've reduced the size and cost of government even though the costs went up,' Gov. Terry Branstad said.

Teachers next on GOP scapegoat agenda

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:17:00 CDT

First, Gov. Branstad unveiled his education overhaul plan. Then the Republicans, including the tea party crowd, made sure there wasn't enough money appropriated to make the success of any reform feasible.

Omissions water down Violence Against Women Act

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:17:00 CDT

For nearly two decades, the Violence Against Women Act has reduced domestic violence by 53 percent and saved lives. In addition, thousands of women and children have been given access to legal help and police assistance because of VAWA's provisions.

Obradovich: Will Obama extinguish the debt firestorm?

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

President Barack Obama might want to paint Air Force One red and bring a fire extinguisher when he returns to Iowa today. The White House announced the return trip just two days after Republican Mitt Romney spoke to an overflow crowd in Des Moines.

Iowa View: Liberal arts prepare grads for leadership

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

Today's economic environment, with its stubbornly high level of unemployment, is pressuring liberal arts institutions to justify the 'value proposition' offered by our undergraduate programs.

Government bullying must stop now

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

Why is everyone afraid to talk about the biggest bully in America today? Our city, county and state governments pass budgets that call for an increase in property values, resulting in increased tax payments.

Fond memories

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

The 40-some years we lived in Des Moines, we read 'Front Row,' the column by Elizabeth Clarkson Zwart, until her death. Every time I brush my teeth I remember a bit of advice she gave, although out here in the warm climate we don't need it. She said,

Don't subsidize nuclear at expense of sustainability

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

Regarding your article (May 15) about MidAmerican Energy reviewing its options now that the Iowa Legislature has not acted on H.F.

Don't pretend red-light cameras are about safety

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

There is no study currently available that equates red light cameras to increased safety. A decrease in one type accident is offset by increases in other types of accidents.

Do the math on responsibility for student behavior

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

I've read letters from parents and have heard speeches by politicians who blame teachers and the public school system for everything from low test scores to juvenile delinquency, bad manners and lax morality among children.

Church oversteps in Girl Scout investigation

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and the Sierra Club are organizations pledged to help people. Volunteers provide urgent medical care in countries where people are victims of war and disaster, regardless of race, religion or politics.

Will: When government becomes the looter

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:11:00 CDT

Russ Caswell, 68, is bewildered: 'What country are we in?' He and his wife, Pat, are ensnared in a Kafkaesque nightmare unfolding in Orwellian language.

U of I Foundation issue: It's about trust

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:01:00 CDT

In 2005, a landmark Iowa Supreme Court ruling ensured that the public could track how their donations are handled by foundations raising money on behalf of the state universities.

Your 2 Cents' Worth: Thursday, May 24, 2012

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:05:00 CDT

To the couple who picked up the tab for my boys and me on Mother's Day at Outback: Wow, that was totally unexpected. That's the nicest thing that's happened to me in a long while. Thank you so much!

'Stand Your Ground' not applied fairly in Florida

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:22:00 CDT

The news report about the abused mother in Florida who received 20 years in prison for firing a 'warning shot' at her abusive husband is especially despicable to me. If there ever was a legitimate 'stand your ground' case, this would be it.

A lot of weed-pulling

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:22:00 CDT

Iowa has 56,276 square miles of land. As of the last census we have 3,046,355 people. Let's just divide it up! We could each have approximately 804 square feet of land.

At Iowa dinner, Rand Paul shows true colors

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:22:00 CDT

Sen. Rand Paul gave us all a glimpse of what his father and he are really like with his comments at the Faith and Freedom Coalition. By saying that President Obama's views on marriage equality couldn't get any 'gayer,' he showed that he is nothing more th

Iowa View: The $41 cake bought with food stamps

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:21:00 CDT

The title of the article on the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal was provocative, to say the least. �Food Stamps and the $41 Cake.� My initial thought was that this was another of the apocryphal stories of the kind that circulate endlessly on the Internet.

Nursing home care is about more than profits

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:20:00 CDT

Iowans couldn't help but be horrified reading the Register's recent article concerning findings by nursing home inspectors at All American Restorative Care in Washington. ('Care Center Allegedly Left Resident on Floor,' May 16).