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Editorials

Did you know that rule changed?

Each year a plethora of rules are changed in the state of Iowa by the various agencies and boards, and we usually have no idea that something has changed until it affects us. The state of Iowa actually has created a Website (rules.iowa.gov) to help generate more input and information ...

On the Stump: The Polls are coming! The Polls are coming!

Secretary of State's fair booth to feature presidential pollDES MOINES Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate plans to include a Presidential Straw Poll at his office's booth during the 2015 Iowa State Fair. The unscientific poll can be accessed via iPads at the booth, which will be located inside ...

Being “house rich” – Affordable housing, foreclosures, and home size

Many people are concerned about housing affordability, especially following the Great Recession of 2009. The total number of Iowa single-family properties in a foreclosure status has fallen from a high of almost 5,000 during the 4th quarter 2012 to just over 3,000 in the 4th quarter 2014. The ...

Service Contracts and Extended Warranties

When you pay for an extended service contract, you and the contract provider are essentially making a bet. You are betting that it's worth paying extra for the peace of mind knowing that, if a product you purchased needs maintenance or repair down the road, it'll be covered. The contract ...

Ensuring good health care for vulnerable Iowans

We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, which were established on July 30, 1965.Today, Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to just over a half million Iowans who are some of the most vulnerable people in our state. This includes families and children, ...

Eastern Iowa is now part of Chicago!

The distance from Chicago to Dubuque, or Clinton, or Davenport is around 200 miles. It's almost 250 from Burlington. Yet recent and proposed actions by the federal government are making Eastern Iowa part of the "greater-Chicago area."The expanding federal nanny state has decided that our river ...

Questions and answers: Americans With Disabilities Act

Q: How has the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) shaped American society?A: The landmark civil rights law this summer observes 25 years since President George H.W. Bush signed the bill on July 26, 1990. Iowans will recall that one of the key architects of the legislation was my long-time ...

Is the mail on time in rural areas? U.S. Postal Service is going to be asking

WASHINGTON-Small towns and rural areas may soon get more attention from the U.S. Postal Service, following several years of post office and mail sorting facility closings. The Senate Appropriations Committee this week ordered new examination of the on-time arrival of mail outside urban areas. ...

Grassley- Questions and answers- Social Security

Q: How does Social Security measure up 80 years after being signed into law?A: Generations of Americans have been protected against poverty thanks in large measure to this social safety net signed into law 80 years ago on August 14, 1935. Without question, Social Security is tightly woven into ...