West Burlington IA News-Sports-Opinion

Now that the election has come and gone, Iowans are hearing things they didn’t during campaign season. Things like, “anything that isn't kind of nailed down is probably going to get cut” from Democrat leaders, who one month ago proclaimed state government’s finances were healthy.

The truth is coming out at last.

The Revenue Estimating Conference projects the Governor and lawmakers have just $7 million to cover $565 million of built in expenditures for the fiscal year 2009 budget when they begin work in January. But first, the politicians have some clean up work to do on the FY08 budget, which is only five months old.

Revenues have dropped since August, with no sign of a bottom yet. Complicating matters, Medicaid expenses for low income Iowans are rising. All that leads to cutting anything that isn’t “nailed down” to stem the tide of red ink.

The first vexing problem is what to do about state aid to local school districts. Every year the Governor and legislators agree on the “allowable growth” percentage – or the rate of combined state aid and property tax funding growth for K-12 schools. In January, the agreement was 4% - roughly $100 million in state aid and $50 million in property taxes.

Here is where property taxpayers, particularly those that pay the bulk of them on commercial property, have to be nervous.

When lawmakers revisit the current budget, one often discussed option is an across the board cut. Both Gov. Branstad and Gov. Vilsack employed it when money was tight. Its attractive because its quick, and perceived by many as fair because it treats all services equally.

Yet an across the board cut to K-12 funding, cuts only the state aid portion. Because of the way the school finance formula works, taxpayers have to backfill local school’s budget with higher and more property taxes. A state budget over $6.2 billion means a 1% across the board cut carries the potential to raise property taxes $25 million.

It’s possible to change the “allowable growth rate” at the same time – to reduce both state aid, and property taxes – but you can count on the state teachers union to oppose that. Given Democrat leaders’ insistence to honor their commitments made just a year ago to raise teacher salaries, arguably the biggest piece of school aid, makes its equally unlikely.

All of which begs the question – which commitments won’t Democrat lawmakers honor?

Here’s a place to start – cut the pork. Its no time for sweetheart deals to build recreation centers and train depots in legislators' home districts. It won’t solve the problem, but it’s the right place to start. Revisit the decision to hire 618 new state workers – 33 in the Department of Education. Do the heavy lifting of examining every line item.

Whatever is done to solve the current budget crisis, Iowans should be cautious that a bad situation isn’t made worse by increasing property taxes.

-Christopher Rants, former Speaker of the Iowa State House, and a Republican legislator from Sioux City, Iowa.

11/19/08 – 12:10 a.m. at 2401 Burlington Ave., Burlington.
Christopher Adam Young, 24, 701 E. Pennington Apt. 217, West Burlington; criminal trespass.

Therese Lees’ son, Tyler, cited for fifth degree theft.

-Burlington PD Arrest Record-

11/16/08 – 11:07 p.m. at Hy-Vee on Angular, Burlington.
Tyler Mitchell Lees, 23, 508 West Aire Dr., West Burlington; fifth degree theft.

With worldwide temperatures cooling, Obama claims global warming an urgent threat.

CLICK HERE for video and article

Falcon,

Watching television leads to unhappiness. Studies confirm it.

Study: Unhappy people watch more TV

Your pursuit of happiness is all they have in mind by not running West Burlington City Council meetings on cable. Ignorance is bliss.

-AA

Governments can't handle global run on gold coins.

THERE'S a worldwide run on gold coins.

Even as the price of the precious metal itself comes under pressure along with commodities like oil and copper, people around the world are demanding so many of the valuable coins that government mints are having difficulty filling orders.

A spokesperson for the US Mint tells me that gold coins in this country, for the past month, "are being allocated because of an increased demand."

The attraction for gold coins isn't surprising. Since ancient times, gold has been considered the safest investment to hold in times of uncertainty.

With fears of future inflation rising and concern about the value of paper currency and government-debt increasing with each new recovery plan announced in Washington and in foreign capitals, the desire to hold gold grows.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE

Falcon,

Well, when I wrote my first reply to Proud Patriot I wanted to spark a debate, but WOW did I ever spark a debate. Many of you do have valid points, and I’ll be the first to say it- No matter who’s in the house, senate, or even has the presidency, they won’t change much if anything. Politicians are politicians, and nothing can change that.

Sorry to spark this huge debate Falcon, but I think we all go a lot of things out into the open that needed to be said (or written in this case).

I say we all just agree to disagree. How about you?

-True American

11/15/08 – 3:32 a.m. at 324 Agency, West Burlington.
Robert James Jerid Justice, 18, 713 Main St., Mediapolis; possession of alcohol under legal age.

11/15/08 – 12:48 a.m. at 890 W. Mt. Pleasant St. Lot 11, West Burlington.
Adam Michael Sirtak, 31, 890 W. Mt. Pleasant St. Lot 11, West Burlington; simple domestic assault.

11/14/08 – 3:40 p.m. at 324 W. Agency (Wal-Mart), West Burlington.
Vicki Lynn Elliot, 51, 1612 West Ave., Burlington; fifth degree theft.

11/13/08 – 5:15 p.m. at 1500 W. Agency St., West Burlington.
Ismael Hommy Cruz-Pagan, 1500 W. Agency (Winegard Hall), West Burlington; simple assault.

11/13/08 – 4:00 p.m. at 550 S. Gear, Suite 67 (Younkers), West Burlington.
Jenna Denise Kleinkopf, 19, 8473 Sycamore Rd., Danville; fourth degree theft.

11/13/08 – 3:15 p.m. at 306 E. Agency St. (Kohl’s), West Burlington.
Hannah Nicole Green, 21, 625 S. Central St., Burlington; fifth degree theft.

11/10/08 – 5:22 p.m. at 324 W. Agency St. (Wal-Mart), West Burlington.
Emily Marie Mennen, 17, 1914 Jackson St., Burlington; fifth degree theft.
Megan Katherine Williams, 17, 801 High St., Burlington; fifth degree theft.

11/9/08 – 9:28 p.m. at 324 W. Agency St. (Wal-Mart), West Burlington.
Michele Denise Haynes, 21, 412 E. Main St., New London; fifth degree theft.

11/9/08 – 2:01 a.m. at 4305 W. Mt. Pleasant St., West Burlington.
Terry Everett Houseman, 61, 2830 Winegard Dr. #64, Burlington; Nye County, Nevada, warrant for insufficient funds.

11/07/08 – 4:00 p.m. 701 E. Pennington, Apt. 145, West Burlington.
Crystal Glander, 701 E. Pennington, Apt. 145, West Burlington; harassment.

11/06/08 – 1:47 p.m. at 306 E. Agency St. (Kohl’s), West Burlington.
Pamela Sue Hester, 47, 2905 Flint Hills Dr., Burlington; felony second-degree theft.

11/06/08 – 4:00 p.m. at 122 Broadway St., West Burlington.
Randall Loren Dykes, 19, 512 S. Starr, Burlington; felony second-degree theft.

11/6/08 – 1:47 a.m. at 306 E. Agency (Kohl’s), West Burlington.
Pamela Sue Hester, 47, 2905 Flint Hills Dr., Burlington; fifth degree theft.

11/03/08 – 10:32 p.m. at 1221 S. Gear Ave. (GRMC), West Burlington.
Bethany Hope Faith Dickenson, 21, 1743 330th Ave., Fort Madison; assault.

11/03/08 – 10:30 p.m. at 1221 S. Gear Ave. (GRMC), West Burlington.
Bethany Hope Faith Dickenson, 21, 1743 330th Ave., Fort Madison; warrant for assault.

11/2/08 – 1:32 a.m. at 111 Broadway, West Burlington.
Rabecca Lynn Schnathorst, 21, 974 E. 4th St., Lomax, IL; Des Moines County warrant – fifth degree theft.

Media crosses line cheering for Obama

Perhaps it was the announcement that NBC News is coming out with a DVD titled "Yes We Can: The Barack Obama Story." Or that ABC and USA Today are rushing out a book on the election. Or that HBO has snapped up a documentary on Obama's campaign.

Perhaps it was the Newsweek commemorative issue -- "Obama's American Dream" -- filled with so many iconic images and such stirring prose that it could have been campaign literature. Or the Time cover depicting Obama as FDR, complete with jaunty cigarette holder.

Are the media capable of merchandizing the moment, packaging a president-elect for profit? Yes, they are.

What's troubling here goes beyond the clanging of cash registers. Media outlets have always tried to make a few bucks off the next big thing. The endless campaign is over, and there's nothing wrong with the country pulling together, however briefly, behind its new leader. But we seem to have crossed a cultural line into mythmaking.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE

Falcon,

You know what is funny? Well it is to me, it just shows how the advertiser only prints what they want you to read or are told to print by the powers that be!

The wrap prints a story about a coal train derailment in Wever Iowa the next day after its occurrence, but where is the paper after area law enforcement has a major sting in town on Friday!

It’s a poor paper that only prints what they are told to print by the powers that be and keeps the truth from the people about crime in the streets of Burlington, Iowa and West Burlington, Iowa.

-Tired of it all

After a long, long, wait it's in today's paper.

-Falcon

Newspapers, which are already bracing themselves for falling advertising sales as the global economy turns down, face more bad news next year as newsprint producers try to push through steep price increases.

Newsprint producers led by Norske Skog, the world’s second-largest, are currently negotiating with customers to increase prices by up to 20 per cent.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE

Falcon,

One thing good that has came out of an Obama win is that conservatives are becoming unglued and out of the caves we have been shoved into. We cannot be silenced any longer. Republicans are dumping most of the top leadership roles from the top down. Civil disobedience is right. That will be our only means of uprooting the tyranny imposed by the constitution hating Obama. An American Ruled by a Marxist is dead on right by it is our duty as American citizens to keep the federal government in check by any means, including revolution as our forefathers did. We must do what is in our country's best interest and follow the constitution. It only works when followed as a whole, not just bits and pieces. No Obama is not the first president to ignore it, nor was Bush the first, it goes back even before any of us were born. We have hit rock bottom in this country with Obama being elected, and the only way back to what the founding fathers said is the way to run the country, is to be disobedient, take it to court, and defend the constitution.

True American, I would recommend that you study harder in school so that you will learn what it means to be an American. A good book to read is America: The last best hope by William Bennet. Learn about the proper way the government is to conduct itself, the restrictions of the federal government, and the rights spelled out in the bill of rights to the people. Don't read between the lines, don't impose your idea of what it should say or mean, belive what it says and follow it. You are young and have a long way to go in life, there is hope for you yet. Wait till you work 40 hours a week and see how much of your paycheck is taken in taxes and spread the wealth. Your view may change after seeing that sometimes the only way to correct what is wrong is by a total shakedown back to the roots. Please open your mind; you will not be scared of me. When you do, you will see why those of us who understand the documents that made this country are so irate over Obama.

-Proud Patriot

True American, in case you didn't read it very close. Patriot wrote CIVIL disobedience. You should go back and read the Declaration of Independence, especially the part about dissolving the political bands which have connected them. While you’re at it maybe you should read the constitution and after you read it, read it again and continue reading it until you understand what it says. The constitution wasn't written to give us rights. It was written to keep government in check and to limit their power. If the government gets to big and intrusive in our lives. We have a responsibility and a duty to change that. If that means uprising and take our country back so be it. If that scares you then you certainly are not the true American you claim to be.

You say you don't support Obama on all issues and you are against welfare. Yet you support spreading the wealth by taking money from one group and giving it to another. If this isn't welfare could you please tell me what it is. You say you pay taxes. I challenge you to take half of what's left of your pay check after taxes, go find someone who doesn't make as much as you do and give it to them weekly. If you aren't willing to do that then you shouldn't expect anyone else to do so, either voluntarily or have it confiscated by the government.

I will tell you again having healthcare, owning a home a car or a college education is NOT a right. No one is entitled to these things period.

In regards to paying taxes - The richest people now pay the highest marginal tax rates. It is irrelevant how much money they have or how much they can spare. I will direct you back to my previous statement. If you are not willing to give up more of what you make don't expect anyone else to and don't say they have more than you. This whole class envy B.S. just pisses me off.

The Democrats ran in 2006 on getting out of Iraq. After they got elected they lied and didn't get us out of Iraq. They don't need a 3/5 majority to pull the troops out. They could have just voted to cut off funding for the troops. That would have ended the war. As far as Obama being a better politician, you are setting yourself up for a huge disappointment. You better start paying real close attention this guy is dangerous to the country and our way of life. So you better be prepared and find some courage you may just have to stand up to the Government in the near future.

A true American would not support this guy and his Marxist radical ideology. A true American believes in small government, low taxes for all, strong defense, pro life. Those are the principals on which this country was founded on.

Now I will sit back and wait for the angry, raving wacko libs to start attacking

-An American ruled by a Marxist.

Proud Patriot writes, "When Obama takes the oath of office, one of the things he swears on the holy bible to do is uphold and defend the constitution. A comment he made about how the Supreme Court is hindered by the constitution at redistributing justice and wealth shows how much disregard Obama has for the constitution. Why should we believe him when he takes that oath? Maybe it is the fact he also has taken the word of God wrote in that bible and ignored it too. The founding fathers of this nation are rolling over in their graves right now at how everything they spelled out for us on how to operate a government has been wadded up, and flushed down he toilet."

For the record, it is not in the constitution that a president must swear on a bible and/or swear to god. Quite the contrary, I believe the founding fathers would be rolling in their graves at how god keeps being thrown into government. Just pointing out that this is part of the problem I have listening to most right wing "patriots". Quit with the bible thumping already!

-BB