West Burlington IA News-Sports-Opinion

Falcon,

I have been out of town for the last two weeks on vacation with my family in Colorado. Cell phones and Internet connections can be described as “iffy” when you are enjoying life at tree line.

Imagine my surprise when I first logged on to my WB City Council mailbox and noticed that I had 85 new messages in the last 4 days.

My first thought was that the citizens of West Burlington so enjoyed our July 4th celebration that they were heaping me with praises and gratitude for my small part.

It was either that, or, our mayor had been misquoted yet again.

Turns out it was the latter…damnit!

Most all the e-mails I received started out like this…

Dear Councilman (fill in name here),

“I am writing to you today to express my concern and disappointment about West Burlington's ordinance banning firearms…”

An obvious form letter, created by an NRA staff member, with specific instructions on how to reach myself, the four other WB City Council Members, and of course our long serving mayor, Hans Trousil.

I had to do some research from high in the Rockies to even learn that we had a “municipal building gun restriction”. Turns out our city adopted one, without much fuss, back in 2002. The council chambers is a public forum where opinions are expressed, tempers sometimes flare and I for one, don’t want anyone there to be packing (except Police Chief Oblein or his appointee). I wasn’t at all aware that this policy was indeed in place, but I am glad that it is. If someone enters with a weapon, I want our police personnel to know what course of action to take without deliberation or inaction. If someone enters council chambers with malice and a handgun I want them stopped immediately, thank you!

Anyhow, a Des Moines Register reporter misquoted Hans (shocker) and had him kind of calling gun rights supporters “nut jobs”. Hans never did that, but the NRA sounded the alarm anyone and filled my mailbox!

The “official” NRA letter talks about their members’ concern over the definition of so called municipal buildings in the “Weapon Free Ordinance”. Specifically the NRA doesn’t think WB should ban weapons from such crucial spaces in town as “public bathrooms, parking garages, bus stop overhangs, public rest stops…etc”

As soon as I locate these areas of concern I will report back.
Until then, I must go unpack.

-Dan West

Dan,

-Falcon

Dear Falcon,

I have to respond to Disgusted.

My husband has worked for the State of Iowa for 25 years in Ft Madison as a correctional Officer. During that time, he has been physically attacked (alot,) Blood and feces thrown at him, verbally attacked, sued, broken up lots of fights, works all holidays including Christmas , works weekends and denied vacations. Working at the prison he had heard and seen more than Disgusted could imagine. Does "Disgusted" get his weekends and holidays off? My husband guards the murders, rapists, child molesters.....you get the idea.

Perhaps Disgusted could go and work at the prisons, and do my husband's job with his co workers so my husband can go on vacation with his family as he is denied alot. (not enough employees). The state employees at the prisons and other facility's work their butt off to protect the civilians outside the walls. Or better yet, let's have the inmates released when my husband and his co workers would to take vacations and spend the holidays with their families.

Does my husband make that much money? No, there is private sector jobs in this county that pays more than he makes. Why does he put up with the abuse from the inmates? Its called a job, which pays our bills, supports his family, puts food on the table.

We pay taxes, pay medical insurance, utilities, and all other bills like the private sector. It's called a JOB! Someone has to do it.

Do not LUMP all state employees together if you have a gripe with certain departments. Oh I almost forgot to tell you, my husband and co workers also had to take unpaid days this year to balance the budget. Also state employees lost their job just like it happens in the private sector!

And one more thing, has Disgusted ever applied for a state employee job? If not, perhaps he should so he can put up with the crap the state employees do.

Signed
Proud Wife