I want to lend my support to the upcoming City of Des Moines Levy Lid Lift for our Police Department. It seems to me that the amount asked is a small price to pay for getting the crime rate, which has risen 20 percent since 2004, under control here in Des Moines.
The amount of tax increase will about 44 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
I completely agree with Ralph Nichols’ view on national sovereignty and immigration. As one of the world's oldest current representative governments, we deserve better than to be treated like a refugee camp for people who would use taxpayer-paid services to the extent that there aren't enough resources to provide to legal, tax-paying residents.
And the argument that illegal immigrants are essential to the economy by performing jobs Americans won’t do is utterly erroneous. Don't tell me there are jobs Americans wouldn't do!
Kudos [to Ralph Nichols] for having the guts to write such a column. However, I will have to be like the rest of America and disagree with you. If you are not of Native American blood, which I am, then you were too an immigrant at some point.
These people are seeking amnesty. They are not trying to live off of welfare.
What defines a nation? 1. Well defined and respected borders. 2. A common language. 3. A common culture that engenders patriotism.
These three items are essential. The current protests seek to undermine all three of those components. If allowed to persist, we will not have a nation.
We will have a geographic area.
We must act to prevent our country's Balkanization and encourage assimilation of legal immigrants.
Larry Gilbert
Former Burien City Councilman
Union, Wash.
Re Ralph Nichols’ implications that (1) ANSWER [Act Now to Stop War and End Racism] is anything more than "along for the ride" in the immigrant rights marches, and (2) that anyone with the brains that God gave gravel would take an AWB [Association of Washington Business] survey seriously, I have only one comment:
April Fool's Day was three weeks ago, and somehow you missed it. Maybe next year. Best wishes.
Ivan Weiss, Chairman
34th District Democrats
While U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott and others continue to trot out the excuse that illegal immigrants are doing jobs that are generally not wanted by other people, they are thereby endearing themselves to some of their voter base.
Eric Mathison has every right to his opinion regarding President Bush, Republicans, Conservatives or anything else, but your position that the vast majority of both the print and broadcast news are not left wing biased just flies in the face of both common sense and the facts.
Over 90 percent of reporters, editors and broadcasters identify themselves as either liberal or liberal leaning. Numerous independent studies have also shown that the news is overwhelmingly biased to the left.
Time for getting your garden and lawn in order is quickly running out. One of the good reasons for doing major work at this time, in addition to the adaptability of plants, is that water rates go up in May.
New plants need to be watered in, so it’s best to do it while the cost of water is as low as it will be.The cost of water is another reason to muck out ornamental ponds at this time. Large ponds containing thousands of gallons can be expensive to refill.
Do it now and save money.
It’s the princess-and-pea syndrome, only in reverse. The fairy tale princess, you’ll recall, didn’t sleep well because there was a pea buried beneath her 20 mattresses.
I wonder why there isn’t a similar story about the hardy pauper, who - though accustomed to sleeping on the cold, hard ground - is kept awake by a tiny pebble.
Maybe because the hardy pauper has nothing to prove.
A Three Tree Point man's idea may take him to the top in the hottest new show on television.
Jerry Robinson, Times/News publisher, was only trying to make his wife comfortable, but his efforts may pay off if he wins the grand prize on "America's Greatest Inventions."
Only 12 finalists will share the stage in the show's finale, but the symptoms of their original affliction are familiar to every workshop widow whose husband ever said, "Honey, I'll be out in the garage."
First there's an hour of silence.
