I believe are County Board of Supervisors are being paid too much to behave in such a partisan manner. This has nothing to do with what is best for Linn County citizens and everything to do with satisfying the need for BOS members to ‘get back’ at a person who is – in my mind [...]

Todd, thanks for making me out as a liar. I am a non-paid volunteer that works with other non-paid Linn County citizens that have opposed gambling in Linn County since the 1990’s. I don’t buy TV, direct mail or pay bills. I donate my time, gasoline and energy to inform and persuade my fellow Linn [...]

Very funny – as true stories are usually the funniest. My brother-in-law picked up a ‘free’ kitten at the shelter, paying for shots and neutering. The kitten ate the nipple off of a baby bottle which required more than $200 in surgery to remove. With three cats (one came home from college) and a dog [...]

Rich, you may have missed earlier article in The Gazette regarding Board of Supervisor pay. Here is excerpt: “Former Rep. Schulte noted that the supervisors in Polk County, which is twice as large as Linn County with a budget that is twice as large, get paid only a little more than what the Linn supervisors [...]

When elected officials start talking (or voting) pay raises for themselves they have forgotten what public service is all about; it’s a sacrifice, not a meal ticket. Public service is not a career. Citizens are supposed to ‘serve their time’ then return to the private sector. With this vote to increase their pay they have [...]

Rich Greer – I’m not ashamed for being opposed to Linn County gambling for the past 15 years. Nor has my image been ‘tarnished’ or my integrity been ‘undermined’. Your reasons for supporting the proposed Linn County casino – ‘you want to gamble closer to home’ and your personal animosity toward other regional casinos trying [...]

It doesn’t matter where they locate the casino. It is not about economic development, it is about collective greed; private investors, city government, county government.

There is another part of this story that involves the private investors meeting with city and county government 14 months before any of us were aware of the proposed casino. You would think city and county leaders would have initiated public discussion concerning the proposed casino, would have conducted their own independent research (similar to [...]

Illinois House Votes to Lift Smoking Ban at Casinos – March 29, 2011 – Sun Times Tom Swoik, executive director of Illinois Casino Gaming Association, said gambling revenue has dropped 32 percent since the smoking ban was approved. He said the ban probably accounts for one-third to one-half of that and has cost state government [...]

The citizens of Linn County defeated the riverboat back in the 1990′s before there were land-based casinos. We defeated the 2003 casino initiative and most of the same and new volunteers – local Linn County residents – not paid by anyone – are working hard to defeat a private casino a third time. We are [...]

When elected officials start talking about pay raises or cost of living pay increases its a sign that they view their ‘service’ as a ‘career’. Elected office is not supposed to be a ‘career’. Citizens are supposed to ‘serve’ for a limited period of time, then return to the private sector. Serving multiple terms in [...]

The important question is whether a casino is right for Linn County? We can’t control who favors or opposes the casino, why the favor or oppose, or how they spend their money. I do know that the hundreds of volunteers (not being paid by anyone) I work with are the same people I worked with [...]

Thanks, Nate. This is what I was hoping you would write about.

I’m sorry Carol Hunter, Des Moines Register, you are wrong. When it comes to political party caucus results, no ‘deals’ should be cut with one or any news organizations regarding distribution. By the way, what was the deal? Did the Register pay the GOP to receive the results first? Or did the Register promise favorable [...]