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Saturday, May 18, 2013
Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868
January 22, 2013
Tourney director
did awesome job
On behalf of Dallas Dragon wrestlers past and present, a special thank you to Janet Brunner for coordinating, orchestrating and running the Dallas Wrestling Tournament these past 20 years.
It has always been run efficiently, and I can't say that about every tournament.
Your help will be missed.
David Rebischke
Dallas
Taxpayers shouldn't
be bailing out PERS
All of us who have a hard time making ends meet should get together and put a levy on the ballot so we all get extra cash.
It's not the responsibility of the taxpayers of this state to make up the shortfall in the PERS program. These people work for us and when they run out of our money they want us, the taxpayer, to clean up their mess.
I've been cutting all my expenses in my household. It's time that everyone connected to PERS do the same.
Ken Mayer
Dallas
Things are different
with regard to guns
Those of us in a certain demographic -- say, over 50 -- remember the time when we could anticipate owning our own gun by the time we were 12, especially the boys. BB guns were the first, often presented in grade school. Hunting rifles preteen or teenage years for sure.
Guns were not registered or locked up in safes or hidden away. Many were proudly displayed over the fireplace or in the gun rack of dad's pickup. Safety and proper handling was learned at a very young age. Nobody got hurt. Mass shootings did not occur. People didn't worry about locking themselves in their homes. Guns were simply not an issue.
Fast forward to the 21st century. Guns are now highly regulated with new laws being proposed by the day. Gun ownership needs to be registered. Weapons are kept under lock and key. Curious children mishandle guns. Accidents happen. Young people whacked-out on psychotropic drugs plan and execute mass murders. More and more honest citizens are earning their concealed carry permits (CCP's). The citizenry is frightened.
What can we learn from this historical comparison? Guns are guns, then and now. They're still lethal weapons. What happened? With 2.5 million assault rifles in private hands right now, do you really think another law will stop gun violence? Are you really naive enough to think that all of these 2.5 million weapons will be peacefully surrendered?
It's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Homo sapiens are a violent, aggressive and highly territorial species. Violence will continue to happen and there will always be a way to create havoc. That's the way of our kind since Cane smote Abel and will continue to be so until we are erased from the planet.
Teach your children well.
Cindy Birko
Dallas
County has strong
law enforcement
I was at the swearing in ceremony for Aaron Felton, our new district attorney, on Thursday. It was memorable for a number of reasons.
Having been an elected official 18 years ago, it was a pleasure to see those who have become police chiefs, judges and DAs. I think we are very fortunate to live in Polk County. We have probably collected some of the finest people ever in law enforcement, prosecution and our courts to represent us.
While in our current climate where many people think our system is failing us, it is not here in Polk County.
Hollis Ferguson
Dallas
County should first
consider more cuts
Polk County is considering a measure that would increase property taxes to avoid a $500,000 to $1 million deficit. The county should cut costs before asking taxpayers for more money.
Here are some things the county can do before asking us for more:
* The three elected county commissioners are now paid as full-time employees with retirement and fringe benefits. Change this to part-time commissioners paid a flat amount per meeting with no retirement or other fringe benefits. This is similar to the Salem City Council members. Annual savings: $250,000.
* Require employees to pay some of the cost of their own PERS retirement. Currently they pay none. If the employees assume the 6 percent that they were originally supposed to pay (called "the 6 percent employee pickup") instead of the county, the annual savings woudl total $750,000.
The cost of PERS will continue to rise, so the employees may have to pay more in order to keep it fully funded. It is currently underfunded by $12.4 million.
George Irving
Dallas
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