Category: Opinion

After reading the article on GreeneCountyNewsOnline about negotiations between the teachers and the school board, it became apparent that members of the community need to speak up about the importance of having and keeping high quality educators in the Greene County Schools.

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien Like so many of us, I’m consumed by the news and then so tired of it or confused by it I don’t pay any attention for a while. Then out of the very back of my brain, my trained-to-be-informed childhood aims its pointy finger, and I feel I’m not being a good citizen. I whine…

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March 12, 2020 ~by Sen Joni Ernst  In the past few days, cases of coronavirus have started to arise here in Iowa, just like we’ve seen in many other states across the country. At this point, there are over 1,000 cases in the United States, and that number is almost certain to grow. In Congress, we are working to do…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien The CDC is the leading national health institute. It is a federal agency (think Deep State˟), where in 2018, the top national security officials handling pandemics left abruptly, did not say why and have not been replaced by this administration.

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March 5, 2020 ~by Senator Jerry Behn On Tuesday the House and Senate announced an agreement on a K-12 education funding package for the next school year. Investing almost $100 million in new funding for schools, this money will include $7.65 million for transportation equity and $5.8 million for per pupil equity. The bill passed out of the Senate on…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien 1. Who’s the whiniest person you know? It could be siblings, once-friends, parents, your child, your grandchild, a great aunt, a boss, your roommate, your president? It’s such a weenie way to live, complaining. Especially when it’s about everything, like a differing point of view. Or a questioning of point of view. Or a mere…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brie Italians I met while visiting in Italy told me about “workers’ housing” built in the middle of Rome “after the War” (WWII). A fellow I met owns one of these tiny apartments, about 400 square feet. He said it is mostly old grandmothers (from whom he inherited) still living there, and their children and grandchildren…great-great-grands…

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February 20, 2020 ~by Sen Jerry Behn Subcommittee and committee work took up most, if not all, of our time during the sixth week because the end of the week is the first legislative deadline of the year, nicknamed ‘funnel week.’ This deadline requires most legislation be passed out of committee in its originating chamber – Senate bills need to…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien Years ago, when I told a woman I couldn’t go to mass because my in-laws were coming in about then, she said, “I’ll pray for you.” I was offended, thinking she was a little high and mighty, judging me, as if she thought I needed to be prayed on. I was young and, if not…

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To the editor, The city council, once again, at the expense of the residents, voted unanimously to hold a special election on March 3 to fill the vacant council seat. This in spite of the large group of supporters present at the Jan. 14 council meeting urging for the appointment of a very viable candidate, Sean Sebourn, to fill the…

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~by Sen. Jerry Behn February 14, 2020 One of the first things we did during our fifth week in the Senate was pass our education funding bills, Senate File 2164 and Senate File 2142. These bills together mean approximately $90 million in increased funding for Iowa schools. We are confident this amount is sustainable and responsible, allowing us to prioritize…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien Our current president, #45, may be a perfectly fine gentlemen who is nice to his family, friends and pets. We know he really likes one of his girls. We know he brooks no difference of opinion with his friends, and we’ve seen lots of them drift away. But we all lose friends over time. His…

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