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Opinion

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The Elbert Files: Iowa’s election year economy

Politicians take credit when the economy does well and blame others when it doesn’t, although the truth is that government can do little beyond imposing embargoes and trade tariffs that has much direct impact.

That …

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Guest Opinion: Paid maternity leave is the right thing

BY KRISTEN COREY | Program planner, Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

I remember the moment clearly. It was the moment I realized things were different for women in the working world than they …

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Guest Opinion: How to respond to difficult conversation

BY KIM STAMATELOS & ASHLEY TOLLAKSON | Attorneys and mediators, Stamatelos & Tollakson PLLC This is the second piece in a two-part series by Ashley Tollakson and Kimberly Stamatelos. Part one, which published last week, focused on initiating…
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The Elbert Files: When taxes don’t measure up

I have a confession. I’ve been trying to make sense of Iowa’s tax code, which is something my accountant, Ted, has advised me never to do.

Ted tells the story about one of his tax …

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The Elbert Files: Linking 2015 with 1900

Some of my favorite census data are from the years 1900 and 2015. 1900 was when Iowa’s population topped 2 million for the first time, making us the 10th most populous of the then-45 states …

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Guest Opinion: Embrace the spirit of service

I’ve come to believe that every job – or near to it – is a customer service job, even if you don’t spend your days working retail, or if the term isn’t part of your …

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Guest Opinion: Take time to slow down

BY BRIANNE FITZGERALD | Resource development director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa
Recently, I was forced to slow down.


In preparation for my inevitable slowdown, I panicked and tried to think of anything…
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The Elbert Files: ‘Water’ entertains, educates

Jennifer Wilson’s novel “Water” is an easy way for Iowans to learn a lot about a complicated subject quickly.

And there is sex.

The 226-page book is a love story/mystery wrapped in the professional and …

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Guest Opinion: Conquering the first

BY GLENNDA BIVENS AND JENNIFER CHITTENDEN
Bivens

Glennda Bivens moderated a May 6 panel of experts focusing on building confidence and overcoming fear at different stages of success. She and Jennifer Chittenden, director of the …

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The Elbert Files: A mistake in the making

I was taking my morning walk along Grand Avenue last week and thinking about the nice job Ned Chiodo is doing with the fairway on Waveland’s third hole when I saw a familiar figure approaching. …