gdp's Comments

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa’s small businesses can get tax credits to help pay for health care coverage

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:54:48 +0000

Please fact check a couple of things.... 1) The indexing. The amount of credit is reduced greatly as employers exceed 10 employees and $25,000 in average earnings. 2) The choice. Employers will have a choice. The credit or the deduction as a business expense. This coupled with the indexing will force many eligible employers to pass on the credit and take the deduction as the have in the past. It seems to me that this is a "looks and sounds good" credit, but in reality only a handful of businesses will get any benefit from it. Here is a link I have been using to a calculator to determine the credit. http://www.nfib.com/issues-elections/healthcare/c...

GazetteOnline.com : Interstate 380 speed cameras going live Saturday

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:57:47 +0000

Maybe the problem is the curve?

GazetteOnline.com : 12-year-old killed in boating accident on Coralville Lake

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 19:16:24 +0000

We do that here in Iowa when we boat because it is a great idea. Why would a person need a law to do something that makes sense? I feel horrible for all involved. What a terrible tragedy.

GazetteOnline.com : Only one Kinnick night game this season

Thu, 6 May 2010 11:59:38 +0000

Great Pics of Kinnick. I really like the second one looking to the NW. It is a great angle.

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa cuts bowl ticket losses by nearly $114,000

Thu, 6 May 2010 11:47:10 +0000

They made money in each of the last two years. Where are you seeing loss? They earned $130,200 in 2009 and $54, 954 in 2010. Not so disturbing to me.

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa City to explore 21-only options

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:10:33 +0000

Why would they bring this up now? You would think this would have been part of the discussion prior to the vote.

GazetteOnline.com : Wellmark cleared to increase rates May 1

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:24:06 +0000

The health care reform that passed does absolutely nothing to slow the trend of cost increases. What is needed is a consumer behavior change. But telling people to eat better and get up off of their butts and exercise doesn't translate into re-election very well.

GazetteOnline.com : Wellmark cleared to increase rates May 1

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:23:23 +0000

Thanks Chet! Thanks for adding $3,000,000 to Wellmark's overhead to be passed along to the insureds. We already have an insurance division that checks these things out, this was simply political posturing and a waste of time and money. Maybe you could give Wellmark a $3,000,000 pass on insurance premium taxes to keep them from passing this along to us.

GazetteOnline.com : Survey: Branstad maintains 16-point lead on Culver

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:30:37 +0000

Great idea! Who do you think? Dan Gable? Tim Dwight? Lead singer from Slipknot? You never know, maybe a bird in the bush would be better than the one in our hand?

GazetteOnline.com : Report: Cancer now Iowa's leading killer

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:13:32 +0000

Wouldn't a sensible piece if health care legislation put plans in place with the ultimate goal being a reduction the prevalence of awful, family destroying, expensive, illnesses like cancer and heart disease? To start with, the bill could have included the cessation of government subsidies to tobacco farmers.

GazetteOnline.com : Survey: Branstad maintains 16-point lead on Culver

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:35:44 +0000

You can't tell me that these are the best two candidates that this state can produce. The greater of two evils, is still evil.

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa athletic department needs to reassess more than just its men's basketball coach

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:46:32 +0000

In my opinion, two main factors are working against Iowa Basketball. The first is the idea that Men's basketball is equal to the other sports in Carver Hawkeye Arena. In my opinion, this is a huge mistake. It has been treated this way and the revenues are starting to equal as well. A bigger factor that has all of the sports (Including football) scrambling is that our facilities in general are behind other programs. I think there is only one place to point a finger for this mees and that is squarely at Bob Bowlsby. He started the Kinnick Renovation, but what happened prior to that? He had many years to improve facilities at a time when money was more plentiful and nothing happened. Gary Barta may have walked into a worse situation than Lickliter did.

GazetteOnline.com : Todd Lickliter’s Iowa tenure

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:55:26 +0000

Wow...That paints an ugly picture.

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa City school district may use sales tax to lower tax rate increase

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:43:42 +0000

The public voted in favor of this tax because it was sold to them as money for a third high school.

GazetteOnline.com : Boat house battle all but over

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 17:03:57 +0000

Finally!!

GazetteOnline.com : Man charged with OWI tells police he doesn't know how to drive

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 17:02:43 +0000

I wonder what his BAC was at the time of the accident? It sounds like he was drinking after it. This might turn turn out to be very interesting.

GazetteOnline.com : Everclear, high-content alcohol limited to one size

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:54:01 +0000

Do you really think the problem is bottle size?

GazetteOnline.com : Everclear, high-content alcohol limited to one size

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:16:28 +0000

I agree with you. What a waste of time and resources.

GazetteOnline.com : Column - Unified by Outrage over Texting

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:33:32 +0000

Maybe while we are at it we should ban radios, food, cup holders, writing utensils, make up, kids, conversation and even free thought from the inside of an automobile. I guess the author found his dissenting opinion...

GazetteOnline.com : Harkin launches investigation into insurance pricing

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:50:40 +0000

It also wouldn't be a dramatic. You can't get re-elected that many times without some drama.