gdp's Comments

KCRG : Speed Cameras: Generating Revenue or Changing Habits? | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports,

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:16:05 +0000

Only the out-of-staters that can't read. It is marked which areas are photo enforced. It is also marked with the speed limit. In case they don't know what "photo enforced" means (sarc)

GazetteOnline.com : Three First Avenue East Sites Still in Play for New Fire Station

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:06:23 +0000

The reason Coe is wanting to buy the fire station (that actually has nothing to do with this article) is to try to put a buffer between campus and what is going on in that part of town. They are not going to be building a baseball field for varsity sports - they are proposing green space that can be used for intramural sports. It is more about campus safety than athletics. And they actually hope to re-purpose the fire station. The last thing that part of town needs is "affordable" housing and what business in their right mind would want to set up down there? Coe is the best option for everyone getting a fair price and using the land adequately.

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County reminder: Remove plates after selling your car

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:36:34 +0000

Sorry - I'm with Jeff here. It is YOUR responsibility to call the appropriate office and see what you need to do from state to state. Or even city to city. If you are incapable of bearing this responsibility, then be prepared for the ramifications! You can't just assume you are right and cry foul when you get a ticket!

GazetteOnline.com : Another rollover crash caught on traffic camera after red light violation

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:20:03 +0000

??? The driver that got hit was male, but " The teenage girl driving the manual transmission SUV " was...well, you get my point.

GazetteOnline.com : Texting compromise being considered

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:09:58 +0000

Ugh...so then DON'T start punching in numbers to make a call while driving down (or up) 380! It can wait.

GazetteOnline.com : Messy EMTs lose ‘stopping posts’

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:25:01 +0000

"Employees now have stepped forward to create a cleaning checklist, which has prompted Rippy to reopen the stopping posts." Responsibility is rewarded.

GazetteOnline.com : Messy EMTs lose ‘stopping posts’

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:22:24 +0000

If they need training to use a broom, mop and a trashcan, then I think we should question their skills as an EMT.

GazetteOnline.com : Messy EMTs lose ‘stopping posts’

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:10:16 +0000

I appreciate that Rippy isn't just hiring anyone to come in when there is a shortness of workers. It sucks for those who are putting in the long hours to make up for co-workers illnesses and medical leaves. But I'm sure they would be raising a stink if he hired unqualified people just to get more bodies out there. I respect the work that EMTs do. I've (Thank God) never required their services, but first responders can mean the difference between life and death. But one must wonder - if they don't respect their own surroundings enough to keep it tidied up - if they can't take the time to at least throw out their food when a call comes in (keep the trash can by the door - you are going that way)...what makes you think they are running straight to the sink to wash up before getting in the ambulance. And what if they are in the bathroom when a call comes...? A little discipline can go a long way.

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa City homeowners welcome low-income housing -- but not nearby

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:59:22 +0000

How many people posting in favor of this are paying a mortgage and have an apartment complex within earshot of your backyard?

GazetteOnline.com : Iowa City homeowners welcome low-income housing -- but not nearby

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:54:31 +0000

This same issue was raised in the NW/Ellis Park area in CR when we were threatened with low-income "townhouses." Our homes are on average worth less than 1/2 of the homes in this story. But we still fought against it. John Naeve has it right: “It’s going to change the dynamic of the neighborhood and the property values." People that own homes are invested in their surrounding and neighborhood. The dynamic of a close knit neighborhood changes when you throw in renters, especially in apartment complexes. I have lived in my fair share of rental properties and apartments. And I could not WAIT to purchase a home to get away from most of the people I lived around (and I was not renting in low income complexes.) People that pay property taxes, mortgages and upkeep should not have to lose money or their established sense of security because of an apartment complex springing up in their backyard. There is a reason these newer homes were built where they were - away from everyone else.

GazetteOnline.com : City Council selects TrueNorth for library relocation

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:32:06 +0000

I thought FEMA wouldn't provide funding for anyone rebuilding where it flooded in 2008: "In June 2008, the TrueNorth building took on floodwater in two below-grade parts of the building, said Randy Rings, general counsel for the company. Most of the building stayed dry, but part of the property may be in the new, yet-to-be-released 500-year flood plain map." http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/government/20... Why are we not taking the very high road of the Emerald Knights? Don't get it...

GazetteOnline.com : Majority of council not backing library board recommendation

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:22:14 +0000

I believe Mr. Weineke is the only one with 1/2 a clue. On most of what I've seen reported lately. At least we have one...

GazetteOnline.com : City utilities to increase 7.4 percent this summer

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 11:44:58 +0000

I would be more OK with this if the city used it to fund online bill pay. It is the only utility we have that is not in the 21st century. Ridiculous. Also, no way to have a "vacation mode" like every other utility/service. The people we contacted at the city utilities are also a "joy" to work with.

GazetteOnline.com : City utilities to increase 7.4 percent this summer

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 11:44:18 +0000

My comment must be approved. Why do I even try to speak my mind.

GazetteOnline.com : Economy delaying births?

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:58:01 +0000

Shouldn't that headline read that the economy is delaying pregnancies? (As the article states.) Once you are pregnant, the birth will happen regardless of the economy!

GazetteOnline.com : Thanksgiving school break varies across Eastern Iowa

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:01:06 +0000

I agree there are too many in-service days. But you have to leave the teacher's summers alone. They are barely getting paid enough to make it through the school year and most of them are also taking classes and have families. Their summers are a well deserved break. My son's kindergarten teacher spends 9+ hours a day at school (kindergarten!) and I know a HS teacher who arrives at 7 and is lucky to leave by 5. And school lets out at 2:45.

GazetteOnline.com : Should flood rebuilding include public art?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:29:37 +0000

Lets just throw up some soviet bloc style, plain concrete buildings with absolutely no character or embellishment whatsoever. You will be the first person on here complaining that post-flood CR is gloomy and boring. The most famous (and most visited - i.e. tourism dollars) cities incorporate art in their planning. There is intrinsic value in the use of art in architecture and design of public buildings. It is used to define the history and culture of the area, sometimes by use of local artists, and that is where your "weird art" comes in. I think fake deer and rocks with family names on them (seen all around CR on front lawns) are weird. But to each his own. If there is a federal requirement for the use of art, then I assume the only way you can change it is to contact your government. I am not an artist. And I do think that art shouldn't be the first thing considered in the funding of new public building. But I am a critic of people who throw around the word incompetence when discussing subjects they knew little about. Spare all of us!

GazetteOnline.com : Legislators criticize trip to Disney center

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 18:52:17 +0000

Really! I don't think they need to go to Disney to learn to listen to their customers/patients and not be jerks. Duh!

GazetteOnline.com : Cedar Rapids will start receiving $140 million for flood buyouts

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 01:29:01 +0000

Ummm, Tyree... Katrina and the flood were both on Bush's watch. So his people are the ones who got the slow ball moving. The Obama administration is less than a year old, and now the flood buyouts are near. Nice try, though.

GazetteOnline.com : Corbett will be Cedar Rapids mayor

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 04:03:54 +0000

Not many people love their bosses.