Governor Rod Blagojevich has spent less time in Springfield than any governor in memory. Instead, he's either stayed close to his Chicago home or gallivanted around the rest of the state holding press conferences touting his programs and blaming his problems on a General Assembly that has, in reality, mostly tried (in vain) to work with him.
Is Davenport Alderman Ray Ambrose expecting to be re-elected over the dead bodies of our pets? It's hard to believe that such a seasoned politician is serious about arming Davenport citizens against the perceived threat of mammalian anarchy.
Say what you want about Governor Rod Blagojevich, but he's sticking like Super Glue to his top priorities. Unfortunately, the guv's highest priority is running a permanent campaign. Pundits always used to accuse Bill Clinton of that very same thing, but Clinton was, of course, re-elected.
The Iowa state legislature should be applauded for undertaking the ambitious task of overhauling Iowa's property-tax system. Few will disagree that the change is needed. Unfortunately the outcome of the proposed legislation needs considerably more discussion from all corners of the state.
In a slide lecture for her new exhibition, Lauren Greenfield begins with 15-year-old black-and-white photographs of French aristocrats who have status but little money. The pictures are handsome and filled with minutiae but seemingly worlds away from her recent work: vibrant, often disturbing photos of women and girls.
The political landscape is heating up with controversy over the war with Iraq, all in the name of freedom of speech and the First Amendment. It would be highly amusing if it weren't such a critical issue both in terms of our national esteem and the potential dangerous long-term consequences.
The local outfit The Marlboro Chorus has an easygoing, ambling style that’s belied by a keen attention to production and arrangement. What you’re left with on the group’s new album, “Good Luck” , is the lo-fi charm of a singer-songwriter such as Elliot Smith combined with playful but meticulous flourishes that remind me of The Flaming Lips.
The River Cities' Reader's first-ever short-story contest generated a tremendous response, with 86 entries, including one from halfway around the world (Australia). Most of the stories came from right here in the Quad Cities, though.
The first must-hear record of the year comes from the Blue Man Group, a trio of nameless, faceless cobalt-silver surfers of the double helix as both pop-culture artists and electronic-music stream-clashers. With the group's new album, The Complex, this mute alien threesome goes beyond the grid and becomes the grid themselves, collaborating with guest vocalists and lyrics for the first time.
The big business of asbestos litigation is encroaching upon the livelihood of Iowa's small businesses. Small companies with as few as 20 employees are finding themselves mired in this unending legal morass.

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