04 Jun 2025

Tariffs in American History

By John Steele Gordon
At inauguration, George Washington had been symbolically careful to wear a suit made of cloth wov

Tariffs are among the oldest of taxes for the simple reason that they are easy to collect. Just send in the tax collectors and don’t let the goods being transported move until the duty has been paid. Being one of the earliest forms of taxation, it is not surprising that tariffs produced one of the earliest forms of tax evasion: smuggling.

13 May 2025

Scott County Attorney Keeping DCI Report on 324 Main Collapse Secret Will Cost Taxpayers … Again.

By David Ezra Sidran

[The remarks below were delivered during Public With Business at the Scott County Board of Supervisors Board Meeting Thursday April 24, 2025.]  "I will save you the suspense: It is a public record. We all know how this is going to end. The only question is if you’re going to write another check for $93,000 to Mike Meloy or not?"

13 May 2025

Debris in Davenport Is Gone, but the Secrets Remain: May 15 Iowa Public Information Board Might Hear County Attorney Request to Keep DCI Report on 324 Main Street Collapse Hidden

By Randy Evans

As we approach May 28, the second anniversary of a tragedy that shocked the people of Davenport and brought national attention to the issue of building safety, secrecy continues to cloud public confidence in their government officials.

14 Feb 2025

Audit U.S. Agency for International Development … Then Shut It Down!

By Ron Paul

As of this writing (February 3, 2025), when you attempt to access the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Web site or social-media pages you are informed that “This site can’t be reached.” The media reports that the new Trump Administration has not only frozen USAID activities, but may be planning on bringing it back under control of the U.S. State Department. Other reports, including statements by Elon Musk, suggest that it will be closed completely.

14 Feb 2025

Abolish the Income Tax: Utter Folly, or Something To Consider?

By John Dvorak

The income tax is, at its core, a method of population control and redistribution of wealth. It's also a disincentive to work because the more you work, the more you pay.

14 Feb 2025

Former Iowa Governor and U.S. Ag Secretary Vilsack Now Running the World Food Prize Foundation

By Cami Koons

Tom Vilsack will return to Iowa as CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation, headquartered in Des Moines, following his role as U.S. secretary of agriculture during the Biden-Harris administration.

14 Feb 2025

Ernst, Feenstra Introduce Bills to Curb SNAP Payment Errors: Local Food-Security Advocates Say It Would Complicate Application Process

By Cami Koons

Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Randy Feenstra, both Republicans from Iowa, introduced matching bills aimed at reducing overpayments made to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, but Iowa advocates say the bills won’t be effective at reducing payment errors.

04 Feb 2025

At an Iconic Nashville Stage, Tom Vaccaro Gets the Wish of a Lifetime

By Jonathan Turner

Tom Vaccaro of Davenport had a “Grand Ole” time in Nashville, Tennessee, to kick off his 2025.

15 Jan 2025

Welcome to 2025: Where Your Freedoms Go to Die

By John and Nisha Whitehead

Wondering what to expect from the government in 2025? So far, it looks like it will be more of the same ill-advised, costly, greedy, taxpayer-funded, dunderheaded power grabs, saber-rattling, graft, corruption, and make-works programming that leaves us no better off than where we started.

23 Oct 2024

I Am Free Because I Pled Guilty to Journalism

By Kevin Gosztola
Julian and Stella Assange at PACE Oct 1.2024

October 1, 2024 marked Julian Assange’s first public remarks about the United States Justice Department’s prosecution since his release from the Belmarsh high-security prison in London.

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