Dear Editor:
Senator Merlin Bartz is at it again.
He has decided to take a simple issue and has dressed it up to use it as a political attack. An article in several newspapers across Iowa reported that Senator Bartz had attacked Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm for voting for SF 2113. This legislation was supported by Northeast Iowa (foresters) to help address issues with poachers who trespass on their property and damage their valuable trees. The tagging requirement did not include landowners hunting on their own land and was modeled after the tagging requirements that currently exist for trappers. Even if you don’t support the legislation, the idea that this is a massive infringement on individual rights is laughable.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the most outrageous comment Senator Bartz made. He also accused Senator Wilhelm and others in the legislature of wanting to require an individual to get a permit from DNR to trap mice in their home. That statement is absolutely ridiculous and is utterly disconnected from reality. I know of no one in the Legislature that is concerned with how people trap mice in their home, and no legislation has ever done that. Senator Bartz knows better.
These statements are just new examples of Senator Bartz making ridiculous political claims. In 2010, he made comments on the Senate floor alleging that the federal government was working to ban recreational fishing based on an article from ESPN.com. That claim was widely debunked. ESPN.com apologized for the article, but not Senator Bartz.
North Iowans deserve better.
Sen. Tom Courtney
Burlington
Merlin Bartz is a JOKE! When gay marriage was allowed in Iowa he told all the county clerks to not issuse marriage licenses to same sex couples. If they had listened to him they probably would have been fired and taxpayers would be paying for all the lawsuits. He hides behind an outdated fence law to make his neighbors pay for his livestock business. Just like midamerican energy wants us to invest in their nuclear power plant so I’m sure he will be voting yes on that bill. If you want people to invest in your business then pay them like any other investor!
All due respect Fred, this is an op-ed. It is written by a State Senator. Should I stifle free speech? I find you reasoning extremely flawed here.
Your website. Run it how you like. I’m just sayin’ as a consumer, the constant personal attacks are growing old. There’s gotta be some news out there besides, so and so sucks.
Fred, please. We posted over 60 stories today, and none of them said anyone “sucks.” If a news outlet can’t give a voice to the public, let alone an elected state senator, I just don’t know who would. I can’t control what he says. I appreciate you noticing the negativity out there, especially true from the majority of the bloggers, it gets old but that is how people behave now unfortunately. I agree there should be more positive news coverage. Thank you for your input and we will try to bring this type of news to you.
I think NIT has a lot of potential to report on news stories that others will not, or will not report honestly. But the non stop personal attacks are turning NIT into a high school newspaper and making it very unprofessional.
I ask you, Matt, please get NIT back to what it once was. An alternative news source.