Letters to the editor: Jack Trice Stadium lighting should be dialed back

Stadium lighting should be dialed back

Iowa State University, please try to reduce the light pollution in the vicinity of the football stadium. Video screens actively run in the stadium and fieldhouse on evenings when no one appears to be present, and the neon red light produced nightly by the pedestrian bridge is very hard on the eyes. Excessive lighting contributes to sensory overload in people, climate change, and confuses and kills night flying birds, bats, and insects.

Tim Stewart, Ames

What will Republican control of the House look like?

Republicans have an opportunity to show those who elected them to represent us in Congress that their trust was deserved. They have big shoes to fill. House Democrats in the last two years passed: the biggest infrastructure package since the Interstate Highway Act in 1956; the biggest middle-class tax cut in American history; the American Rescue Plan Act which gave health insurance to 5 million more Americans; the biggest-ever investment in clean energy; the first major gun safety bill in 30 years; the CHIPS Act to restart the American microchip industry; a massive expansion of veterans benefits; an annual cap on seniors’ drug costs at $2,000; a cap on insulin costs at $35 a month for Medicare recipients; allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs; a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act; and codification of same-sex marriage.

All of this in the two years President Joe Biden and the Democrats have been in office with very little help from any Republicans, especially not from Iowa Republicans. In fact, Rep. Randy Feenstra, from our 4th District, voted NO on all the above legislation.

Now the Republicans are in “control” of the U.S. House of Representatives and they can’t even elect a speaker. Their stated legislative agenda is to investigate Hunter Biden and all things China, to build the wall, cut taxes, and balance the budget and create chaos.

John Beisner, Ames

Ames can't change course of climate change

I would like to follow-up on Colleen Staggs' excellent letter of Dec. 18. Not only, as Ms. Staggs points out, will it be very expensive to implement the City Council’s “Climate Action Plan,” it will essentially do nothing to curb global warming. A report issued by the consulting firm assisting in formulating the plan estimated that Ames will emit about 1 kilotonne of CO2 in 2022. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, world-wide CO2 emissions for 2022 will be 34 million kilotonnes. In other words, if well-meaning Ames stopped emitting all CO2 today, the effect on climate would be so infinitesimally small as to be undetectable.

Frank Trumpy, Ames

A lying politician? Be still my heart.

Reports that Congressman-elect George Santos may not be entirely truthful regarding his business background, education, religion, finances, family, and life in general have many people scratching their heads. Some are so outraged they are even suggesting he may have been deliberately misleading, and are demanding he be investigated or prevented from being seated.

These critics may be missing the point. Lying, duplicity and self-aggrandizement are valuable skills in every congressperson’s toolbox. Perhaps Mr. Santos should be lauded for so thoroughly preparing for his upcoming job. In their rush to judgment, they could be overlooking what a valuable asset they have in Mr. Santos.

Dorian Stripling, Ames

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Letters: Jack Trice Stadium lighting should be dialed back