text: Letters to the Editor Thursday, May 31 | Letters | wcfcourier.com
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  Letters to the Editor Thursday, May 31
  WATERLOO — In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling which struck down the federal ban on sports wagering (and the legalization of sports betting which is sure to follow), I'm reminded of the most sound advice I ever received.
  I left home in 1972 at age 18 to get married and start my own family, and as I walked out my parents' door for the last time, my dad said to me: "Son, I want you to always remember three things; never play cards with a guy named 'Ace'; never eat at a place called 'Mom's'; and don't ever invest money in anything that eats."
  CEDAR FALLS — Thomas Sowell is an American economist and social theorist, born in 1930, who grew up in Harlem, N.Y. — one of the more interesting and intellectual men who is known for his many quotes. Here are a few:
  "The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all who want it, so the first lesson is to disregard the first lesson."
  "Politicians aren't trying to solve our problems, they're trying to solve their own problems of which getting elected and re-elected are number 1 and 2. Whatever 3 is, it's far behind."
  "Only in government is any benefit, however small considered to be worth any cost, however large."
  "I have never understood why it is greed to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to take somebody else's."
  "We seem to be moving steadily in the direction of a society where no one else is responsible for what he himself did, but we are all responsible for what somebody else did, either past or present."
  "The welfare state is not about the masses but about the egos of the elite."
  I recommend checking out Thomas Sowell.
  executive director, Iowa Voters for Companion Animals
  WATERLOO — Thanks to The Courier editorial board for its May 24 editorial "USDA hides puppy mills' identities."
  As mentioned, Iowa's home to 10 of the worst places to be a dog. All 10 facilities, with alarming and documented conditions including a dead dog, maggots in food and dogs with open wounds, are completely legal and licensed by the USDA. And there are more than 200 additional commercial dog breeders and dealers operating in our state right now.
  As the USDA continues to hide critical information, those profiting from suffering are protected while dogs are at risk and the public struggles to differentiate ethical dog breeders from puppy mills.
  We need Iowa's elected officials to take a stand against the neglect and abuse of dogs and companion animals.
  And we need all Iowans to take a stand this election year.
  Iowa Voters for Companion Animals (IVCA), a nonpartisan organization working to advance the humane treatment of companion animals, will be surveying all candidates to determine where they stand on companion animal welfare. Stay tuned for the results via IVCA's Candidate Scorecard, helping all Iowans make a humane choice and vote for dogs this November! Visit iowavca.org for more information.