Stray Thoughts
Randy EvansThoughts on government transparency, politics and civic affairs written weekly -- and sometimes, weakly -- by a longtime advocate for government transparency.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 86 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 8 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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revans2810.substack.comLatest Issues
What happens when officials fail to use their eyes and ears?
A group of Des Moines-area joggers has run afoul of city parks officials, and potentially, the police, too. Photo illustration courtesy of Unsplash.
AT THE RISK OF BLURRING the increasingly fuzzy line between church and state, here is a Go...
Reflecting on mentors, opportunity and the First Amendment ...
Old Capitol, the symbol of the University of Iowa. Photo by Justin Torner, courtesy of the university.
Here is the text of remarks I delivered on April 17, 2026, at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s hall...
Iowa lawmakers wag their legal fingers
This is a creation of ChatGPT, with a grateful nod to the founders of the “real” University of Okoboji.
COME JULY, IOWA EMPLOYERS may want to add an ominous warning on their job application forms: tell a lie and you could go to jail.
That...
It’s hard to make sense of ‘pay-for-no-work’ deals
Photo illustration by Kristina Flour on Unsplash
A COMMON REFRAIN from candidates seeking elected office or wanting to become a university president, school superintendent or city manager is government should run more like a business.
But...
Respectful or not, America enables criticism and dissent
Noah Petersen, a freedom-of-speech fighter from Newton. Photo courtesy of the Institute for Justice
NOAH PETERSEN and Priscilla Villarreal live 1,200 miles from each other, Petersen in Newton, Iowa; Villarreal in Laredo, Texas. They share...
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