The Montezuma Record of Montezuma, IA, recently just published a listing of every employee at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, including employees of the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Iowa City's local Press-Citizen usually publish the employees of all University staff every year, as well as all county, city, and school employees, regardless of income level so this publication is hardly unprecedented. However, the Press-Citizen usually just publishes these salaries without comment.The Montezuma Record is under heat because borderline racist editorial statements scattered throughout their salary listings. Such as "Hyphenated, unspellable and oriental names may get you the big bucks."
The Montezuma Record acknowledges that many of these over $100,000 salaries are for UIHC staff -- many of whom hold highly specialized positions. But then they note: "The relatively high numbers of employees with names from Asia and the Near East is interesting. While there are SMiths (sic) and Jones, there are eleven Ahmeds to only 30 Browns."
The Ames Progressive broke the story yesterday, which sparked an online petition for the newspaper's publisher and editor in chief, Chuck Dunham, to apologize. Dunham later commented that he doesn't use the Internet and has no plans respond to the online petition, stating "If you want to write me a letter, that's fine; I only deal with what's on paper." He then hung up on the caller.