I know this local option sales tax thing is being voted on town-by-town, but this is a chance for you sound off, regardless of where you live.
Vote, make a comment. Get it off your chest. It will all be over Tuesday.
Still undecided?
The Cedar Rapids Tea Party (Opposes)
Vote Yes for Our Neighbors. (Supports)
The Gazette’s Adam Belz [...]
Entries from February 2009
February 27, 2009
Be the Poll — LOST
February 27, 2009
DNR: CR Tea Party Must Be Tea-Free – Updated
Anti-tax activists known as the Cedar Rapids Tea Party were hoping to channel their revolutionary Boston brethren Saturday by dumping tea into the Cedar River. They’re seeking to defeat the local option tax that’s on the ballot here Tuesday.
(UPDATE — Tea Party’s Jeremy Cobert tells his group’s side of the story below)
But, according to The Des Moines [...]
February 27, 2009
Friday Reads — Condemn, Hug, Pedal, Speed, Repeat
Gov. Chet Culver totally said what we were thinking, didn’t he?
The past few days, reading developments in the Atalissa bunkhouse saga, we kept thinking, hey, for decades, bureaucracy at all levels failed these mentally disabled workers. Then, on Thursday afternoon, the governor issues a statement saying the exact same thing. Spooky. The Register carries news of the [...]
February 26, 2009
Beer Taxes
This morning, as I noted in my previous post today, The Gazette fronted news that Iowa politicians have little or no interest in raising the state’s tax on beer. Alcohol taxes will remain unchanged, despite deepening budget woes.
Carla Keppler’s well done story makes mention that other states are considering beer tax hikes. But the track record [...]
February 26, 2009
Thursday Reads — Who’s Side Are They On?
In some instances, politicians/elected officials are sort of like whitetail deer. When a threat to the herd appears on the horizon, they flash a warning sign and bound for safety. It’s instinct. They stick together. Safety first.
So it wasn’t surprising Wednesday when a legislative subcommittee shot down a bill that would have given voters the power to [...]
February 25, 2009
Smuggler’s Boots
Imagine my surprise this week when I found out my youngest daughter is a well-known smuggler.
I was informed by daycare security experts that my 3-year-old daughter has been smuggling contraband into the building and under my nose. In recent weeks, she’s been caught with unauthorized coins, a tube of lip gloss, some of her sister’s [...]
February 25, 2009
News of the Party
Iowa politico Craig Robinson is starting “The Iowa Republican,” which will be offering “News by Republicans, for Republicans.”
You can take a peek, but it won’t start dishing up the party line until March 4 at 7 a.m. I say the more the merrier on this big runaway train we call the media. Welcome aboard, right-leaning truth-seekers.
There’s [...]
February 25, 2009
Wednesday Reads — Not Getting Involved
Sometimes, you just don’t want to get involved. It’s complicated. You’re busy. You’ve got a headache. Maybe tomorrow. I understand.
What I don’t understand is when it’s the Iowa Department of Human Services that’s making excuses. The deciders at the DHS in 1974 and 1997 decided not to get involved in the Atalissa bunkhouse. It’s Texas’ problem. There’s no [...]
February 24, 2009
The Lug and The Terminator
The Charlotte Observer’s Web site has a slide show of photos from President Obama’s meeting with the nation’s governors at the White House Monday.
You can see who our very own Gov. Chet Culver sat by here.
Maybe Culver asked Arnold to think again about switching parties. The Republican California gov. considered it a few months ago, [...]
February 24, 2009
Irrelevant State vs. Electoral College
No, it’s not my 2009 Humanitarian Bowl dream match up.
Republicans are giving Iowa Senate Democrats a lot of guff over proposed legislation that would allow us to join a compact of states trying to short-circuit the Electoral College.
The bill would seek to hand Iowa’s 7 electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, [...]
