Des Moines – It’s a Good Thing

Rights Boy’s good friend Paul Chastain visited central Iowa over the Independence Day holiday. Paul grew up in Des Moines but has lived in Texas for a number of years. After a few days here, he reflected on how Des Moines had changed over the last 30 years.

“The downtown is really built up, although the Ruan Center is still the same old rusty building,” he remarked. “The new walking bridges over the freeway are really cool and the bike trails are everywhere and are just world class.”

On Friday night we went to an I-Cubs game in one of the best minor league ballparks in the country. The I-Cubs won and there was a great fireworks show afterward.

What Paul said is so true; and it took someone that had been away for awhile to remind Rights Boy what a good thing we have here. Central Iowa is a wonderful place to live and a great place to grow up, work or retire.

Which brings me to Project Destiny; the tax scheme that raises sales tax by 17%, promises to reduce property taxes, and invest in all of the “cultural amenities” that we are missing here in central Iowa. The latest arguments I heard from the “Yes to Destiny” crowd were 1) People leave Iowa and move to the west coast because of the bike trails, and 2) How will we ever be like Denver without more investment?

These people are getting desperate with their arguments. I don’t want Des Moines to be Denver or Los Angeles. I love the way the Metro area is right now. I want to enjoy it the way it is for awhile without an additional tax burden.

Rights Boy will be voting NO new tax. However you feel, don’t forget to vote tomorrow. Don’t assume your vote is not important.

Lots happened this last weekend!

Your government at work. President Bush stuck his fishing boat against the rocks this weekend. Luckily, divers from the Secret Service where there to free the Command Guy.




Beautiful! Patriotic! An artist turns a 700-pound block of Land O' Lakes cheddar cheese into a replica of Mount Rushmore.




Not the CornCobs. Des Moines' new NBA-affiliated minor-league basketball franchise will be known as the Iowa Energy.

No to Destiny. Opponents of a proposal to raise the sales tax in Dallas, Polk and Warren counties outnumber supporters nearly 2 to 1 among likely voters in a special election on July 10.

What does sales tax mean to Register?

Rights Boy’s good friend Mike Burgher opined on the Destiny sales tax in the DM Register on Saturday. You can read the opinion and comments by other Register readers here.

The unedited version follows.

Practically on a daily basis, The Des Moines Register prints yet another article supporting the Yes to Destiny tax scheme. You people need to move this stuff to the opinion page because it’s not news and by now everyone certainly understands your position on the issue.

I will give the Register credit though for continuing to push Destiny so publicly. Seems like the rest of the Greater Des Moines Tax Partnership has disappeared; sort of like a bunch of weasels hunkered down in their holes. I think they know what’s going to happen on July 10 when Destiny is brutally defeated, and they don’t want to be so publicly associated with it.

It would be interesting to see specifically what the Register gets out of Destiny. How much property tax relief does the newspaper and the others in the Partnership anticipate for themselves? On the other side, it looks like you and the partners are at most marginally affected by a 17% sales tax increase, since none of you make any significant retail purchases.

I know the Register is a private business, but as much as it preaches about open records and transparency and everybody’s right to know, you should set the example - lay your cards on the table and disclose financially what you have to gain from this new tax.

Vote NO to Destiny. Demand more accountability from government.

A Radical Activist. With Signage!

Rights Boy says "YES to 'Vote NO Tax' Yard Signs!" Here's mine. Looks good.

Vote NO on Destiny. Demand more accountability from government.

NO to Destiny

Interesting article in the DM Register this morning about a flyer mailed by a consultant of the Greater Des Moines Partnership stating that “Yes to Destiny” will “cut our taxes and send the message to the politicians you have had enough of spiraling property taxes." It leaves out the fact that "Yes to Destiny" is a proposed 16.7 percent sales-tax increase.

I ordered my “Vote NO” yard sign yesterday. Go to http://www.nolocaloption.com to get one for your yard.

Vote NO on Destiny. Demand more accountability from government.

Resistance is Futile - It is your Destiny

Destiny is defined as a course of events that is unchangeable and will inevitably happen in the future. What hubris to name a proposed tax increase Project Destiny; as if it is the unwavering fate of local taxpayers is to shell out $750 million dollars for this latest government spending slight-of-hand.

Raising taxes should require a compelling need and a clear benefit to the public. Project Destiny fails this and in fact represents government at its worst. First identify how much can be raised and then start the haggling over how to spend it. If we are not careful, it will end up funding more corporate welfare, loans to county supervisors, and bonuses to other CIETCs.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership, a private economic development group, not even a part of the government, is largely behind this push for this new tax. Its "Yes to Destiny" marketing campaign actually makes the Orwellian claim that this is a way to lower the tax burden. What nonsense. The only way to lower the tax burden is to lower government spending.

The public trust in government's stewardship of our money and our assets is at an all time low. Why should taxpayers say yes to an additional $750 million when local government cannot figure out how to shut down the spending at CIETC to this day?

Vote no on Destiny. Demand more accountability from government.