To be or not to be, Lake Delhi dam

Ben shamed me by posting a much more thorough insight on the Lake Delhi dam and A Dam Dilemma. By having a personal connection to the lake, he brought a different perspective to this question, but he comes to the same conclusion I have.

That's not to say that I don't think that Lake Delhi should be rebuilt. I love Lake Delhi. For all the talk of this being a "private" lake, it was very much a public asset. I didn't own a cabin on the lake, yet I spent many hours fishing and pleasure boating with friends there in my youth. I frolicked at Freddy's Beach. I dined at the Pizza Place and Camp-O. I camped along its shores at Turtle Creek County Park. I hope to do so again someday with my kids. I just hope that the dam will be rebuilt in a responsible manner.

By using the present tense "I love Lake Delhi," he brings an optimism to this. It's not if the dam will be rebuilt, it's a matter of when and how.

I've never been to Lake Delhi so it's easy for me to sit back and declare, "Not my money!" to the association. But Ben is someone who, although doesn't have a monetary interest, but has a personal interest of fond memories from his youth with family and friends.

But he doesn't think state and federal money should pay to rebuild.

Instead of the political pandering that Rep Braley and Gov Chester are doing, their contribution should be this: tell the EPA and the state DNR to expedite efforts to rebuild and not stand in the way. Stand up to the green wienie environmental activist groups (that they received campaign contributions from) and tell them to back off any and all lawsuits. Because you know they are waiting in the wings to prevent the rebuild.

But that's in the ideal fantasy world that our country was founded on. No more.

I propose this: The creation of the Lake Delhi Electrical Company in partnership but not owned by the Lake Delhi Association. Have an IPO of around $50 per share (or less) as this would allow many people the chance to purchase one or two shares without breaking the bank.

Keep the lawsuits out of it, get the government red tape removed and investors would flood (no pun intended) to their brokers for a chance to purchase stocks that traditionally return good dividends as utilities generally do.

If I had any money left over after helping pay tuition for #1 son this fall, I'd certainly consider it. I'd bet most of the residents in the four county area would too. I'm sure many from across the state and country would invest.

We could do this. This is how Capitalism is supposed to work.

Or, we can take the easy way. As Ben noted, we could borrow the money from the Chinese that our children and grandchildren will have to repay. The government could push everyone around and do it their way, and we all know government works projects always come under budget.

Lastly, the Lake Delhi Association has to take the longer view on this. If they take government money, they will end up the government's bitch (pardon the expression). When one receives cash from any government entity, the bureaucrats will dictate how it will be spent. Always have, always will. Just ask Des Moines:

Des Moines leaders such as Public Works Director Bill Stowe have criticized the Corps for not releasing more water from Saylorville earlier this year to minimize the risk of summer flooding.

Heinold said the Corps strictly follows the lake's operational plan and adheres to the applicable federal laws.

Heinold is a flood risk management director for the Corps of Engineers and that's typical bureaucrat-speak for "Go ___ yourself."

Of course this could all be moot as pork-barrel hog-trough expert noted: U.S. aid for Delhi dam unlikely, Harkin says but as of yet, there's no word from Senator "Rainforest" Grassley or his opponent anti-Microsoft lawyer, Roxanne Conlin.