I-Jobs? I-Joke

Or I-rony, perhaps.

What could be a better function of government than to confiscate tax money from some individuals, and give invest that money with political cronies in worthy projects.

Our last governor seemed to think that putting up a bunch of signs throughout the state to advertise his using state money to "stimulate" the economy was a great idea. Especially when state funds were used to put up signs with his name on it. Free campaign signs and it costs the state to take them down. (The Democrats in the statehouse are currently arguing that taking these signs down would cost the state money we can't afford. Who would have thought they were fiscal conservative?)

I found one such sign last week in Belle Plaine. Take a look and see if you can see what I see.



I appreciate the slogan "Building a 21st Century infrastructure and creating jobs without raising taxes" hogwash.

Do you see what I see? Or rather not see?

The empty lot behind a sign with the word Facade.
This aptly describes the whole I-Jobs fiasco. The sign is more important than the project. But on the other hand the sign is true.

Thanks, Chester for spending $1.5 million dollars of our tax money without raising taxes. Putting our state in a hole that will take years to dig out of.

Thanks for the laugh, too. But I don't think I got my money's worth out of it.

Sunday (out of) steam, 2/6/11

Late night database upgrade has left me with little sleep.

Mrs. Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the roundhouse giving a giant "H" class locomotive a bath of live steam. Clinton, Iowa, April 1943. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

Found at The Freeholder

Another example of the war-time necessity of asking women to do a "man's job". Although a job on the railroad could have been considered as a draft deferment, my dad left his switchman's position at the time and entered the war.

After the draft board caught up with him.

Sunday (not so) funnies, 2/6/11

Hoplophobe of the week, Trish Nelson

Gun rights, gun rights, gun rights, ad nauseum. What about the rights of ordinary citizens to not be endangered in public by gun-toters who promise that using the gun is the last thing they want to do? (At least that's what the trainings they are all voluntarily attending are supposed to be teaching). But if it is the case that they are being trained not to use the gun, why do they want one? What are they so afraid of here in Iowa? And why are their fears more important than everyone else's?

More at Blog for Iowa: Iowa: Home Of Pork, Poker, Prisons & Pistols? if you can stomach the liberal tripe.

Traffic cameras in Iowa, update 2/4/11

Seems like Iowa City is exploring the idea of installing cameras.

For safety, of course. No?:

“From what I understand, not too many people get excited by raising taxes, so this is a method of raising revenue that I think needs to be explored,” he [Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine] said.

I guess we know who is getting excited.

At the statehouse, the senate has introduced a new bill (SF129) to ban the use of cameras to enforce highway laws.

Some public comments by the politicos in charge at New proposal would ban traffic cameras in Iowa

Something different: Coin theft double irony

Man from Coin, IA sentenced for stealing Iowa woman's coins

COIN, Iowa (AP) - A man from the small city of Coin in southwestern Iowa has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for charges stemming from the theft of a rare and valuable coin collection.

If you're going to invest in platinum coins, avoid Coin, IA:

Too big for their britches

Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines is not short on analogies these days:

“The NRA got a big bite out of the apple last year. It seems like they want to eat the core now, too.”

“It would appear that some special interest groups are too big for their britches.”

Mr Chuckles should do stand up comedy.

House Study Bill 17 examines launching a constitutional amendment process to specifically prohibit gun taxation.

Johnson Co. sheriff needs some relief

52 permits to carry make sheriff uneasy

Gun Ban Tuesday, 2/1/11

Bellevue bans guns in city buildings, parks

Muscatine broached the subject:

At the Jan. 20 Muscatine City Council meeting, City Administrator Gregg Mandsager raised the subject of banning firearms on city property, asking City Council members if they wanted to broach the subject.

The Council’s response? Silence, other than council member Phil Fitzgerald, who suggested the item be filed in the recycle bin.

I missed Tama and Butler counties from an earlier link along with Jesup, Elk Run Heights, Dunkerton, Tripoli and Lamont.

(Update) Sean McClanahan passed on a couple more this evening:
Shelby County passed a ban on the 25th.

Buena Vista County rejected a ban 5-0. (will post link as soon as I can find it)

The hypocrisy of the Register's editorial board

The editorial board of the Des Moines Register protests against efforts to strengthen our state's preemption laws. In the balance is whether citizens can carry guns on city and county property without interference by local governments. They "awarded" a thistle to our statehouse legislators for their efforts.

Funny how they were all in favor of state control and against local governments regulating smoking in public. And it must be a strain on them to figure out which hypocritical side of an argument they take on any given day.

In their trite Roses & Thistles: Transparency in U.S. Senate; gun-toting in Iowa's capitol? maybe my other readers can come to the conclusion I have:

A thistle to Iowa state legislators who want to prevent cities and counties from enacting any local gun-control laws. This is a slap at the notion of local control under the Home Rule amendment in the Iowa Constitution. It is also hypocritical. Imagine, if you will, legislators sitting in the comfort of the state Capitol, with guards and metal detectors at the entrances screening for weapons. Meanwhile, they propose a law to prevent such protections at City Hall. Perhaps these legislators would change the rules and let people carry guns into the House and Senate chambers. Too bad Iowans repealed the section on dueling in the Iowa Constitution back in 1992. Emphasis mine.

Isn't that a veiled threat against the legislature?

Didn't their lord and savior make his case last week to pledge an era of peace a civility in our public discourse?

Then why the asinine statement that can be interpreted as wishing ill on our elected officials? But then it was probably meant as a joke.

The real joke is the Des Moines Register being thought of as a legitimate paper of record for the state.