Congratulations to CAD and other Iowans. Rainforest is coming to your state.

[SuperTool]

You can relax, it's not global warming. This is taxpayer paid $50M rainforest in Iowa courtesy of your Republican Senator Charles Grassley

http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=78259

But don't worry, Sen Grassley is concerned for our fiscal health

http://grassley.senate.gov/legis.htm

A balanced federal budget would lead to lower interest rates, greater savings and a better standard of living for our children and grandchildren.

/edit. Did I say courtesy of Charles Grassley? Make that courtesy of the US taxpayer or more exactly the future US taxpayer who is going to pick up the tab.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

If that's such a great investment, why doesn't Iowa do it by itself? Why should the US taxpayer pay for it?

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

You want them to be assassinated by monkeys?! :Q

Heyyyyy, I wanna tropical rainforest in my community. Dammit. Totally unfair.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

If that's such a great investment, why doesn't Iowa do it by itself? Why should the US taxpayer pay for it?

No money left after all those unfunded federal mandates.

 

[DealMonkey]

OMG, I just noticed this in the article:

The project, projected to cost $225 million in all, is the dream of Ted Townsend, a Des Moines businessman who became smitten with the rainforest during a visit to Africa years ago. He runs an engineering company founded by his father, who made a fortune inventing machines that strip rind from pork and stuff hot dogs at high speed.

If only the machine stripped the pork from Congressional spending at high speeds.

 

[Bowfinger]

It's a shame the Des Moines area so-called leaders were too myopic to support this. It was a fantastic opportunity lost.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

If that's such a great investment, why doesn't Iowa do it by itself? Why should the US taxpayer pay for it?

Because Iowa already spent it's load on an events center for Des Moines Also as the article points out - the idea's originator has ponied up 5 million. But yes tax-payers shouldn't have to pay for anything like this, because as you know....I am against wasteful over-spending Grassley is getting another letter. These sorts of things should most definately be local or state issues. Anyway the way I figure it - the environmental wackos should like this as it'll bring the issue directly to the states so we can all see it. - Come on everybody - book your hotel rooms for the grand opening...don't forget to spend alot of money while here

CkG

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
It's a shame the Des Moines area so-called leaders were too myopic to support this. It was a fantastic opportunity lost.

Yep - they wanted the Events center. It wasn't because of some supposed unfunded mandates. The money for this would have come out of the same fund that the events center came out of.

CkG

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

If you read the whole article you would see that it will cost $225 million in total.

 

[preslove]

Quote
Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.



$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

Careful Cad, you are starting to sound like a Keynesian (Democrat) economist. Government spending on internal improvements that create jobs is what the Dems are all about, glad to see you enjoy our tools

I like how most bush "red" states recieve more money from the federal government than is taken out by federal taxes, while the populous "blue" states like California are anually r@ped by the federal government. Michael Moore had a great skit on TV Nation; he went down to Newt Gingrich's home district and went around telling everybody to give back all the stuff the fed have given them (a big dam and resevoir, school buildings, roads, police equipment, you name it).

You low taxers sure love the pork that you so decry.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Supporters say it would create 400 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact at $120 million, largely from the 1.5 million visitors projected each year. It also would revitalize 30 acres along the Iowa River now occupied by industry, a sanitation company and the community's only strip club.

$50million for 120million economic impact? Even if it is only half of that it still isn't totally pork. But it sure will be nice to drop the wife and kids off at the rain forest and head on down the street

CkG

If you read the whole article you would see that it will cost $225 million in total.

And? The total cost isn't being paid by the US govt - less than 25% is
But again - I don't like the spending, just like I didn't and don't like the rest of the overspending the gov't does and has done in the past.

CkG

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
It's a shame the Des Moines area so-called leaders were too myopic to support this. It was a fantastic opportunity lost.

Yep - they wanted the Events center. It wasn't because of some supposed unfunded mandates. The money for this would have come out of the same fund that the events center came out of.

CkG

Please note the smiley on my comment re. unfunded mandates. It was a joke. (It's true, mind you, but the comment was a joke.)

I understand that the Rainforest and Event Center competed for the same funds. If the leaders of central Iowa had any ambition, they would have beat the bushes (no pun intended) to finance both. If they truly want the area to thrive, if they want to bring people into the area, they need to give them a reason to come and to stay. They need to make the big, bold steps that raise the area above being just another nondescript little city. They need to have a vision, and they need to sell that vision to businesses and citizens who write checks.

They didn't, and now they've lost a unique opportunity that may actually draw people away from the area.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
It's a shame the Des Moines area so-called leaders were too myopic to support this. It was a fantastic opportunity lost.

Yep - they wanted the Events center. It wasn't because of some supposed unfunded mandates. The money for this would have come out of the same fund that the events center came out of.

CkG

Please note the smiley on my comment re. unfunded mandates. It was a joke. (It's true, mind you, but the comment was a joke.)

I understand that the Rainforest and Event Center competed for the same funds. If the leaders of central Iowa had any ambition, they would have beat the bushes (no pun intended) to finance both. If they truly want the area to thrive, if they want to bring people into the area, they need to give them a reason to come and to stay. They need to make the big, bold steps that raise the area above being just another nondescript little city. They need to have a vision, and they need to sell that vision to businesses and citizens who write checks.

They didn't, and now they've lost a unique opportunity that may actually draw people away from the area.

Well, it looks like both will get done People will still have to pony up about 170million for the rain forrest thing...which may be tough considering people were milked pretty hard for this Events Center thing. However the easter block of Iowa may be more willing to open their checkbooks for something closer to them.

CkG

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
It's a shame the Des Moines area so-called leaders were too myopic to support this. It was a fantastic opportunity lost.

Yep - they wanted the Events center. It wasn't because of some supposed unfunded mandates. The money for this would have come out of the same fund that the events center came out of.

CkG

Please note the smiley on my comment re. unfunded mandates. It was a joke. (It's true, mind you, but the comment was a joke.)

I understand that the Rainforest and Event Center competed for the same funds. If the leaders of central Iowa had any ambition, they would have beat the bushes (no pun intended) to finance both. If they truly want the area to thrive, if they want to bring people into the area, they need to give them a reason to come and to stay. They need to make the big, bold steps that raise the area above being just another nondescript little city. They need to have a vision, and they need to sell that vision to businesses and citizens who write checks.

They didn't, and now they've lost a unique opportunity that may actually draw people away from the area.

Well, it looks like both will get done People will still have to pony up about 170million for the rain forrest thing...which may be tough considering people were milked pretty hard for this Events Center thing. However the easter block of Iowa may be more willing to open their checkbooks for something closer to them.

CkG

My guess is once they burn through the 50M, they'll come back for more pork.

 

[chowderhead]

the party of personal responsibility has Rep. Jim Gibbons (R - Nevada) who expects taxpayers to pay $250,000 to repair a swimming he and his friends personally damaged in their "youth" by clogging the pool with tadpoles.
yep.
Spending Bill Called Pork-Barrel Politics

Both sides do this but Republicans aren't honest about it.