Thank god we don't have to deal w/ f'ing Iowa every 4 years

[Charmonium]

Do I have a problem with Iowa? Not really, I just couldn't possibly care less, and if we're going to be honest, you probably don't either.

Long live South Carolina.

 

[Leeea]

you probably don't either.

...

I do have a problem with Iowa.

Gravel roads. 65,000 miles of gravel roads.


Poorly built and designed gravel roads.

Gravel roads that lack a crown for proper drainage. Gravel roads that lack proper ditching. Gravel roads that are made from the wrong type of gravel, making them far more likely to have linear washouts, potholes, and washboarding. Especially wash boarding.


All of which could be avoided if Iowa did just the bare minimum of engineering, site planning, and most importantly used road quality gravel!


But no, the state which built the first interstate quality highways, invented* the modern slip form paving, is to pathetic to care about any road that is not a highway.


Screw Iowa, all of its neighbors do it better.




*https://intrans.iastate.edu/app/uploads/sites/7/2019/11/2019BCC-Hanson.pdf

 

[Leeea]

you probably don't either.

It turns out I have another problem with Iowa.

The bridges.

Iowa's rural bridges are the worst in the nation, according to report

These bridges 'have deterioration or damage that may need repair or replacement in the near future,' according to Iowa DOT.

www.desmoinesregister.com

they frequently show up on the gravel roads.

 

[Leeea]

you probably don't either.

and yet another problem.

The water. Always tastes a bit ... off. My daughter in law lives in Iowa, and her well was declared contaminated.

With 2 in 5 wells in Iowa being contaminated:

Interactive Map: Iowa’s Private Wells Contaminated by Nitrate and Bacteria

Between 2002 and 2017, unsafe levels of nitrate, coliform bacteria and fecal coliform bacteria were found in thousands of wells across Iowa.

www.ewg.org

I guess that is not a surprise.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Yikes, @Leeea - I didn’t realize Iowa was in such disrepair

 

[sportage]

Yeah, iOwa is a shit-hole for sure. Especially now when in full republican control.
The roads are in terrible condition because for years and years the republican state leaders have been playing "funny little games" with road funding and federal matching funds. This all started under gov Terry Branstad (i.e. Terry Brain-dead). iOwa will close down roads on April 15th of every year, and keep them roads closed with the illusion of being repaired. However... no one is ever actually working on road repair. Then, come December 15th of every year, those closed roads magically reopen. Like clockwork. And the process is repeated year after year, and often on the very same roads. This is to allow iOwa to keep getting their full federal matching fund allotment, and actually increase those funds year after year with playing they're "funny little games". Kinda like the mob operates. And so.... where is that money actually going? You'd have to ask a republican governor.

Then take the Covid crisis. iOwa gov Kim Reynolds devised this little state map scheme with dividing the state up into colored sections. If the covid infection rate hit 11% in a given colored section then and only then would governor covid Kim (as she was known) impose masks and restrictions. But in those sections under 11%? Nothing. Let the covid flourish too the next colored section.
That's like waiting for a fire to burn down 11% of the building before calling the fire department. Covid Kim... a label well deserved, and a lot of iOwans really dead.

Then... you had those stimulus funds coming from the Biden administration. Those funds sent to states meant to help families suffering financially under the covid fallout. Money for rent, money for kids and families, money for food, money to curb unemployment. Well, because Covid Kim prefers to live up Donald Trump's ass, (the old ass-kisser herself), governor covid Kim rejected those funds only because... she doesn't like Joe Biden. And she wanted nothing to do with helping Joe Biden or supporting his administration.
Covid Kim played "funny little games" with that stimulus money, deferring those Biden funds to her pet projects like computer software updates and planting flowers along the main thoroughfare coming from the Des Moines airport into downtown. The one road in the entire state that is well maintained to give visitors coming into Des Moines from the airport then transporting to the downtown hotels, the illusion that Des Moines is a trendy and up-coming place.
Covid Kim's ass got royally sued over that little stimulus funding stunt.

Covid Kim is always turning away money from Joe Biden, and denying poor iOwans in need from receiving help. Yeah... she also wants to ban abortions when a heart beat is detected, but should that kid exist outside the womb then no stimulus money for YOU, you little brat.

But the real victory for Iowa losing "first state in the nation" status is the victory for the media that covered all those iOwa primaries. The poor CNN reporter who was on air bitching that there was no place to eat in Des Moines after 9pm. Everything was closed. The CNN anchor told the reporter "Good work. Now go get yourself something to eat". And the reporter replied, "the only food to find in Des Moines after 9pm is left-over gas-station pizza. And.... he wasn't kidding.

iOwa is a hick state ran by hick republican farmers. The same farmers that praised Trump's BUILD THE WALL, and yet the very same farmers known to hire those low-waged, undocumented illegal alien immigrant workers to farm their farms. Awww republicans hypocrites... you gotta love em.

As for the iOwa farm kids? They all move away. The get the hell out of Helena asap. The graduate, then flee the state. So what you have left are those old fart brain dead hick Jed Clampett famers. The farmers just like Iowa's senator Chuck Grassley who STILL votes against anything pro same-sex marriage the comes along. The multi-millionaire government servant on a senator's salary. Explain THAT, Chuck...
And F--- ME, Grassley's brain dead son is now serving as an iOwa congress member. WTF?
See friends, no hope... no hope at all....

I could write a book.
But I am tickled pink that iOwa has now lost their first-state status.
iOwa should have never been allowed that privilege in the first place... NEVER!!!!!
PS. And want to know what an iOwa caucus actually looks like? Just imagine NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, blindly wondering around in a school gymnasium. Pretty horrifying indeed...

 

[Ajay]

Yeah, but my home state New Hampshire is getting the boot too. Apparently, we are not diverse enough (which is true at least racially). I don't have a problem with it, but losing the $200-300 million dollars poured into our state every four years is going to sting a bit.

 

[BoomerD]

My mom was from I-oh-way. I think I still have relatives there...but don't care enough to look any of them up.

 

[Captante]

Radar was from Iowa though!

 

[BoomerD]

Yeah...but...

 

[interchange]

They also have a terrible offense.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Yikes, @Leeea - I didn’t realize Iowa was in such disrepair

Really? The entire Midwest is. They're sorta following the similar decline that the rust belt did, just on a longer timeline.

 

[MrSquished]

fuck those hicks having a way overpowered influence over the democratic nominee process.

 

[hal2kilo]

Yeah, iOwa is a shit-hole for sure. Especially now when in full republican control.
The roads are in terrible condition because for years and years the republican state leaders have been playing "funny little games" with road funding and federal matching funds. This all started under gov Terry Branstad (i.e. Terry Brain-dead). iOwa will close down roads on April 15th of every year, and keep them roads closed with the illusion of being repaired. However... no one is ever actually working on road repair. Then, come December 15th of every year, those closed roads magically reopen. Like clockwork. And the process is repeated year after year, and often on the very same roads. This is to allow iOwa to keep getting their full federal matching fund allotment, and actually increase those funds year after year with playing they're "funny little games". Kinda like the mob operates. And so.... where is that money actually going? You'd have to ask a republican governor.

Then take the Covid crisis. iOwa gov Kim Reynolds devised this little state map scheme with dividing the state up into colored sections. If the covid infection rate hit 11% in a given colored section then and only then would governor covid Kim (as she was known) impose masks and restrictions. But in those sections under 11%? Nothing. Let the covid flourish too the next colored section.
That's like waiting for a fire to burn down 11% of the building before calling the fire department. Covid Kim... a label well deserved, and a lot of iOwans really dead.

Then... you had those stimulus funds coming from the Biden administration. Those funds sent to states meant to help families suffering financially under the covid fallout. Money for rent, money for kids and families, money for food, money to curb unemployment. Well, because Covid Kim prefers to live up Donald Trump's ass, (the old ass-kisser herself), governor covid Kim rejected those funds only because... she doesn't like Joe Biden. And she wanted nothing to do with helping Joe Biden or supporting his administration.
Covid Kim played "funny little games" with that stimulus money, deferring those Biden funds to her pet projects like computer software updates and planting flowers along the main thoroughfare coming from the Des Moines airport into downtown. The one road in the entire state that is well maintained to give visitors coming into Des Moines from the airport then transporting to the downtown hotels, the illusion that Des Moines is a trendy and up-coming place.
Covid Kim's ass got royally sued over that little stimulus funding stunt.

Covid Kim is always turning away money from Joe Biden, and denying poor iOwans in need from receiving help. Yeah... she also wants to ban abortions when a heart beat is detected, but should that kid exist outside the womb then no stimulus money for YOU, you little brat.

But the real victory for Iowa losing "first state in the nation" status is the victory for the media that covered all those iOwa primaries. The poor CNN reporter who was on air bitching that there was no place to eat in Des Moines after 9pm. Everything was closed. The CNN anchor told the reporter "Good work. Now go get yourself something to eat". And the reporter replied, "the only food to find in Des Moines after 9pm is left-over gas-station pizza. And.... he wasn't kidding.

iOwa is a hick state ran by hick republican farmers. The same farmers that praised Trump's BUILD THE WALL, and yet the very same farmers known to hire those low-waged, undocumented illegal alien immigrant workers to farm their farms. Awww republicans hypocrites... you gotta love em.

As for the iOwa farm kids? They all move away. The get the hell out of Helena asap. The graduate, then flee the state. So what you have left are those old fart brain dead hick Jed Clampett famers. The farmers just like Iowa's senator Chuck Grassley who STILL votes against anything pro same-sex marriage the comes along. The multi-millionaire government servant on a senator's salary. Explain THAT, Chuck...
And F--- ME, Grassley's brain dead son is now serving as an iOwa congress member. WTF?
See friends, no hope... no hope at all....

I could write a book.
But I am tickled pink that iOwa has now lost their first-state status.
iOwa should have never been allowed that privilege in the first place... NEVER!!!!!
PS. And want to know what an iOwa caucus actually looks like? Just imagine NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, blindly wondering around in a school gymnasium. Pretty horrifying indeed...

They pray to the god of low taxes. Nothing matters after that except cultural issues.

 

[skyking]

I just drove through Iowa end to end on I-80. They are doing a shit-ton of work on the interstate and replacing overpasses. I had one road section that dribbled us like a basketball, but it was otherwise in good shape. Illinois? Now fuck that place. I don't know how they fuck up with the federal funds but they were the worst. When we drove across the toll bridge into Indiana it was like a light switch, instant decent roads.
I thought I'd seen the worst of it until we got into NYC proper.

 

[hal2kilo]

I just drove through Iowa end to end on I-80. They are doing a shit-ton of work on the interstate and replacing overpasses. I had one road section that dribbled us like a basketball, but it was otherwise in good shape. Illinois? Now fuck that place. I don't know how they fuck up with the federal funds but they were the worst. When we drove across the toll bridge into Indiana it was like a light switch, instant decent roads.
I thought I'd seen the worst of it until we got into NYC proper.

This stuff goes through cycles though. Ever drive on the Penn Turnpike in the 80's. Cement waffle board for miles and miles.

 

[Pens1566]

This stuff goes through cycles though. Ever drive on the Penn Turnpike in the 80's. Cement waffle board for miles and miles.

Still is. The joke is that when they finish on one end, they go back to the other side and start all over.

 

[Amused]

Radar was from Iowa though!

View attachment 72328

So was (will be) James T Kirk

 

[Leeea]

I just drove through Iowa end to end on I-80.

I thought I made it pretty clear the problems begin when you get off the highway ...

 

[skyking]

I thought I made it pretty clear the problems begin when you get off the highway ...

I thought I made it pretty clear that Illinois sucked donkey balls in comparison. I will make a point of not leaving the interstate the next time I pass through. Oh wait, I managed that THIS time through too.
I suspect that all those overpasses are being done with Fed money, and the govmint can point at those and say " see, we are fixing bridges" " nothing bad to see here" " pay no attention to this gravel state road".

 

[Indus]

So is it done and finalized?

I thought I read somewhere Iowan's were gonna pout and slap the DNC in court left and right about losing their corn on on cobbsuses!

 

[hal2kilo]

Still is. The joke is that when they finish on one end, they go back to the other side and start all over.

They need to start a complete new bed then.

 

[BoomerD]

I just drove through Iowa end to end on I-80. They are doing a shit-ton of work on the interstate and replacing overpasses. I had one road section that dribbled us like a basketball, but it was otherwise in good shape. Illinois? Now fuck that place. I don't know how they fuck up with the federal funds but they were the worst. When we drove across the toll bridge into Indiana it was like a light switch, instant decent roads.
I thought I'd seen the worst of it until we got into NYC proper.

We drove across Iowa in 2005 on our way to Wisconsin. I don't remember I-80 being that bad. IME, (in recent years anyway) Idaho is the state with horrid roads. You used to be able to tell when you left Idaho and entered a different state just by the condition of the roads. From rough and bumpy, with potholes...onto smooth, well paved roads.

It's easy for those of us who live in...more temperate places to make fun of states where the roadways get fucked up in the winter by frost heaves and plows.

 

[IronWing]

We drove across Iowa in 2005 on our way to Wisconsin. I don't remember I-80 being that bad. IME, (in recent years anyway) Idaho is the state with horrid roads. You used to be able to tell when you left Idaho and entered a different state just by the condition of the roads. From rough and bumpy, with potholes...onto smooth, well paved roads.

It's easy for those of us who live in...more temperate places to make fun of states where the roadways get fucked up in the winter by frost heaves and plows.

Wisconsin roads are vastly better than Arizona roads. Where roads are concerned, we speculate on where incompetence ends and corruption begins.

Then again, Arizona hasn’t increased its gas tax since 1994. Living in a low tax shithole has its costs.

 

[Pohemi]

Illinois? Now fuck that place. I don't know how they fuck up with the federal funds but they were the worst. When we drove across the toll bridge into Indiana it was like a light switch, instant decent roads.

Agreed. Illinois has/had some of the worst roads I saw out of anywhere I've been in the US. I live in WI, and have driven to southern FL, to CA, and to the PNW (WA, OR). The only area/corner of the country I've not driven to/in is the northeast. Construction activity was probably the worst in California from what/where I saw, but as far as the condition of the roads themselves...IL really is terrible, and it doesn't seem on an ebb and flow cycle. They're just always terrible.

Also: they have the worst fucking drivers in the midwest (not quite as bad as Cali lol)