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Save the (Des Moines) Rainforest!
A $48.3 million earmark for an artificial rainforest
in a town outside of Des Moines has been
axed, in a victory against pork so pathetically insignificant
that it makes me want to weep. Naturally, the money was sent home
by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Ia.), who claimed to be taken by
surprise by its imminent demise.
Grassley said he was disappointed the Democrat-controlled House and Senate included language pulling the grant, and didn’t bother to tell him.
Executive director David Oman is incomprehensibly optimistic that the $150 million project will continue despite a $50 million shortfall before the congressional money was pulled. But then, incomprehensible optimism seems to be central to the whole affair: The park is projected to attract 800,000 visitor to the area. But Oman is also bitter.
Oman said it’s ironic that Congress approved a range of local projects, but not an Iowa development with a broader scope.
“This is a national project in Iowa,” Oman said. “It is not a local project. To see a lot of new earmarks for swimming pools and parking lots and stoplights while Iowa appears to be losing funds for a national resource is difficult to understand.”
I suppose he's almost-kinda-sorta-nearly right about this. Funding swimming pools in, say, Muskogee from the national treasury is the height of absurdity in its own small way. But a plastic rainforest in Des Moines is $50 million worth of absurdity.
For those in fly-over country who absolutely must have a rainforest experience which they can get to in the family Winnebago, there's always Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, a mere 2 hours and 55 minutes away as the 'bago flies, which has an indoor rainforest of its own.
Via Mark Lambert
The Democratic Republican|12.20.07 @ 12:20PM|#
Is there some basis for the reference to pools in Muskogee? This is, of course, Sen. Tom Coburn's hometown, and would seem to be a bigger earmark story than a pool in, say, Paducah.
The Democratic Republican|12.20.07 @ 12:21PM|#
Oh, and eff the elitist reason writers who refer to the Midwest as "flyover country." I happen to think Boston is flyover country.
|12.20.07 @ 12:22PM|#
And why not some mountains for Florida? The few they have (Thunder, Splash and Space, as examples) you have to pay to see. And, at times are deadly.
Bingo|12.20.07 @ 12:24PM|#
Look no offense to Iowans, but I hate your damn state for its utter blandness and its eagerness to lap up government money for dumb shit like this and corn/ethanol subsidies.
|12.20.07 @ 12:30PM|#
The attraction was projected to draw 800,000 visitors a
year.
Amtrak was projected to be profitable a decade or two ago. My rule
of thumb on these sorts of projections is divide by two. Now you
have an optimistic projection.
|12.20.07 @ 12:32PM|#
Look no offense to Iowans, but I hate your damn state for
its utter blandness and its eagerness to lap up government money
for dumb shit like this and corn/ethanol subsidies.
Iowa is corn and pigs. Pigs and corn. No offense intended
either.
|12.20.07 @ 12:33PM|#
If you can give me a petition of 800,000 who want to visit a plastic rain forest, I'll pay for it myself...
|12.20.07 @ 12:47PM|#
Iowa. Plastic Rainforest.
Gosh, I wonder why they couldn't get private investors in on this?
It seems to be such a natural fit.
|12.20.07 @ 12:48PM|#
Pella? Uh-oh. I just mailed my letters to independent voters in Pella asking them to consider caucusing with the GOP and voting for RP in the Iowa caucus. Let's hope they are as sick of this nonsense as H&R posters are.
|12.20.07 @ 12:49PM|#
Sounds like Sen. Charles Grassley needs a little Getting Gay
with Kids.
(Time was we could count on the staff to make the obvious South
Park references, but things haven't been the same since Matt Welck
took over! For a magazine called Reason... grumble grumble!)
The Democratic Republican|12.20.07 @ 12:51PM|#
Lamar | December 20, 2007, 12:32pm | #
TDR: Is that during your direct flight from Gary to London?
Lamar -- Yes, yes it is. You must have also taken that route in
order to be aware of its existence. :)
ed|12.20.07 @ 12:51PM|#
I listened to Grassley on an NPR interview last week and the man seems utterly retarded. And I'm being charitable here. His arguments wouldn't convince an eight-year-old, but they seem to convince the voters and his fellow Senators. Take that for what it is.
|12.20.07 @ 12:54PM|#
There's a Rain Forest Cafe in Overland Park, KS and three near
Chicago - only a days drive from anywhere in IA. Or you can fly to
WA and go to the Ho Nat'l Rain Forest.
Otherwise, get your pork by selling more pork sausage.
The Democratic Republican|12.20.07 @ 12:54PM|#
Of course it's in Indiana... but since ALL of the Midwest is
treated as "flyover country", I didn't think it mattered.
I actually live in Oklahoma, which I don't think I've ever heard
referred to as anything BUT "flyover country" (even by those who
live here). So forgive me if I'm touchy about the phrase.
|12.20.07 @ 12:58PM|#
TDR, old joke,
Why is it always windy in Oklahoma? Cuz Kansas sucks and Texas
blows.
|12.20.07 @ 12:59PM|#
Des Moines is not so bad, especially in the caucus season. I
just recently spent a year living there and I quite liked it. But
then again, I grew up in Peoria,
so my expectations about midwestern blandness may differ from
yours. ;-)
Iowans seem really, really proud of their state. I bought a snow
shovel at the hardware store and the clerk proudly informed me that
it was made in Iowa. I can't imagine giving a crap about that.
There is a lot of quasi-collectivist "we Iowans" talk in the
papers, etc. I found it surprising because nobody gives a shit
about Illinois, least of all IL natives like me.
Episiarch|12.20.07 @ 1:09PM|#
Why is it always windy in Oklahoma? Cuz Kansas sucks and
Texas blows.
Wait, there are people in these states?
Just kidding. I personally detest such attitudes, as they are often
just pathetic ego-boosters: "huh huh I'm better than those yokels
because I live on the coast".
And I'm from Connecticut, with 7 years in Manhattan.
|12.20.07 @ 1:11PM|#
ed,
The New Republic had a piece on Charles Grassley, and the man
really does seem to have a child-like development level. Asking his
staffer for permission to do things, that sort of thing.
Anyway, on pork, it's a nice story when this project gets cut or a
bad story when some other project gets funded, but I'd like to a
see an overview piece about overall spending and earmarking. It was
a big story before that last elections about how the Democrats were
going to reform the process and reduce earmarks, and there were
some pretty confident opinions expressed about whether they would
actually follow through. It might be informative to some people to
see whether they were right or wrong.
Bingo|12.20.07 @ 1:15PM|#
nathan:
Iowans have an over-inflated sense of self-worth because of that
damn caucus. They think they are the quintessential
middle-Americans and which somehow makes them special.
Hint to Iowans: Most pol's try to appeal to the lowest common
denominator. Now, take a wild guess why they hold their caucus in
your state.
|12.20.07 @ 1:18PM|#
You know what's weird? There's a real rain forest on the Olympic peninsula in Washington. That's right, across Elliot Bay from Seattle. Yes, I know it's moist in the Northwest when it's not actually rainy, but "rain forest" and 'Washington State" were an unexpected combo for me.
|12.20.07 @ 1:20PM|#
Anyone who wants to go to a bitchin' private sector rainforest can go to Nashville's "Opryland" resort/convention center. I know it's not the real thing, but, honestly, I didn't miss the leeches one damn bit!
iowan|12.20.07 @ 1:31PM|#
First and foremost, it is not a "plastic rain forest". The word
plastic does not even appear in the linked article from the Des
Moines Register.
The project was to build a "bio-dome" of sorts and grow a real
tropical rain forest inside the dome. It was proposed primarily as
an educational facility that was expected to draw school groups as
well as the general population.
It was a dumb idea, and it never had a chance to go forward. Make
as much fun of the idea as you like, but have the intellectual
integrity to critize the actual project and not Katherine's
misrepresentation.
As for all of you that are trashing Iowa, I greatly anticipate the
day when Global Warming puts both pretensious coasts under hundreds
of feet of salt water.
|12.20.07 @ 1:32PM|#
Episiarch,
Just a joke. Proud alum (Go Pokes) with time in all 3 states. I too
am not a fan of tribalism.
|12.20.07 @ 1:32PM|#
Lemme check, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington State, Oregon, California, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico all have real rainforests. Golly gee, Senator Grassley, maybe I don't want to pay so Iowa can have a fake one.
|12.20.07 @ 1:36PM|#
As for all of you that are trashing Iowa, I greatly
anticipate the day when Global Warming puts both pretensious coasts
under hundreds of feet of salt water.
Don't get your panties in a bunch, iowan. ;-)
Fortunately I'm from Detroit. Nobody dares make fun of us.
iowan|12.20.07 @ 1:37PM|#
Fortunately I'm from Detroit. Nobody dares make fun of
us.
I certainly wouldn't.
|12.20.07 @ 1:38PM|#
When I lived in Minnesota, I noticed that the Minnesotans spent an inordinate amount of time mocking Iowans. I never understood that, especially considering how funny natives of Minnesota are. They also, to a less degree, mocked North Dakota.
|12.20.07 @ 1:39PM|#
Fortunately I'm from Detroit. Nobody dares make fun of
us.
The Red Wings are the Yankees of hockey, and therefore suck...
iowan|12.20.07 @ 1:41PM|#
Ron Paul puts earmarks into spending bills to support his
district then votes against the bill.
The federal government shouldn't be involved in these kinds of
projects. But as long as it is, Iowans should try to get their
cut.
The project wasn't as dumb as the summary above indicates, and it
certainly isn't as dumb as Ted's bridge to nowhere.
I'm glad it's dead.
|12.20.07 @ 1:41PM|#
The Red Wings are the Yankees of hockey, and therefore
suck...
The Lions are the Cubs of football. Be merciful.
|12.20.07 @ 1:46PM|#
The Lions are the Cubs of football. Be merciful.
Fair enough.
First and foremost, it is not a "plastic rain
forest".
Duh-oh! Sorry about that one. I still don't want to pay for your
fucking forest, though...
|12.20.07 @ 1:51PM|#
You know what Florida is missing? A mountain range, right down the middle. Just like the Apennines in Italy. I wonder how much that would cost?
Bingo|12.20.07 @ 1:54PM|#
iowan:
Trash-talking other states is probably the oldest American past
time ;)
|12.20.07 @ 1:54PM|#
You know what Florida is missing? A mountain range, right
down the middle. Just like the Apennines in Italy. I wonder how
much that would cost?
Why not throw a boreal-style forest while we're at it. There's no
good camping space down here anyway...
iowan|12.20.07 @ 1:59PM|#
I still don't want to pay for your fucking forest,
though...
Neither do I.
Trash-talking other states is probably the oldest American past
time . .
Was I too subtle for you . . .
ed|12.20.07 @ 2:25PM|#
There's no good camping space down here anyway...
It's not the lack of space so much as it's too friggin' hot most of
the time, and when it isn't there is an assortment of reptiles
who'll happily finish you off. Screw that.
iowan|12.20.07 @ 2:28PM|#
Grassley said he was disappointed the Democrat-controlled
House and Senate included language pulling the grant, and didn't
bother to tell him. Grassley arranged the grant in 2003, and two
years later, under heavy pressure from Earthpark critics who saw
the project as an example of pork-barrel politics, pushed
legislation to require the matching grant.
As far as I know, this was not an "earmark". The $50M was a grant
based on a federal matching funds program (to go with the $50M in
private funding). The project was short an additional $50M in
private funding and after about 4 or 5 years of work was going
nowhere.
This was not something that Chuckles the Clown inserted at the last
moment. The funding has been in place for 4 years. Most likely the
$50M has been redirected to somebody else's pet project as a true
earmark that hasn't had 4 years of scrutiny.
So we're all winners today, woo hoo.
dhex|12.20.07 @ 2:30PM|#
i know this is uncool, but the idea of an artificial rain forest in the middle of the country is kinda neat.
iowan|12.20.07 @ 2:37PM|#
i know this is uncool, but the idea of an artificial rain
forest in the middle of the country is kinda neat.
If this had been a 100% privately funded adventure, I would have
been cheering them on since day one. As a federally funded
boondoogle, it was deeply disappointing. But as a matching funds
project with 2/3rds private and 1/3rd public funding, it was far
from being the most stupid way congress wastes our money.
|12.20.07 @ 3:16PM|#
Taktix®,
Well, I was thinking about replacing southern Georgia with the
equivalent of the Alps. Given the climate changes that would
certainly bring, maybe somewhere in the Panhandle we could plant
some nice spruce trees?
ed,
Indeed, it does get hot here. With the Florida "Apennines", which
we'll call the "Disnenines", you can always take a short trip into
the mountains to get a break from the heat. Orlando will be the new
Aspen ☺
|12.20.07 @ 3:35PM|#
Orlando will be the new Aspen
I could only imagine what a clusterfuck of humanity this would
be...
Paul|12.20.07 @ 3:47PM|#
incomprehensible optimism
This describes every bad corporate executive I've met or worked
with who drove his company into the ground in eighteen months, then
went on to "spend more time with family and pursue other
opportunities" with his six figure golden parachute.
Paul|12.20.07 @ 3:48PM|#
i know this is uncool, but the idea of an artificial rain
forest in the middle of the country is kinda neat.
It is cool, dhex, will that be cash or charge?
Paul|12.20.07 @ 3:56PM|#
You mean seven or eight-figure golden parachute. Sometimes
more.
I've never worked for any corporations that big, thank god.
Given that six figures is considerably more than I make, that's all
it takes to make me ill.
|12.20.07 @ 3:59PM|#
I don't have a parachute. However, I am permitted to flap my arms very rapidly and pray for the best if things go awry around here.
|12.20.07 @ 4:00PM|#
Pro Libertate
So the Lake Wales ridge isn't high enough for you, eh?
Then there's that mountain of garbage that I see from the Turnpike
every time I go to Miami. I think it might be the highest hill in
Florida by now.
|12.20.07 @ 4:10PM|#
Isaac,
No, that's not good enough. Britton Hill is the
highest elevation in the state, at 345 feet, but that's not good
enough, either. I'd say 10,000 feet would be optimal, but if that's
too much trouble, anything over 4,000 feet will do.
|12.20.07 @ 4:14PM|#
Then there's that mountain of garbage that I see from the
Turnpike every time I go to Miami. I think it might be the highest
hill in Florida by now
That won't work. They already have the
mutant-redneck-south-floridian factory occupying that space...
dhex|12.20.07 @ 4:18PM|#
It is cool, dhex, will that be cash or charge?
money order!
having seen some of the newer parts of the bronx zoo, where they
did a good job of "you are there" type environmental faking, i do
wonder if a larger scale rainforest disney type joint would be
viable either technologically or commercially.
ed|12.20.07 @ 4:19PM|#
that mountain of garbage that I see from the Turnpike every
time I go to Miami
Ah, Garbage Mountain. I used to work about a mile from its majestic
visage. Halfway between that and the women's prison. Good
times.
Mike Laursen|12.20.07 @ 4:24PM|#
Time was we could count on the staff to make the obvious
South Park references, but things haven't been the same since Matt
Welck took over!
Isn't Gillespie now in charge of all things reason online? It's he
that should be issuing warnings to the staff about not meeting
their South Park reference quotas.
Bingo|12.20.07 @ 5:19PM|#
Orlando will be the new Aspen
I seriously can't even fathom the impact of this and I've been
trying to for 10 minutes now.
|12.20.07 @ 5:22PM|#
Bingo,
Skiing Mickey? Mr. Toad's Wild Ski? Oh, right, Mr. Toad is
persona non grata in Kissimmee.
ed|12.20.07 @ 7:47PM|#
Mr. Toad is persona non grata in Kissimmee
I got lost in Kissimmee once. I hear that's not easy. All Hail The
Mouse!
|12.20.07 @ 7:54PM|#
Just include the Rain Forest in the same funding package with a
new stadium for Iowa State U. Ames isn't too far from Des Moises
and the taxpayers of Iowa could vote and pass the referendum.
I'm sure glad a lot of folks fly over my house, we have enough nut
cases of our own here.
AnotherIowan|12.20.07 @ 11:30PM|#
First, I'm an Iowan an I didn't take Katherine's "fly by
country" comment to be anything more than a tongue-in-cheek
reference, since there are people that consider it such.
Second, yes, it's not a "plastic rainforest" per se (come on,
folks, she was using that phrase to be humorous) it would be real
plants growing in a big plastic dome, with a good share of plastic
on the inside as well. Really, "plastic rainforest" isn't all that
off, even if she weren't using the phrase just to be funny.
Third, can't agree more that Iowa has a history of suckling at the
federal dollar teat (ask any farmer about his/her subsidies and
price supports, or checks for not growing crops on part of their
land), but to call Iowa "bland" is just ill-informed, undoubtedly
stated by someone who has never set foot in the place. Iowa has its
issues, but "bland" isn't one of them. Read Bill Bryson's memoir,
LIFE & TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID and tell me Iowa is
bland.
Fourth, I find the state-bashing stuff just really stupid and
immature. Grow up. Though, whoever noted that state bashing was
probably the oldest American pasttime was right on target!
(Actually, sex was the first passtime, state bashing the
second).
Fifth, the rainforest is a really, really stupid idea, even with
private money, especially with public money, doubly especially with
federal money. As Katherine noted, you can drive about 2 hours from
Des Moines to get to Omaha's indoor rainforest, with lots of other
attractions in that zoo. People will not travel to Pella, Iowa to
see such a thing, not when the Omaha Zoo offers a similar product
and much, much more. Pella (settled by Dutch immigrants) does,
however, have the best pastries on the face of the planet in
Jaarsma's Bakery.
Sixth, okay, I don't agree with Chuck Grassley on much, and I'm
really not a fan of his beliefs and votes, but don't let his hick
accent fool you. The guy is just a disseration away from a Ph.D.,
and he is a political force of nature. Astute as hell. He does
sound like an idiot sometimes, but that's just because of the weird
way he talks. MOST (not all) Iowans don't talk like that.
Seventh, sure the Iowa Caucuses are a dumb way to start the
presidential campaign; so is any other way you can think of. It's
just one dumb choice over the others. At least the candidates
actually meet and talk to real human beings here and don't just
talk to huge groups and tv cameras. It's a good experience for them
to have to go through, though it doesn't necessarily have to be
Iowa where they do it. Should be some other small state,
though.
That is all.
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