Save the (Des Moines) Rainforest!
Katherine Mangu-Ward | December 20, 2007, 12:13pm
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
AnotherIowan | December 20, 2007, 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.
