Random Views from a Community Activist

The
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission granted four new casino licenses in
the state last week and one of them went to nearby Worth County here in
northern Iowa.



I think
the very first column I wrote here expressed my concern about the state
turning more and more to gambling for state revenue. I have extra
concern for north Iowa. Not because I will live within 45 miles of the
casino, but because we have been left out of the economic development
loop for so long, we see just about anything as a success. For example,
the executive director of the Worth County Development Authority has
said we “need a casino to fund our schools.” By that rationale, why not
brothels for health care?



It’s one
thing for gambling revenue to be earmarked for education, but it’s
unacceptable to think that without gambling, we could not properly fund
public education. And if that is the case, we have failed the people
beyond comprehension.



Well,
the legislative session that wouldn’t end appears to be setting
records. Not since 1981 has the legislature met for this long of a
session. Apparently they are stuck on quite a number of budget
issues—one of which is the cigarette tax. Regardless of what the
individual legislators think of this, the people of Iowa overwhelming
support a substantial increase, with the revenue going towards health
care. If the legislators are there to do the “work of the people,” and
the people clearly want the increase, why is this a sticking point?



On a
positive note, I attended the first in a series of public forums today
on the “Great Places” initiative, an idea to streamline the various
state agencies that can help communities with their economic
development efforts. The idea behind this plan is to make it easier for
community leaders to approach the various state agencies with their
plans to make their community a great place. Communities or regions
that come up with a plan are given the opportunity to present it to the
Great Places board. For the first year of the plan, three pilot
projects will be selected from the applicants and will receive state
assistance.



While it
would be easy to criticize the initiative and say that it’s really just
a plan to make state agencies work together like they should have been
all along anyway, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt here
because I like the kind of ideas they are looking for. They don’t want
to fund swimming pools or park benches for community parks. They are
looking for bold ideas that create a sense of place and they want
entire concepts as opposed to just projects. They want pilot projects
to serve as examples for what other parts of Iowa can emulate.



With
these ideas in mind, we will be presenting the Swaledale Bio-Village
concept as one of Iowa’s Great Places. We hope that it will serve as an
example of how rural Iowa takes back its way of life and can once again
become a celebration of itself.