by Art Smith | Oct 6, 2009
Update! Link to podcast of today’s show!
Last Tuesday (September 29), I hosted the second half of Tim Albrecht’s program “The Bean Walker Live!” on Des Moines Local Live, and today begins 3 weeks of hosting the program in full while Tim concentrates on getting married!
On today’s show, during the first hour I will have Shane Vander Hart from Serve Our Youth Network to share about the volunteer opportunities they have and how they cooperate with local government to impact the lives of high-risk kids in the Des Moines Metro area.
During the second hour, Connie Schmett from Polk County (Iowa) Republicans will join us to talk about the upcoming Fall Dinner at Living History Farms this Sunday featuring the Iowa Republican Gubernatorial Candidates. We will also talk about some of the big issues in state and federal government this week.
Here’s a link to the podcast of last week’s show.
by Art Smith | Sep 26, 2009
The Des Moines Register, one of the two printed dailies that I read, has done some work to revamp the Politics section of their web site. As part of that effort, they have added “Featured Political Bloggers”, providing perspectives from the Right, the Left, and Across the Spectrum. Yours truly is one of the “From the Right” bloggers. More information about these changes will be included in the Sun
Although I’m pleased to be included in this project, more importantly I’m impressed that the Register is providing a forum that allows more established bloggers an opportunity to present opinions on topics that are important to everyone from such a variety of perspectives. Most people in Central Iowa recognize that the Register’s editorial positions tend to lean to the Left (although they occasionally surprise us). It is an exceptional publication that works with people from an opposing perspective as actively as The Des Moines Register is at this time.
Bloggers featured include:
From the Left:
From the Right:
From Across The Spectrum:
All of these folks have great ideas and I’m looking forward to interacting with them and Des Moines Register readers.
Radio Gig
This coming week will also be the beginning of four weeks of filling in for Tim Albrecht on his internet radio program “The Beanwalker Live!” on the Macs World Live internet radio station. On Tuesday September 29th, I will be filling the 4:00 to 5:00 PM time slot. On Octobers 6th, 13th and 20th, I will be doing the entire two hours from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. I plan to have some great guests in October, so please check it out! And if you can’t catch it live, podcasts will be available!
by Art Smith | Sep 9, 2009
Today marks the start of the of the Iowa Right To Life Book Sale at Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines. The sale runs from September 9 through 14.Â
This is one of the most important non-profit organizations in Iowa providing counseling and assistance to pregnant women. Services available include financial assistance, pre- and post-natal health care, a safe place to stay, child care, and counseling, to name a few.  There are resources out there and there are people who care. For more information, visit their web site at this link.
by Art Smith | Sep 8, 2009
The results are mostly in for Des Moines, and are in for West Des Moines. For Polk County School Districts, you can see the results at the Polk County Auditor’s Web Site.
The Power Plant and Equipment Levy passed in West Des Moines. Des Moines and Johnston each passed the Revenue Purpose Statement for the 1 cent option sales tax. Ankeny voted down the bond issue to build a new elementary school. And Urbandale voted down their Power Plant and Equipment Levy.
It’s too bad that voter turnout was down from prior elections. Evidently a reflection of what people really care about.
Not schools.
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West Des Moines residents, thanks for voting in Mark Lagomarcino. I think you’ll be glad you did.
by Art Smith | Sep 8, 2009
It’s another School Board Election day here in Iowa! Traditionally, School Board Elections are one of the voter lowest turnout elections, which is sad for at least these reasons:
- Every election represents a critical right and responsibility for us as citizens to speak our minds. Elections are our opportunity to support or oppose people running for office and their key value points, as well as proposals that general impact our rights or our money. The more of us that participate, the more likely it is that the election and the policies that result will most fully reflect the will of all of the people.
- School Boards, although considered by many in the political world to be a lower value and of lesser importance due to the realm of influence and non-partisan nature of these elections. However, SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTIONS YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN! Did I shout that loud enough? It is the School Boards, and not President Obama’s “Go Make Me Proud” speech that will exert significant influence over our children and help form the next generation. I am a strong advocate for the role of parents in raising their children, but the schools have the attention of our kids for 15,000+ hours over 13 years.
I don’t think there is anything more important than the effective forming of future generations, and the Public Schools have a heavy hand in that. Let’s make sure that we have the right hands in that formation.
Full disclosure: My wife and I do not have children, although our niece spent a year living with us when she was 15. We have 13 nieces and nephews and 2 great-nieces, and many friends with children. Despite the face that we don’t have children of our own, we share in the desire to see future generations prosper.
So, please, get out there and vote!!!
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Some of you may live in communities such as ours (West Des Moines) where there is an item on the ballot regarding the continuation of an existing levy to cover some of the physical aspects of the school system (referred to in some places as Power Plant and Equipment Levy, or PPEL). Typically, these levies cover:
- Building repairs, renovations, additions, and safety improvements
- Purchase of computer systems and other educational technology
- Purchase of school buses
These levies do NOT cover salaries, textbooks, or curriculum programming.  They are NOT a new tax. Unless the existing levy is severely onerous, you should vote to continue the levy in your district, as I will here in West Des Moines.
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Lastly, if you live in West Des Moines, and want to see conservative values in your School Board both from a policy standpoint and from a fiscal management standpoint, you should vote for Mark Lagomarcino. I met him recently at a fund-raising event and was impressed with his speech and the way he answered questions.