Voters to Rule on Courts

“Shall [Polk County, Iowa] be authorized to renovate and improve the existing courthouse and construct an 8-1/2 story courthouse facility…with related site improvements, at a total cost not exceeding [$127 million] and issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding [$132 million] for that purpose?” That is the question being put to voters in a special election on April 29, 2008.

To promote support for the referendum, officially known as Public Measure Letter A, judges have been giving tours of the current courthouse. I participated in the first tour, led by Judge Robert A. Hutchison, on March 25th. There was a strong case made for the need to do something in order to improve the current operations of Iowa’s Fifth Judicial District. However, there were virtually no pleadings on why this particular referendum should be approved.

On the county’s website there is a 21 page referendum document. This provides sketches of plans for the renovated courthouse and the new facility. On page 20 is a chart comparing various options that were considered before this option, known as 5A, was selected for the referendum. From a non-detailed look at the chart, 5A appears to be in line with other options with the important component of retaining use of the historic current building. Allegedly there has been strong public support for retaining the courthouse as a courthouse.

To help understand how the current courthouse and the new facility will be used, I recommend at least a quick look at the Iowa Judiciary’s website. On that site is information about the types of judges and magistrates that use space in county courthouses. There is also a map that shows which counties are in which district.

There are numerous reasons for building a new facility, but there are also questions voters need to ask. For instance, the new facility is projected to be maxed out in terms of space at about the time the general obligation bonds used to construct it are paid off, approximately 20 years from start of construction. Is that a reasonable planning timeframe? As businesses and residents move westward into Dallas County, will there be a related shift in where court cases are filed?

In previous reports on the courthouse, I had mentioned that access for disabled jurors, litigants, and attorneys was a matter of concern. Yet, when I asked Judge Hutchison how many jurors he had excused due to accessibility issues, he said there had been none. Although, he did acknowledge that it was sometimes a challenge to accommodate those particular jurors. During the tour a woman in a wheelchair was seen moving easily in the fourth floor hallway. In the new facility, a large juror orientation room is included in the first floor plans.

In economic terms, the lack of space in the current courthouse means that various types of courts and judiciary services are in rented space throughout Des Moines. In addition to the cost of space, this adds to the strain on budgets and personnel for deputies and other necessities of court. Costs for 5A also include temporary relocations while the current courthouse is renovated. The referendum does not provide details on this item.

In terms of physical safety, there are concerns over matters of physics and matters of law. For instance, the current courthouse does not have enclosed stairwells appropriate for fire evacuation. Neither does the courthouse permit defendants, witnesses, and jurors to be separated easily as they all must use the same hallways.

For Judge Hutchison, the human need is also important. He noted that juvenile courts handle both Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases and cases of juvenile justice. In the latter, it is not uncommon for teenagers to be taken into the courthouse in handcuffs. Judge Hutchison believes it is inappropriate to have youth sitting in a public hallway while handcuffed. He wants a building design that will offer them some privacy.

A new facility could also serve the public interest. Lack of space in courtrooms means the family members of defendants and of victims may have difficulty finding seating in criminal cases. Even the media must sit outside courtrooms when covering cases. This means nuances of reaction and interaction that are important may be missed.

A few polling places have been changed for this special election. If you know how you will vote, absentee voting is already taking place. In the comparison chart for the various options, it is estimated that a homeowner with a $100,000 house would pay $23.24 under 5A. A business property owner would pay $286.44 on an assessed value of $500,000.

M.R. Field covers local issues for AroundDesMoines.com.

Catching up with Jim Wallis

Jim Wallis is a Washington D.C.-based, evangelical Christian minister and national figure committed to elimination of poverty. His views and actions are rooted in Old and New Testament scripture and are noteworthy for the manner in which they cannot be blindly categorized as liberal or conservative. (If you are rigid enough and narrow enough in your left or right views, he will offend you. If you are flexible enough and open enough to the recurrent themes of the Old and New Testament, you will recover. Believe me, he jarred me out of my political comfort zone.)

To see what Jim Wallis is up to take a look at Lyndsey Teter’s article from Ohio. As you can see Jim Wallis will be one of the leaders of a “Justice Revival” in Columbus Ohio in mid-April. The revival will bring together thousands of Central Ohio church goers from diverse political persuasions in order to complete projects that serve the community. Thousands more will sign on to mentor young people through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio. This is the first of what is expected to be many justice revivals across the country, taken as a first step to eliminate injustice and poverty through cooperative action of religious groups.

So what is the Des Moines connection? – an article in The Des Moines Register. I hope you didn’t allow The Des Moines Register’s hot button headline to deflect your interest in reading the page 3A article about Jim Wallis on Sunday (3/30/2008). Other papers around the country used more neutral language in headlining the views and actions of this evangelical Christian. You can read the same article (written by the AP’s Julie Carr Smyth) on-line in the Washington Post without the Register’s politically polarizing headline, “Liberal group redefines goals of evangelicals.” On the issue of abortion Jim Wallis is as “liberal” as the Catholic Church (He is pro-life.) so how helpful was that headline? Perhaps a more fitting headline would have been “Progressive… or Religious group redefines goals of evangelicals.” He is not conveniently categorized (or dismissed) as a liberal. We all know liberal (or conservative) is a dirty word in many Iowa households, and as a consequence if someone is called a either, we sometimes think we don’t have to consider their ideas because we “know” a priori that they are wrong.

My introduction to Jim Wallis came two years ago. At Grinnell College where I teach, we invite a lot of great speakers, and one of them was a nice Midwestern boy named Peter Agre who also happens to have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003. I got to spend a little time with him. When he was visiting, Peter wanted some exercise so I picked him up at 6 am one morning, and we swam a mile and then had breakfast; that’s where I asked him my favorite question: “What are you reading?” Peter Agre was enthusiastic about three books one of which was God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn’t Get It by Jim Wallis. As you can see from the title, if you consider yourself left or right, you are going to get dinged. I sure did. Two years later I am still struggling with the moral and ethical questions that Wallis discusses, but I loved his book. So for you – Christian or not, church goer or not, left or right – just read it, and draw your own conclusions. The Des Moines Public Library has two copies.

Jim Wallis has three books of note.

• God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn’t Get It
• Faith Works: How to Live Your Beliefs and Ignite Positive Social Change
• The Great Awakening

His umbrella group called Sojourners, a network of progressive Christians, was organized with intent to translate spiritual beliefs into action. Don’t be the last to know why and how politics and religion are mixing more in the last two years than in previous decades; recall the June 2007, Sojourners-sponsored Presidential Forum on Faith, Values & Poverty on CNN or the Public Radio program Speaking of Faith where the major political candidates discussed faith and politics.

Don’t be stuck in yesterday. Times are changing.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

[tags] Iowa, Des Moines, Central Iowa News, Sojourners, Jim Wallis[/tags]

Grannies Take on Public Health

(Des Moines, IA, March 27, 2008) The Hot Pink Grannies defeated Lighten Up Iowa 20-14 in a Granny Basketball exhibition game at the Central Campus gym. In post-game commentary, Granny Forward Jewell Chapman said, “I feel like we had a lot of fun.”

Chapman scored the first goal of the game and the Grannies led at halftime 14-6. Lighten Up Iowa had taller players but the Hot Pink Grannies had more experience moving the ball as a team. The Iowa team was so new that when the announcer asked if the players were ready to take the court, the captain said, we “haven’t put [the team] together yet.” Helping round out the team of state employees, including some from the Department of Public Health, were members of the Motorcycle Grannies team from Indianola. In the second half, the Iowa team was helped by members of the Wild Wild West Des Moines Grannies.

The Grannies showed their sneaky sides as they managed to move the ball around the Iowa men who just stood and looked down at some of the more diminutive players in this game of six-on-six basketball played under 1920’s rules. In the exhibition game it sometimes seemed as though this was a preview for the Harlem Globetrotters’ appearance at Wells Fargo Arena on March 30th. The ball bounced off knees and shoulders and at one time was kicked by a Granny. With all the player substitutions, confusion sometimes was unavoidable. At the start of the second half a temporary Iowan found herself with the ball and wondering, “who’s my team?” When she realized the player to whom she passed the ball was not on her team she simply said, “oh, no!”

Granny Basketball games last 32 minutes and are divided up into 4 quarters of 8 minutes each. No running or jumping is allowed and only 2 dribbles are permitted. Unlike the Globetrotters, the Grannies pay for their own uniforms, court time, and travel. Like the Globetrotters, they use their appearances to help raise money for charity.

The Hot Pink Grannies vs. Lighten Up Iowa game brought in donations to help out lower income senior citizens with some of their expenses. Last year’s match raised money for a basketball court in Ghana. Patrick Choquette, the son of a state employee, was serving in the Peace Corps and thought the school where he taught chemistry, biology, and physics needed basketball in addition to the soccer and volleyball they already played. At this year’s game, Choquette, who now works for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, gave a brief report on the Ghana court. The schools’ students all pitched in to help construct it.

Twelve Granny Basketball teams will play 6 games in Alburton on Saturday, March 29th. The first game starts at 9:00 a.m.; the last one at 3:15 p.m.. The league has expanded and now includes teams in Illinois, Louisiana, and Minnesota. If your organization is looking for a fundraiser, the Grannies would like you to call.

M.R. Field had to catch some basketball action after missing the NCAA games. 

Weekend Pick: Apil Showers

With global climate change, will “March winds bring April showers bring May flowers” still hold true? The wind has been strong in the past few days but not dramatic for most of the month. Now April showers are starting early and a spring time thunder storm passed over the city this morning. The temperature was a balmy 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

The big event of last weekend was the NCAA first and second round women’s basketball championship games held at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa State made it to round two on Monday night but lost out to #2 Rutgers. DART, the local transit authority, has transportation to Wells Fargo Arena on its list of desired services but I doubt that such service would have run late enough for me to take the bus home. Once again, that lack of transit service kept me from attending something in the city that I really wanted to see.

There are plenty of things to do in the days ahead. With rain forecast for much of the weekend, you might want to think of indoor plans. If you have not yet seen the Cornelis Ruhtenberg retrospective at Olson-Larsen Galleries in West Des Moines’ Valley Junction, Saturday, March 29th will be your last chance.

Sunday, March 30th, will be your last chance to hear Botanical Blues this year. “Mojo” Jono Smith and Willie James Shay will be the performers. This week’s show runs from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for adults. The Botanical Center is at 909 Robert D. Ray Drive.

Sarah Plain and Tall opens at the Des Moines Playhouse (831 42nd Street) on Friday, March 28th and runs through April 13th. The play is based on the Newbery Award-winning book by Patricia MacLachlan. The protagonist moves from Maine to become wife to a farmer in Kansas and stepmother to his children in pioneer days. Adult tickets are $15. Show times are: Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

“A Star is Born” is the theme for this week’s free presentation in the Spring astronomical series at the Drake Municipal Observatory. Time is 8:00 p.m. The observatory is located on Waveland Golf Course. Take Polk Boulevard north from I-235 or south from University Avenue to Observatory Road. This is a short street with a “T” intersection and will put you directly into a parking lot.

Planned Parenthood’s Spring book sale begins on Thursday, March 27th. Admission on Thursday is $10 and the event is open from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. Admission is free the next four days: on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m and on Sunday and Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The sale is being held in the 4H building at the state fairgrounds and proceeds are used to fund the organization’s education services.

Lighten Up Iowa will play a Granny Basketball team at 5:30 p.m.on Thursday, the 27th, at the Central Campus gym (1800 Grand).

M.R. Field encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com. 

Charity

Charity makes you happier.

I ran across this summary of an article about charity and happiness last week on BBC News.

The original study appeared in the March 21, 2008 issue of Science, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. You can read the abstract free on-line or you can read the whole article free at the Des Moines Central Library at 1000 Grand Avenue or the Franklin Avenue Library at 5000 Franklin Avenue.

The author of the article suggests that how we spend our money – especially in charitable ways – may be as important to our happiness as how much we make. (Good thing for me!)

If you itemize deductions, you are reminded at tax time of how you spend your money on others. Thus, that may be a good time to reexamine the question of charity. Reexamination is always healthy for me.

Are you wondering how you share some of what has been provided to you?

First, most Iowans think of their places of spiritual renewal (church, synagogue, mosque, or maybe even something less traditional).

Second, don’t forget the groups that help others around Des Moines like

• Des Moines Area Religious Council
• Catholic Charities
• United Way of Central Iowa
• Children & Families of Iowa
• Young Women’s Resource Center

In the blog and the links, you will find those five and many more than 100 other charitable groups in our community.

Third, remember the places that rely on our support that are fun for the family and make our lives richer

• Blank Park Zoo
• The Great Ape Trust
• The Science Center of Iowa
• State Historical Museum of Iowa
• The Iowa Hall of Pride
• The Des Moines Art Center
• The Des Moines Symphony
• Ballet Des Moines
• Iowa Public Television
• Iowa Public Radio
• Animal Rescue League of Iowa

Fourth, remember you can give goods as well. The Purple Wren always talks about releasing goods to the universe so that someone who needs them (more than she and I do) can treasure them – goods that may once have been a treasure in our lives, goods that still have value but a value that is no longer as urgent for us. Thanks, Purple Wren. (Of course, Mr. Frugal always checks the boxes so that nothing sneaks out the door.) There are many good places to share such items in order to allow others to put them to better use.

• St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
• Goodwill Industries
• DAV
• other thrift stores
• Books can go to Planned Parenthood
• or you can give blood at The Blood Center of Iowa

Getting back to the basic message that giving makes us happy, I know the one contribution that always makes me happiest: Heifer International, a group dedicated in part to providing animals to support the self-sufficiency of children and families around the world. Take a look at their gift catalog.

A former student of mine spent six months in Namibia in southern Africa. On her return she talked about what she ate – goat’s milk, goat cheese, and goat meat – and about how families in the area in which she worked depended on their goats for life itself. That has left me with a very vivid and meaningful picture of what it means for a family somewhere in the world to receive a goat. When I send money to Heifer International for a goat, it does make me happy, and I think healthier too.

I really didn’t need a scientist to tell me all of this. My mother told me. Here are some wonderful single sentence views of charity offered by John D. Rockefeller II, Barbara Bush, Anne Frank, Maya Angelou, Winston Churchill and others.

Find a charity that brings you joy when you contribute.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

[tags] Iowa, Des Moines, Central Iowa News, Local Charities[/tags]

Photo on Technorati by Mr. Kris

Libertarian State Convention

(Johnston, IA, March 15, 2008) The Libertarian Party of Iowa (LPIA) is committed to running candidates for office and winning elections. It intends to do this by growing the party membership, educating the electorate about its principles, and building a strong network. That was the message promoted at the 2008 state convention held at the Hilton Garden Inn. Two major events in the past twelve months offer hope that at least some of those plans will become reality.

In June 2007 the Iowa Secretary of State settled a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union at the behest of the Libertarian Party and with the support of the Green Party. That settlement allows Iowans to identify themselves on the voter registration rolls as a Libertarian or as a Green. At the convention Karen Tegtmeyer of Johnston proudly displayed her new registration card showing the Libertarian label. Having lived in Iowa and in Texas, where she ran for various offices, Tegtmeyer said, “I’ve waited 20 years to register Libertarian.”

The second event was the August 2007 Republican Straw Poll. Several Libertarian-oriented Republicans supporting Ron Paul’s candidacy helped coordinate rides to Ames for the straw poll and walked away with lists of names and e-mail addresses of Iowans who like Paul’s positions on issues. Just as the Democratic Party is intending to work those Republicans and Independents who registered as Democrats at the caucuses, Libertarians intend to make good use of information gleaned from presidential politics to benefit candidates for state and local offices.

The LPIA conducted a straw poll at its convention. Thirteen names were listed, plus an option for None of the Above and a write-in line. Out of 17 ballots cast, 4 candidates received votes; Michael Jingozian (28.7%), George Phillies (23.5%), Christine Smith (17.6%), and Wayne Allen Root (11.7%). In addition, 17.6% of ballots were cast for None of the Above. (At the time of the state convention Mary Ruwart had not yet announced her candidacy although several attendees expressed interest in her campaign. She announced she was running on March 21st.)

Roger Leahy coordinated Ron Paul meet-ups in Fairfield. He talked about how exciting it was to have Paul win the Republican caucuses in the county and to see young people participating. Nevertheless, he said, “I just don’t have enough patience to be in a room with hundreds of people” who are different and that’s what is fun about being back in the Libertarians. He also spoke in support of Christine Smith for president. “I would give two thumbs up for Christie.”

Kevin Litten, who ran as the Libertarian’s candidate for governor in 2006, spoke on behalf of George Phillies. Litten, from Cedar Rapids, said, “Phillies is the guy who will help grow the party.”

Several of the leading candidates had been asked to send information for the convention. Michael Jingozian sent a DVD that was played. Afterwards, Courtney Allen of Guthrie County spoke for the candidate. One of the concerns about Jingozian is that he does not support a woman’s right to choose abortion. Allen said there are other things to worry about, such as people crossing U.S. borders but spending money in foreign countries where each dollar circulates three times, instead of circulating in the United States. Allen also was impressed that Jingozian is a businessman. Allen concluded by saying this “is not a football game.” It is about who will run the country.

The Libertarians select their vice presidential candidate apart from the presidential nominee and that is how the straw poll was set up, too. Only one candidate’s name was known. Thus, Chris Bennett took 14 votes, with 3 going to None of the Above and one left blank.

Since the State of Iowa does not identify the Libertarians as a political party, there will not be a primary election. However, there will be Libertarian candidates on at least some ballots in November. In Ames, Eric Cooper will again seek the District 46 House seat.

There are active Libertarian groups at Iowa State University and at the University of Iowa. A group is being organized at the University of Northern Iowa. In Des Moines, Jake Porter has gathered a group of fellow AIB College of Business students together. Porter, who supports Phillies for president, worked on Brent Blanchfield’s unsuccessful 2006 House campaign against Ako Abdul-Samad. Now Porter is seeking a seat on the Libertarian National Committee.

Ed Noyes, from Jefferson County and a former candidate for attorney general, spoke about group study courses on the U.S. Constitution, based on material from the National Center for Constitutional Studies. Noyes concluded his comments by saying, “you’ll become so inspired [through this course], you’ll have to do something,” like run for office.

M.R. Field covers local events for AroundDesMoines.com. 

DART Commission Meeting 03/25/2008

Fare increases to take effect on June 1, 2008, were approved by the commission of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority at its March 25th meeting. Only one change was made to the original fare proposal. Transfers will be good for 2 hours, up from the current 30 minutes, but only in one direction of travel. A request made at the March 18th hearing for discount passes to look like full-fare passes also was incorporated into the approved proposal. The vote to raise fares was unanimous with Commissioner Angela Connolly absent and Des Moines’ City Manager Rick Clark serving as an alternate for Commissioner Christine Hensley.

A major topic of concern and discussion was the increase of OTT passes from $17 to $21 per month. OTT stands for Opportunities Through Transit and is paid for through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and DART. Low income riders can apply for OTT funds through several community organizations. Each of those organizations has a waiting list. Commission Gaye Johnson asked for additional information on the number of people on waiting lists. According to DART General Manager Brad Miller, the City of Des Moines contributes $20,000 to OTT through federally-funded CDBG and Polk County provides $13,000 from its CDBG allocation. DART contributes $54,000. The amounts provided by the city and by the county cannot be increased before January 2010. Miller said not raising the OTT pass to $21 would cost DART $50,000. How to ease the burden of $4 extra for qualifying riders was discussed and ultimately tabled in favor of moving along the vote for the full fare proposal.

After the meeting I confirmed with Chief Development Officer Brian Litchfield, since Miller had left for another meeting, that the $50,000 would be from lost revenue. Consider this in context of a presentation Miller made that showed OTT accounted for 6.6% of riders. Additionally, consider that Litchfield had responded to an e-mail from AroundDesMoines.com for additional information with the figure of $150,000 as the amount of new revenue to be raised by the fare increase. This would mean that the lowest income riders, accounting for 6.6% of all riders, will be paying one-third of the new fare dollars. However, regular monthly pass riders account for 22.5% of rides, or more than 3 times the number of OTT riders, with a monthly rate increase is $7 per pass. That should account for more than two-thirds of the expected revenue increase. According to minutes from the DART Commission’s March 4th meeting, additional revenue to help offset rising diesel fuel prices will come from parking garage revenues in the city of Des Moines.

A new $24 paratransit fare for anyone anytime is one of the interesting additions to DART fares. There are also five paratransit zones with various fare rates for qualifying riders. Miller explained that the $24 fare is more than taxi fare so the service option is unlikely to be used. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering revamping reimbursement rates. Currently, DART is compensated at $16.44 per trip. To protect that revenue, DART needs to have the $24 published rate. As the meeting proceeded to other matters, several commissioners stressed that federal dollars for transportation are likely to be decreasing in the years ahead.

Apparently there is some disagreement within DART and on the DART Commission over the future direction of the transit authority. At the March 4th meeting, Commissioner Steve Van Oort asked for a comprehensive plan to cover the next 10 years. Van Oort is not convinced that the proposed transit mall, for which conceptual drawings and a $15 million tentative price tag were presented at the March 25th meeting, is in the best long-term interest of DART. Commission Chair Skip Conkling countered that the transit mall was necessary for all other development to happen, including a tram from the Capitol to downtown for which Allied/Nationwide has agreed to fund a feasibility study.

Trolleys for the new city- and state-funded shuttle from Meredith Corporation offices to the Capitol are expected to be delivered the first two weeks of April. According to the March 4th meeting minutes the new shuttle will be called the D-Line, a name selected by “a steering committee, consisting of DART and other downtown functionaries….” (For the record, I recommended the name Boondoggle. I can think of several choice D words, too.)

A presentation was also made at the March 25th meeting on responses to challenges posed by this past winter’s weather. DART staff recommended buying another sander and a bobcat. Currently there is only one sander, which was out of commission during part of the season due to damage, and no bobcat. On 74% of the days from December through February there was either snow or freezing rain.

M.R. Field hopes to cover future DART Commission meetings for AroundDesMoines.com. 

Polk County Courthouse Vote

On April 29, 2008, residents of Polk County, Iowa, will be asked to vote to spend money on renovations to the county courthouse and for construction of an adjacent court facility. The current courthouse between 5th and 6th Streets and between Cherry and Mulberry, just south of Walnut Street, in downtown Des Moines is on the National Register of Historical Places.

A February 12th news release from the Polk County Board of Supervisors notes that the referendum will be to authorize up to $132 million with no more than $127 million being spent on construction costs. The news release also notes that the current courthouse, built in 1906, now has 28 courtrooms but was designed to include only 4 such rooms. The current building also needs to be retrofitted for disabled individuals, including jurors, lawyers, and defendants.

The new building will be 8-1/2 stories tall. A 21-page pdf file is available online with details about the proposed construction.

Tours of the current courthouse are being held to educate the public about the need for the referendum and new building. The schedule is below. Enter the courthouse through the south door. Tuesday, March 25 – 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 27 – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 29 – 10:00 a.m.

Monday, April 7 – 9:00 a.m.

Monday, April 14 – 9:00 a.m.

Monday, April 21 – 9:00 a.m.

M.R. Field covers local events for AroundDesMoines.com. 

DART Fare Hearing

(Des Moines, IA, March 18, 2008) People attending a public hearing for a proposed transit fare increase were very clear. Support for a fare increase cannot be separated from the service provided or from who is paying the fare.

Fewer than 20 people attended the noontime hearing held at the Central Library. About half of those people were staff of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority or DART commissioners. DART General Manager said that about 32 people had already submitted comments on the proposed fare increase. Half of those comments were in support, half were in opposition. However, most of the complaints were targeted to specific parts of the proposal.

Miller delivered a slide presentation that had previously been given to the DART commission. He clarified several components of the proposed fare increase included in the letter and attachment sent to riders via e-mail and distributed on buses. One proposed change is that the reduced fare for seniors be offered to be people 65 years or older. Currently, people age 60 can pay the reduced fare. Seniors between age 60 and 65 who currently pay the reduced fare would be grandfathered in and not be required to pay full fare. Federal law requires senior citizens be allowed to ride during off-peak hours at half price. The new fare proposal would allow seniors also to ride at half price during peak hours (i.e., morning and afternoon commute times).

The discount fare for youth age 6 to 10 years would stay at $0.75 while the fare for seniors and disabled riders would increase from $0.50 to $0.75. This would make all discount fares the same. Similarly, the monthly express plus pass would stay at $50.00 but those areas paying less would see an increase to the $50.00 level.

DART staff would like to see more riders use the weekly pass instead of tokens. According to Miller, tokens from pizza parlors are getting dropped into fare boxes. Approximately 4.1% of riders use tokens and 4.4% use weekly passes. Monthly passes are used by 22.5% of riders and 21.9% of rides are given under the Unlimited Access program.

How good a deal is the $50 pass? Consider some calculations for a rider working full-time. For ease of comparison, the monthly commute will be considered to be 2 rides per day, 5 days per week, 4 weeks per month. This equals 40 rides per month. Single fare cost would be $60. Weekly pass fare cost would be $56. Monthly pass fare cost would be $42. On call service would be $120. Combine the monthly pass with the on call transfer cost and it would be $110 per month to take the bus to work. With an all-encompassing express plus pass, that cost would be only $50.

Nobody questioned the reason given for the proposed fare increase, i.e., increasing fuel costs. I sent an e-mail to DART Chief Development Officer Brian Litchfield for usuage details. He said the proposed fare increase would bring in an expected $150,000 annually. In contrast, DART uses about 785,000 gallons of diesel each year. With a current price of between $3.16 and $3.40 per gallon, DART has seen its fuel costs rise by $800,000 per year.

Even though the proposed fare increase is related to rising fuel costs, comments from people attending the fare hearing made it clear there are other concerns. These include the perception that an empty bus equals a poorly-designed route, the time wasted when a route zigs zags in different directions, and the assumption of who rides the bus. One attendee who works for a large downtown company and has her ride paid for under the Unlimited Access program said, “I’m concerned about the poor schmucks” who have to pay $7 more for a monthly pass.

In response to a question I asked about future fare increases or excess revenues should fuel costs stabilize, Miller said that there would not be another fare increase before July 2009. He also acknowledged that future service expansion could be limited by the rising fuel costs.

M.R. Field covers local news for AroundDesMoines.com.

Common sense ain’t common.

Common sense ain’t common. Will Rogers

And the Iowa House had difficulty with a common sense issue – smoking in bars, restaurants, and casinos. Now we wait for compromise. A joint committee will start negotiations on Monday.

How about this for a compromise: a smoker in every other seat?

It has been 44 years since the first Surgeon General’s report on smoking and health.

The late Louis F. Fieser, a fine organic chemist, headed the first Surgeon General’s committee. He was an expert on cancer-causing chemicals. The committee issued a 387 page report in 1964.The crux of the report? “…cigarette smoking is a health hazard of sufficient importance to warrant remedial action.” How ironic it is that Louis Fieser was a chain smoker who developed lung cancer the following year and had surgery only to live another 13 years with emphysema and bronchitis. He died of pneumonia in 1978. One of Fieser’s colleagues, R. B. Woodward won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1965. Few would dispute that Woodward was the greatest synthetic organic chemist who ever lived. Woodward would have shared a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1981, but he was also a chain smoker and (not unrelated to his smoking) died in 1980 of a heart attack at 62 years of age.

Ah, but let’s not dwell on dead chemists. Let’s keep things in perspective. Let’s use our common sense. What’s important in Iowa is to make sure we have enough jobs. Wouldn’t you hate to lose your job in a smoky bar or casino? Talk about bad luck! Come to think of it lots of Iowans are dependent on smoking for their jobs: nurses, cardiologists, pulmonologists, medical receptionists, insurance claims agents. Wow! I never thought of it that way. It’s good that we have people with common sense watching out for our interests. (And here we Iowans thought we wanted a statewide smoking ban.) Maybe we should think about putting people to work at jobs that would extend their productive lives rather than shorten them.

Until common sense makes its return to Iowa, suck it up, nonsmoker. Don’t be such a wuss.

Keep the faith. I have every confidence that the Iowa Legislature will reach a good solution.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

Photo on flickr by idea313
Photo on flickr by miikkahoo

[tags] Iowa, Des Moines, Central Iowa News, Iowa Legislature, Smoking Ban[/tags]

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