Winners

We Iowans are a resilient bunch as evidenced last week by the can-do attitude taken by those who worked late into the night and woke up early in the morning to volunteer to sandbag homes, businesses and water treatment plants across the state in hopes of staving off floodwaters. Memories of homes, businesses and personal belongs lost during the 1993 floods came rushing back to many of us who endured them, but scenes of selflessness and compassionate acts are just as vivid in our memories as we were reminded by the way Iowans banded together last week to help one another. That kind of neighborliness will be needed in the weeks and months ahead for those who have suffered losses from recent floods and tornados.

Thanks, too, for the levies and the folks who designed them. Yes, we realize not everyone escaped floodwaters in Greater Des Moines and for that we wish them a speedy recovery. But compared to 1993, the damage could have been worse were it not for the painful lessons we learned 15 years ago. Kudos also to officials with the state, city, police, public works, fire and key businesses who worked together to help many Iowans maintain a normal way of life during this crisis.

Despite all the rain and news of rising waters, Drake University managed a sunny finish for the NCAA Track and Field Championships held at Drake Stadium. Here’s hoping Drake gets another chance to host them again under clearer, sunnier skies.

Thanks to Camp Hope, Russian orphan children were welcomed by Central Iowa families last week and given the opportunity to meet their potential new families. The program allows children ages 7-13 to spend some time experiencing America with the hope of finding a permanent home while they are here. In the past eight years, Camp Hope has been responsible for finding homes for more than 135 orphaned children.

In other “sporting” news, congratulations to Des Moines’ SEHARC Hot Pink Grannies, winners of the 2008 State Champion Basketball tournament. The Hot Pink Grannies, ages 50 to 78, were undefeated in regular season and tournament play, sweeping their way to the top of the heap at the Senior Olympics held June 7-8 in West Des Moines. Who said the granny shot was dead?

There are two ways of looking at the Association of School Business Officials International awarding a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting to Des Moines Public Schools for the first time: One, is we’re glad to hear the DMPS is working to achieve a high level of systems operations, bond issuance statements and measurement of staff so as to assure taxpayers that public resources are being managed and accounted for properly. The other is, what took them so long?

Losers

Memo to moronic thrill-seekers and other generally stupid people: When the cops tell you not to walk through floodwaters or to get too close to fast-moving waters — let alone bare-footed and with small children — don’t do it. We know fast moving water has a strange, but powerful hold on the dim-witted, but there’s a reason for staying away, not the least of which concerns your own health and the lives of those paid to save your dumb asses. The same goes for rubber-neckers who feel the need to slow down in fast-moving traffic on Interstate 235 and other busy roadways to get a better look at floodwaters… stop it, you’re endangering lives. And while we’re at it, the next time the ghost of Ansel Adams or Edward R. Murrow spurs you to haul your cell phone or Super-8 camera to the river, stay the hell home and read a newspaper, the Internet or watch TV. The only person interested in your flood “coverage” is you.

Starting July 1, when you’re out shopping for clothes for the kids or buying items to help rebuild or refurnish your home or business after the floods, you can thank Iowa’s Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Chet Culver for increasing the state sales tax from five to six percent. [Sales of hotel rooms, certain construction equipment and auto rentals will remain at five percent.] You might recall that lawmakers decided to abolish the school local option sales tax as a separate tax and start using the additional 1-cent per dollar to replace it. As long as the money is distributed to school districts as promised, it makes it somewhat easier to swallow. But what are the odds it will also be used for property tax relief as lawmakers promised? We’re not holding our breath, and neither should you.

Yahoo’s efforts to revive takeover talks with Microsoft Corp. failed, setting the stage for the Internet pioneer to turn over a piece of its advertising platform to online search leader Google. The news caused Yahoo shares to plunge 10 percent as investors abandoned hope that Microsoft would renew a quest to buy the company, the Associated Press reports. Yahoo earlier rejected Microsoft’s offer of $47.5 billion. CV

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