Halloween costumes

My husband and I went to a Halloween party this weekend; he went as Uncle Sam’s rude cousin and I went as a black cat. I only did that because I couldn’t find my devil or genie costumes from prior years, and buying cat ears and a pin-on tail from the Theatrical Shop was a lot cheaper than buying a whole new costume. So I tried on the one-piece “catsuit” (full-length leotard) I’d purchased for whatever insane reason about ten years ago. I plunked the ears on my head and had my daughter pin the tail to the back of the leotard. Problem was, she couldn’t stop laughing. Now I know I don’t really have the body for a one-piece leotard, but I had planned to wear a “wrap” over the whole thing which would only be removed if I drank enough Soco-Cokes.But my dear daughter had doubled over in laughter so I said, “Okay, it’s not perfect, but what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to tell you what I was thinking.”

“Oh go ahead… if I’m planning to go out like this, I obviously don’t care what people think.”

So she said, “I was thinking you look like Mike Wazowski.”

Ah, the tribulations of an apple body.

Turns out the party was fun, but I never removed my wrap. And, I found my other costumes – on Sunday, while putting away laundry.

Sales Tax on pumpkins: decorations, not food!

The Iowa Department of Revenue will soon be searching through your sofa cushions, confiscating loose change, because they are really hard up for revenue sources.

That’s the only conclusion one can reasonably draw from a report in the Oct. 30 Register revealing that the State now considers pumpkins Halloween decorations instead of “edible squash,” which therefore makes them taxable. According to the Register, “…the department ruled that pumpkins are taxable if they are advertised for use as jack-’o-lanterns or decorations, or if it’s understood that they will be used for that purpose.”

If it’s “understood”? Does that mean the check-out clerk will ask you why you’re buying a pumpkin? “Paper or plastic? ID for the liquor? Jack-o-lantern or pie?”

No, turns out asking isn’t quite good enough: if you’re actually going to eat the pumpkin, you can only get the exemption from the tax if you fill out a form! Good thinking, that won’t hold up the check-out line at all!

Iowa House Goes Bloggy

A news release caught my eye today which stated, “Iowa House Launches New Blog.” The article text said, “The Iowa House of Representatives has launched a new web log at IowaHouse.org, that features daily updates with news and information from the Iowa House.”

Encouraged – well, thrilled actually (hooray forward-thinking legislators!) – I wandered over – and was immediately taken by surprise to find out it’s only the Democrats!

“Welcome to the Iowa House Democratic Caucus website!” the front page proclaims, and goes on to give only contact information for Democratic leadership and feature Democrat legislators. So, while it’s a neat idea, I’m disappointed it’s not a cooperative venture between both parties. I’m also thinking that news release is just a little misleading.

At any rate, the new site promises live audio from the House, schedules and debate calendars. The news release says the site will use content “from” YouTube and Facebook, but I’m guessing they are mis-speaking and mean they will be posting content ON YouTube and Facebook. Anyone want to “Friend” the Iowa House Democrats??

NASA visits Harding

We attended a program at Harding Middle School Monday night (11/5) which launched (ha) the school’s participation in the NASA Explorer Schools program. Retired astronaut John Bennett Harrington gave a stunning multimedia presentation about his life-journey through public school, college and the US Navy/NASA. The program is a NASA effort to encourage math, science and technology education, and to spark interest in the space program, among students in grades 4-9 nationwide, with 25 schools named to participate in 2007. Harding is the first Iowa school selected for the program since 2003.

A fun little sidenote: our DD was invited by KCCI’s Geoff Greenwood to do a brief television interview after the program. She said that listening to Harrington taught her to “Go for your dreams, and don’t give up.” That was the clip that Greenwood used in his news story on the 10 p.m. news. After calling all her friends to encourage them to watch, she was amused (disappointed?) that such a short clip was used, but I assured her that was normal. I think she might be more interested in Geoff’s TV career than in working for NASA…

Wieck’s 10 percent tax cut

State Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck (R-Sioux City) called today for the state legislature to cut taxes by ten percent across the board in 2008. He noted that the 2007 session had produced a ten percent state budget increase with no serious attempt to cut taxes for those work their asses off in this state. I wish him a lot of luck getting this through, but I can guarantee you if it does I’ll be going on a spending spree – which, if we all did, would create a pretty good spike in state sales tax revenue. Here’s what I’m spending my state tax cut on:

1. Cigarettes. I don’t smoke, but if every non-smoker would commit to buying just two packs, that’d be… well, lots of additional money in the state coughers coffers. Heck a few of those folks might even become addicted, making it possible to fund that pesky portion of the SCHIP/HAWK-I program that we’re bound to lose because of that no-good Satan George Bush.

2. Ethanol. Yep, I’ll support this shameful crime against humanity by buying a FULL tank (for a change!). Hell I might even take a joy ride and have to fill ‘er up a second time!

3. Pumpkins. And lots of ‘em, SUCKA!!

Iowa Fair Share Bill likely to resurface

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal is making it clear he thinks it’s likely the State Legislature will reconsider the “Fair Share” bill they passed last year, which then failed in the House of Representatives. This bill was designed to collect fees from those working in “union shops” who were not members of the union, on the premise that the Union’s work benefits all and therefore all should pay their “fair share” to support the union. Iowa, however, is a right-to-work state which means a person has a right to work in a union shop and not be a member of the union.

Here is a corollary example of how Fair Share might play out: I work for a membership organization whose work affects the entire community. It’s not a stretch to argue that every resident and every business in our area benefits from the work we do. Our members support our work through their memberships because they believe in the work and they seek the opportunities we create for them to connect with each other. Some, however, choose not to be members. We could, therefore, conceivably seek to pass local regulations stating that every resident and every business owner in our region has benefitted from our work and should therefore pay us a user’s fee.

I’d be very curious to see how many union leaders (and people in general) would scream bloody murder about having to pay that fee, when they have chosen not to be members of our organization.

It is undeniable that unions did much in the early days of industrialization to improve working conditions, raise wages, and give workers a collective voice. But today, the fact that unions are seeking the right to collect “user fees” from non-members speaks volumes about their waning strength and influence: because they are apparently unable to make a strong enough case for membership, they are seeking a legislative mandate to allow them to collect funding from people who have purposely exercised their right NOT to fund them.

 Doesn’t seem all that “fair” to me.

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