Iowa Road Trip 1.27.2006

I find reading the Iowa Blogs to be very insightful. One reason is because though I am opinionated, I just can't get worked up over some the issues facing Iowa communities. So, being able to read a fellow Iowan's take on current events here in Iowa is always appreciated. Case in point:

Tusk & Talon: "You Gotta Wonder..."The guys over at Tusk & Talon take issue with Des Moines Register columnist, Mrs. Rekha Basu, over her stance against a new Iowa City Wal-Mart being built on land sold to Wal-Mart by the city:

Iowa City must be stealing people's homes to do this, right. Maybe condemning large tracts of land in a largely minority part of town. Nope. Nothing like that is mentioned.Well, the town council must just be giving it to Wal-Mart. Nope. It's being sold to them.Hmmm...so, it must be some sort of sweetheart deal. Only if you consider a pricetag of $147,000 per acre a sweetheart deal.

The only part of the post I take issue with is the part where he attacks small businesses:

"Wal-Mart doesn't pay well. Well, Grandma's Ice Cream and Soda Fountain doesn't either. Starting jobs are just that: starting jobs. It doesn't matter whether you are working a cash register at Wal-Mart or a strip mall pet store, you'll make bupkus. At least at Wal-Mart, if you hang around for more than six months, you'll probably get a raise. And, if you hang around for a couple of years, you can become a manager in charge of a team of eight or ten people. Try getting that management experience at Ye Olde Small Town Cobbler 'cause you'll have to rub out Ye Olde Cobbler himself to get it."

I am, on the other hand, a small business owner. I make exactly the same money I was making 5 years ago when I opened my business. Why? Because, to me it is more important to try and keep my employees happy so I can grow my business and get out from underneath my debt load. I am a realist. I understand the retail industry isn't going to make all my employees rich. However, I strive to provide a fun, clean and safe environment to work in, while at the same time providing wages on par with my competitors. To that end our turnover rate is basically zero and those that do leave tend to return looking for their jobs back.

Of course, understand when I say "basically zero" I mean we have a very, very very low turnover % and a number which the Wal-Marts and Mc Donald's of the world could only dream of hitting.I have a lot of respect for my employees, and it is my experience that is worth quite a bit to some people. If for no other reason than to be able to say they don't work at a Wal-Mart.

Homercles - Space Monkey: It is called a "hudna"

Homercles response to the media hype surrounding the new greatest hits tape from Osama Bin Laden?

Is Osama running in '08? He's sure got the Dem talking points down.

Of course, that is funny because it is true.Side note: As a new relatively new blogger and as someone who was not around when Homercles first started, can I get an explanation behind the Homercles: Space Monkey title?

The Mind of Irish Walsh: A Liberal Rant Worth Reading?!?

While I chose a more direct frontal attack on Joel Stein the LA Times columnist who came out against supporting our troops, Mr. Irish Walsh took a more compassionate approach:

To be honest I kind of appreciate the man’s honesty because I have become sick and tired of people like John Kerry and Howard Dean saying how much the support our troops but...they hate everything they are doing in Iraq. Its like those idiots who comment on Conservative Blogs and start out their liberal rant with “Now, I am a registered Republican but…“I am a Conservative but…” and then proceed to tell us the most anti-conservative views possible.

Of course, Mr."I am the biggest Floggin' Molly fan in Des Moines" can't help himself to at least one jab at Joel:

Thank you for that Joel, and thank you for not being a "but" monkey…now go take a shower and learn to respect those who fight and die to keep you safe ya damned liberal silver spoon sucking hippy!

To be honest, Walsh had me a little worried until that last quote.

So, there you have it folks a brief road trip around Iowa. To be honest the news must have been slow this week, because the blogs seemed a little quiet. Oh well, Kennedy or Kerry is sure to say something stupid during the Alito confirmation vote and of course we live in a state covered by the Des Moines Register, so I am positive the blogs will be a tad more active next week.