I don’t know why an Irish person would come to Iowa to celebrate St. Patrick’s day, but apparently it’s common for Irish people to go abroad on the holiday. (Maybe they think it’s funny to watch people like us pretend to be Irish for a day while we pinch each other?) Either way, a member of Irish Parliament addressed the Iowa Legislature this morning on behalf of what he estimates to be 50,000 illegal Irish immigrants in the United States, according to Radio Iowa:
“Experts estimate there are as many as 11 million people are living illegally in the U.S., and Finucane says the plight of those 50-thousand Irish citizens likely cannot be considered separately from the rest. “I do recognize you have problems in relation to immigrants because possibly cannot adopt an ala carte approach in treating the Irish exclusively no matter how much you respect what we have done for America in the past,” Finucane says.
But then it looks like he kind of does ask for special treatment. It isn’t obvious, but it’s a little suspicious, given the previous quote:
Finucane hails the “close links” between Ireland and America. “America was kind to Ireland in difficult times with immigration in the 18th century, with immigration in the 19th century and with immigration in the 20th century,” Finucane says. There are now about 100-thousand U.S. citizens living in Ireland and Finucane describes Ireland’s immigration policy as an “open door.”
The Quad City Times has the story that the House voted to ban TouchPlay 80-18:
Rep. Danny Carroll, R-Grinnell, who led TouchPlay opposition during the House debate, said the ban was a critical vote for lawmakers.
He said it demonstrates “the will of the Legislature and, more importantly, the people of Iowa that we do not want an expansion of gambling in this state.”
“This is not the Iowa that we envisioned,” he added.
Well, at least Danny Carroll knows he needs his name in print as much as possible if he’s going to survive another election campaign. The story also mentions another measure before the House right now to extend the deadline for removing the slot machines until September 1. Time for a five-month TouchPlay binge!
And in case you’re wondering what’s next, Tom Vilsack has to decide if he’ll sign it. He previously said he’d sign what the legislature sends him, so things are looking good for Iowa casinos and bad for that back wall at Kum & Go right by the bathroom.
Today the New York Times endorsed a creative, yet not crazy plan to make the Electoral College a rubber stamp for the national popular vote using interstate compacts. It’s a politically viable solution that seems to be attracting a lot of attention lately:
Past attempts to abolish the Electoral College by amending the Constitution have run into difficulty. But National Popular Vote, which includes several former members of Congress, is offering an ingenious solution that would not require a constitutional amendment. It proposes that states commit to casting their electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote. These promises would become binding only when states representing a majority of the Electoral College signed on. Then any candidate who won the popular vote would be sure to win the White House.
My first wish would be to provide free Kum & Go milk coupons to all mothers with young children who play the Lottery’s TouchPlay machines at their neighborhood convenience stores. And even better would be free childcare at new Kum & Go/Iowa Lottery daycare centers for Gold Card TouchPlay members. My second wish is install the new Lottery TouchPlay machines at all I-235 & I-80 rest stops. Each player would receive a free Iowa road map or visitors guide. The state of Iowa could put the new TouchPlay machines on the front of their 2007 Iowa visitors guide as a new activity for the entire family. The new Iowa road maps would have decals noting all TouchPlay locations on I-235 and I-80 rest stops. My third and last wish is to draft Bill Krause (owner of Kum & Go) and Ed Stanek (Iowa Lottery czar) as independent candidates for Iowa governor. All net revenues from TouchPlay could fund their campaigns. Just think of a new Grant Wood painting with Bill and Ed. A great utopia and we would all prosper. God, I’m glad I live in Iowa.
Mitchell Henry
Des Moines
Kids playing with themselves
Rep. Dawn Pettengill is taking the wrong tack sponsoring a bill to ban the sale of sex toys to children (”Bad Vibrations,” Feb. 9). She doesn’t want minors to see or have certain devices designed for sexual stimulation. If sexual stimulation is Pettengill’s concern, a better solution would be to pass a law requiring minors to wear mittens at all times when they are in their bedrooms or bathrooms. That should effectively prevent sexual stimulation and would alienate only minors who don’t vote, while Pettengill’s bill would alienate shop owners who do vote and who also pay much-needed taxes.
The Register reports that fourteen Republicans have joined Democrats in the call for debate on a cigarette tax increase (proposed by Vilsack) that would fund health care.
It still seems unlikely that they’ll get their way, though:
House Speaker Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City, is against the tax increase and is seen by many as standing in the way of a debate in the House.
On the letter sent to Rants in favor of debate, Republican Walt Tomenga pointed out:
“I don’t think it will have much impact,” he said. “Neither party wants a vote on this bill because they don’t to run with the tag of raising taxes.”
In an e-mail to supporters today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pointed out that although Frist switched his stem cell position 8 months ago, he has yet to call for a vote. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act has already passed the House, so a vote in the Senate could mean new hope for millions of Americans with debilitating diseases.
Looks like the Senate voted to ban Touchplay, with a 45 day grace period for the removal of the machines.
The Register quotes Republican Larry McKibben sounding strangely (albeit over the top) Democratic:
McKibben called the gambling “the worst form of child abuse” because people who could least afford it were feeding money into the machines.
Rather than economic development, “this is simply a transfer of money from one pocket to another — money that won’t be spent on food, gas, clothing and other consumer goods that help to drive our economy,” he said.
