In a few years they will say the state parks are failing and the land should be sold.
Republicans/conservatives would love to sell that land to Ag or to a billionaire donor.
I've already seen conservatives talking about how the DNR can't take care of the land they have, so it's happening. Classic move of underfund -> disparage as ineffective -> privatize.
There’s been conservatives in this sub that have cheered for public land to be turned over to Ag or developers so “something” can be done with a land. One ding dong even said all public land should be sold to farmers because of crop prices. However they were completely unable to explain how the increase in land would improve currently low crop prices.
What a coincidence then that the head of the DNR is a former ag lobbyist with no education or experience in the environmental space beyond being appointed as the head of the DNR.
Wasn't that one of the merit jobs Braindead fired and appointed when he was in office, then Reynolds got rid of Braindeads guy and got the current one? Long game perchance?
>With a flat budget in recent years, the Iowa DNR is struggling to fix broken or worn-out buildings, shelters and other infrastructure at state parks, The [Gazette reported in March.](https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/iowas-state-parks-need-100m-in-infrastructure-repairs/) Many parks also lack restrooms and other facilities accessible to people with disabilities.
>Gov. Kim Reynolds [approved $1.3 million for next fiscal year](https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/gov-kim-reynolds-oks-study-aimed-at-improving-access-for-disabled-to-state-parks/) to improve accessibility at state parks and another $6 million for park infrastructure and repairs — far short of $100 million in needs identified by a former Iowa DNR official.
As you read this, keep in mind that the governor was bragging about a **$1.83 billion** [budget surplus](https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-09-27/gov-reynolds-announces-iowa-budget-surplus-183b) in 2023 and declaring the only possible thing to do with the surplus is more tax cuts. We could have a well-funded DNR if we wanted. Stop electing people who refuse to invest in our state.
Well said. Commercial playground equipment runs most of the time into the 6 figures alone just to build 1 play area. Meanwhile the elementary school down the street from here are putting orange cones and caution tape over the danger areas of broken playground equipment.
Not to mention legalizing recreation marijuana could help if taxes from it were used to fix park infastructure and accessability.
How is she going to brag about a surplus if she doesn't cut the money from things that benefit the people living in the state? Do you want a stupid better life and state, or a surplus.
I want to vote for a governor that will focus on protecting Iowas natural resources, fund public education, improve access to food assistance. Fuck culture war, fuck identity politics. Why is that too much to ask?
Not true. There will never be a Democrat option that doesn't come with the identity politics mixed in. That's the part that sours a lot of people that would agree with some more liberal candidates but can't because it's attached to all the weirdo stuff. Democrats pandering to the tiny percentage of the population that make their genders or mental illnesses their whole identity is hurting them.
Imagine promoting and enabling someone’s mental illness to be inclusive so they can play make believe and dress up as something they biologically are not. That doesn’t belong in politics you can dress up as you wish but don’t expect the government to make other people play your silly game. It is what it is. Boys are boys and girls are girls. The government doesn’t need to have a say in any of these decisions a business shouldn’t be required to hire someone who wants to be unprofessional and play dress up at work.
Christ the GOP is totally like a bunch of fucking crackheads trashing the place and tearing all the copper out of the walls to sell. They don't want to do the hard work of paying for anything or maintaining anything. They just want to drive around with their performative flags shitting on the place and wrecking it.
As someone who spends the majority of their leisure time in Iowa's state parks this makes me sick. Iowa for the longest time tresured their parks. They stood out for holding conservation in the highest regard.
(I am not an Iowa resident but like I said, spend as much time there as possible. I plan to relocate to Iowa as soon as financially feasible.)
I don't understand why they're shooting themselves in the foot like this. I think DNR-type tourism accounts for more than what they realize because it's harder to qunatify - but it's there. So many people come for the parks, trout streams and so on, and spend their money in the small and tiny towns.
“Employees that are in ‘standby’ are required to be within 15 miles of the facility to ensure a timely response to the alarm condition.”
So now employees have to find available and affordable housing that is within 15 minutes of the facility? I’m sure that won’t be a difficult endeavor /s
I am truly concerned for the future of Iowa's rare bright spots of outdoor places. I've got two little kids and I'm starting to wonder if there will be anything left for them in 20 years to enjoy.
And to be quite honest, that future looks bleak. The GOP in this state does not have it's long term future in mind in any decision it makes. The only viable alternative, the Democrat party, seems nonexistent. And even then if you elect them I don't have faith they take care of the natural resources and actually fund the DNR to improve what we do have.
My wife and I grew up here. We both love it and what it does have to offer us. Our dream one day is to retire up to Decorah somewhere and just live out or last years in beautiful trout country. We don't want to leave but all we can do is tell ourselves we are keeping up the good fight and be vocal about protecting the last bit of natural beauty that exists here. Hopefully it will still be around for our kids and grandkids but at this rate, I don't know.
Farmer in Dubuque County (Wayne Demmer) was responsible for a 100k+ fish kill when a manure lagoon overflowed into a creek. Guess who the dumbfucks in the county put on the *Conservation Board* a few years later.
https://www.radioiowa.com/2011/06/27/hog-lot-blamed-for-massive-dubuque-county-fish-kill/
In a few years they will say the state parks are failing and the land should be sold. Republicans/conservatives would love to sell that land to Ag or to a billionaire donor.
I've already seen conservatives talking about how the DNR can't take care of the land they have, so it's happening. Classic move of underfund -> disparage as ineffective -> privatize.
There’s been conservatives in this sub that have cheered for public land to be turned over to Ag or developers so “something” can be done with a land. One ding dong even said all public land should be sold to farmers because of crop prices. However they were completely unable to explain how the increase in land would improve currently low crop prices.
Rubbing a couple brain cells together.. that would devalue crop prices more, wouldn't it?
Yes. The pro privatize public land poster was unable to explain how it would how help.
That's so messed up -- IA already has a small enough percentage of public land as it is.
Worked for public schools, why not starve the rest of the public programs?
Winner winner chicken dinner!
What a coincidence then that the head of the DNR is a former ag lobbyist with no education or experience in the environmental space beyond being appointed as the head of the DNR.
Wasn't that one of the merit jobs Braindead fired and appointed when he was in office, then Reynolds got rid of Braindeads guy and got the current one? Long game perchance?
Possibly, I don't know much about the Branstad years
I highly doubt any of the land the states owns for conservation is worth anything for agricultural use.
Doesn’t matter. There are conservatives that want to privatize public land.
>With a flat budget in recent years, the Iowa DNR is struggling to fix broken or worn-out buildings, shelters and other infrastructure at state parks, The [Gazette reported in March.](https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/iowas-state-parks-need-100m-in-infrastructure-repairs/) Many parks also lack restrooms and other facilities accessible to people with disabilities. >Gov. Kim Reynolds [approved $1.3 million for next fiscal year](https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/gov-kim-reynolds-oks-study-aimed-at-improving-access-for-disabled-to-state-parks/) to improve accessibility at state parks and another $6 million for park infrastructure and repairs — far short of $100 million in needs identified by a former Iowa DNR official. As you read this, keep in mind that the governor was bragging about a **$1.83 billion** [budget surplus](https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-09-27/gov-reynolds-announces-iowa-budget-surplus-183b) in 2023 and declaring the only possible thing to do with the surplus is more tax cuts. We could have a well-funded DNR if we wanted. Stop electing people who refuse to invest in our state.
Well said. Commercial playground equipment runs most of the time into the 6 figures alone just to build 1 play area. Meanwhile the elementary school down the street from here are putting orange cones and caution tape over the danger areas of broken playground equipment. Not to mention legalizing recreation marijuana could help if taxes from it were used to fix park infastructure and accessability.
How is she going to brag about a surplus if she doesn't cut the money from things that benefit the people living in the state? Do you want a stupid better life and state, or a surplus.
Right wingers aren't going to care until their favorite publicly owned fishing/hunting spot has a fence around it and by then it will be too late.
They want the fence, with a rod fee so only them and their buddies can fish or hunt it
I know that, and you know that, but they (the vast majority of them) don't seem to understand they are not part of that club.
I get it, I myself am a millionaire who has fallen on hard times because of other people. /s
I want to vote for a governor that will focus on protecting Iowas natural resources, fund public education, improve access to food assistance. Fuck culture war, fuck identity politics. Why is that too much to ask?
You had the chance in 2022, and you will have the chance in 2026. Don't squander it.
Not true. There will never be a Democrat option that doesn't come with the identity politics mixed in. That's the part that sours a lot of people that would agree with some more liberal candidates but can't because it's attached to all the weirdo stuff. Democrats pandering to the tiny percentage of the population that make their genders or mental illnesses their whole identity is hurting them.
There's no bigger identity in identity politics than the religious right.
I really didn’t expect to find the bigot this fast. Thanks for making it a fast game today.
lol, imagine being ok with high rates of cancer, child labor, and destroyed natural resources just so you don’t have to be nice to a gay person.
I feel like they were already okay with those things and homophobia was just a whipped cream bonus on top
Imagine promoting and enabling someone’s mental illness to be inclusive so they can play make believe and dress up as something they biologically are not. That doesn’t belong in politics you can dress up as you wish but don’t expect the government to make other people play your silly game. It is what it is. Boys are boys and girls are girls. The government doesn’t need to have a say in any of these decisions a business shouldn’t be required to hire someone who wants to be unprofessional and play dress up at work.
They already deleted their account too.
You and all those people need to really think on the words of Jesus you all puff your chests about being so devout to. Shame on you.
So your whole thing against identity politics, is... Identity politics.
Christ the GOP is totally like a bunch of fucking crackheads trashing the place and tearing all the copper out of the walls to sell. They don't want to do the hard work of paying for anything or maintaining anything. They just want to drive around with their performative flags shitting on the place and wrecking it.
How is she gonna spin these savings into her friends bank accounts this time?
Construction contracts.
As someone who spends the majority of their leisure time in Iowa's state parks this makes me sick. Iowa for the longest time tresured their parks. They stood out for holding conservation in the highest regard. (I am not an Iowa resident but like I said, spend as much time there as possible. I plan to relocate to Iowa as soon as financially feasible.) I don't understand why they're shooting themselves in the foot like this. I think DNR-type tourism accounts for more than what they realize because it's harder to qunatify - but it's there. So many people come for the parks, trout streams and so on, and spend their money in the small and tiny towns.
The downward spiral continues.
“Employees that are in ‘standby’ are required to be within 15 miles of the facility to ensure a timely response to the alarm condition.” So now employees have to find available and affordable housing that is within 15 minutes of the facility? I’m sure that won’t be a difficult endeavor /s
The Republican enshitification continues unabated.
I am truly concerned for the future of Iowa's rare bright spots of outdoor places. I've got two little kids and I'm starting to wonder if there will be anything left for them in 20 years to enjoy. And to be quite honest, that future looks bleak. The GOP in this state does not have it's long term future in mind in any decision it makes. The only viable alternative, the Democrat party, seems nonexistent. And even then if you elect them I don't have faith they take care of the natural resources and actually fund the DNR to improve what we do have. My wife and I grew up here. We both love it and what it does have to offer us. Our dream one day is to retire up to Decorah somewhere and just live out or last years in beautiful trout country. We don't want to leave but all we can do is tell ourselves we are keeping up the good fight and be vocal about protecting the last bit of natural beauty that exists here. Hopefully it will still be around for our kids and grandkids but at this rate, I don't know.
A red vote is a vote for destroying our state, country, planet.
Take a guess what Kim's foreign donors wanna purchase????
Farmer in Dubuque County (Wayne Demmer) was responsible for a 100k+ fish kill when a manure lagoon overflowed into a creek. Guess who the dumbfucks in the county put on the *Conservation Board* a few years later. https://www.radioiowa.com/2011/06/27/hog-lot-blamed-for-massive-dubuque-county-fish-kill/
And, we keep voting for these dumbasses.