Here comes the second penny?

Here comes the second penny?

Daily Iowan and no one else picks up on this:

"Looking for options to staff the fourth fire station with an already-tight budget, Wilburn said he was pleased to see the community pass the school local-option sales tax, which was approved Feb. 13. The mayor said he is gauging local interest for proposing a similar tax to pay for improving both the Fire and Police Departments.

"I would be interested in doing this, but only if I get the sense that the public is interested in doing so," Wilburn said.

I wound up reluctantly supporting the school sales tax, mostly because the diference between the money kept local if we passed it now and the money shipped to Des Moines if the state passed it later was roughly one high school. But one of my misgivings was that the cities would view passage as an opportunity to try again. It's only been two weeks, and here we are...

Shocked! Shocked I am!

SILO Wins Johnson, Linn, Democrat Miller Wins Linn Auditor

SILO Wins Johnson, Linn; Democrat Miller Wins Linn Auditor

Quick exhausted look at the numbers:

Turnout picks up a bit late in the day as the snow slows, still a bit short of 1999

Hot Spot: Iowa City 4 (Manville Heights and Peninsula)with 86%; Lone Tree with 81%

West side pretty warm, upper to mid 70s, also IC24 (City High) and North Coralville)

The cool spot in town, as always for school measures, was southeast Iowa City. Not so much regressivity as read my lips working class tories here.

A few scattered rural precincts, mostly in the south, were weak or actual no votes.

Top percentage turnout was Solon

Student turnout near non-existent.

Now that the penny SILO tax is consistent statewide, the Johnson-Linn legislators can better make a case for some restructuring of education funding.

And congratulations to new Linn County Auditor Joel Miller who won a 26 point victory over the GOP and a clear majority in a six candidate field. Your next election night will be less celebrating and more work...

Greiner will not seek re-election

Greiner will not seek re-election

UPDATE: Mark Nolte responds, see comments below.

Sandra Greiner, GOP House 89 incumbent, stands down. Did Mark Nolte's 44% on a small budget give her a scare? Or was it Becky Schmitz knocking off Dave Miller on the same turf in the Senate 45 race? Either way this district is swinging and a great opportunity...

Hat tip to Garry.

THIS is why you should always vote early

THIS is why you should always vote early

A storm predicted to start about midnight Monday is projected to bring 5 to 7 inches of snow to the Iowa City area through the end of the day today...

School's Out, headlines the paper, which gives me an excuse to show Alice Cooper again.



But in Iowa, at least, elections don't get cancelled. So if you didn't vote early, get your snowshoes.