Waukee Residents-Vote YES on new water park

**michaelrr1** · 08-03-2010, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by ISUAlum2002

Beware, Waukee residents, for much like the "local option" school sales tax increase from 1999, this issue will be brought up over and over again for vote until the "no" voters finally get tired of having to go to the polls twice a year to vote it down and it passes.

But they promised the school tax would only last 10 years! Oh wait, now it's basically permanent (without being voted on again).

**dmclone** · 08-04-2010, 06:34 AM

Looks like "old guard and you young grumpy type" showed up to vote.

**ISUAlum2002** · 08-04-2010, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by michaelrr1

But they promised the school tax would only last 10 years! Oh wait, now it's basically permanent (without being voted on again).

Yep, and I told all my friends and family who were telling me to vote for it that it would never come back off the books if it was approved, and they told me I was nuts for thinking that way. Now look at where we are. The Big Lug and his cronies bypassed the voters and made it permanent, and the school districts are doing mass layoffs and still whining about not having enough money.

**Cyclonesrule91** · 08-04-2010, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by ISUAlum2002

Yep, and I told all my friends and family who were telling me to vote for it that it would never come back off the books if it was approved, and they told me I was nuts for thinking that way. Now look at where we are. The Big Lug and his cronies bypassed the voters and made it permanent, and the school districts are doing mass layoffs and still whining about not having enough money.

Big Lug???? I'd say lazy fat **** fits a lot more appropriately.

**ISUguy** · 08-04-2010, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by CycloneYoda

For the most part, roads are indeed necessary. However, the is plenty of luxury roads as well. Look at roads that go a cul-de-sac all for a few houses. Space is a luxury. You don't see the taxpayers complaining too often about this. Why not do away with the roads and make one garage at the nearest useful road? Make a walking path and bike path. Have a bus stop. This is indeed self-indulging behavior, and with the knowledge provided by your research (The fact that you actually didn't know what luxury meant and had to look it up is beyond me), is indeed a luxury. I don't see many bond issues coming up for funding of roads to new little box circles. The people are not getting a choice here. At least funding the waterpark gets a vote.

So before you call things monstrosities, put things in perspective.

So if one of those houses has a fire, are the roads leading to them still luxuries? Might be kind of hard to have the fire department get to the fire on bikes.

I believe the home owners in those little box circles pay property taxes as well.

**isuno1fan** · 08-04-2010, 08:18 AM

Waukee doesn't need a pool...ever. Adel is getting a new one, ValleyView and Clive are all within a 10 min drive.

Plus the new Y.

That is more than reasonable.

.....and yes, I have children that attend Waukee schools.

**CloneIce** · 08-04-2010, 08:26 AM

[QUOTE=ISUAlum2002;1837779]Yep, and I told all my friends and family who were telling me to vote for it that it would never come back off the books if it was approved, and they told me I was nuts for thinking that way. Now look at where we are. The Big Lug and his cronies bypassed the voters and made it permanent, and the school districts are doing mass layoffs and still whining about not having enough money.[/QUOTE]

Well, if they are laying off a massive amount of people, its stands to reason they have money problems.

**CloneIce** · 08-04-2010, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by CycloneYoda

For the most part, roads are indeed necessary. However, the is plenty of luxury roads as well. Look at roads that go a cul-de-sac all for a few houses. Space is a luxury. You don't see the taxpayers complaining too often about this. Why not do away with the roads and make one garage at the nearest useful road? Make a walking path and bike path. Have a bus stop. This is indeed self-indulging behavior, and with the knowledge provided by your research (The fact that you actually didn't know what luxury meant and had to look it up is beyond me), is indeed a luxury. I don't see many bond issues coming up for funding of roads to new little box circles. The people are not getting a choice here. At least funding the waterpark gets a vote.

So before you call things monstrosities, put things in perspective.

Because, for the most part those roads are built and paid for by the developers who are building the subdivision. Some cities will give the developer tax incentives for certain projects, but those roads are paid for by the private developer, designed by his Engineer, and then incorporated into the city road system after completion and acceptance.

Your whole rant is the result of you not knowing what you are speaking of on this issue.

**JonDMiller** · 08-04-2010, 08:39 AM

Use the YMCA. For those that want to swim in the City of Waukee, get a Y membership in the summer months...that way, not everyone is socked with a property tax increase, and you are still going to have to pay to use the public pool, too.

There, solved it.

**chuckd4735** · 08-04-2010, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

Use the YMCA. For those that want to swim in the City of Waukee, get a Y membership in the summer months...that way, not everyone is socked with a property tax increase, and you are still going to have to pay to use the public pool, too.

There, solved it.

I'm confused? See link...7 Flags

Which one is it Miller? Seven Flags or the Y?

**ISUAlum2002** · 08-04-2010, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by CloneIce

Well, if they are laying off a massive amount of people, its stands to reason they have money problems.

Obviously. However, back in 1999 when they were selling the sales tax increase to the sheeple, they were saying that it would solve all their money problems. They would be able to fix up existing school facilities, build new ones, and pay teachers better. Since then, they've closed schools they said they would save with the sales tax money and just had mass layoffs earlier this year.

**Three4Cy** · 08-04-2010, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by ISUAlum2002

Obviously. However, back in 1999 when they were selling the sales tax increase to the sheeple, they were saying that it would solve all their money problems. They would be able to fix up existing school facilities, build new ones, and pay teachers better. Since then, they've closed schools they said they would save with the sales tax money and just had mass layoffs earlier this year.

What are you talking about - can you name any buildings that have been closed?

Since 1999 Waukee has -
Built Brookview, Maple Grove, Walnut Hills, Waukee and Shuler (opens 8/2010) k-5 bldgs.
Built Prairieview (8-9) and added on multiple times
Built a new high school, and added on
Built a new South Middle School (opens 8/2010)
Added On/Remodeled the old high school and made it a middle school
Closed - the existing Waukee Elem. in the center of town because the building is the only k-5 building on multiple floors, and part of it is the original school building in Waukee. There is a time and place where is makes more sense to put money into a new building than updating an existing building that is not functional.

They have not eliminated ANY buildings, just relocated one.

They did not have mass teacher layoffs this past year. They eliminated several positions through attrition, and eliminated some support staff (lunchroom associates, recess associates, and attedance clerks, and one district administration position). The school gave the teachers the option this past winter - keep the recess/lunchroom/attendance people, and tecahers would have to be cut, or eliminate the positions, take on lunchroom, and recess duty, and no teacher layoffs. The teachers understood they would have to do more, but it meant they could maintain smaller classrooms, so they made the decision to do it.

http://www.waukee.k12.ia.us/FY11Reductions.pdf

**twojman** · 08-04-2010, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Three4Cy

What are you talking about - can you name any buildings that have been closed?

http://www.waukee.k12.ia.us/FY11Reductions.pdf

Settle down man. I believe he is talking about the Polk County vote from 1999 where people voted for a $.01 sales tax increase. The people were told it would expire in 10 years however the state decided the people did not know best. Without people being allowed to vote, the $.01 tax increase was implemented across the state in 2009. They were legally allowed to do this because many counties in Iowa had the same sales tax. So it was a major sham. The people of Polk County would have voted no on the sales tax in 2009 the same way the other votes on tax increases have been shot down in the county the past few years.

**Three4Cy** · 08-04-2010, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by twojman

Settle down man. I believe he is talking about the Polk County vote from 1999 where people voted for a $.01 sales tax increase. The people were told it would expire in 10 years however the state decided the people did not know best. Without people being allowed to vote, the $.01 tax increase was implemented across the state in 2009. They were legally allowed to do this because many counties in Iowa had the same sales tax. So it was a major sham. The people of Polk County would have voted no on the sales tax in 2009 the same way the other votes on tax increases have been shot down in the county the past few years.

What does a pool in Waukee have to do with the Polk County .01 cent tax? Oh yeah - nothing.

The .01 cent sales tax is in a funk in Polk County because a majority of the retail growth in the DSM metro over the past 10 years has been in Dallas County, and the suburbs, not Des Moines. Until there is actual retail growth in DSM, there will be additional sales tax money. Also, when they did the original projections, the economy was in a different state than it was today and they over-projected. We gripe about paying 6%, Kansas is 9.525% and Missouri is 7.725%.

**dmclone** · 08-05-2010, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by Three4Cy

What does a pool in Waukee have to do with the Polk County .01 cent tax? Oh yeah - nothing.

The .01 cent sales tax is in a funk in Polk County because a majority of the retail growth in the DSM metro over the past 10 years has been in Dallas County, and the suburbs, not Des Moines. Until there is actual retail growth in DSM, there will be additional sales tax money. Also, when they did the original projections, the economy was in a different state than it was today and they over-projected. We gripe about paying 6%, Kansas is 9.525% and Missouri is 7.725%.

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New hampshire, & Oregon have 0%, what's your point?