Winners

Iowans who reside in counties that host commercial casinos often hear how their schools, community groups and cultural attractions reap the financial benefits of gaming tax dollars as required by law. But it appears as though 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties that don’t have casinos in their backyard are also profiting from the presence of gambling establishments. A joint report by the Iowa Council of Foundations and the Iowa Gaming Association shows that commercial casinos issued more than $3.9 million in grant awards through the statewide 2005-2006 County Endowment Fund Program. More than 1,500 grants were allocated for everything from arts and cultural programs to education, health, human services and the environment. A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.IowaCommunityFoundations.org or www.iowagaming.org.

While we’re on the subject of handouts, there’s some mixed news about the Iowa Arts Council’s latest round of grant awards. We’re happy for the 23 individuals and organizations across the state awarded $150,000 in grants and hope they use the money to enrich our cultural landscape. But wouldn’t it have been nice if more artists and arts groups — like the other 55 applicants who were turned down — could have received a few dollars, too? Last week’s grant awards came on the heels of news that Iowa fell one spot in the fiscal year 2007 to 45th among the 50 states arts agencies for investing in the arts, according to the National assembly of State Arts Agencies. According to NASAA, Iowa invests 41 cents per capita in the arts. The national average is $1.07. The IAC receives about $1.2 million in legislative appropriations annually for its programs and about $550,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts. But how far does that get us? By comparison, most of our neighbors fare better: Minnesota ($1.67, ranked 9th), Illinois ($1.06, ranked 18th), South Dakota (79 cents, ranked 27th), Nebraska (66 cents, ranked 30th), Missouri (64 cents, ranked 33rd), Kansas (57 cents, ranked 38th) and Wisconsin (44 cents, ranked 43rd).

We hesitate to pat ourselves on the back for fear of resembling some of the daily’s antics, but this one certainly deserves the credit. Cityview’s LIVESTRONG Bike to the Ballpark, which was held this past Sunday, was a tremendous success. We were told by organizers that if a few hundred people showed up at a first-year bicycling event, we would be very fortunate. We were also told that Mother’s Day would negatively impact the turnout. To be safe, we planned for 350 attendees. By the end of the day, more than 600 participated. The ride raised great awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation with a stream of yellow t-shirts lining the bike trails from Water works Park to Principal Park. A full circle of bicyclists around the field provided an incredible image of the magnitude of the ride. We were glad to organize the event but could not have done it without the help of many others individuals and businesses. A special thanks to Bill Throckmorton of Bike World for his passionate involvement and leadership.

Losers

We’re not experts who can tell you what the appropriate time should be between message changes to electronic billboards and large video display signs — even though we pass the one at 63rd Street and Grand Avenue every day on the way to work [and no, we haven’t crashed into anyone in front of us or missed a green light as a result]. But we can tell you that the notion that the Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission has the right to regulate such signs or any other form of advertising is foolish. It shouldn’t be the government’s job to regulate advertising of a legal product — even though, for example, it has done so in the past regarding products like tobacco and alcohol. If it’s a legal product you should be able to advertise it anyway you see fit — within the law. If regulating methods of advertising becomes a habit, then perhaps lawmakers should consider banning said products before they start telling us how to advertise them.

Last week’s testimony from Lexie Leslie, former girlfriend and mother of the child she shared with accused murderer Shawn Bentler, added more damaging evidence against Bentler, who has been accused of killing his parents and three sisters. “He said that when his parents were dead, he wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore,” Leslie told jurors. Already, prosecutors have played for the jury the 911 tape in which one of Bentler’s sisters screams out his name before she is fatally shot. Then there’s the forensic evidence in which blood spots on Bentler’s sock he was wearing when he was arrested matches the DNA of his slain mother. Bentler denies that he was home the night of the murders. Even those who believe people are innocent until proven guilty can’t deny the evidence against Bentler. CV

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