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Ask Cityview

Ask CITYVIEW

5/31/2023

What are those squiggly lines on I-235 between downtown Des Moines and West Des Moines?

These black lines are found all over highways across the entire United States but are incredibly prevalent on this stretch of road on I-235.

Because the highways are primarily constructed of asphalt, they tend to crack due to general wear and tear and the changing of weather that causes the material to expand and shrink, which also causes cracks.

The black lines have been referred to as “tar snakes,” which, as you can guess, is an asphalt sealer made from tar that patches up the roadway without needing to completely tear up the highway for repairs. These repairs are handled by the Iowa DOT. 

Seems like every time I stop at a convenience store, I am asked whether I would like to contribute my “change” to some organization. At Kum & Go, I am asked to donate to Habitat for Humanity. Is that money really going to Habitat for Humanity?

A growing and common misconception of the “point of sale” charity donations is that companies are pocketing a portion of the donation or using the donation as a tax benefit. “They’re really just taking your money and at some point in the future passing it on to the charity if they’re filing their taxes correctly. It actually doesn’t have any impact on that store’s taxes,” said Laurie Syron, executive director of Charity Watch when speaking to KPRC-TV. 

When it comes to the money you round up at the register, you are the one who is allowed to deduct that from your taxes. If you would like to do so, you would need to hang on to your receipt and itemize the deduction while doing your taxes. However, most individuals don’t do this because these transactions are typically less than a dollar and would be tedious to deal with.

CNA - Stop HIV Iowa

Kum & Go was recently sold to the Utah-based company Maverik. Assuming Kum & Go was following the law and filing taxes correctly, the money received during point of sale donations would go toward Habitat for Humanity.

What is maybe more important during these transactions is to be aware of how charities use your donated money, whether it be Habitat for Humanity or any other charity that businesses give you the opportunity to round up for.

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