(Photo credit: The Des Moines Register)
I've been thinking on this post a long time.
First off, let me say that Des Moines, Iowa is one of the most "together" cities in one of the most "together" states in our country. Iowa is doing a decent job of managing its fiscal house, and Des Moines is like the gigantic heart that keep the whole thing beating and moving forward.
Des Moines is my birthplace, my homeland, my North Star. I have a lot invested in the success of this city and state. I was raised here, got married (twice) here, raised my kids here, worked here, walked my dog here, drove the roads here and paid taxes here for 43 years now.
Without further ado, here is my Top Ten Recommendations for what Des Moines needs to make it an even better place to live:
- Earthpark: Yes, that Earthpark. Ted Townsend had a bold vision for the future. Many towns in Iowa went through the initial vetting process to be the chosen place. Des Moines was too chicken to support the vision. Too bad. It would have been awesome tourist attraction, research facility and educational institution for years to come.
- A LARGE downtown hotel adjacent to Wells Fargo Arena and Vets. If you've ever been to a "big city" for a conference, you know that a large hotel, connected to conference facilities, is absolutely essential to attracting convention business to the city. We'll never be the "showcase city" we want to be without this feature. I'm not saying we should try to be Vegas or Chicago. Just be able to attract mid-sized conventions. That's all.
- Better public transportation: The bus system we have now should be expanded to include two or three hubs so that people don't have to go all the way downtown to switch routes. We could use smaller buses for inter-route transfers and such. If the suburbs don't pay their share, then let them figure out their own public transportation. That brings me to my next point:
- We need a county-wide government. Des Moines should not be competing with its own suburbs for new companies. We're all in this together. Plus, we have a ton of common interests that tie us together, for example: transportation, water use, the landfill, economic development and suburban sprawl just to name a few. This was a real movement here a couple years ago, and its an idea that bears looking into again, especially because of the recession.
- Higher student achievement standards: In some schools, more than 50% of kids who start as freshmen do not graduate on time. Who do you think is paying for that down the road?
- Fewer chain restaurants. We have so many great local places, why eat a Mc-anything???
- A tollbooth on each end of I-235. Yes, I am suggesting that visitors to our fair city help us pay for all the non-profit organizations we support.
- A public policy "Think-Tank." I would prefer a liberal one, of course. Due to our Iowa Caucus "First in the Nation" status, it could be a very prominent one. We have several excellent public policy shops in the area, but a major think-tank could attract academics, news-types, and a whole host of smart people to Des Moines.
- A Social Media Club. We have "CIB," (Central Iowa Bloggers) but I'm feeling the need for something a little more formal and educational. If you're interested in helping get the club off the ground, let me know.
- Something for the teenage crowd to do. Think Des Moines Social Club, only for those under 18. And without the bar. My daughter tells me only nerds would do something like that, but I say, great. I like nerds. I've always told my daughters to be very nice to nerds, because one day they will be your boss.

