OT - Iowa is still really mad about the Stanford Band
It appears as though Iowa has decided to take their butt hurt over the, relatively tame by Stanford band standards, Rose Bowl half time show to legislative levels.
"Senator Mark Chelgren introduced a bill Wednesday that would prohibit “collaboration and cooperation” between Stanford and the University of Iowa, Iowa State, or Northern Iowa until Stanford apologizes for the band’s skit"
http://deadspin.com/iowa-senator-introduces-just-the-whiniest-bill-abou…
February 4th, 2016 at 9:23 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 12:09 PM ^
This is patently not true. By definition, subsidies to industries raise prices. They are protecting farmers from competition abroad that would lower prices.
Our food would be CHEAPER if we eliminated subsidies to states like Iowa.
February 4th, 2016 at 12:40 PM ^
Your last reply because you might lose all your points if you keep replying..
February 4th, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^
That's like comparing Finland to the US. Iowa has like 800,000 residents ...it's not as challenging to run a state with more ears of corn than ears for hearing.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:16 AM ^
Your reasoning strikes me as a bit foggy. In your broke man / car analogy, there's at least a common economic thread. It's still a very shallow argument - we don't know why the critic is broke, we don't know whether the hard-working man's purchase of the car was reasonable, etc.
To your original point, by your logic Iowa's legislature should never be criticized by citizens of a state that is struggling economically. That argument is not particularly compelling.
Put another way, I think it's fine for anyone to criticize Iowa's dopey bill. Even if they live in a state that has been mismanaged. Because this legislation is shrill and idiotic.
FWIW, I like Iowa. But this bill is stupid, and Michigan's economic situation doesn't deprive me of the right to say so.
(It's also silly to compare the two states' economies. Iowa's is largely agrarian and arguably supported by ethanol subsidies, etc. Michigan's is much larger and more complex. But the main point is that's a sideshow. The "don't fraternize with Stanford" bill is stupid - plain and simple.)
February 4th, 2016 at 9:20 AM ^
but I appreciate your reasoned response. A forum with opposing viewpoints that don't devolve into name-calling, etc is a pleasant place to be. Thank you.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:13 AM ^
OP is Canadian. So it wasn't Michigan throwing shade it was Ontario.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:14 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:16 AM ^
"Its a bit like a broke man criticizing a hard-working man's purchase of an expensive car."
NO, it's more like a broke man criticizing a hard-working man's burning hundred dollar bills in his fireplace.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:33 AM ^
That is more like saying Jerry Jones and the Cowboys make a lot of money so we cannot questtion their hiring of serial scumbags.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:00 AM ^
This is great - not only do I live in Iowa, but Mr. Chelgren is my state senator. I think I may be pestering him about dumping a little more money into our school districts down here - we are friggin' po'.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:15 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^
The problem in our area (specifically our school district) is that we pay the highest per-pupil transportation costs in the state. For some unknown reason, every school district, no matter its geographical size, gets the same amount per-pupil from the state for transportation. Any surplus of this fund can be used for other purposes in the school district. Unfortunately for us, since we are tiny in population but big in geography (comparatively), we blow through the money and have to tap the general fund to support transportation. An even smaller school district in our county is going under, and so next year, we are absorbing their 7-12 grades into our district. Not a fun situation.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:25 AM ^
Are you really surprised you don't hear anything about a state run conservatively that is doing well in this day and age? For that matter, aside from Illionois and California, do you really hear anything about any state's fiscal situation if you don't live there?
even those states are only heard of for their massive failure to manage themselves responsibly.
Regardless, I acknowledge my point could have been better stated, however, listening to people whose legislature is an abject failure criticize someone else's smacks of hypocrisy to me. apparently, I am alone in that regard.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:30 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:35 AM ^
First off, props for keeping it civil. You're weathering an e-blanket party with grace, and that's not always easy.
But one of the core bad assumptions you're making is equating the acts of a legislature with the views of that legislature's constituents. That's a false equation - I can guarantee that a substantial portion of most legislative district's constituents disagree with the positions their own legislators take. When you expand that to the legislature at large, there's an even bigger potential disconnect between the actions of the legislature and the views of the constituents. And, to be blunt, in any state your average state legislator is not necessarily the brightest bulb in the shed.
Now if the OP had quoted a Michigan state senator who had a track record of idiotic positions decrying the "don't fraternize with Stanford" bill in Iowa's legislature, you'd have a much more compelling point. That's a true "splinter in your eye, board in mine" situation.
Anyway, enjoy your clean air and corn. In the meantime, be nice to us - you'll be begging for our water soon enough. (Not from the Flint water system, but the other water.)
February 4th, 2016 at 9:48 AM ^
And when it comes down to it, this is nothing more than pandering to a base ...that may or may not really care.
No different than a southern Senator threatening legislation at the BCS or grandstanding about PEDs in pro sports ...you're trying as a politician to get attention.
So for those in Iowa who could care less, no harm - no foul. But for those Butthurt by Stanford, this will play and just might be the votes to win re-election.
It's not about the principle involved, it's about the attention and self-promotion.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:00 AM ^
You know, Iowa deserves to get its wish by having the Stanford band compose an equally irreverent apology - that would actually be hilarious, in my opinion, if the apology made them even more upset. Honestly, you would think that people, even if they were offended somehow, would let this one fade quietly into the background. Not if you are a certain Iowa legislator apparently.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:14 AM ^
Even money the LSJUMB opens the season next year with a shot at this bill and legislator
February 4th, 2016 at 9:00 AM ^
never seen someone get so butthurt over a trombone player before
February 4th, 2016 at 9:13 AM ^
Well then, there goes Stanford's status and reputation as a preeminent research and teaching institution. Iowa really showed them, huh.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:03 AM ^
It's stupid that a politician would propose a bill handicapping his own state's universities because he feels offended by the performance of another school's band.
It's even stupider if you read the script for the halftime performance and realize that the "skit" was based on the fact that Stanford's campus is called "The Farm" and Iowa is full of farms so that they should be friends.
Script: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154484759815760&id=79838435759
It's about the tamest thing the Stanford band has ever done.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:03 AM ^
Honestly, Iowa needs to get over it. The Stanford band tries to give everyone shit. That's just who they are. Learn to laugh at yourself and move on. Honestly what the Stanford band did was pretty mild.
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February 4th, 2016 at 9:04 AM ^
that's not a good look. get trolled on national TV, story dies and people move on, then a month later you deliberately bring it back up?
February 4th, 2016 at 9:05 AM ^
It's deep winter here - once the caucuses are over and the city-slickers roll out of here, what else can we do? Yeah, let's trump up some ridiculous legislation. What happens if/when the Hawkeyes/Cyclones get bounced from the NCAA tournament in the second round?
February 4th, 2016 at 9:10 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:09 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:17 AM ^
I can't believe we let these people (Iowans) set the tone for our presidential elections.
Since that's out of the way, I'm pretty sure Iowa would suffer far more than Stanford/ Silicon Valley/ the Bay Area if Iowa passes this bill.
Also, to the poster that said that Iowa has "too much money", I'm pretty sure that's due to the corn subsidy by the Federal government.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:29 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:25 AM ^
Every one of us benefits from the corn subsidy, no matter where you live, unless you are completely self-sufficient when it comes to eating. Like it or not, farmers (in all states) have to be incentivized and guaranteed a return on their investments in land, seed, fertilizer, equipment, etc. Otherwise we Americans would starve and so would many people in the rest of the world.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:47 AM ^
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February 4th, 2016 at 9:56 AM ^
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February 4th, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^
Tax dollars hard at work.
February 4th, 2016 at 9:29 AM ^
Does unknown Iowa senator know that the Stanford campus is known as "The Farm"? Their marching band posted a (sort-of reasonable) explanation for the halftime show on their FB page. I'm not sure anyone really cares about this anymore. The Stanford band is sweet!
February 4th, 2016 at 9:46 AM ^
City folks just don't get it!
February 4th, 2016 at 10:02 AM ^
Did I do that right?
February 4th, 2016 at 10:10 AM ^
If it were funny, I would have enjoyed it.
February 4th, 2016 at 10:11 AM ^
So much butthurt from the Smuckeye fan base.
I wish these folks would leave UNI out of the dicussion. We dont care about your riff with the Stanford band and some of us hope you loose every game you play.
This state Sen represents the state's biggest shithole city/town.(I work just outside of Ottumwa, aka Oslumwa)
Where do I find job openings in Ann Arbor?
February 4th, 2016 at 10:20 AM ^
How dare you call "City of Bridges" a shithole? I keed...Ottumwa, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown - yuck :(
February 4th, 2016 at 10:11 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 10:22 AM ^
February 4th, 2016 at 10:52 AM ^
Stanford Band for the win.
They must be laughing their collective butts off.
February 4th, 2016 at 11:11 AM ^
I still find this positively hilarious.
Tree: Still winning.
February 4th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
I can never think of the Stanford band without thinking of the '82 Cal-Stanford game. I could watch that trombone player get run over a thousand times.