They just don't get it

The powers that be think the reason "Project Destiny" failed is because it was a complicated issue.

"People didn't seem to understand it and a lot of times when they don't understand something they vote negatively..."

"I don't think people ever believed we could raise a tax here and lower a tax over there."

"It was a very complex issue and I think a lot of people just didn't understand it. That's the nature of people, if they don't understand it, you can't sell them on it."

Wrong!

In all actuality the voters, this time, were smarter than the people who put such a "complicated" proposal before them and the scientific community is united in that fact.

It was destined to fail for reasons like this...

In all of Polk County, there are more than 12,000 properties receiving abatements valued at more than $810 million.

That's a year and in just one of the three counties where the vote took place!

Destiny was going to generate $750 Million over TEN YEARS!

Now Principal Financial, one of the biggest supporters of Destiny(to the tune of over $100,000), wants...

at least $2.68 million in assistance by way of rebates of sales taxes and a credit for taxes paid on insurance premiums. Principal also is expected to ask for $7.25 million worth of local property tax abatements.

The Principal is promising to add 1,500 jobs in the metro over the next five years.

The kicker is...

Mary O'Keefe, a senior vice president at Principal, said the company has grown its staff count approximately 3 percent a year, or about 240 workers added annually to its Des Moines roster of 7,900. So Thursday's news that it will add 300 employees a year for the next five years is not a huge departure from the norm.

They've been adding the jobs and will continue adding the jobs anyway!

I guess it is all too complicated.

Too taxing for my brain and wallet.