Hold Onto Your Wallet -- Earthpark Defies Death

September 27, 2007, 9:30 a.m.

Earthpark Does a Terry Shiavo
Earthpark may be dead, but it's not yet buried under a tulip bed in Pella. There's a family member and at least one U.S. Senator who swear they saw it smile. Perry Beeman, "Georgia Company to Aid Earthpark," Des Moines Register, September 27, 2007.

I have been publishing newspaper columns (14) and other written analyses (15) of this ill-conceived, misrepresented, mismanaged, failed earmarked $50 million pork project since January 2001. Since February 2004 I have been maintaining what I believe to be the single most thorough Web site of commentary on the developments (probably well in excess of 100 pages if printed out), with links to the full text of dozens (if not hundreds) of newspaper stories, studies and reports. See, Nicholas Johnson, "Earthpark/Iowa Environmental Project/I.O.W.A. Child Project."

State29, whose very slug explains that he is "Keeping Track Of All Those Iowa Scandals While Remaining Insightfully Vulgar" (so don't say I didn't warn you parents that his commentaries usually have an "R" rating at best) has been tracking what he calls "Earthpork" as long or longer than I have. There's nothing I need add at this time to the investigative journalism he has done on this latest story -- far and away, above and beyond, anything the mainstream media has even attempted, let alone accomplished:

State29, "Perry Beeman Bends Over and Lubes Up for Rain Forest Chief David Oman," September 27, 2007.

State29, "Maxon Holdings vs. UBG Financial," September 26, 2007.

State29, "$10 Million in 'Services' for Earthpork," September 26, 2007.

A Register reader provided this comment to Beeman's story early this morning:

First, Maxon is giving "in-lind" support which means this may not count towards the $50 million goal. Nice job in talking ANYONE into donating even time, but that's not what the intent of the matching FUND meant.

Second, I read that Maxon is a shell company owned by Ted Townsend...one of the Earthpark supporters. Why doesn't Oman start a company and donate $50 million of "in-kind" support, too? HA!

Third, Ebay didn't "partner in a nation project based in Iowa"...it is simply a fund raising arm of Ebay that nearly anyone can participate in. My fantasy league commissioner also links to Ebay and gets a dollar to help pay for website costs when the owners click a link to buy something on Amazon - same thing in essence.

Fourth, I'm tired of hearing that 1 million people might attend each year. Those are the numbers in England. But England has a few other lures besides a dome and a slightly larger population base then Pella has. Oh, yeah, and Europe is just a chunnel away. So unless Earthpark people think that folks will visit because Missouri is nearby, welll...

DollarsAndSense, September 27, 2007, 5:16 a.m.

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