The Elbert Files

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The Elbert Files: Alike but different

During an autumn trip to upstate New York, my wife and I visited Lindenwald, the home of our eighth president, Martin Van Buren, near Kinderhook. The day before, we’d toured Franklin Roosevelt’s Hyde Park home …

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The Elbert Files: Something is amiss

A gap has opened between Iowa’s economy and the taxes collected by state government.

From all appearances Iowa’s economic engine is chugging along better than most in the Upper Midwest.

We’ve got a lower unemployment …

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The Elbert Files: What Des Moines hath wrought

Des Moines’ 1995 comprehensive parks plan was not aggressive enough.

Few would have agreed at the time.

In fact, 22 years ago many believed it was too ambitious in its call for amenities that included …

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The Elbert Files: Stories worth telling

Nearly 20 years ago, Des Moines lawyer Rick Autry suggested to his father that they co-author a book about virtues that could be read to and by children.

James Autry, a local author and former …

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The Elbert Files: Choose words carefully

During a recent appearance in Ames, Tom Vilsack told a series of stories about farmers, the weather, human nature and the value of innovation.

The former U.S. secretary of agriculture and governor of Iowa spoke …

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The Elbert Files: Pain not what I thought it was

The “heart attack” I thought I was having a few weeks ago was actually the result of bad posture.

It began before dawn on a Tuesday. When I reached to turn on a closet light, …

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The Elbert Files: Is U.S. tax reform just a joke?

“It’s déjà vu all over again,” said a voice from behind on a bright, crisp morning as I neared the Des Moines Art Center.

“It is a nice day,” I replied to my old friend …

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The Elbert Files: Our productivity conundrum

Economist Jim Paulsen made an interesting observation recently when he noted that economic productivity has grown more slowly during the current recovery than during any other recovery since World War II.

Since the last recession, …

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The Elbert Files: Widening the ‘credibility gap’

During the 1960s and ’70s, the phrase “credibility gap” was used to describe the disconnect between what government officials said and what the public believed.

The phrase is usually associated with the Vietnam War and …