Microsoft (Almost) Monopolizes Iowa House

According to the Iowa Generally Assembly's Web site, which I quickly found using Microsoft's fantastic Intenet Explorer, The Iowa House voted 100-0 today for legislation that would hand a big bundle of tax incentives to Microsoft if it builds a facility in Iowa, likely in Polk County. A pop-up ad also gave me a great deal on car insurance.

Update -- AP reports that the vote was 99-1, with Rep, Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, voting no. Not sure why GA Web site still has it wrong.

Good for lawmakers, stepping in to help out a struggling high-tech start up.

I'm going to use Microsoft Word to write our state leaders a jubilant letter of congratulations. Or maybe I'll just use Microsoft Outlook to send an e-mail. What to do? It's tough having so many choices.

Here is an analysis of the bill, HF 2233, by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, which likely was prepared using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The state and local tax breaks for this and similar projects made possible by the legislation could add up to tens of millions of dollars over the next four years. Yahoo!

Clearly Microsoft can use the cash. It could barely even scrape together $44 billion to buy Yahoo! So sad. Let us know if you need anything else.