I read on the front page of Wednesday’s Des Moines Register that this week, Representative Leonard Boswell introduced legislation directing the U.S. Postal Service to create a unique zip code for my suburb of Windsor Heights.
As we’ve discussed here at Bleeding Heartland, a recent survey of Windsor Heights residents showed that 99 percent are satisfied with the quality of life in Windsor Heights, and 89 percent described the city services and quality of life as “above average.”
Apparently the most frequent complaint city officials hear from residents is the lack of a unique zip code. Windsor Heights has three different zip codes; two mostly cover neighborhoods in Des Moines, and one mostly covers parts of Urbandale.
According to the Register on Wednesday,
Confusion between the ZIP codes and city boundaries has caused mail to be undelivered or returned to senders, has caused difficulty in tracking sex offenders, and has created problems for businesses.
Despite pleas from Windsor Heights city officials, U.S. postal officials have remained adamant that the suburb will not get its own ZIP code. Postal officials say the town has too few residents and doesn’t have a stand-alone post office. The city receives its mail from three post offices in Des Moines and Urbandale.
The article goes on to note that more than 100 Iowa cities and towns with smaller populations than Windsor Heights have unique zip codes, but that’s not the point of this post.
I personally know Windsor Heights residents who asked Boswell’s office years ago to help us get a zip code.
He just introduced a bill on the subject this week.
It’s too early to know whether Boswell’s proposed legislation has any chance of passing, or even getting out of the House Government Oversight and Reform subcommittee.
“We hope it will go forward, and the congressman will work hard with his colleagues in the House to get it moving,” Boswell spokeswoman McAvoy said.
Looks to me like this is another reason to thank Ed Fallon for challenging Boswell in the primary to represent Iowa’s third Congressional district.
4 Comments
Boswell
has been sending me emails at the rate of one or two a week since Fallon announced. It’s kind of funny because the only reason Boswell has my email addy is that I complained about his vote on the military commissions act.
mwd Fri 1 Feb 6:18 AM
thanks for mentioning that
I’ve always called his office with feedback rather than e-mailed, so I am not on his list.
I need to call his campaign to start getting those e-mails so I can see how he’s running.
So far, are they mostly about how hard he’s working for his constituents?
desmoinesdem Fri 1 Feb 9:48 AM
Unfortunately, I don't save them
so I can’t really look back and summarize. From what I remember: hard-working, bringing home the bacon, cares deeply about puppy dogs and kittens . . . something like that.
mwd Fri 1 Feb 6:33 PM
they are going to push the "hard-working" angle
That was one of the messages about Boswell they were testing in the poll I got a week or so ago.
I don’t doubt that Boswell has worked hard, but I know Fallon would work hard for the district.
desmoinesdem Fri 1 Feb 7:21 PM