First, let me thank everyone for reading the heck out of our last issue. We ran out of papers and were robbing from Peter to pay Paul (and usually Peter was out of papers too). It looks like the largest-circulation cultural publication in the TriStates needs to up the print order. Thank you!

What I really wanted to ramble on about this issue is Dubuque Night in Des Moines. What is that? Well, each year a huge delegation of Dubuque business people, from government representatives and labor unions, to restauranteurs and civic organizations, descend upon the State Capital to ... well, to throw a party. It’s hosted by the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce. There’s always great food and music. Dubuque businesses display the pride of our community and celebrate the success of Dubuque.

So who is the party for? Legislators. You know, senators, state house representatives, governors and state government personnel. Politicos from across the entire state are invited to party with Dubuque. Do they? Yeah! Wouldn’t you? Dubuque was the first city to do this in Iowa and many have copied the practice, but Dubuque’s has long been the legendary granddaddy of them all. The one legislators look forward to attending. It’s the fun one.

For what seems like the history of time, the party was held at Diamond Jack’s, an Old West saloon style structure on the Iowa State Fairgrounds campus. It was the perfect setting for a relaxing, no-pressure mixer. A place where people could network and dialogue without feeling like they were being lobbied. Because, for the most part, they weren’t.

About three or four years ago, Dubuque decided we were growing up and abandoned the Fairgrounds for much fancier fare at the Hilton ballroom. The food got upgraded. People were drinking wine and the beer was actually in a glass made of glass. There were more professional display booths and everyone dressed up. A lot of work went into it and we looked topnotch. The Chamber really did do a stellar job of making us look classy. But for me, it just didn’t work. It was a bad idea. I’ve always said so.

We are Dubuque. We have incredible art and theater and the best live music scene in the whole state. But even with our beautiful wine bars and Starbucks coffee, I think we (mostly) all feel that we’re still a brats and beer town. Er, should I say turkey and dressing and Busch Light. There’s a lot of blue-collar working men and women here. We are a river town built on millworking, meatpacking and building tractors. Yes, we write software now and manage retirement benefits, but just as we hold on to our architectural past, I think we are all proud of our industrial past as well.

I miss Diamond Jack’s. I remember a few years back, someone asking the 365 guys if we’d introduce a guy around the room. We’ve been going to Dubuque Night for a decade, I figure. Nobody knew who he was, but he was apparently a governor from the east coast and he was running for president. He was wearing a brown suit and had not yet been “groomed” for TV, but Howard Dean soon proved much more than anyone expected.

That’s the kind of low-key power moves that happen under the wagon wheel lights with the Main Street Jazz band whipping out Dixieland tunes from the balcony. Do you think there are any guys running for president in 2008 that are interested in wooing a room full of legislators and power brokers? Like I said, I miss Diamond Jack’s. And based on the continuously dwindling number of legislators at Dubuque Night in recent years, so do they.

Chamber of Commerce to the rescue. It has been announced that the event is moving back to Diamond Jack’s this year, on March 14, 6 p.m. (Yes, you are invited. Group transportation available, call 563.557.9200) If this was Brendan Houlihan, the new Chamber Gov. Affairs Dir.’s first official policy decision, then they’ve picked the right man for the job. I can’t wait for the old energy to return and I think it will. Senators loosening their neckties. House pages and college interns loading up on free hotdogs and talking politics. And the great people of Dubuque being unabashed Dubuquers.

This party is not for us. It is for the decision-makers across the rest of the state. It for them to meet us. And going home to Diamond Jack’s is the smartest thing we can do to make them feel welcome. I know some people disagree and think we’ve worked too hard to shed our old skin. But I’m pretty sure the state of Iowa has discovered from Dubuque, as we continue to lead and amaze other towns with our progress, that you can’t judge a book by its affinity for tap beer. Oh, yeah, and remember the code of the road: What happens at Dubuque Night stays at Dubuque Night.