School Board Elections in Cedar Rapids and throughout State of Iowa on Tuesday, September 13

Received the following e-mail on the Cedar Rapids Community Schools School Board Election:

http://creaonline.org/CREA.html

This has been under wraps by local media, but lots of folks are talking about it. Flyers with all 4 union-backed candidates are being distributed. Ring-leader, and conveniently not running, is Gary Anhalt, former CREA president and current CR school board member (elected unopposed in 2009 for a four year term).

ALL VOTERS VOTE FOR ALL RACES, but candidates running in districts must live in those districts.

5 people are running At-Large for 2 spots; 2 are running in District 1 and 2 running in District 4.

FUNDING of the union backed candidates:

At-Large CREA Kathy Ulrich: https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/county/Linn/School_Board/Ulrich_Kathleen/2011-09-08__DR2_Summary.pdf

At-Large CREA Karen Hartlep: https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/county/Linn/School_Board/Hartlep_Karen/2011-09-08__DR2_Summary.pdf

District 1 Iron Workers Dustin Weiland: https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/county/Linn/School_Board/Weiland_Dustin/2011-09-08__DR2_Summary.pdf

District 4 CREA Sunny Story: https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/county/Linn/School_Board/Story_Sunny/2011-09-08__DR2_Summary.pdf

Interesting recent links of 3 of these union candidates:

At-Large CREA Kathy Ulrich and District 4 CREA Sunny Story KCRG March 8 2011: http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Labor-Supporters-Speak-Out-at-Collective-Bargaining-Hearing-in-Des-Moines-117565038.html ; (at :56 for about 20 seconds on the video)

Also, halfway down the homepage of the CREA (http://creaonline.org/CREA.html) has a picture supposedly in Madison on March 12 2011 with what looks like At-Large CREA candidate Karen Hartlep (in black at left) and Gary Anhalt (in red on the right).

Our recommendations in Cedar Rapids on September 13:

Please vote to retain or elect these candidates...

Mary Meisterling (incumbent District 1)
John Laverty (incumbent at-large and current President of the School Board)
Ann Rosenthal (incumbent at-large)
Allen Witt (seeking to fill vacancy by Melissa Kiliper-Ernst, who is not seeking re-election)

Polls in Linn County are open Noon to 8 p.m.

P.S. - We support the Kirkwood Community College bond extension for facility upgrades and three new buildings around the Kirkwood CC district, including a new center to serve Cedar Rapids/Marion.

Is it Time to Connect the Dots America?

UN Agenda 21 - Coming to a Neighborhood near You - American Thinker

Most Americans are unaware that one of the greatest threats to their freedom may be a United Nations program known as Agenda 21. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development created Agenda 21 as a sustainability agenda which is arguably an amalgamation of socialism and extreme environmentalism brushed with anti-American, anti-capitalist overtones. - American Thinker

So, are we seeing it with the decision in Cedar Falls this month? - YouTube

City Ordinance Demands Keys From Citizens for Lock Boxes ... - healthfreedoms.org
Jun 13, 2011 ... For citizens of Cedar Falls, Iowa, ordinance 2740 (unfunded city-wide ... based on footage from the May 23 City Council meeting and posted it to YouTube. ... “If it does pass, we are going to file a lawsuit,” Saul said. ...

The City of Cedar Rapids passed a revised Chapter 29 in 2010.

In Cedar Falls, Iowa, the government is attempting to nullify the Fourth Amendment. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the third and final reading of an ordinance adopting a 2009 International Fire Code that specifies the fire chief can require lock boxes for emergency access to keys to buildings. - Kurt Nimmo

By the way, the 2009 International Fire Code was approved in Cedar Rapids with the adoption of the revised Chapter 29.

One World Government Quotes By World Leaders
One World Government Quotes By World Leaders: Henry Kissinger, David Rockefeller ... Al Gore, Barack Hussein Obama, French President Chirac, Strobe Talbott, ...

We had an interesting conversation today in Cedar Rapids. Tonight, after that conversation, we googled the following on Governor Rick Perry of Texas.

Bilderberg-Approved Perry Set to Become Presidential Frontrunner ...
Jun 20, 2011 ... Look beyond the rhetoric and study what Perry has actually done in his role as Governor – he's the ultimate globalist – his every action ...www.infowars.com/bilderberg-approved-perry-set-to-become-presidential-frontrunner/

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness ...

Don't take your future for granted, as you watch reality TV or follow your favorite sporting event in the United States of America.

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May 3, 2011: How should we pay for Infrastructure Needs in Linn County, Iowa?

Yes, it's the last day of the month, the 30Th of April 2011.

On Tuesday, May 3Rd, voters in Linn County, Iowa, except for people in three small townships, will vote to extend the local option sales tax for twenty years through 2034. Those other three cities have already done that. The sales tax will remain seven percent, which it is currently.

In Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha and Robins, each City is planning to use the 20 year extension of the L.O.S.S.T or local option sales tax as an Infrastructure Tax [PDF of ballot]. The fifth city in the voting block of five (Hiawatha) is not.

The infrastructure in Linn County and our communities is getting older. Like with our pools in Cedar Rapids, they reached the age where they needed to be replaced. Much of the infrastructure in Linn County has reached an age, where replacement is needed. In Cedar Rapids, four tenths of every cent (40 percent) will be used for existing street infrastructure.

The City of Cedar Rapids choose to not allocate funds, since 1967 to ward off the historical flood that occurred in 2008. The 1967 Flood Study predicted the Flood of 2008. It is time to have a funding source for flood protection systems. Several plans are being discussed. The City of Cedar Rapids needs a funding source for the final plans.

Sales tax is a natural option for local communities for infrastructure projects. The State of Iowa limits municipal and county governments to one percent. In many cases, like with roads, people who use our roads, can help in funding them. A sales tax over a property tax provides us with that opportunity for those who work and visit our community to help in maintaining that infrastructure.

We are voting "Yes" on May 3Rd. We support a local Infrastructure Tax.

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Happy Easter weekend to everyone; May 3Rd L.O.S.S.T vote moves closer in Cedar Rapids, Marion and Linn County, Iowa

Thursday night was a big night, when both sides on the local option sales/service tax vote came together for a community forum sponsored by ImpactCR, among others.

The March 2009 local option tax approved by the voters of Cedar Rapids has come with a price. The ballot language was very broad and it has ruffled feathers, since 2010, when Mayor Ron Corbett and the current City Council began utilizing the tax. Sadly, it is in place through 2014 and can't be replaced immediately by the improved language in the May 3Rd ballot language.

On May 3Rd, the voters of Cedar Rapids will have the opportunity to approve a 20 year tax for the following:

• Property Tax Relief (10%),



• Flood Protection Systems for the East and West sides of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids (50%) and



• Existing Road Improvements (40%).

We support the L.O.S.T.T. for the City of Cedar Rapids, along with the other infrastructure tax votes in Marion, Hiawatha and Robins. Fairfax is the fifth community voting as a metro block on May 3Rd with the City of Cedar Rapids. We believe a sales tax, as opposed to higher property taxes, is a more prudent approach to resolving the deferred road issues impacting the Cedar Rapids community. Further, in 1967, a flood report recommended flood protection needs for the City of Cedar Rapids. If flood protection is going to become a reality in Cedar Rapids, sales tax is a fair approach to paying for our flood protection needs in our community.

Most communities the size of Cedar Rapids have a sales tax. One percent is very fair tax rate. Take a look at local taxes throughout the Midwest. Currently, five percent of the sales tax collected moves to the State of Iowa in Linn County. An additional one percent of the sales tax collected moves to the State of Iowa for school districts. The final one percent can be used for local municipal purposes. The State of Iowa doesn't allow a higher rate for local communities.

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Thirty days and counting until May 3 Tax Extention Vote in Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa

Happy April to everyone ...

March Madness has ended, with the Final Four this weekend and the NCAA Championship Game on Monday night, which will feature UConn vs. Butler.

Major League Baseball has opened for 2011. How long will Chicago Cubs fans carry there hope in 2011?

On May 3Rd, the City of Cedar Rapids voters, along with voters throughout Linn County will consider a twenty year extension of the Local Option Sales Tax. The Pro-Tax folks in Cedar Rapids have started to place blue yard signs supporting the Tax. The group called, Protect Cedar Rapids Committee, is going to be campaigning throughout the month of April holding daily neighborhood meetings during the work week.

In February, the City Council approved the ballot language for the May 3, 2011 vote.

On Friday, April 1, the first Pro-Tax neighborhood meeting was held at Harrison E.S. in NW Cedar Rapids. A neighborhood hit hard from the Flood of 2008.

Cedar Rapids Holds First Public Meeting on LOST Extension‎ - Eastern Iowa Government Option sales tax in Cedar Rapids draws a crowd at a local elementary school. ... Corbett has planned until the LOST vote happens May 3 of this year. ...

Prior to starting the neighborhood meeting circuit, the Pro-Tax supporters meet with The Gazette Editorial Board.

Baird, Corbett test sales-tax pitch before neighborhood meetings - The Gazette

Top Stories - New L.O.S.T Campaign Ad Featuring CR ... - KGAN CBS 2 Mar 24, 2011 ... The Push is on Ahead of May 3rd L.O.S.T. Vote · Iowans Get First Glimpse at New Iowa ... Your 2 Cents with Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett ...

There are groups opposing the Local Option Sales Tax extension in Cedar Rapids. One of the leaders of the local Tea Party group suggested orally they would have an alternative for how Flood Protection for the east and west sides of the river should be funded, but we haven't heard formally how it should be handled differently?

• Sales Taxes


• Property Taxes


• Do nothing - Flood Insurance?


• new local Income Tax

Another group is very vocal against our current Mayor, City Council and the proposed extension of the local sales tax. This group prides itself with the following slogan: "We commit to the citizens of Cedar Rapids that we will work to protect the citizens from the antics of the CR City Council." There web site has the following statement: "Vote No on the Local Option Sales Tax Extension on May 3, 2011." The group has said it is not a political organization.

The another part of the $375 million proposal to build flood protection on the east and west sides of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids will come from the State of Iowa.

Cedar Rapids flood protection funding begins to take shape in Iowa Legislature - The Gazette DES MOINES – A plan that could provide up to $30 million a year for Cedar Rapids area flood recovery is beginning to take shape in the Iowa Legislature. Although the plan is in draft form, meaning no bill has been filed or assigned to a committee, representatives of Cedar Rapids reminded a 12-member legislative ...

City Manager Pomeranz: “We can never let Cedar Rapids flood again” - The Gazette CEDAR RAPIDS — Invite the public for a visit with high-profile, hotel-buying, Second Avenue-closing Mayor Ron Corbett, and you’re apt to get a crowd. Last night, though, City Manager Jeff Pomeranz held the first of three, Thursday-evening “meet-and-greets” as a way to introduce himself to the community and had only about 15 residents come out to ...

The final step will come from the Federal Government. Sadly, the U.S. Corp. of Engineers recommendation to the Feds does not include funding any protection for the west side of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids.

Flood Report for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Calls for Better Protection ... - Insurance Journal Sep 7, 2010 ... The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a draft report that calls for a better, if limited, flood-protection system in Cedar Rapids, ...

Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, IowaFlood Risk Management - US Army Corp of Engineers

• City of Cedar Rapids flood information


• City's Flood Recovery Plan

The upcoming ballot item is extremely important for the Citizens of Cedar Rapids and throughout Linn County. Hopefully, the community dialogue will be a productive one that gets out the facts and truth about the issue coming before the public.

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We welcome March: Two months away from L.O.S.T. vote in Linn County, Iowa

On February 22, 2011, the Cedar Rapids City Council during a regular council meeting passed the following for a May 3Rd public measure ...

Discussion and Resolution requesting a special election be held on May 3, 2011 on the extension of a local option sales and services tax to establish and maintain a flood protection
system for both the east and west side of the Cedar River, existing street improvements and
property tax relief. (Angie Charipar) CIP/DID#654114

Exhibit A

(Insert letter to be assigned by the Commissioner of Elections)

SHALL THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC MEASURE BE ADOPTED? YES □ NO □

Summary: To authorize extension of a local sales and services tax in the city of Cedar Rapids at
the rate of one percent (1 %) to be effective from July 1, 2014, until June 30, 2034.

A local sales and services tax shall be imposed in the city of Cedar Rapids at the rate of one
percent (1 %) to be effective from July 1, 2014, until June 30, 2034.

Revenues from the sales and services tax shall be allocated as follows:
Fifty percent (50%) to establish and maintain a flood protection system on both the east and west side of the Cedar River; and Forty percent (40%) for existing street improvements; and
Ten percent (10%) for property tax relief.

*** *** ***

This year's State of the City address is a little late per the City Charter ...

Mayor Corbett to Present State of the City Address Tomorrow ... - The Gazette
Mar 1, 2011 ... Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett will present his “State of the City” address

tomorrow, March 2, 2011 at noon at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, ...

Here's a look back at his first State of the City address in 2010.

Corbett On State of the City Speech: "I Just Want To Be Realistic ... - KCRG-TV9
Feb 24, 2010 ... CEDAR RAPIDS - Mayor Ron Corbett said flood victims in Cedar Rapids feel it ... of about 350 people for his first State of the City address.

In June 2011, the City of Cedar Rapids will celebrate the third anniversary of the sixth worse natural disaster in U.S. history. The gulf oil leak surpassed the disaster in Cedar Rapids in 2010.

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Happy New Year: 2011 will be an important year for Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA

Happy New Year to all ...

The past three years have been like no other for many in the City of Cedar Rapids

• Flood of 2008


• Recession of 2009


• Change over in the City Manager position of 2010

What will come in the New Year? 2011 has arrived and there will be many questions ahead.

How will the City of Cedar Rapids handle the review of the Home Rule Charter in 2011? Will applications be taken and will they expand the number of people who serve on the Home Rule Charter Review Commission?

Right now, the City plans nine members to review the Home Rule Charter. Early thoughts were for each member of the City Council, including the Mayor, suggesting a name, with the five districts representatives picking a person from their district. In the past, applications, like other boards and commissions, were requested and names were selected from the applications received. The past two charter commissions for the City of Cedar Rapids each had 15 members.

Wow, is this what we expected, when 69% of the voters selected the Council-Manager form of government in 2005?

In February 2011, we will see the Five Seasons Hotel close. Work will formally begin on the Convention Center and U.S. Cellular Center project. The City Council has purchased the hotel, so they can include it in the redevelopment project. When the Five Seasons Center (U.S. Cellular Center) was built, the hotel was built together. Infrastructure was shared. The land has always been the City's, but the hotel and air rights have been private.

What will happen with Flood Mitigation in 2011? Will Cedar Rapids get construction started to protect Downtown, as reinvestment continues there? Will the West Side be protected as well?

In November 2011, our City will have an election of one at-large council member and the district representatives for District 2 (non-downtown/east side district) and District 4 (mainly NW side district).

Some stories to follow in the City of Cedar Rapids as we head into 2011 ...

Branstad sets focus on jobs, economy - The Gazette

VIDEO: Greene Square Park building demolished - The Gazette
Demolition on the Cedar Rapids' park building in Greene Square Park is wrapping up this morning (Dec. 31). The building was used by the Green Square ...

Commission to review Cedar Rapids’ charter, form of government - The Gazette
CEDAR RAPIDS — Is nine the best number of members for the City Council? Should the mayor be a full-timer? Can you imagine a return to five, full-time council members who also manage city departments? Those are apt to be some of the topics discussed by the Charter Review Commission, which the City Council Tuesday ...

Cedar Rapids mayor reflects on his first year in office - The Gazette
One of the great City Hall dust-ups in the decade before the Flood of 2008 centered on a city handout to help replace a tiny, aged grocery with a shiny, specially designed, neighborhood store in a highly visible spot in the 1500 block of busy First Avenue NE. It took years of back and forth ...

Council hires second lobbying firm to secure funding for flood-protection - The Gazette

Council takes steps toward flood-protection system - The Gazette

Branstad says taxes, regulations blocking Iowa job creation - The Gazette
Commercial property tax and regulatory relief are needed for the state’s private sector to create more jobs, according to Governor-elect Terry Branstad. Speaking to a capacity crowd at the Marion Public Library Tuesday, Branstad said commercial property taxes need to be lowered to encourage business expansion and attract new enterprises to Iowa, but not at ...

Hall-Perrine Foundation gives $3 million for new Cedar Rapids library - The Gazette
The Hall-Perrine Foundation of Cedar Rapids has announced yet another award for a city building project. This time, the foundation is giving $3 million to the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, an amount which equals about half of the foundation’s fundraising goal for the city’s $45-million library project. The library foundation already has about $1 ...

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