IOWALIVE ALERTS GAZETTE ON C. R. COUNCIL CANDIDATE IMPACTS AND FLOOD PROTECTION NEEDS
11-24-09
Greetings, Gazette Editors and all:
The following table presents the assessed impact Cedar Rapids Council candidates will have on meeting the prioritized needs of Cedar Rapids residents and businesses.
It is very significant that improved flood protection is priority #1 on the list. There can be no doubt, there is a worse flood coming, likely within the next 15 years—and people must trust city government to prepare for it!! It will be very, very costly. That is why trust is number 2 on the list—as Mayor elect Ron Corbett has already determined—and is now telling folks he will tell them the truth!!! Wait until they hear it, for the first time!!!!
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THERE ARE OBVIOUS COUNCIL CANDIDATE CHOICES BASED ON THEM MEETING NEEDS OF C. R. RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES--ONCE ELECTED. Source: Iowalive 11-23-09 |
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PRIORITY RANK--BASED ON NEEDS |
DESCRIPTION OF IMPACT, FOR C. R. RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES |
CANDIDATE'S IMPACT LEVEL ON SCALE OF 1 TO 10 TOPS |
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DONALD KARR |
JERRY McGRANE |
AARON SAYLOR |
PAT SHEY |
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1 |
IMPROVED FLOOD PROTECTION |
6 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
|
2 |
INCREASED TRUST IN CITY GOVT. |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
IMPROVED FLOOD RECOVERY |
6 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
4 |
REDUCED POWER OF CITY MANAGER |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
|
5 |
REDUCED CITY TAXES AND FEES |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
6 |
INCREASED CITY EFFICIENCY |
3 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
|
7 |
INCREASED NUMBER OF JOBS |
2 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
|
8 |
INCREASED OPENESS IN CITY GOVT. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
9 |
REDUCED CITY ARROGANCE |
5 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
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TOTAL |
36 |
30 |
21 |
0 |
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Anyone claiming to have better numbers is asked to provide them for evaluation and comparison. |
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The Council has yet to hear all the bad news from the Corps of Engineers and Feds. One needs only to look at failures of the Coralville dam to protect downstream cities as promised—but the dam was saved by the spillway, as if the Corps expected disastrous floods and didn’t want to be blamed for a dam failure. Now they are evaluating the Council’s flood protection plan, as we have already done.
The integrity of the Council’s ‘touted’ flood protection “plan” is a dismal 2, on a scale of 0 to 1,000 tops—and you will soon hear the bad news about it. The good news is the integrity of the Corps’ understanding of the flooding problem is nearly 450, at this time—up from 30, a year ago. Once it reaches at least 500, the city can start to feel quite safe with Corps recommendations and numbers. As you likely recall, significant integrity starts at 300. The Coralville dam scores 15, for protecting downstream cities. Continuing to inhabit the entire Cedar Rapids flood basin scores 0. The costs far exceed the benefits, as the Corps should soon report, as it rejects the Council’s flood protection plan.
Please look back in Gazette files to find its reports on protection the Coralville dam was to provide—and on flood protection the new 1960s levees in C. R. were to provide as well. Tell your readers what you found!! Then tell flood victims why they had so little warning for the 2008 flood—that had already devastated Cedar Falls and Waterloo. Doing so will significantly raise the Gazette’s dismal integrity level.
Iowalive is seriously considering evaluating and scoring city, county and school board officials in a similar manner, to that in the table. All of them impact area residents and businesses in some manner. Would likely rank the Gazette and local TV stations as well. We might as well surprise nearly all of them with the resulting numbers.
Iowa TV stations are now ranked as posted on website: http://www.iowalive.net/tv%20integrity%20ranking.htm J
Have a Very Happy, Thoughtful Thanksgiving!!
Iowalive A growing network of volunteer citizens and professionals for improving Iowa