THE FLOOD PROTECTION PLAN THE PEOPLE WANT

The plan the people want is far better than the defeated flood protection plan that required people to pay up to $950 million in sales taxes--that businesses don't pay.  Those business spent at least $500,000 promoting it--and lost! The people spoke!

The following flood protection plan, the people want, provides Cedar Rapids with Corps of Engineers designed flood protection for both sides of the river, as well as street repair and property tax reduction for residential property owners.  People choosing to live in the flood plain will be told and understand the Corps of Engineers reports their plan provides but a 91% probability of flood protection. 

People want Cedar Rapids businesses and public agencies to pay $9.5 million annually for flood protection, plus $11,472,279 for annual street repair and residential property tax reduction.  The Gazette reported $9.5 million annually was needed to pay Cedar Rapids' share of  flood protection.    

People want business property taxes raised 17%, the same percentage businesses tried to raise sales taxes people would have to pay!  This would annually raise $12,093,748 million for flood protection, street repair and residential property tax reduction per year, based on county reported property taxes of $71,139,692 now paid by businesses. 

In addition, people want 1% reallocated from the $888 million public agency budgets, such as 2010 spending by Cedar Rapids City ($338,062,216), Linn County,( $183,683,000),  Kirkwood Community College, ($128,699,507), Grant Wood AEA ($57,530,586), and the Cedar Rapids school district ($179,877,811).  No one can factually state 1% of the total spent was not wasted.   The same applies to their budgets and spending for the next 20 years. 

The Gazette editorial board, KCRG TV-9 and others can reuse their "penny" words and graphics to explain to agency officials it is only a penny--just as they told people the defeated sales tax was just a penny!!  It works both ways--except with this one, heads or tails--the people win!!

If these agencies won’t contribute willingly,  their elected officials will be replaced with officials who will.  Any new laws needed would be no more difficult to pass than those needed to allocate $200 million more state sales tax revenues to Cedar Rapids!! 

The above business and agency revenues would provide $9.5 million for flood relief, $5,974,370 for annual residential property tax relief plus $5,497,909 for annual street repair.

People would also help pay for this plan because they pay for a large part of business profits, the wasteful budgets mentioned above--and $111 million in property taxes, compared to only $71 million now paid by businesses. 

AMOUNTS AND METHODS EACH AGENCY WOULD PAY FOR FLOOD PROTECTION ETC.

 

TYPICAL AMOUNTS AND METHODS OF AGENCY REALLOCATIONS 

PUBLIC AGENCY

TOTAL AMOUNT  AGENCY SPENT IN 2010 

1% OF AMOUNT BUDGETED/SPENT ANNUALLY TO BE REALLOCATED FOR FLOOD PROTECTION, STREET REPAIR AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

METHODS OF REALLOCATION

CEDAR RAPIDS, CITY

$338,062,216

$3,380,622

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION

LINN COUNTY

$183,683,000

$1,836,830

CASH OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX TRANSFER TO CEDAR RAPIDS CITY

CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

$179,877,811

$1,798,778

CASH OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX TRANSFER TO CEDAR RAPIDS CITY

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

$128,699,507

$1,286,995

CASH OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX TRANSFER TO CEDAR RAPIDS CITY

GRANT WOOD AEA

$57,530,586

$575,306

CASH TRANSFER TO CEDAR RAPIDS CITY

TOTAL 

$887,853,120

$8,878,531

 

62% OF $8,878,531 TO BE REALLOCATED FOR STREET REPAIR

$5,497,909

ADJUSTMENTS TO CEDAR RAPIDS CITY BUDGETS

38% OF $8,878,531 TO BE REALLOCATED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

$3,380,622

 

Put this plan on the ballot!  Elect a new, trustworthy mayor and council to manage it.

Let people vote on this plan they want!!  No $500,000 contributions needed from businesses for advertising needed.   This is a fair plan, not like the one businesses don't pay for and tried to shove down the people's throats with a 17% sales tax increase, for 20 years. 

 

WHERE MUCH OF THE MONEY IS WASTED IN CEDAR  RAPIDS

The following table shows where much of the money is wasted in Cedar Rapids.   $8.9 million of this annual waste must be put to better use for flood protection, street repair and residential property tax reduction.  Cedar Rapids voters soundly rejected the tax-the-people plan pushed by Mayor Corbett, the Chamber and businesses--who contributed at least $500,000 to advertise it.    There is no need to advertise the flood protection plan below, for both sides of the river, that makes much better use of existing money.   

None of these five public agencies have shown any interest, commitment or plans to make much better use of the money they have.   Some of it must be taken from them to make better use of it, and to get them interested in doing so.   In addition, some much better public officials will be needed to get the job done. 

 

WHERE MUCH OF THE MONEY IS WASTED IN CEDAR RAPIDS.     Source:  Iowalive 5-12-11

PUBLIC AGENCY

TOTAL AMOUNT  SPENT IN 2010 

SOME SOURCES OF WASTE

SALARIES HIGHER THAN JUSTIFIED

NO OR INAD-EQUATE IMPROVE-MENT PLANS

INADEQUATE OVERSIGHT OF PROCURE-MENT

OVER STAFFING

REMEDIAL, REWORK OR DO-OVERS

CEDAR RAPIDS, CITY

$338,062,216

$16,903,111

$11,832,178

$12,508,302

$5,070,933

$10,141,866

LINN COUNTY

$183,683,000

$6,428,905

$6,428,905

$9,184,150

$2,755,245

$2,755,245

CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

$179,877,811

$19,786,559

$8,993,891

$5,396,334

$26,981,672

$11,692,058

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

$128,699,507

$4,504,483

$5,147,980

$6,434,975

$3,346,187

$257,399

GRANT WOOD AEA

$57,530,586

$6,903,670

$2,876,529

$1,438,265

$2,358,754

$57,531

TOTAL

$887,853,120

$54,526,728

$35,279,483

$34,962,026

$40,512,791

$24,904,099

Anyone claiming to have better numbers is asked to provide them.