I listened to Jim Fisher on the radio a bit today and a former Alderman mentioned that when Phil Yearington was mayor they wanted to change how tax monies were spent by the city. He also reminded us that this would provide 20 more Police officers without raising any taxes. This made sense. Of course, it was said, Davenport 1 was against it because it would lessen their piece of the tax pie. Now our city has shootings up and down Locust street with not much going on about it. I believe laws have to be changed and the judges better grow some brass kahonas. If a 16 year old or younger kid commits a shooting how in the hell does he stay out of prison. He would not be a felon in possession, but it is still illegal for a minor to have a handgun. The law should be an automatic 5 year sentence for possession, and an automatic 10 year minimum sentence if used in commission of a crime.
Cedar Rapids did a turn around and is now growing in population, and is safer than Davenport. Why can't we do this here? If the people on the city council don't wake up, I think they will not be public servants after their next election. Any time the council puts spending state and federal monies on uneeded building ahead of public safety, it's time to send them a message. Quit slapping these punks on the wrist and give them hard time, put more police on our streets, and fix the sewers and streets.
I changed things around a bit, and added a few things. It's as new to me as it is to you, but I think it'll work. As usual I'll try to have a variety of topics, but come summer there will be more postings about car events. You can email me at cruisaholic@hotmail.com Keep the shiny side up!
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3 comments:
Some of this problem stems from Des Moines and DC. Let your legislators know that you want to be able to spend block grants on basic services and not stupid purposeless buildings. Sure most of the blame lies with the councils and their desire for legacy projects, but the legislature doesn't have to enable their boneheadedness.
Unless this is a different plan than I've heard about, or a made up plan, (certainly possible on talk radio)the increased police would come at the cost of the very streets and sewers you would also like improved. Cutting capital improvements sounds good to people if you pretend that the only capital improvements we do are skateparks and skybridges, but that fund pays for a lot of people's streets and bridges.
I don't know which plan it was, but we need to do something. Our son is a typical teenager and likes to run with friends after school. I don't want a phone call that he was shot at a burger joint. I think in reality that the skybridge and skateparks are the only thing capital improvements go for. Our sewer system has kept big businesses away for years because our sewer system can't handle what they need. Pot holes and terrible roads have also been around for years, along with the understaffing of police and fire.
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