It does seem that there is more and more traffic downtown every day since the flood. That is the goal. People congregate in the cool spots in the city. The downtown is becoming cooler every day. And I doubt it’s going to stop, especially since East side protection is still moving ahead and especially since [...]

I become concerned when I see the city of Cedar Rapids maligned because of their use of federal dollars in the recovery from the flood of 2008. Estimates for the amount of damage range from 1 billion to 6 billion dollars in damage to Cedar Rapids alone. Keep in mind that 1 billion dollars is [...]

The roads do require constant maintenance. And I hear Todd’s point. People use them as a scapegoat to oppose Virtually Everything. I wonder, however, about the old policies of putting little bits of what we can into our roads, patching them over and over, etc. With food, a small amount may go a long way. [...]

I agree that it is time to move on. I.E. It’s time to realize that complaints about projects that are underway are not productive.

But in the spirit of moving on… how do we now get West-side protection moving? Where will the money come from? East-side finally seems to be moving.

I would suggest that some who left comments slow down, get outside, and take a bike ride.

Cedar Rapids. City of Love.

4:06

City supporter: “He was certainly talking about local property taxes”

City Detractor: “Well, I know”

Umm… the man that raised the complaint (the man that said that the mayor said that FEMA money is free) knew that the mayor wasn’t actually talking about federal money?

Then where is the complaint? Why the complaining?

“…does nothing to reduce the risk of flooding along the Cedar River.” What is being protected is the downtown. The city. Where money has been spent. If you think a wall won’t protect the downtown, you are claiming that you yourself, Mr. Swearingen, have some insight the entire Army Corp of engineers somehow hasn’t yet [...]

You know how you help ensure that this is successful? You support the downtown, you don’t stay away from it like it’s the plague, you drop your prejudice and stereotype that it is full of rich people, and you speak well of it. The fact of the matter is that it exists, will continue to [...]

I’m sorry, Craig. I should have said “no taxpayer dollars were spent from local taxes”. Thanks for adding to the information and for the clarification. Regarding what FEMA and the fed decide to give, you guys don’t have a valid complaint about the city itself. Take that up with FEMA. Tell them that you think [...]

This is an interesting thing. It is a Cedar Rapids icon that is reflective of the progress that is being made. Can you hear these guys? They are just screaming to complain. They are bursting at the seams – you see, there was no taxpayer money spent that they could gripe about. Heaven knows that [...]

Hardly, Ray. I’ll confidently speak for Jeff there. I don’t understand how you feel that tolerance for same sex couples loving one another is indicative of “anything goes.” It simply isn’t. If you add that one tiny bit of tolerance to your own mindset, you won’t all of a sudden lose your “superior” moral footing. [...]

I do believe they could allow tolerance and their faith to exist alongside one another without feeling like they were going to go to hell. I know I have.

Tolerance to the point of being appalled that humans among us are treated as inferiors.

Do people actually care that 2 blocks of 2nd Ave were closed. Has anyone that complains about it driven it? There is not a single stop light if you take the 13th St.-3rd Ave-10th st. detour. It adds like a minute to your drive. The only complaint I have is that the City seemed to [...]

No we aren’t. We are working through a disaster. We have operating revenue. If we did not have that, we would be “broke.”

Ok beyond all of that… I like the first one the best.

“What have they done for the average homeowner that pays more property taxes and yet lives on a street that looks like it was just shelled?” I assume you are talking about the flood zone. They are working on it. Let it happen. And you guys have to stop painting this like only the East [...]

Have you enumerated them for me? Do you secretly know that your game is a sham?

Welcome to another episode of “How to make sure your downtown doesn’t turn into a decaying mess,” presented by the CR City Council. Oh… and even though there is an incentive, they are collecting tax money in the end (+dollars). If you leave this downtown to die like you critics seem to want, the city [...]

I think the idea that suggests putting parking on the bottom of the building is a wise one. It seems that we are just going to have to make the west side floodable at this point.

I’m not an advocate for anything and everything that comes out of the council. I was not in the presence of Councilman Karr when the words you describe were uttered. I cannot condone them IF what you say is true. Put your anger into the federal government. It will do much better there. Cedar Rapids [...]