en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/335866 Comments by jay mason http://www.kcrg.com/dancing/43596477.html#IDComment19819271 KCRG brings this story with a title that implies it is an expose of some outlandish behavior of Shawn. For shame on them! Such reporting happens in the tabloids. The Gazette family had an opportunity to bring wholesome news venue to rejuvenate their subscribers a couple weeks ago and did not even recognize it. Lost opportunity! Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:33:44 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/dancing/43596477.html#IDComment19819271 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/42746637.html#IDComment18447407 Why did Dallas officer let her proceed down the road under a heart attack scenario (let's say that it seemed genuine, since evidence shows signs hours ahead of typical heart symptoms usually show), thus a chance to keep someone from driving 65 and crashing when the big one hits.__Does not one seek medical opinion to determine if fake or not? Thu, 9 Apr 2009 18:32:40 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/42746637.html#IDComment18447407 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/42084582.html#IDComment17862712 My consulting advice - build a heavy rock berm, with landfill quality liner on the river side bank. Then eventually the transit electric rail can be put on top, along with maybe a trail. The transit rail can run a loop around the city and down to Iowa City to pick up paying passengers that normally drive I-380 for work or shopping. Eventually a percentage of the ticket fee will pay for the flood berm and maintenance. The rail will cut down air pollution, and the opposite bank can be planted with trees and shrubs that form interlocking roots down through the rock. Eventually all business and housing in the high risk areas need to be turned to green space. We can start piling rock sections in the demolition areas now. Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:07:41 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/42084582.html#IDComment17862712 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41431452.html#IDComment17197523 "Elected officials stealing funds and covering it up by raising taxes." So, the CR council is finding ways to raise taxes, thus.... they take through non-vote utility franchise taxes, or making residents vote and vote until they say YES to LOST (Sorry-if you voted YES before and now want to change LOL on a 2nd try - after which they may spring more property taxes on us). Rename Cedar Lake (to Cedar Floodway) - add a tax for that to pay for the CEO. Parking taxes - to pay for the 'expert'. Letting them get by on a partial re-vote for LOST is letting them control us any way they want (Divide and conquer as the saying goes). All you 'NO' areas in Linn County should stick with the word NO. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:43:58 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41431452.html#IDComment17197523 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41410727.html#IDComment17185234 Hmm...who do you work for jake48? You seem to know their inner business. AE or someone that contracts to them? They had a big rate increase to pay for a $400 million natural gas plant up by Mason City (so they use gas - double indemnity for us). Because their coal plant was cancelled they probably decided to hit us in the rate pocket instead. Yes the city council works behind the scenes with things like franchise taxes to tap into our wallets, rather than bring in good businesses with good jobs. Water/sewer hikes, utility hikes, and slightly above minimum jobs. People out of state know us Iowans as farmers and telemarketers. At least the farmer is a respectable job. The LOST vote should be across all Linn again, but instead they want to target the NO areas to trick them into YES votes. All in all, they are making living here in your own home unaffordable. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:43:11 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41410727.html#IDComment17185234 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41338502.html#IDComment17144594 Hey...we have to keep up with CSI Miami and the others on hi-tech gadgetry and toys. The city managers are trying to live in TV land, they sure do not live in reality around here. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:28:18 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41338502.html#IDComment17144594 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41338502.html#IDComment17144402 I have seen regular bicycles with electric motors adapted to them for a couple of bills. Could have had a whole fleet for the price of one of these T-3's. Why not have tried one on loan first before an outlay of money. As for the picture, looks like that guy needs to get out and pedal a bit..... Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:22:59 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41338502.html#IDComment17144402 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41375277.html#IDComment17143702 All Grassley was doing is being human, expressing the anger and frustration that the rest of us are feeling. I do not doubt most of us have said the same type of statements about other life events that bring this level of upset... the majority of us would say about the same to vent. If we are now controlling (through the government bailout) 80 percent of the company then all contracts of these bonus receivers are off the table. They cause the problem, then they should feel the pain. Frankly I would take all the bailout back from them and Bank of America, and let them go bust. Apparently that is the wake up call they need. The whole banking/financial investment scene needs revamp, as does the way Wall Street (stock market) works. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:16:34 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41375277.html#IDComment17143702 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41340427.html#IDComment17137172 Tear down all - buildings and ramps. Make the whole downtown flat parking. That way there is nothing to restrict the flow of flood water. I hate to make negative comment, but the submit button on this comment system does not seem to work when the comment is positive. I just came from Mason City, and though they had a lot of damage they are way ahead on fixes, buyouts, etc. Perhaps we ought to hire their leaders instead of a flood CEO or a parking expert. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:30:50 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41340427.html#IDComment17137172 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41341637.html#IDComment17135832 I have already started my out-of-town shopping list. The business community supposedly wanted a flood CEO, but I have seen no representative of that Business forum speak out. They do not realize want revenue they will be losing to retail outside Linn County, else they would have put down the LOST tax. These neighborhood and LOST committees are just "YES" people for the council. If I could have my say, I would put them in the same boat with AIG executives and send them to their own LOST (island). Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:41:49 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41341637.html#IDComment17135832 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41179897.html#IDComment16871765 NewsLady - Iowa City routes have to be changed. The mail delivery personnel have to side step the new $80,000 sculpture the city management approved. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:08:31 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41179897.html#IDComment16871765 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41119692.html#IDComment16809004 Yes, a freight train could be hauling more goods more efficiently than by truck. Interstate trucking started years ago to transport produce across the country as they would get it there fresh or while it was ripening. Somehow it became a 'haul everything' industry, and they are hammering the roads to pieces and using lots of petroleum products (grease, oil, diesel, gas). Costs went up on items. New train engines are really efficient. I talked to the mayor last year about combining a flood dike with an electric transit train system to go between CR and IA city, with passenger stations in a loop around CR (thus the dike system), since dowtown increasingly has become a parking lot. Another avenue to approach for federal funding. I could see it fell on deaf ears. Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:44:53 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/41119692.html#IDComment16809004 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40967697.html#IDComment16641122 What came to realization with the split of the NO cities (Marion, Hiawatha, Robins, Center Point and the part of Walford) is that retail revenue will flow to these communities, and CR retailers are likely putting clandestine complaints to the CR council. Thus there goes a lot of the Option Tax as well. So the decision was to shove it down our pockets again. They want to control your wallet, but do little to help fill it. They missed out on a 200 million industry to transform downtown (News to you?? They do not tell you about the strikeouts). LOST is an appropriate acronym. Let us instead have a special vote - to put Corbett in ASAP and have him establish a cabinet. If Obama could have stepped in November 3rd, those 3 months advantage would have reduced the recession recovery by a year. CORBETT NOW will save us two or three years and money. Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:31:13 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40967697.html#IDComment16641122 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40763352.html#IDComment16235840 The local option no sooner passed and the media it talking about the property taxes being considered to go up 5%. The council is cagey...quiet about this until they got the money till. These business leaders are cagey as well, using JS to put out this CEO idea. Right now with the mindset of CR citizens they should be forthright in who they are, and this Lee Witt's credentials. Any past tie of Lee Witt to any CR business (palming favors?) I wonder too what he has done since 2001. There is too much happening in the back rooms on this crisis. I did not vote for the LOST tax, since it will be hurting the poor and flood victims it is like reaching into their pocket to get the money for compensation. It means more business for places that did not vote such in. 7 percent sales tax has not helped Mason City, where lack of good jobs still is a problem. Good paying, clean industry is what is needed here. Thu, 5 Mar 2009 18:27:40 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40763352.html#IDComment16235840 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40666307.html#IDComment16177081 There will not be an electoral college. And there will be no mention of Iowa in future campaigns. Isn't it bad enough they ignored our flood plight. What we need to change is our representatives, that did not give enough voice to our predicament. What we need is for our reps (including Harkin and Grassley) to ask that we take back the $45 billion from Bank of America, and put it to disaster relief. If Iowa could get $5 billion of that it would restore normalcy. If we could get just the $3.1 billion handed in bonuses to Merrill Lynch we would be 10 years ahead on future mitigation. That and jobs should be the day to day and only focus of Iowa reps. Wed, 4 Mar 2009 19:40:29 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40666307.html#IDComment16177081 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40395392.html#IDComment15875311 With ethanol plants idling as of late, it does seem this board needs guidance in the projects it approves. 2 considerations for any future plant should be - Does the plant process cellulose from alternative crops such as switch grass, jathropa, or other sources that can grow on marginal land as perennials without fertilization or pesticides? Does the plant processing use little water, and recycle most. Potable water is the next scarce resource, and present plants (in many industries) use lots of water. Look at the big toxic water dump in Tennessee from TWA coal plants. We have holding ponds for manure and much industrial waste, killing our environment and us. We need only plants that process with scarce water needs. Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:15:42 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40395392.html#IDComment15875311 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40331412.html#IDComment15831704 I am concerned - if plans are drawn up then why the statement "ten to fifteen non-profits"? Seems the count should be set to fit the building. What I am fearing when seeing a 'range' statement is cost overruns. Will the building end up costing $30 million or more in reality? $15 million would help a lot of flooded home owners and give relief on future non-profit reliance down the road. What is wrong with United Way where they are? They are right down there where they can see the people that need help. Such a chunk of money needs to be spent soley on recovery from the flood. Already the council opens the door to mis-spending. And was the architect that drew the plans local? Who are the contractors? Everything from this point on should be "Buy Local". Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:25:36 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40331412.html#IDComment15831704 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40328302.html#IDComment15830737 They want to put another cent of local option tax on us to hire consultants this year apparently. The least they could do is to hire local and support the new "Buy Local" program. I am not sure what consultants were available with experience of that magnitude flood. I could have drawn up the flood walls they proposed. Other than that so far all I have seen productive is cleanup and a few houses tore down, most of that by local people. Re-building is being done by local people. Instead of letting neighborhoods put up their own volunteers, they hand picked "Yes men" for the neighborhood planning. "Common man" and "common sense" both start with the same word. We have not had common sense representation in city government since Canney. Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:45:19 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40328302.html#IDComment15830737 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40331822.html#IDComment15830274 With last year and taking a cue from Obama, one would think Culver would have picked volunteers of a lower station in life - ones that actually put themselves at risk, sweating to help their flooded neighbors. I think Culver needs to work at getting in touch with Iowans. He could have worked a lot harder at getting the flood relief funding in Washington, as could our legislature and city council. Too easy to come up with taxes instead. Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:19:36 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40331822.html#IDComment15830274