Election for Mayor and five other members of the Cedar Rapids City Council approaches on 11/3/2009 ...

Received the following Facebook/e-mail from Ron Corbett campaign. Mr. Corbett is running for Mayor of the City of Cedar Rapids. The election is November 3, 2009.

Corbett Challenges Fagan on Legislative Agenda

For Immediate Release

October 16, 2009

Cedar Rapids - Mayoral Candidate Ron Corbett called on the City Council to disavow their 2009 legislative agenda which called for a local option payroll tax, entertainment tax, wheel tax and utility tax.

"The City Council was successful at getting the legislature to take away the
right of local citizens to vote for bond referendums. They were also successful
at passing a new regressive tax on utility bills that hurts those living on
fixed incomes. If their legislative agenda is successful, we will also be facing
the possibility of a local payroll tax and entertainment tax," said Corbett.

The legislative agenda was authorized on a unanimous voice vote of the current city council, including Brian Fagan. The council then backed up their agenda by authorizing tax dollars to pay a lobbyist to turn the agenda into law.

"To rub salt in the wound of taxpayers, not only did they take away this
important right, but they have a consultant recommendation that building a new
city hall would cost $50 million dollars," said Corbett. "We need a new agenda
in 2010 that strengthens the rights of taxpayers instead of weakening them."

The Agenda included this language:

2009 Cedar Rapids City Legislative Agenda:

Page 3

Substantive Statutory Category with fiscal impact on state where designated.

Suspend referendum requirement for local government debt issuance to replace public facilities destroyed or repair damaged public properties natural disasters in Presidentially declared disaster areas. (Infrastructure/Transportation, Environmental Quality, Education, Flood Management Hazard Mitigation)·

Allow local governments (city & county) alternative revenues at board/council vote: (at minimum: local option payroll or non-resident payroll tax, sales tax, entertainment tax, tobacco tax, utility franchise tax; ideally comparable to other states that have in excess of 20 local revenue options) (Long-term Planning and Recovery)

"When this legislative agenda was passed, Brian Fagan supported it and did
nothing to stop it. Essentially, he supported the option to enact a payroll tax,
utility tax and entertainment tax. He has been successful at taking away our
right to vote and passing the utility tax, if he's elected, we can only assume
he will try to finish this agenda," said Corbett.

In the debate KCRG/Gazette debate, Fagan referred to tax diversification instead of using the terms payroll tax, entertainment tax and wheel tax.

"Seniors are receiving no Social Security increase and families have had the bad
economy and the flood picking their pocket the last 12 months, people don't need
a city government that's doing the same thing," said Corbett. "

This city council needs to disavow this agenda and chart a new course in 2010 to get us back on track."

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Paid for by Corbett for Mayor (above is the Facebook/e-mail press release)

Closing thoughts:

I know both Ron Corbett and each of the challangers for Mayor. As at-large City Council candidate Don Karr has suggested, we need new representation on the City Council in 2009. The Mayor's office, two at-large council member seats and Districts 1, 3, and 5 are up for election.

I had the pleasure of being a candidate for District 2 City Council in November 2007. We need new leadership on the current City Council for the City of Cedar Rapids. We need to embrace our Council-Manager form of government, including all aspects of our Home Rule Charter.

Robin Tucker