Google Map Mishap in Maine Missed by Mainstream Media

What is going on with Google Maps and the Maine elections? Why were maps with Maine’s Republican Caucus results posted a day early? When I first learned Google had a map of the results from the Maine elections I had to go see it for myself. I first saw it on Facebook. Google later cleared the map.


I took a few screen shots of my own. I made these screen shots on February 10, 2012.

No one is talking about this mishap from mainstream media. No surprise there. This is just a heads up for those who pay attention to the presidential elections. Watch for news on the Maine Caucus tonight and see if the numbers match the results posted prematurely yesterday.

Maine Caucus
100% Reporting

Romney 45.7% 5,489
Gingrich 33.5% 4,022
Paul 10.5% 1,263
Santorum 9.7% 1,165

ABC News already touting Romney as the winner. Not once mentioning Ron Paul in their report even though he is a close second! Ron Paul claims it is a tie!

Here is a CNN report

Maine Caucus
95% Reporting
Romney 2,190 39% 9
Paul 1,996 36% 7
Santorum 989 18% 3
Gingrich 349 6% 0

http://watchthevote2012.com/

Vote No to the Cedar Rapids Bondoogle the Local Option Sales Tax EXTENSION March 6, 2012

STILL NO NEED TO CLOSE ANY CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS

STILL NO NEED TO CLOSE ANY CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS

Don’t be surprised to see Supt. Benson bow to the teacher’s union, and his obsession for more money, and recommend two elementary school closings–to force the board to say NO! This allows the superintendent to pressure the board for more money if the board votes to keep them open. It’s all about money.

Neither the board nor administration has demonstrated any honest concern for the kids! Honest concern for the kids would have taken school closings off the board meeting agenda and placed the need for better school management on the agenda!! It hasn’t, and it isn’t likely to happen with this lax school board.

If any building in the Cedar Rapids school district should be closed and sold, it is the new $44 million Administration Building, Taj Mahal, under construction for elite administrators. There is more than ample room to merge administrators into unused space in the 4 elementary buildings. threatened to be closed. What could be better than housing elite administrators in buildings that are considered good enough for district kids?? Perhaps administrators would then clearly see things through the eyes of the kids, and give the kids more respect, attention—and a much better education, as a result.

As discussed farther below, school mismanagement caused the big school closing mess. But there is more.

The table farther below shows it is no big financial deal to reallocate .9% of the district’s budget to keep all the schools open. Would any administrator in the district like to argue there is not .9% waste in the district? On what grounds? It would be a hoot to hear any administrator claim, or argue, the district is operating at 99.1% efficiency. Operation at that level is unheard of for organizations specialized in continuously improving their operating efficiency. It just doesn’t happen. But there is still more.

POOR DISTRICT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE HURTS ENROLLMENT

The district has 19 schools on the NCLB In Need of Assistance List for academic failures—and will spend over $57 million to mismanage the district and operate the new $44 million administration building–and its 340 full time equivalent army of employees to be located in that plush building.

Parents know the district is academically failing and enroll their kids out of the district. The following chart shows the net outflow of students. If the district would eliminate academic failures, the parents and kids would flock to the district and fill the schools. Judy Hintz, at Educational Resources in West Des Moines knows how to fix the schools and district officials avoid her like the plague. They have no interest or intention in fixing the schools for kids. They want MORE MONEY FOR THEIR SALARIES AND BENEFITS!

NO BIG FINANCIAL DEAL TO KEEP ALL SCHOOLS OPEN

MORE EVIDENCE THERE IS NO NEED TO CLOSE ANY CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS

The following websites serve as more compelling evidence there is no need to close any Cedar Rapids elementary schools, as administrators are maneuvering to do—to provide more money for themselves and teachers—who currently caused 19 Cedar Rapids schools to be placed on the NCLB In Need of Assistance Lists for Academic failure and child abuse. http://www.iowalive.net/poormanagement.htm http://www.iowalive.net/kidsorcorruption.htm

MATRIX OF INFORMATION TO KEEP C. R. SCHOOLS OPEN

MATRIX OF INFORMATION TO CLOSE C. R. SCHOOLS

SCHOOL MISMANAGEMENT CAUSED THE BIG SCHOOL CLOSING MESS

The district mismanaged itself into this terrible school closing mess by:

1. Duping taxpayers into building unneeded classrooms and a new school building, as shown in the following chart.

2. Excluding low test scores and trying to hide falling student achievement

3. Miserably failing to meet NCLB academic requirements

4. Building a $44 million unneeded administration building for 340 full time equivalent employees. Administrators should be merged into unused space in existing buildings–now on the chopping block for closure

5. Paying more attention to the teacher’s union than to student needs.

Elementary Schools face closings in Cedar Rapids Core Neighborhoods

Schools in the core neighborhoods are facing closings and the community does not want them closed. The signs that line the streets in Cedar Rapids on both sides of the river speak in volumes. People do not want their neighborhood schools closed.

I do agree that Monroe needs to be closed. While I am not against open enrollment I am not in favor of shipping only kindergarteners to this school when there is several high crime apartment buildings across the street. Many of these children could attend these schools that face closings. I wanted my oldest children to go to Harrison Elementary when we lived on the NE side of town fifteen years ago. I was able to enroll my children in Kindergarten at Harrison and I got them to school every day at my expense—not the expense of the taxpayers.

Now, this building going up across the street from an area that floods every year is a problem, not because of the concept of the different divisions coming together, it is a problem because it’s difficult for me to wrap my mind around it. I don’t care where the money came from what I care about is how it looks and it looks bad when the administrators are getting brand new buildings when we’re losing schools.

I called Ms. Day with questions about the cost of the new administration building before I sent her the emails that follow. I told Ms. Day that I had a child at Harrison.

From: Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/ [mailto:sibzianna@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 11:08 AM
To: Lday@cr.ia.k12.us
Subject: Question

How many dollars do district records show the district expects, or estimates, the fully staffed new administration building to cost per year?

Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/
sibzianna@aol.com

—–Original Message—–
From: Day Laurel
To: ‘Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/’;
Sent: Tue, Jan 31, 2012 3:35 pm
Subject: RE: Question
Ajai,

Thank you for your email. I visited with appropriate District staff regarding your question. Our Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer do not expect any additional costs to be incurred for staffing as we are relocating existing staff at temporary locations to the new administrative and operations building.

Laurel Day

From: Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/ [mailto:sibzianna@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 5:12 PM
To: Day Laurel
Subject: Re: Question

Laurel,

Could you provide me with specifics please? Is there a website for this information?

Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/
sibzianna@aol.com

From: Day Laurel
To: ‘Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/’;
Cc: Benson David ; Graham Steve
Sent: Wed, Feb 1, 2012 7:15 am
Subject: RE: Question
Ajai,

I’m not sure what you mean by “specifics”. The District staff that we currently have located in temporary buildings due to the 2008 flood, will be relocated to the new facility this spring. We are not expecting to hire additional staff. If you’d like to visit with me by phone, so that I better understand your request, please contact me at 319/558-2223.

Laurel

(ALREADY TRIED THIS)
From: Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/ Hide
Add to: To Do, Calendar
To: LDay
Bcc: Yes, people were Bcc’d
Date: Wed, Feb 1, 2012 3:56 pm

Laurel,

Let me try to re-frame the question- what are the line item costs for staff and operation of the new administration building for one year?

Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/
sibzianna@aol.com

From:Day Laurel Hide

To: ‘Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/’

Cc: Benson David Graham Steve

Date: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 1:46 pm

Ajai,

Thank you for your patience as it has taken me time to discuss your request for information with appropriate District personnel. Per District Procedure 1008a “Request for Public Records”, I’d like to inform you that there will be a fee associated with the retrieval, and potentially copying fee, of records requested detailing the line item costs for staff and operation of the new administration building for one year. The information is not readily available in an existing public record; therefore, District staff would be required to extract, assimilate and/or interpret information/data. At this time, after visiting with our staff, we are estimating up to 1-2 hours of their time to generate the information. Please review the attached document and let us know how you’d like to proceed.

Laurel

The pdf she sent me was:
Request for Public Records
Purpose This procedure implements Iowa Code chapter 22 regarding access to public records. The purpose of this
procedure is to facilitate public access to open records, while safeguarding records against damage or destruction.
Open records are those records, documents, tapes or other information stored or preserved in any medium of or
belonging to the district, which are not otherwise authorized or required by law to be kept confidential.
Location A request for access to a record should be directed to the Board Secretary or to the Community Relations Office or to the particular district office where the record is maintained (for example, to the building principal’s office,the Business Services office, the Human Resources office). If the requester does not know the location of the record, the request shall be directed to the Board Secretary, 346 2nd Avenue SW., Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. If a request for access to a record is misdirected, district personnel will promptly forward the request to the appropriate person within the district.
Hours Open records shall be made available for examination from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.Monday through Friday, except for holidays and recesses.
Requests for access to open records may be made in person, in writing (including electronically), or by telephone. If the request is made in person, the requester shall not be required to identify himself/herself, except insofar as to meet security procedures of the building. Mail or telephone requests shall include the name, address and telephone number of the person requesting the record. All requests shall identify the records in sufficient detail to enable the district to reasonably identify the requested records. A person shall not be required to give a reason for requesting an open record.
Response to Request Access to an open record shall be promptly provided unless the size or nature of the request makes prompt access infeasible or for other extenuating circumstances, such as the custodian of the record is not then available. Access to an open record may be delayed for one of the purposes authorized by Iowa Code section 22.8(4) or 22.10(4) (for example, to ascertain if a record is a public record or to seek opinion of counsel). The custodian of the record shall promptly give notice orally or in writing to the person requesting the record of the reason for the delay and an estimate of the length of the delay.
Copying A reasonable number of copies of an open record may be made in the district’s office (see fee schedule
below). If copying equipment is not available in the office where an open record is maintained, the custodian shall permit its examination in that office and arrange to have copies promptly made elsewhere.
Security of Records No person may, without permission from the custodian of the record, search or remove any
record from district files. The custodian of the record or a designee of the custodian shall supervise examination and copying of records. Records shall be protected from damage and disorganization.
Fees No fees shall be charged for a reasonable number of copies of current agendas for meetings of the district’s Board of Directors, for publications the district designates for dissemination to the public free of charge as long as they are still available, or for forms necessary for a person to transact business with the district or to receive an education (such as employment, application forms, student enrollment forms, free and reduced priced meal applications, open enrollment or voluntary permit forms, or referrals for special education).
Copies of records may be made for members of the public on district copy machines or from electronic storage
systems at cost. When the mailing of copies of records is requested, the actual costs of such mailing may also be charged to the requester.
Procedure 1008.a
Page 2
An hourly fee may be charged for actual district expenses in retrieving, supervising the examination and copying requested records, which is in addition to the copy fee. In addition, costs for retrieval and copying of public information stored in electronic storage systems may be charged to the requester.
The district is not required to extract, assimilate, or interpret information or data, or to create public records; however,if the district agrees to perform any of these functions, the person making the request may also be charged an hourly fee.
Advance Deposits When the estimated total fee chargeable exceeds $25.00, or when a requester has previously failed to pay a fee charged under this regulation, the record custodian may require a requester to make an advance deposit to cover all or a part of the estimated fee.
Fee Schedule
Photocopy Fee 1 – 50 pages: No Charge
More than 50 pages:10 cents per page (including for pages 1-50)
Retrieval, Supervision, Copying Fee 1 – 30 minutes:No Charge
More than 30 minutes:$20.00 per hour, rounded to the
Nearest ¼ hour (including the first 30 minutes)
Electronic Storage System Retrieval
Actual Costs
Mailing Fee
If more than $1.00: Actual Costs
In making a determination for charges, a series of requests from one person or organization in a 30-day period or a series of requests from persons in a single organization may be aggregated.
Documentation of Requests To the extent feasible requests for public records will be documented by the Community Relations Office. Documentation serves as confirmation of requests, and the response of the district.
Code of Iowa: Chapter 22

From:Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/ Hide
To:LDay
Bcc: yes people were Bcc’d
Date: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:30 pm

Laurel—

The district, at no cost, provided the amount saved if each of 4 buildings was closed. Are you telling me the district doesn’t know, and can’t report from existing records, how much it costs to open and operate the new administration building?? How did the school district prepare a budget without this information readily available in its records? It makes no sense, for even an inept bean counter, to take 1 to 2 hours to provide the requested information—using computers. What is the district trying to hide?

Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/

Automatic reply: question

From: Day Laurel Hide

To: Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/

Date: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:34 pm

I will be out of the office most of the day on Friday, February 3rd. For assistance, please feel free to contact Jean McDonough at 319/558-1203. Thank you.

RE: question
From:Day Laurel Hide
To:’Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/’
Cc:Graham Steve Benson David Hughes Marcia
Date:
Mon, Feb 6, 2012 2:58 pm

Ajai~

I am forwarding your request for additional information to our Chief Financial Officer, Steve Graham.

Laurel

RE: question
From:Graham Steve Hide
To:Day Laurel ‘Ajai Dittmar~http://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/’
Cc:Benson David Hughes Marcia Graham Steve
Date:Mon, Feb 6, 2012 3:27 pm
ELS_Operating_Expenses.xlsx

Ajai,

Attached is a document that provides all current budgeted expenditures, (which includes all wages and benefit costs as well as all related expenditures for services, supplies, equipment that comprise the full departmental operating budgets) for all departments that will be relocating to the ELS this spring. Hopefully you will find this information useful. Thank you.

Steve Graham
Executive Director – Business Services
Cedar Rapids Community School District
907 15th Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 319-558-1237
Fax: 319-558-2074


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m not the only one seeking answers

http://thegazette.com/2012/02/02/students-parents-seek-answers-on-schools-2/

Video of the shrine and some kids

Ron Paul Videos from Cedar Rapids and Ames

Ron Paul Visits Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Congressman Ron Paul Speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – July 25, 2011

Ron & Rand Paul in Cedar Rapids Iowa August 10, 2011

Ron Paul answers question about Obamacare

Ron Paul talks about economic crisis in America

Rand Paul answers press question about running for President in 2016

Ron Paul press question about jobs

Ron Paul on the Stock Market

Rand Paul chiming in about the Stock Market

Ron Paul in Ames, Iowa at the Straw Poll 2011-unedited

A small variety of videos taken in Cedar Rapids and Ames, Iowa

HMGP flood victims: “$10,000 Incentive” is NOT a DOB for RHA

HMGP Flood Victims: “$10,000 Incentive” is NOT a DOB for RHA
by Lisa Kuzela, August 9, 2011

I have been saying this from the beginning, but once again, no one would listen. I hope those who have worked hard to discredit me will realize how much they screwed themselves and other flood victims due to not allowing me the opportunity to be on the inside to make sure these errors would not have occurred.

Reminder: A Duplication of Benefits (DOB) is utilized to check on funds received for the SAME specific purpose for which the assistance is given (for instance structure, personal possessions, etc.)

The following is one of the several waivers that the states of Louisiana and Texas asked for from HUD and received. I have no documentation if Iowa ever requested this waiver, probably not the with where their priorities were. However, our state IS using “$10,000 incentive” for those acquisitions in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), aka “greenway” zone.

I’ve seen enough files from flood victims who were in the 100 year flood plain (HMGP) and their Iowa Dept. of Economic Development (IDED) DOB papers that say “$10,000 Incentive” + “$15,000 Replacement Housing Assistance” – in order to make equal the $25,000 of RHA that everyone was offered (if they qualify).

For these flood victims who received the $10,000 “incentive,” it is NOT a DOB of Replacement Housing Assistance (RHA) and should have NEVER BEEN DEDUCTED as such from the $25,000 RHA. It is for a different purpose from any replacement housing funds and is in addition to their buyout and RHA.
Also, those who relocated from the 500 year flood plain could’ve been eligible for this $10,000 incentive also had the State (urged by our local government) asked for it.

NOTE: the following quote below comes from the Federal Register /Vol. 74, No. 156 / Friday, August 14, 2009 Notice:
“For example, a grantee may offer an incentive payment (possibly in addition to buyouts) for households that
volunteer to relocate within a particular period of time, or who choose to resettle outside a 100- or 500-year floodplain. Note, however, that if the grantee requires the funds to be used for a particular purpose by the household receiving the assistance, then the activity will be that required use, not an eligible incentive. The Department is waiving 42 U.S.C. 5305(a) and associated regulations to make these uses of grant funds eligible.”

The buyout forms state “incentive payment” therefore it is not officially used as replacement housing assistance or on the structure in any way, and it should not have counted within the $25,000 RHA. INCENTIVE is the use; not RHA.

Mainstream Media Failure

I have waited three years for the presidential elections to begin and was excited about attending my first Straw Poll that was to be held in Ames Iowa, on August 13, 2011. Iowa is not a very exciting place, so when you have hundreds of thousands of people from all over the state driving miles to come together in one place to have a little face to face time and more than 17,000 people show up you better bet that it’s a big deal!
Mainstream media just turned the most ‘unimportant important political events of a presidential cycle’ into a pivotal political speaking point. Those of us from the Midwest want people to know that mainstream media failed you!
Why isn’t mainstream media beating down Ron Paul’s door asking for interviews? Why are they chasing the gun toting Texas cowboy, Rick Perry, across the country ignoring the only candidate who can beat President Obama, Ron Paul? Why the blackouts on the other winner of the Iowa Straw Poll—Ron Paul—the plain guy talking about liberty and the Constitution who didn’t offer a free country western concert. What is mainstream media so afraid of? What else have they been hiding from us?
At this point I am livid. I feel that mainstream media made a mockery of our political process and bases their ‘news’ on half truths and this illusion that our presidency is based on some superficial popularity contest.
Social media is here to stay while the days of mainstream media are numbered. Social media is the next best thing to face to face communication in such a technological world. Research all your candidates and make an informed decision before you trust anything that comes through to your television because I guarantee you’re not hearing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

Media Ignoring Ron Paul

FEMA cut wasteful spending in Cedar Rapids, IA and FUND Joplin, MI

With less than $1 billion currently available for federal disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is temporarily suspending payments to rebuild roads, schools and other structures destroyed during spring tornadoes in Joplin, Mo. and southern states in order to pay for damage caused by Hurricane Irene.

WOW, while the whole country is going broke and FEMA funding is low, my city, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, continues to spend like there is no tomorrow– in the name of “flood recovery” when buildings like Public Works were barely touched by flood waters yet are going to demolish it and build new? Why is FEMA talking about cutting off Joplin, MI while they continue to funnel millions of dollars to fund Cedar Rapids ‘face-lift’? We didn’t lose any lives and our city officials and media KNEW there was a flood coming!

Cedar Rapids city council members openly admit they are spending FEMA money because it’s available. It doesn’t matter that the people don’t want the city to use these funds “they are going to do whatever they want, because they can”. While we lose our history/heritage city officials continue to abuse FEMA and the people of Cedar Rapids, so that they can make their friends rich! When will this end?

While FEMA goes broke Cedar Rapids has been giving away property that was acquired with FEMA funding to developers so that developers could profit without going through a bidding process! Not only is this ILLEGAL but it is unethical! One-hundred-twenty year old tax bases were destroyed in the name of “flood recovery” and now we supposedly have a “housing crisis”! Generations of family homes were destroyed for the “preferred plan” a plan that even city workers didn’t know about.

Click here to see the money tree. Tell FEMA to not stop funding Joplin, MI but to stop sending money to Cedar Rapids, Iowa! I love my city but I hate what’s been done to it in the name of FEMA and for our ‘own protection’. Disaster by design? I think so! Plans from 1961 were taken off the shelf and dusted off and greed filled the minds and pockets of those who knew! Click here to see the “vision” for Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

We could have recovered by now if money wasn’t given to these non-profits! Money was sent in from people all over the country to help us but we never got a dime of it! The people in charge of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation instead ‘donated’ $1,200,000 to Block by Block (a group that should be called Block by OOPS I missed a Block). Some might say what’s wrong with the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation donating money to Block by Block? Well, first of all the two men who run Block by Block are married to two women who work for the Greater Foundation of Cedar Rapids!

The plot thickens but I don’t have time to go into that today! Visit CRSMELLS.ORG for more information.

Update: Did someone hear me up in the office?

I thought they had until I read this! Let’s just hope that Dubuque doesn’t use the money the same way Cedar Rapids did, as an opportunity!

Is Cedar Rapids, Iowa Dragging America down with its Expensive Facelift?

In June, 2008 the “city that would never flood” went 12 feet under and has dragged the rest of the country down with it ever since! The city invests millions of dollars on its east side leaving the west side without flood protection or investment.

City leaders took advantage of FEMA funding to turn our disaster into an “opportunity” for themselves. Why does Cedar Rapids continue to receive FEMA funding when FEMA is BROKE? Officials started projects based on ‘potential’ FEMA funds were spent before any funding was approved or received..
City Officials had a plan.

Instead of allowing people to recover, officials created and fostered a division between the East and West side of town. They have done this by design by burying residents/homeowners in red tape, drawing arbitrary lines through historical neighborhoods (120 year old tax bases), and blaming FEMA for drawing the lines through the neighborhoods and that they are at fault for the slow recovery. I called FEMA and they deny drawing lines through our neighborhoods and said that our city officials who applied for the buyout.

I know this much is true. Cedar Rapids officials drew arbitrary lines in the name of FEMA and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the name of flood protection. Again, I called FEMA and USACE about the historical neighborhoods and both agencies say that the city, drew the lines. One man from the USACE even went as far as calling the scenario that I was explaining to him sounded illegal and would qualify as ‘coercion in a voluntary property acquisition’.

Conversations with the Council meeting at Roosevelt Middle School in Cedar Rapids 2009

Officials have since given property where the original property owners could not rebuild on to developers who can and will profit from after millions of tax dollars from FEMA and HUD were used to acquire the properties. Non-profits with incestuous connections and city staff have taken advantage of funding meant for disaster victims for their own profit.

Buildings that were barely touched by flood water, like Public Works, will be razed (and replaced with brand new buildings) while buildings like the Time Check Recreation Center sit abandoned and untouched for the last three years.

Millions of dollars of tax payers dollars have been invested/promised to a small area within a three block radius on the east side of the river in the name of “flood recovery” no one located in the Greedway or CONstruction (the areas people lived in) zone will be helped. Instead of being helped their Constitutional Rights have been violated and they are labeled as ‘stubborn‘ and ‘radical’ for wanting to save what’s left of the American dream.

Please allow me to explain my position. I love my 111 year old riverfront home in NW Cedar Rapids. The city offered a buyout. This buyout was supposedly ‘voluntary‘ but people who lived in my area were denied assistance. People were told they couldn’t rebuild. This after ONE major flood.

People’s houses were ‘tested’ by environmental companies hired by the city who deemed them environmental risks. In turn city inspectors came by and wrote tickets for these houses being ‘nuisances’ so that FEMA funds could be used to demolish them.

We were under a ‘revitalization’ program (more federal money) at the same time that this flood happened. In fact, our last inspection was to take place on June 17, 2008 because we were part of the Weed and Seed initiative in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I did turn it in but got the run around over the phone. The house I refer to in this video was demolished before the homeowner was paid. The homeowner couldn’t back out of the buyout if they wanted to!

I was born and raised in this city and I firmly believe that we would have fully recovered from the 2008 flood if we weren’t taken advantage of during this time of chaos. Many people were told that they couldn’t rebuild and were forced to move into houses they couldn’t afford. If given the chance to do it over we could have done this without tearing down our best houses because we are “can do” kind of people.

Cedar Rapids residents have been fighting the city and FEMA and will continue to stand up for American tax payers because we understand the value of our freedom and know first hand how fast it can be taken.

About a minute in Mike Augustine at a neighborhood meeting in NW Cedar Rapids complains about the mayor after mayor says tax payers won’t pay “diddly squat” in local newspaper.

(all we have done is pay)

Below are some questions I asked the United States Army Corps of Engineers during their presentation of the CEDAR RIVER CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT PROJECT page 18 explains that the city’s “Preferred Plan” is not supported by the United States Army Corps of Engineers- the most important statement they made was this one: “Specific to the Time Check neighborhood, alternatives containing river’s edge alignments cannot impact
land purchased with funds from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). FEMA rules do not allow construction of a flood damage reduction project or protection of lands purchased with HMGP funds. Alignments evaluated through this area, therefore, had to be set back accordingly and could not be placed near the river’s bankline.

None of the flood damage reduction alignments along the west side of the river met required economic criteria in order to establish a Federal interest. Economic justification was found for a few of the alternative alignments on the east side, out of which a Recommended Plan was identified. The local sponsor, City of Cedar Rapids, ultimately has the decision whether or not to proceed with the Recommended Plan.”

The following video is from one of the open forums put on by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This is Larry. Larry’s house is gone while just two blocks away millions of dollars have been invested in a two block area known as Czech Village. What kind of village has no villagers? The “village of GREED”!

This video is not a plea for donations because these homes are no longer standing. This video is to show the world that there used to be a Village here.

Another unethical relationship in Cedar Rapids – by Lisa Kuzela

Another C.R. Unethical Relationship!
by Lisa Kuzela on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 9:05pm

Matthew 25 received January 2011 thru June 2011 from Greater CR Community Foundation (GCRCF) the following grants.

Background: Matthew 25 is a “faith-based” non profit organized by brothers, Clint Twedt-Ball and Courtney Ball. At the time of the flood, Clint’s wife, Karla was vice president over grants for the GCRCF. When President (CEO), Dan Baldwin left, she became the interim president until the current CEO, Les Garner, retired from being president of Cornell College and took that position. After that, Karla was the vice president. However, sometime since, they changed her title back to vice president over grants and programs. Also, Courtney’s wife is an accountant at the GCRCF. Matthew 25 has received an abundance of flood fund monies, as well as other funds, since the flood.

Matthew 25 had an office and tool-lending library at the Linn County Corridor Recovery Center. (They have also received nearly $100,000 for their tool-lending library.) They worked with the Methodist volunteers and had a huge say in who got the volunteer help to rehab and who did not.

Matthew 25 partnered with Affordable Housing Network, Inc. (Jim Ernt’s non profit hired to allocate residential Jumpstart) to form Block by Block. AHNI had control over the financial ability for us to rehab.

Now, the city is giving the partnership of these two groups our properties after our Federal dollars are spent by the city to buy them. So far, Block by Block has been approved, or are in the process of being approved, 73 properties.

NOTE: It is the responsibility of the GCRCF to ensure that any grant proposals are feasible. It has come to light that GCRCF has been funding a project (Cultivate Hope) that violated our city ordinance. The GCRCF also gave Matthew 25 $15,000 in 2010 for this same project.

Community Fund

$12,000 to Matthew 25 Ministry Hub for Cultivate Hope (Renewal)

Organizational Development Fund

$5,000 to Matthew 25 Ministry Hub for Matthew 25 Database Implementation

Flood 2008 Fund

$48,502 to Matthew 25 Ministry Hub for Basic Needs Assistance, Youth Development, and Neighborhood Advocacy

$13,962 to Matthew 25 Ministry Hub for Basic Needs Assistance, Youth Development, and Neighborhood Advocacy

Youth POWER

$1,500 to Matthew 25 Ministry Hub for Groundswell Youth Courses

From the six month period of January 2011 thru June 2011, Matthew 25 received a total of $80,964. This is JUST from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.

Cedar Rapids Occupation Demonstrations and General Assemblies

G_D Bless The United States and Ron Paul

There are so many lessons for the media to learn about the presidential race. It is over for them. They failed the American people this time around. 2012 is a time of awakening. Everything the television tells you should be questioned. I should be questioned. You should question everything. Nothing is as it seems. The more you learn about local politics the more you see in national politics. It’s crazy and being an Iowan makes it easy to observe these presidential hopefuls and who they are. They will come around talking about running for president and test their ideas on us. As an Iowan I am pissed off that the mainstream media has made a mockery of our caucus.
Ron Paul brought a lot of people together on August 13, 2011. I traveled in a cramped van with 7 other people to go to the Ames Straw Poll. This was a big deal for us because none of us had attended one before. Ron Paul came in second place yet no one mentioned him on the media! We even protested our local media and we were ignored—this is the problem with the mainstream media across the nation. Someone is pulling the strings and it isn’t “we the people”.
I have complained about this media blackout for the last six months. What part of world peace, sound money, and liberty isn’t attractive? It upsets me to see these media outlets treat Ron Paul as if he is radical or un-American because everything he is saying is right. He sounds more American than the rest of them! I demand that Romney study the Constitution. It should be required that in order to uphold the Constitution that you should at least read it!
I guess I am more upset about the lack of regard for the rule of law! I mean our president is committing treason and no one is doing anything about it. He ordered the death of two American citizens without any Due Process! Why isn’t America outraged by this? Since when was it okay to assassinate American born people without any kind of trial? One of these people was a minor!
We just sent troops to Israel and now to Africa? What is going on here? Why do we need to be in all these conflicts all over the world? Who is benefiting? It certainly isn’t the American citizens who sign up for these services with the premise they are defending American people when they aren’t—they are merely slaves to the military complex and Pentagon contractors.
It disgusts me that we are up to our eyeballs in blood around the world and there are people who want more bloodshed. Why can’t we all just get along? I can’t believe that we are allowing our soldiers to go all over the world fighting in these unconstitutional wars in the name of democracy. The more laws the government writes to protect us the more liberties we lose! Is it worth losing all of our liberties to appease the masters? Is this what America has become? Is this the legacy we want to leave our children? No, it is time to rise against corporate media and take the power back.

Media Blackout on Troops who Rallied for Ron Paul in Washington DC on President’s Day

I have never been as proud to be an American as I am now and that wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for our troops and their passion for Ron Paul.

Our troops were warned:
This was posted on the RON PAUL IS THE CHOICE OF THE TROOPS Facebook event page by Kevin Audrain, who claims to be active duty Navy and was leaked to me by multiple unconfirmed sources.
—–Original Message—–
From: Weger, Joel A CIV OGC, Ethics [mailto:joel.weger@NAVY.MIL]
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 8:17
To: ETHICS@LISTSERV.LAW.NAVY.MIL
Subject: [ETHICS] Partisan Political March
Importance: High
It has come to our attention that a partisan political march targeting
military personnel is being organized for February 20, 2012. See link
below:

http://www.facebook.com/events/192677970828185/?ref=notif&notif_t=event_invite

As a reminder, active duty personnel are prohibited by DoD Directive 1344.10
paragraph 4.1.2.10 from marching in a partisan political parade regardless
of whether they are in uniform or civilian clothes. Reservists not on
active duty and retirees may not march in uniform pursuant to paragraph
4.1.4. Reservists not on active duty and retirees may march in civilian
clothes provided that they do not otherwise act in a manner that could
reasonably give rise to the inference or appearance of official sponsorship,
approval, or endorsement.
The directive is a lawful general regulation. Violations of paragraphs 4.1.
through 4.5. of the Directive by persons subject to the Uniform Code of
Military Justice are punishable under Article 92, “Failure to Obey Order or
Regulation.”
In addition, DODI 1334.01, paragraph 3.1.2 prohibits the wearing of the
uniform by members of the armed forces (including retired members and
members of reserve components) during or in connection with political
activities.
You may wish to advise your command regarding this particular event because
of the apparent solicitation of active duty personnel.
Joel A. Weger
Senior Attorney
Department of the Navy
Office of the Assistant General Counsel (Ethics)
703.614.XXXX

More than 18,000 people were invited to attend to attend the “RON PAUL IS THE CHOICE OF THE TROOPS! (march on the White House)”. Two-thousand-one-hundred and fifty-one people committed to going to the march while 964 people clicked maybe.

I tweeted Sean Hannity and Bret Baier of Fox News two days before the rally took place to get their take on the story and got nothing.

I didn’t think the mainstream media could disappoint me anymore than they already have. When the special news report came in on the television they said nothing about what was going on in Washington DC with our troops and instead talked about war propaganda in Iran.

The troops stood up for our freedoms for the first time that I know of, inside our own borders and it wasn’t even considered newsworthy?

I don’t understand what is wrong with our media!

I tweeted CNN Wolf Blitzer, Brooke Baldwin, and even went as far as accusing CNN of ignoring it on purpose! I told them that they were losing credibility by the minute…

I was fortunate enough to watch this unfold live on the internet thanks to feeds available from livestream and Ustream.tv but not one word has been uttered on the television.

Here was my take on the thing.

On February 20, 2012, on Presidents Day, our troops gathered for a rally in Washington DC to march in support for their candidate of choice, Ron Paul.

I was moved to tears as our troops marched in formation on our nation’s capitol shouting “President Paul”, “end the FED”, “end these wars”, and “Ron Paul revolution legalize the Constitution”.

For the first time since 9/11 I felt American Pride! It is the most patriotic event I’ve ever saw in my life.

Our troops stood silent and saluted for eight straight minutes to honor those who committed suicide since the Obama Administration took office. It was eerie to think about because for every second that passed a veterans life was lost due to suicide was honored.

Our troops challenged the legal advice given to them and I am thankful they did.

“We the people” must stand against this tyrannical government and the corrupt monetary system that has wreaked havoc all over the world. We can no longer say nothing or what freedom we do have will be forever gone.

Marijuana Debacle -by Beverly M Dittmar

For the last seventy-three years the federal government has made quite a profit from the production and criminalization of marijuana. Citizens’ tax money continues to be spent for high level investigations, eradicating fields of the plant by burning them, and arresting small time users. Federal marijuana laws should be rescinded because these laws were based on outdated government propaganda that completely ignores all potential benefits, while criminalizing otherwise law abiding citizens at an alarming cost to tax payers.
The United States Government has long used the media as a form of social control in order to transmit public policy. One such message for young people was done in an attempt to end the ‘marijuana craze’, “in 1937, the government endorsed a movie called “Refer Madness” a movie that claimed marijuana was a new drug that was more dangerous than heroin” (Walker, 1992, p.8). The racy black and white film was featured in the late 30s and was initially created to educate young white middle class Americans about the dangers of marijuana.
The film went about calling marijuana the “unspeakable scourge” making claims that people who use it instantly become violent. People in the film would unwittingly smoked marijuana cigarettes appearing immediately dependent on the drug. According to the film the instant the drug is inhaled the user starts laughing uncontrollably until they lose all rationale.
As I watched I did so in horror as I could only imagine what the young people who lived during that era must have thought as they were exposed to this nonsense. However, if I were alive during that time the film that it might have scared me enough to stay away from it and anyone who used it.
Many things have changed since the onset of the marijuana debacle but the last big push for on the “war on drugs” occurred in the late 80s when the country’s overall sentiment of drugs in general was stronger than ever and far from over.
Mandatory minimums and stricter drug laws were passed. I was considered a “young person,” when “President Ronald Regan formally declared a war on drugs in 1986” (Walker, 1992, p. 44) The mass media message aimed at young people was “just say no to drugs,” a saying I still hear to this day. Just say no to drugs was a phrase that First Lady, Nancy Regan, created while her husband was in office. She hoped that educating young people would deter them from using drugs.
Marijuana has been illegal for approximately one-hundred years and it has made for colorful headlines for nearly three-quarters of that century. The earliest government report I could find on file was dated 1972, and happened during the Nixon Commission. That report, The First Report of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse stated “the commission feels that the criminalization of possession of marijuana for personal use is socially self-defeating” (1972 p. ). It also goes on to say that “no evidence exists that marijuana use will cause or lead to the commission of violent or aggressive behavior by the large majority of psychological and socially mature individuals in the general population” (1972, p. 73). It concerns me that our federal government has arrested so many people based on archaic urban myths when there are plenty of many other illegal activities that are in desperate need of attention.
Even though marijuana does not have the side-effects that the DEA claimed it did in the 30s they continue to wage their ‘war on drugs ‘as if it held as much merit today as it did seventy-three years ago. The people, the tax payers, pay the greatest price through jail sentences and fines and live with a mark forever on their criminal record which in turn may make it more difficult for them to find and keep a job.
Furthermore, the commission contends that “from what is now known about the effects of marijuana, its use at the present level does not constitute a major threat to public health” (NCMDA, 1972, p.90) furthermore, “many observers are skeptical about the existence of a cause-effect relationship between marijuana use and anti-social conduct” (NCMDA, 1972, p. 69). In other words there is no scientific evidence that marijuana is linked to anti-social behaviors. One of the arguments the film “Refer Madness” tried to make was that marijuana was the number one cause of anti-social behavior (“the real public enemy number one”) and well known for being the ‘gateway’ drug.
At the rate our government is going nearly everyone in the country will be labelled a criminal in one way or another. One has to seriously question the ethics of the Drug Enforcement Administration and law makers’ public outcries for the legalization of marijuana are ignored and people’s doors continue to be kicked in to bust these alleged drug dealers.
The government seems to be in denial when it comes to the public’s perception of marijuana. The more people learn the more unreasonable it seems that the police are still barging in people’s homes looking for it when they should be guarding our borders keeping the drug out in the first place. It has come to the point where
While marijuana advocate groups grow in numbers take to the streets they can be seen and heard on national news stations across the states demanding the federal government at least allow controlled legalization, or voluntary taxation. Instead of using any opportunity they’ve had to impose taxes on marijuana they chose to continue to criminalize and enforce the possession of it.
Walker (1992, p. 44) states that “the single most important reason for the ineffectiveness of law enforcement strategy in reducing supply has been the enormous amount of money generated by the illicit traffic”. Instead of cracking down on the people bringing the drug into the country the police let that slide so that they can profit off the users.
The laws against marijuana make for good late night comedy and literally make a mockery out of the justice system. Instead of making legitimate money off the drug empire by taxation our government continues to arrest and incarcerate users. When two of our United States Presidents publically admit to using the narcotic for recreational purposes (Clinton, 1992, Obama, 2008) it becomes a serious matter of public policy.
The national commission in a journal of drug issues reports what remains the reality today, “the reality has been that a thriving black market in drugs, run by entrepreneurs, has made the problem worse in every respect: disrespect for the law, disruption of communities, continued appeal of illegal drugs, and prisons bulging with inmates” (McKinney, Cardiner, Journal of Drug Issues, 21(3), 605, 616).
What law makers have failed to realize is that they are working against the will of the people. According to Walker (1992, p.44) “a net benefit of at least $10 billion per year would be realized from tax revenues and savings on law enforcement”. Taxing marijuana would drop crime rates and create more revenue than the DEA. No matter which way you look at the issue it is a tax on the user and society. Innovators have found ways to capitalize on the drug creating a market that allows the justice system to further profit at the expense of the tax payer.
It has been determined that marijuana is not the cause of anti-social behavior that leads to insanity yet it is still illegal. Even though officers can use discretion and “the DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis Young has been quoted saying marijuana is “the safest therapeutically active substance known to man” (Gerber, 2004) yet people continue to be arrested on a daily basis for possession of marijuana. When the ALJ of the DEA states the drug is not as dangerous as the DEA claims there seems like the only reasonable solution at this point is to legalize and tax it.
Legalization of marijuana is a hot topic that continues to be fought within our borders. I like to compare it to a ‘witch hunt’ in the sense that only a limited number of people that do it on a regular basis are actually caught. Only when a famous person such as singer, Willie Nelson, or Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps does it become a matter of public interest or make the news.
In a report done by CNN, Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, supports legalizing marijuana. “What I think is horrible about all of this, is that we criminalize young people. And we use so many of our excellent resources … for things that aren’t really causing any problems,” said Elders. “It’s not a toxic substance.” The “war on drugs” seems to be a battle we are not winning. The longer the ‘war’ goes on the more likely non-violent otherwise law abiding citizens are to obtain a criminal charge for smoking marijuana. While arrest rates keep rising people continue to use marijuana. At some point I hope that our law makers realize the impact it has on our society as a whole and legalize the plant.
In conclusion, I believe that people need to gather more information on the subject before “taking sides”. Much has been researched and written on the issue that both sides of the argument uses to further their agenda and it is obvious in the end, it all comes down to personal opinions based upon predispositions. For many, the only thing wrong with pot is that it is illegal. For others, its a bad drug simply because it could send you to jail so it must be bad. The debate over the war on marijuana is largely a political issue and that in of itself, should tell any reasonable person to question whether that war is justified considering the huge cost to society overall in waging it. Most people won’t ask that question saying it doesn’t affect them, but it does considerably, if only in their pocket book, come tax time. Finally, in my opinion, we have better more urgent things to use tax dollars on.

Reefer Madness Video
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/lsd/mcvay.htm
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs#Federal-State

Photo links:

https://chapmannews.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/marijuana_leaf.jpg

http://www.marijuanabookbomb.com/Marijuana-Is-SAFER-book-cover.jpg

http://www.hotindienews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/marijuana_sql.gif

http://www.occupythelies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/war_on_drugs-576×280.jpg

http://www.sott.net/image/image/s2/50430/full/cia_drugs.gif

For more information visit

Maine Election Fraud is Just One Part of the Mainstream Media Melodrama

Do you take part in the presidential caucuses or primaries? What would you do if you were one of the few people who did take part in the process and you learned that your entire county was being excluded from the last count? Would you be outraged? I know I would! I have never seen such a crazy election year and I have followed presidential elections for more than twenty years.

Click on these words for more information about the Maine Caucus

Maine is an important state for the Ron Paul campaign and the cause of liberty because of the Maine GOP and the mixed up maps on the internet we might finally be able to prove, once and for all, that the presidential election is decided before we ever vote!

First of all the Maine Caucus results were posted on the internet before all the votes were turned in! Refer to my recent post on Maine Map Mishap

Then whole counties were purposely excluded from the final results! The Maine GOP cancelled the Washington County caucus based on some false prediction of snow! This is ridiculous! This mainstream media ploy is only further proof, to me, that they cannot be trusted

Why would the mainstream media lie about something so huge? Likely because they have done it for so long they don’t think anyone cares enough to pay attention. Well, not all of us are mainstream media sheeple.

Sign this petition and share it on social network sites to have others sign it as well!

Stop allowing the mainstream media from picking our presidents! Let them know that our personal liberties mean more to us than their ratings! Stand up for Maine and tell the Maine GOP to count all the votes! I will likely never trust the mainstream media again after hearing how unimportant Iowa’s results over and over and over.

Maine Election Map Mishap

Reblogged from IowaSuperVoter:

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What is going on with Google Maps and the Maine elections and why were maps with Maine’s results posted a day before they were supposed to be? When this map appeared on Facebook Google suddenly ‘cleared’ it. Note the times* No one in the mainstream media is talking about this!  Watch the Maine elections tonight and see if the numbers match the results posted prematurely yesterday!

Elementary Schools face closings in Cedar Rapids Core Neighborhoods

Reblogged from Cedar Rapids Activist:

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Schools in the core neighborhoods are facing closings and the community does not want them closed. The signs that line the streets in Cedar Rapids on both sides of the river speak in volumes. People do not want their neighborhood schools closed. I do agree that Monroe needs to be closed. While I am not against open enrollment I am not in favor of shipping only kindergarteners to this school when there is several high crime apartment buildings across the street. Many of these children could attend these …

So if I want to know anything I have to pay for it? This is information they should have at their fingertips!

Flood Protection Petition & Alternative Plan

Linn County petition to the Linn County Board of Supervisors
____________________________________________________________________
Cedar Rapids Change of Use and 5 Year Extended Sales Tax:
Limiting Current and Future Public Expenditures to Flood Protection

We request that an election be held, pursuant to Iowa Code Section 423B.1 for the purposes listed below as the undersigned eligible electors of Linn County, Iowa.

We request a vote to change the use of the existing $.01 local option sales and services tax which will end June 30, 2014 and to extend its use for an additional five years until June 30, 2019 for Cedar Rapids of which 100% of the revenues shall be used for FLOOD PROTECTION, specifically:
1) No more than $30 million towards the local match for the east side flood protection system as recommended by the Army Corps of Engineers. The remainder to be used as follows:
2) for dredging the Cedar River;
3) for preventing the sanitary and storm water sewer systems on the west side from being a conduit for flooding our neighborhoods by following the recommendations previously summarized by the Army Corps to improve the storm water sewer system including but not limited to: a) increase conveyance capacity; b) install back flow prevention structures; c) create storm water drainage basins; d) install permanent storm water pump stations; e) install drainage outlets through the levee to conform to Corps standards;
4) for tying the west side levee/s into higher ground, as recommended by the Army Corps and
5) for protecting our city’s water supply.

No bonds will be allowed to be sold utilizing the revenues of this change of use and five-year year extension sales tax.

We request that the change of use vote take place first, if both of these requests cannot be voted on at the same time.

We request that a vote for this change of use and extension appear at the earliest available date/s on the election calendar.

___________________________________________________________________
We would also like to add that none of this money is used to acquire any property by means of “eminent domain” or “eminent threat”.
___________________________________________________________________
Reason’s for looking at the Citizen’s Flood Protection Plan:

Almost half the cost- The city’s “preferred plan” cost $145 million to protect the west side. The “citizens’ plan” is estimated $80 million.

Plan can be built by local contractors and union workers- The city’s “preferred plan” was looking at hiring a contractor named EKO out of Germany. The “citizen’s plan” can be done with much simpler equipment by local welders, masons, and form pourers. Material can be purchased by local concrete companies and metal fabricators. This keeps our local money here at home subsequently growing our local economy.

Won’t channel flood water, backing up storm and sanitary sewers is not a problem, minimizes changes that could cause worse flooding downstream- the city’s“preferred plan”, when viewed from a flood impacted person perspective, looks not only worthless by potentially dangerous. Northern most neighborhoods to flood (Time Check) did not flood because of a breach in berm height. The neighborhood flooded because the water backed up through the sewers first. Ultimately I will admit that the flood of 2008 did rise above the berm height and would have poured over but since the initial flooding came from back up it is easy to conclude that this west side neighborhood would flood regardless of the height of a flood wall. The “citizen’s plan” allows for and considers backup. Considering the fact that squeezing the water together between two flood -walls, instead of letting it spread out will result in a deeper, heavier, and much faster body of water moving downstream. There is a greater risk that this body of water and debris could do severe damage to the interstate structure and the bridges we citizens use to connect the two sides of this city. In the days during the 2008 flood, when the bridges of Cedar Rapids were inundated with water many of the citizens and other commuters were forced to use the Interstate in order to get from one side of the river to the other. This caused extreme traffic clogging on the Interstate, especially during rush hour traffic. If a flood damaged or destroyed those bridges the problem would seize our city for months. Even worse if the infrastructure for the Interstate bridge over the 5 in 1 dam were to be damaged it would cripple our city and cause severe consequences for the entire state. Remember that channeling water makes it deeper, heavier, and faster. Most obvious, because most commonly understood, if you let water move through faster you put considerable risk to increased flooding downstream. Simply enough when you review the “citizen’s plan” you will see that it allows the same streets that flooded in 2008 to be used as channels for water to flow, allowing it to spread out rather than condensing. This is ideal for a city to use simple water barriers to block or open streets giving the city the ability to increase or decrease the flow rate of flooded water heading downstream in accordance with the amount of water that may still be coming. The city becomes a river control valve with the ability to make almost instant changes to protect downstream communities.

Flood protection starts immediately. Can be done in sections. No bonding- the city’s “preferred plan” is a construction job of such magnitude that it requires the city to write a very large check before the project can even start. To do this the city plans to borrow against the future income or revenues by selling bonds as a way of borrowing money. This was shown through the last local option sales tax campaign. The city had the bond to borrow the money from our future LOST revenues written up before the voters even decided on it. The “citizen’s plan”, on the other hand, can be built in sections, allowing citizens to receive flood protection and the plan to progress at the same time rate as the funding. This allows higher risk flood homes to start receiving protection the instant that funding is approved, rather than having to wait twenty years for the completion of a major project. It also alleviates the need to bond money because the plan progresses as the funding does. Receive some money, protect some homes. That‘s the common sense approach that doesn’t waste tons of money on bond interests rates.

Aesthetically better and it allows the remaining construction zone to be used. Permanent flood protection requires very high walls to contain and channel water along very large spans of riverbank. The height of the wall is relative to how close it is built to the current riverbank. The closer the riverbank the higher it must be. Flood protection in this manner creates a very ugly and obvious barrier between existing neighborhoods and the aesthetics of the river. View the projects in Grand Forks and Fargo, ND that the city refers to as an example of permanent flood walls or look at the current project at Pepsico (Quaker Oats). The “citizens’plan” for flood protection creates flood protection for individual homes, businesses, and blocks by creating a highly reinforced permanent fence structure that can be changed from retaining, security, privacy, or flood wall in a matter of hours. The highly reinforced permanent fence structure proposed in the “citizens’ plan” is an upscale touch to the current flood prone neighborhoods. The specific design is ultimately decided by the neighborhoods themselves, but the options from concrete casting and/or stone, brick, wood, or stucco surfacing gives neighborhoods and businesses a wide variety of themes to create for their neighborhood. Just think, neighborhoods can create their own village within a city and define their neighborhoods through these themes. By not building the flood wall protection that has been proposed by the city and its City Corps of Engineers, the land that was to previously have been used now becomes available for development. This land having been purchased with City Development Block Grant money should be used for new development in accordance with the desires of the neighborhood in which that land resides.

These are the promotional points in the current “citizens’ plan” for flood protection. Forthcoming will be a written detailed description of the “citizens’ plan”, followed by artistic renditions and general drafting plans. Detailed drafting plans and itemized labor costs will be revealed as the promotion of the “citizens’ plan” for flood protection moves forward.

________________________________________

The “CITIZENS’ PLAN”

The “citizens’ Plan” has been developed for three reasons:

• One, the people realized that the city’s “preferred plan” either wasn’t going to protect their property or is going to take so long to build that a faster alternative was needed.

• Two, the city’s “preferred plan” does not address the issue that the sanitary and storm sewers are the cause of initial flooding.

• Third, the city’s “preferred plan” does not consider the best alternatives for the people relating to who builds it, where the money comes from, and how local the work is contracted out. So the issues to address are as follows:

1. Protect homes and businesses from a flood of a similar magnitude as the one in 2008

A. Perimeter flood protection

B. Sewer backup protection

C. Ground seepage protection

1. Permanent skeletal structure for a flood wall around businesses blocks, and/or homes.

a. Skeletal structure made from structural I beams placed horizontally and vertically, connected, starting below frost level in the ground, and preceding to the height of flood water of 2008.
b. Concrete, with grid patterned rebar reinforcement, foundation poured below frost line to ground level.
c. Concrete casting or form around vertical I beams to the height of those i-beams.
d. b and c have metal track valley systems for insertion and removal of fencing and flood wall plates.

2. Temporary flood wall plates for permanent structure.

a. Removable flood plates made of aluminum or steel in dimension to maintain integrity according to the height and dimensional force of water at levels matching the 2008 flood.
b. Flood plate track system made of material to withstand weathering, be easy to clean and maintain, and integrity to retain flood plates.

B. Sewer backup protection

1. Two types of sanitary shut of systems.

a. Cap, weight, and valve-main-drain is capped and weighted in the basement and a drain valve to stop up flow.
b. Plug system.-long durable balloon is placed in the external drain and filled with water to pressure.

C. Ground seepage protection.

1. Sump basins and pumps to redirect potential ground seepage.
2. Generators to run pumps during electrical failure.

a. Solenoid starter and relay to start generator when electric fails.
c. Pedestal platform for generator, higher than flood height and closest to electric service.
___________________________________________________________________

Oh and I think it should be noted* after this city forced my neighbors to leave I will never vote in favor of their tax.