Government officials not leading by example

What happened to the phrase “lead by example?” We are in deep water if that's the case. Who are the “leaders” anyway? Government and elected officials who don't have to live by the same laws as ever other Iowan? Council members who make decisions with or without a community vote?

Iowa is taxed to death these days and extending the local-option sales tax another 10 years may be a hard pill to swallow when the money gets moved around robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. Buying parklets to beautify downtown. Where did that money come from?

Anyone with common sense knows the termination of Special Agent Larry Hedlund played a part because of his reporting of a government official car speeding, no other Iowan would get away with that. The whole system needs an overhaul. More than 3,200 government official vehicles are immune from traffic tickets. What? It may be “nothing new,” but I seriously doubt most Iowans knew of this law.

Branstad's comment was “We need to obey the speeding laws and traffic laws.” Really? He's the one who was in the car who didn't obey the law. Why wasn't that driver put on leave for not obeying Iowa's traffic laws? The whole system is screwed up.

Eileen McDermott

Cedar Rapids