C.R. Council too focused on downtown

Here we go. City buys Crowne Plaza Hotel with the excuse that we need it to make the Taj Mahal Convention Center more profitable.

They didn't stop to think about the 170 people they are putting out of work nor the many other hotels/motels in town that make their money from guests and conventions. Now Mayor Ron Corbett is going to use the local-option sales tax to help pay for the new library.

Why is this City Council trying to spend money like it is going out of style? A new convention center, a hotel and transportation center! (I didn't mention the Central Fire Station, as it has needed replacing for a long time.)

Maybe they need to concentrate more on using this money for things we really need and on sections of the city besides just downtown.

They say build it, and they will come. If they do come, then we can take them on a tour of the city on our rough streets and show them our other flood-damaged areas, plus show them some of the hotels/motels that had to lay off employees or had to freeze wages because the city would rather take revenue away from them and pay for the Taj Mahal Hotel/Convention Center.

Come 2013, let's get all of these free spenders replaced and get people in there who will work for all the people, not just a select few.

Jim Cannon

Cedar Rapids