Businesses should pay share of option tax

The Cedar Rapids mayor will conduct a taxpayer survey testing the viability of another election using the local-option sales tax to pay for flood protection. I encourage anyone being surveyed to say “no” to any tax plan that does not include an equal tax on business and industry. While a tax plan for flood protection is essential, the sales tax plan is the wrong tax in that business and industry, which would benefit from it, do not pay it on items they buy for resale.

Flood protection is a communitywide need, not just a need for individual taxpayers. Many individuals in the May 3 election forgot, or did not know, businesses would not pay much of the sales tax. More interesting, it was the same business and industry group, with a questionable motive, that gave at least $500,000 to mislead people to vote yes for the option sales tax people have to pay.

The mayor forgot to report that business and industry would pay so little of the 17 percent sales tax increase but the issue was still defeated at the polls. Let's be forthright and only bring forward a tax plan that everyone pays for equally in order to solve a problem that belongs to all of us for community betterment. Together we can and together we will.

Dick Fredericks

Palo