Cities’ actions don’t warrant your money

It's clear to me that proponents of the local-option sales tax don't have a clue as to what's really going on.

Cedar Rapids bought a hotel for $3.2 million, is renovating it for $20 million-plus and has hired two outside firms to run it. On top of all this, it shoved down the throats of property taxpayers an 8 percent increase, which was not supposed to happen as this was part of the current sales tax.

Cedar Rapids is not the only city to lie to its residents. Marion is right there with Cedar Rapids. Marion's first go-round with this tax was for road improvements. Didn't happen, but we got a new city hall.

Now Marion wants to get a new tax to fix up a relatively new library, build a new police station and fix streets. While they were planning all these wonderful things for Marion, they got a $1.2 million I-JOBS state grant and built a new park building at Thomas Park. Why didn't Marion use those funds for a new police building?

Cedar Rapids, Marion and all Linn County towns are telling the surrounding counties that you will pay for our prosperity. It is time to get them out of our pockets.

Mike Tope

Marion