No conflicts of interest from city leaders, ever

When we voted to change Cedar Rapids' government, our understanding was that it would save all kinds of money, period. That the mayor and City Council would have so little input on police was not our understanding. When Prosser got here, he slashed and burned, which any cold CEO could do, and then asked for our ideas. He started getting more staff for himself.

As for the new power group, that's what was needed. We initially supported Kay Halloran and Tom Podzimek for the council. Podzimek represented himself as a “one man” construction company, an everyman type. As soon as he got elected, he got together with council member Pat Shey to form a company and then sought work on a city project (both men claiming they “saw no conflict of interest” in this).

For those with political ambitions, it is always a conflict on where to spend money on government contracts when you have a financial stake in the outcome. If you want to do business with the city, stay out of jobs where those decisions are made. The fact that the ethics board found no conflict doesn't mean there wasn't one; it just means the ethics board is either incompetent or corrupt.

A quick aside to Mayor Ron Corbett: We know a lot of people and none of them want Second or Third avenues changed. Please go with the people and not the downtown money on this one.

Shirley Morris

Cedar Rapids