Never give up fight to get your city back

By Bradley Hart

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Editor's note: Bradley Hart directed these comments to Cedar Rapids City Council and city staff during the May 10 council meeting:

In 2008, we had a horrible disaster that would take down most other communities - but not ours. Through your work and the work of countless others, we have made incredible progress. Thank you for all your efforts.

We have so much promise, so much momentum to be a great city for everyone living here. The future was so bright. While the fourth-largest disaster in U.S. history couldn't stop us, we were stopped by those among us. A vocal minority used our country's current distrust of the federal government to create propaganda full of distrust and outright lies.

There is no evidence of any misspending by the city of our current local-option sales tax. The fact that people and businesses gave significant money to pass this vote on May 3 (to extend the sales tax 20 years for flood protection, street repairs and property tax relief) is somehow viewed as wrong. Those people and businesses, many of whom are not even downtown, understood and believed this vote was about our future and were willing to give their own funds to support it for the good of the community. That effort should be applauded and viewed as reason to seriously consider a “yes” vote.

I wallowed in self-pity the morning of May 4, wondering why I, and so many others, spend time volunteering for different organizations and projects in this community - none for personal gain. Right after the vote, I was ready to give up. I was heartbroken. I was embarrassed by us.

A great friend of mine - Scott Jamieson - sent me a message that morning. He quoted Winston Churchill: “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.” That message, and a call from Nancy Kasparek, who is also willing to fight for this community, quickly changed my mind.

I am no longer willing to quit.

This is Iowa. This is Cedar Rapids. It is time for true Cedar Rapidians to stand up and say we want our city back: a city where we care for each other, where we plan for a great future, where we rise to every occasion for ourselves, our children, our neighbors.

I implore you to keep up your efforts. I implore true Cedar Rapidians to take back our City.

I am not here to argue the merits of a “yes” vote on May 3. Those merits are obvious to anyone who would take the time to get all the information available about this issue.

I'm here to remind people that this system of government fails us when we look at an issue only as what's in it for me. This system fails us when we look at an issue expecting the worst - expecting that someone has an ulterior motive, a hidden agenda, a hidden benefit. This system fails us when we expect the worst and distrust those we have elected. This is not how the system works. It is not how it should work.

If you make enough decisions I don't agree with, I will vote against you in the next election, but I promise not to distort or make up facts and I won't put my own self-interests ahead of the interests of our community at large. We must get back to expecting the best out of our neighbors, the best out of our elected officials.

When we hear something negative, we must be skeptical about it - not treat it as the truth. We must get back to recognizing all the great assets and people we have here, trusting each other and taking giant steps forward.

Thank you again for your love of this community and for your tireless work for all Cedar Rapidians. And please, as Churchill urged his British countrymen as they were being bombed by the enemy; “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.”

Bradley G. Hart is a business attorney with Bradley & Riley PC in Cedar Rapids and immediate past chair of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. Comments: bhart@bradleyriley.com