Hinson, Reynolds opposed funding, but take credit

A front-page article in the March 7 Cedar Rapids Gazette described the ceremony announcing the $68M fourth phase of the ambitious project to modernize The Eastern Iowa Airport terminal. In Gov. Reynolds’ remarks, as shared by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, she said, “Every dollar of airport capital expenditures results in about $16 back to Iowa’s economy.” What a wise return on investment! The article also reported that Rep. Hinson said “the partnership involved in funding the airport project will pay dividends for years to come and go a long way toward keeping Cedar Rapids the best place to live and work …”

What Gov. Reynolds and Rep. Hinson failed to say is that the $28.3M needed to complete this project is available because of the American Rescue Act. In 2021, Reynolds called this legislation an “unconstitutional stimulus bill that does nothing but bail out blue states.” Rep. Hinson tweeted that it was a 'liberal spending bill” and “partisan politics” and voted against it in Congress. At the time, President Biden predicted that many of those who stood up against this legislation would also be happy to stand up and take credit for the resulting projects at local ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Seems like the President was right.

For many years, visitors to The Eastern Iowa Airport will benefit from those who put people over politics. Visitors will not know, or care, who cut the ribbon. We can expect many more similar front-page stories in the near future.

Thomas Cook

Iowa City

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