It’s time to be smart about federal funding

I had to roll my eyes when I read the report in the Thursday Gazette that quoted Mayor Ron Corbett: “Local taxpayers won't pay diddly squat for those two projects (Paramount Theatre, central fire station) ... Absolutely zero.”

Maybe Mayor Corbett has found a way to avoid paying federal or state taxes - does he not realize that local taxpayers are part of the source of the federal and state budgets, which flows into flood-recovery funding?

Certainly this is the way the entire system is set up, so Cedar Rapids is right in seeking a share of available federal and state money, especially in light of a disaster such as the 2008 floods. However, it isn't a license to build a Taj Mahal of a library, or a fire station, or a city hall. Our local government has a responsibility to prudently use federal, state and local funding to build what is needed, which may not always be everything that is wanted. Cedar Rapids must be part of an entire system that lives within its means, and every level of government and all citizens have a responsibility for this - not just the folks in Washington D.C.

Karen Ingwersen

Cedar Rapids