Linn County, C.R. need to cut government costs

It has become apparent that our mayor and city council, along with Linn County supervisors and utility companies, do not care about families on fixed incomes. The utility companies are raising electric and gas bills. Then our City Council wants to raise taxes on our homes and raise water and garbage pickup.

Now our City Council wants to extend the 1 percent sales tax for 20 more years. How about waiting until the end of the five years to see how much has been collected, then give us a detailed report on how it is being spent? I voted for the five years but I will not vote for the extension. Why? How many times in the next 20 years will our City Council raise taxes and our utility bills?

While reading my Gazette, I saw that the compensation board wants to give raises to the Linn County supervisors because their salaries have been frozen for two years. Well, the seniors and families on fixed incomes have not had a raise in our Social Security checks for two years, yet we manage to survive on what we have.

How about following Gov. Terry Branstad's guidelines on cost cutting all areas of city government in Cedar Rapids?

Robert Sweet

Cedar Rapids