Comments on: Ramblings – cast an informed vote

By: John

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:14:04 +0000

Well Jean I think I will when the Mayors term is up..you should run too. And if you enjoy paying taxes..I’m sure you pay “extra” every chance you get. Why, the more taxes we pay the better and better and better we will get. “Run by felons”…I guess someone has to get approval from Jean to run for office. Get involved but only if you are not one of the “sewer” people eh Jean?

By: Jean

Jean — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:27:50 +0000

Yeah, I’m sure the city government is just a bunch of liars right John? Maybe you should run for office. I’m sure it was whole conspiracy to have a city admninstrator. When the mayor campaigned that was part of his reason for running, it was researched very thouroughly and voted upon by the council to change the city governance system. There was no funny math, the city is audited on a regular basis, but nay sayers like yourself cannot be swayed and it is not worth trying. I own property and I pay taxes too. You have water, sewer, a safe town, a library, a museum, a community center and I could go on. My taxes went up to for school improvements and a new pool I’m proud to pay for it. If paying higher taxes makes Belle Plaine a better place to live I am all for it. What is your phiosophy let the city die and be run by felons?

By: John

John — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:19:58 +0000

The City administrator has brought NOTHING to BP, except larger gov’t and a job for himself. Saved the city 100,000 dollars? Right! Using funny math maybe..and our taxes have increased how much? That’s what I thought. Store owners should fund their own improvements, not taxpayers. The city gov’t we have now believes in the “If you build it they will come” philosophy. Hasn’t ever worked and never will. Maybe in Hollywood, not in reality. And who gets stuck paying more and more in taxes? The mayor is on his last term..and with him may go the city administrator.

By: Jean

Jean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:56:31 +0000

Why have an administrator? Having one saved the city of B.P. $100,000 the first year. For the first time in years we have people who want to see B.P. grow and be a better community. We actually have a city administration that is trying to revitalize the downtown community and a few of those store front owners want to be better than they are. A few of those store front owners would have buildings fall down around them and look the other way. I feel for the owners who want to do better, they are at the mercy of the ignorant few. Well If it were me I’d say to heck with the store front owners who don’t want to better themselves and work with those who do.
Council meetings are not open forums. Read the procedures for the meetings.
A couple of those candidates who are running can take everything that has been gained and throw it down the sewer. One has a long criminal history; the other is of questionable integrity and character. If that is what the writer wants, then by all means vote for the sewer. By the way, those candidates are related. I thought that should be mentioned since the writer seems to have issues with that.

By: denise mcmullen

denise mcmullen — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:38:37 +0000

maybe we should all put some coffee on and sit and chit chat in a more friendly environment than what is given at a city council meeting. I have been to meetings and the wonderful warm welcome you get is, oh i forgot, it is never there. When a public meeting is an open forum to speak at, why is it that there is a timer on those who wish to speak??? Maybe they shouldn’t call it an open forum meeting. As far as the candidates that will be running they can’t do any worse than the relatives, or city officials that are running the city now. Maybe we can get some new faces in there, and then maybe they can create jobs for their relatives. Belle Plaine is not Cedar Rapids, in which it seems the public officials seem to be trying to run it as, which comes to the city administrator job, why have one when the population has never increased in the last how many years?

By: w. ORVIS-MOSIER

w. ORVIS-MOSIER — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:26:06 +0000

Well expressed comments, Son. I’ll put the coffee pot on.