My guess is that many of you are as enraged as I am over our elected leaders' latest financial abuses. How much is enough for each of us to take action? By action I mean, at a minimum, a phone call or e-mail to each senator and congressman in your district expressing your outrage, accompanied by a committed declaration that if he or she does not act to stop these subsidies, bailouts, and wholesale giveaways of our republic's future, then they will absolutely lose your vote next term.

The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. On August 2, 1956, in commemoration of this revolutionary document, Congress set aside the week of September 17 to 23 as Constitution Week, with September 17 designated as Citizenship Day.

I cannot resist weighing in on the City of Davenport's new "Rules of Conduct" as they apply to certain aldermen and the mayor. Included in the rules is the mandate to "Be honest and truthful. Tell the truth.
The ongoing abuse of Davenport taxpayers by elected officials, city administration, and DavenportOne is reaching critical mass. On the heels of the disgraceful development agreement between the city and the Isle of Capri comes another vague, taxpayer-unfriendly project - a public market in the Freight House - to suck the financial life out of Davenport's already strained coffers.
There's good news for taxpayers and "smart riverfront" advocates relative to the Isle of Capri's (IOC) efforts to build an 11-story casino hotel and five-story parking ramp at the foot of Lock & Dam 15 in downtown Davenport.
In America, it is still entirely possible for an organized, committed grassroots effort to create change in a fraction of the time it takes Congress, state legislatures, and local municipalities put together. Consider the recently formed Minutemen Project - a citizens' vigilance operation monitoring immigration, business, and government.
When it comes to revitalizing Davenport's downtown, the public has been led to believe that without their hard-earned tax dollars subsidizing private enterprise, we will never grow our community. First it was the two downtown parking ramps, then it was Vision Iowa, then the TIF for Ryan/Lee Enterprises, then John O'Donnell Stadium, then the Isle of Capri boatel - these projects represent the progressive trail of do-or-die projects that taxpayers had to subsidize or we would fail to attract new investment to our community.
There is a hue and cry across this land demanding political reform and accountability. The hubris that abounds, relative to the spending of taxpayers' dollars by government - whether elected, appointed, or simply hired - has gone beyond intolerable to immoral.
It's hard to imagine a six-year old legal battle with a city commission that is out to get you, especially with no substantial evidence to support its claims. Such is the case with Davenport dentist Dr. David Botsko and the Davenport Civil Rights Commission (DCRC) in Naab v.
It never ceases to amaze and inspire me that Davenport, for all its troubles, has real civic heroes living among us. This time it is Bill Ashton of Ashton Engineering with his well-established experience in riverfront development to caution the City of Davenport against the Isle of Capri's proposed 11-story casino hotel on downtown Davenport's riverfront, between Brady and Perry Streets, south of River Drive.

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