The Davenport aldermen's and mayor's "hold the line" position is at best typically disingenuous political spin. More accurately, especially to residential taxpayers, it is simply dishonest. Even if they "hold the line" on the city's tax rate, the residential taxpayers will have a 3.41-percent increase in their property-tax bills. In the current economy, with no inflation, no reasonable basis exists for Davenport to impose a tax increase on its citizens. Adding an insult to this tax increase, the city will use the increase to pay $3 million more for public-employee costs when private-sector income is dropping. Every (non-union-sponsored) study comparing private-sector to public-sector pay shows our public employees are considerably overpaid. If the city truly wants to "hold the line," then follow the private sector's lead - start aggressively outsourcing the overpaid city jobs.

Mark Nelson
Davenport

Support the River Cities' Reader

Get 12 Reader issues mailed monthly for $48/year.

Old School Subscription for Your Support

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Old School Subscribe now.



Help Keep the Reader Alive and Free Since '93!

 

"We're the River Cities' Reader, and we've kept the Quad Cities' only independently owned newspaper alive and free since 1993.

So please help the Reader keep going with your one-time, monthly, or annual support. With your financial support the Reader can continue providing uncensored, non-scripted, and independent journalism alongside the Quad Cities' area's most comprehensive cultural coverage." - Todd McGreevy, Publisher