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This arrived a short time ago in my inbox. 

For immediate release.

 Corbett Says Massive Yard Sign Theft Won’t Slow Campaign

 Cedar Rapids – Responding to the theft of hundreds of his campaign yard signs over the weekend, Cedar Rapids mayoral candidate, Ron Corbett, said today that his campaign will not be slowed or intimidated by this deliberate effort to hurt his candidacy.

“Yard signs use a lot of time and money in a campaign, that’s why it’s so disappointing to see that hundreds of our signs have been stolen from yards during the dark of night,” said Corbett. “We don’t know who did this, but our message is simple: this campaign will not be slowed by those who think they can prevent the voice of the people from being heard.”

After dark friday, vandals took to the streets to remove Corbett for Mayor signs from yards all over town. The campaign estimates that between 200 and 300 signs were taken, about 1/3 of the posted signs.

“We are asking for people to keep an eye out for the signs so that we can recover them if possible. We are hoping that a business or homeowner will find them disposed of somewhere and if so, we may be able to salvage some of them,” said Corbett.

Anyone who finds the signs are asked to call 319-573-5050 or visit the campaign Web site at www.RonCorbett.com to send a message.

“The most disappointing part of this is that for many citizens, hosting a yard sign or putting up yard signs is one of the ways people participate in the election process. It’s too bad that vandals would want to take away this small part of democracy,” concluded Corbett.

Paid for by Corbett for Mayor

So was it political skulduggery or teenage mischief, or both? Yard sign thefts happen every election season, but this looks like a biggie. Although these things are subject to inflation. Gasp. In politics?

The thieves - kids, cranks, elite political commandos, whoever – need to give the signs back.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn Area BizPAC, a political-action committee sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, has endorsed Ron Corbett for mayor. Corbett, vice president at trucking firm CRST Inc. and a former state lawmaker, was president/CEO of the Chamber from May 1999 until June 2005.

The BizPAC board based its endorsement on answers to a questionnaire and interviews with the three mayoral candidates — Corbett, City Council member Brian Fagan and P.T. Larson.

The endorsement is based on the candidate who best demonstrates he is pro-business and is pro-Cedar Rapids on critical issues such as local disaster relief, high-performing government and aggressive economic development initiatives, the BizPAC Board said in a Monday news release.
On its questionnaire, Corbett scored 93 percent, Fagan, 83 percent and Larson, 75 percent.

In endorsing Corbett, The BizPAC Board called Corbett “a leading voice to move us forward.”

The board said Corbett is a “take-charge leader” who has the ability to listen and forge alliances to get things accomplished. Corbett is “not afraid to make tough decisions,” he welcomes the assistance of others and he understands economic development, the group said.

“Our community needs jobs, disaster recovery and tangible partnerships,” the BizPAC Board said. “Ron will bring all of these to Cedar Rapids.”

The Cedar Rapids mayor’s race reminds me of one of those cop movies, with the partners who can’t get along.

You’ve got City Council member Brian Fagan, the ambitious, no-nonsense guy who plays it straight and by the book. Without the rules, the process, the system, there would be chaos in the streets. He never mixes policy with operations.

Then you’ve got Ron Corbett, who vows to get results even if it means tossing out the book and dumping the process. He can’t wait for the system to work. He’s crossing the policy-operations border and you can’t stop him.

Fate has thrown them together. And this city isn’t big enough for the both of them. Imagine the crackling dialogue.

“I got a call from a ticked-off guy who says the city’s gonna cut down some nice trees,” Corbett says. “I’m on it.”

“Hold on, renegade,” Fagan says. “Clearly, this is operations, not policymaking. You should refer him to the sub deputy director of botany affairs. We can’t get involved. You’re crossing the line. Read the charter!”

“You read the charter. I’m gonna rattle some bureaucrat’s cage,” Corbett retorts. “I’m breaking the huddle and I’m calling an audible. Try to keep up, Deputy Delay.”

“You have no bench marks. You have no organizational framework. You have no process for public engagement,” Fagan says. “It’s failure city, dead ahead, professional politician.”

(P.T. Larson plays a desk sergeant passed over for promotion again and again who delivers timely nuggets of wisdom.)

Clearly, Corbett and Fagan would be very different mayors. Fagan’s experience has led him to embrace City Manager Jim Prosser’s methodical, process-centric style of government, with a council that sets a direction and stays out of the way. Respect the process and good things will happen, slowly, but surely.

Fagan says when he gets a call from a constituent, he fights the urge to call city staff on his or her behalf. Instead, he tells them who to contact. To do otherwise would be meddling in operations.

Corbett is betting voters are process-weary. So he’s selling an old-school, hands-on, call-me-and-I’ll-see-what-I-can-do model. He sees meddling in operations as part of the mayor’s job.

Fagan needs to better understand voters’ desire for elected officials to be their advocates, not just policymakers and option-pickers. And Corbett needs to understand how frustrated he’s going to be if he wins and tries to assert his will on a system that doesn’t give him much power.

It’s fascinating drama. I can’t wait to see how it ends.

Saying that citizen participation is the key to effective representation, Cedar Rapids mayoral candidate, Ron Corbett, launched an online survey asking citizens to provide input on issues ranging from taxes to crime to the new City Hall. 

"Every citizen should have a quick, easy way to provide input to its leaders, so I have launched an online survey which is an easy way to do just that," said Corbett. "We will tabulate our survey results and pass the results on to city leaders." 

The City has recently conducted a phone survey at a cost close to $50,000. Even with that much money being spent, the opinion of less than 1000 citizens will be included in the survey. 

"If voters choose me to serve as mayor, it's my intention to see that important issues are regularly put to voters to seek input from the comfort of their homes. We can do this by offering an online survey option that can be done at a personal computer or at our Cedar Rapids library," said Corbett. 

The survey can be found at http://www.RonCorbett.com and consists of 16 short questions. Most citizens can complete the survey in 3-5 minutes. 

"When I served as Speaker of the House, I would regularly mail a paper survey to people who lived in my district. Today, everything has changed. The City needs to use technology to make citizens full partners in the governing of this community. That will go a long way in making sure our representative government is one that empowers everyone who wants to participate," said Corbett. Paid for by Corbett for Mayor

Corbett Congratulates City, Calls on Fagan to Release List 

Cedar Rapids - Ron Corbett congratulated the City of Cedar Rapids for removing the golf course store signs flouting a legal loophole which allows them to avoid paying sales tax. 

"It's a step in the right direction to remove the offending signs. The City needs to send small business and flood victims a message - even if it's symbolic - that they support them in this difficult time," said Corbett. 

City golf courses were using signs to promote the avoidance of sales tax by purchasing golf equipment at the city-owned courses rather than local small businesses. Corbett called on the city stores to make a donation to flood victims equal to the 1% local option sales tax being avoided. 

"The next step is for the City to pass a buy-local resolution. I call on Brian Fagan to move immediately to pass a buy-local resolution and to release the list of out of state purchases made by the city over the last year. Voters need to know how much of our local tax dollars are leaving the city," said Corbett. 

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. -- Cedar Rapids Mayoral Candidate, Ron Corbett, called on the city to end its practice of competing unfairly against local small businesses and short changing flood victims today.

"A city-owned golf course flaunts the fact that if consumers purchase from them, instead of local small businesses, they can legally avoid paying sales tax. Not only does this use the power of government to undermine small business, but it shortchanges flood victims from receiving the local option sales tax intended to help with flood recovery," said Corbett. "First they sued flood victims. Now they shortchange them financially. Change must occur."

The city-owned golf course advertises that "we don't charge sales tax on all merchandise" as well as "provide proof of any competitor's price on new 2009 equipment and we'll match it."

"For local small businesses that pay 7% in sales tax, it's bad enough that state government has exempted the city from this burden, but its rubbing salt in the wound for the city to exploit this loophole," said Corbett. "The city should either stop competing against small business or voluntarily make the flood victims relief dollars whole."

"There seems to be an anti-small business pattern in city hall. Their job incentive program excludes small businesses, they failed to pass a 'buy local' resolution and they are competing unfairly," said Corbett. "Cedar Rapids needs to be pro-jobs and pro-fairness if we are going to pull ourselves out of this flood mess. We need to change the attitude in City Hall immediately."

Ron Corbett is one of two announced mayoral candidates in Cedar Rapids.

Visit roncorbett.com to see Ron's full five minute video discussion of this issue.

Ron Corbett is still out there running for mayor all by himself, though word is that council incumbents Monica Vernon and Brian Fagan – if not others – are biding their time, waiting to enter the race.

On Tuesday, Corbett, a former Republican state legislator and former president/CEO of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, won the endorsement of the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Building Trades Council, AFL-CIO.

Scott Smith, the council’s president, said Tuesday that the council’s endorsement of Corbett was by a unanimous vote.

State lawmakers can hand out power, but not the instincts to use it wisely. An example: Last month, legislators gave local governments in disaster areas the power to issue bonds without asking voters’ permission. This week, the Linn County Board of Supervisors left the impression it lacks the instincts to use this power wisely.

The board proposes floating $9.5 million in bonds to expand and remodel the county’s Administrative Office Building. That’s over and above the $2.2 million in flood damage the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay to fix it.

The $9.5 million will cover, among other things, the addition of a new top floor. This lofty perch will house offices, including new digs for each supervisor. Supervisor Brent Oleson is opposed, and Supervisor Ben Rogers says he won’t support bonds without a public vote. Supervisors Lu Barron, Jim Houser and Linda Langston appear open to this scheme.

So how about public opinion? I polled my blog readers.

“I’ve looked at the poll several times and still don’t see the HELL-noand-these-clowns-shouldbe-voted-out-asap button,” Darrell wrote.

This board’s “What Is It Thinking?” file is getting thick.

Lawmakers passed bonding autho
rity during the sleep-deprivation fest that ended the 2009 session. But I don’t think even groggy, squinting legislators saw this as a blank check.

It’s intended to help towns repair or replace damaged facilities. Cedar Rapids is a good example, with dozens of flooded buildings in limbo. It makes little sense to require a 60 percent vote every time officials need repair bucks. 

City leaders promise restraint. But mayoral candidate Ron Corbett argues they want to erect a new city “Taj Mahal” with voterless bonds. And thanks to the county, Corbett has exhibit A for his case. City leaders must be so pleased with their county cousins.

Just weeks ago, supervisors were getting kudos for frugally deciding to return to their old digs. Now, they need a $9.5 million credit card to redecorate. And Oleson keeps pointing out that it would cost just $3 million to buy the old Steve and Barry’s building where county government is temporarily housed. I smell political capital and public good will burning.

Stopping this madness would mean collecting 22,000-plus signatures for a reverse referendum. And if supervisors think that can’t be done, they may make another miscalculation.  Or, like winter’s salary debacle, supervisors can stop, think and back up the train. If this is a great idea, put it to a public vote. My instincts tell me that’s what will happen in the end.

 â–  Todd Dorman’s column appears on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Contact the writer: (319) 398-8452 or todd. 

This year's mayoral race looks like it will be richer than the 2005 race in which Kay Halloran, a retired attorney and former state lawmaker, defeated Scott Olson, a commercial Realtor and architect, in a close contest.

That conclusion comes after mayoral candidate Ron Corbett's fund raiser downtown Thursday evening in the Armstrong Centre, an event that 135 people attended, he reports.

In brief remarks at the gathering, Corbett pushed for a greater emphasis on economic development and for what he said is the need to "repair" Cedar Rapids' "image" as a progressive city on the move.

Corbett also announced that, to date, his campaign has raised $42,325.

Some critics of City Hall in the business community can begin to long for an earlier time when the city had a full-time mayor, not the current part-time one, to run the show.

Ron Corbett, who announced his candidacy for mayor this week, dismissed such a suggestion in a talk with The Gazette’s editorial board.

Back then, he tried to convince city and county government to merge governments, without success. He successfully helped push a school bond vote. He helped hustle state Vision Iowa money. He even helped get $10.5 million for the RiverRun redevelopment project, money that came to nothing when residents declined to pass a local-option sales tax to support the project.