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Cedar Rapids and its surrounding communities are used to facing and overcoming challenges. Property-damaging flooding has always been an issue there. In fact, according to the city of Cedar Rapids, historic flooding and tornadoes in 2008 cost the Federal Emergency Management Agency $848 million, the agency s sixth-largest declaration ever. Total property damage was estimated at $6 billion. We feel as a community, if we can recover from the floods of 2008, we can meet any challenge, said Ron Corbett, business retention and expansion strategist at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. And that s the spirit that s in the in the community and obviously the business community and the citizens.
We have long lived by the philosophy that as chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, our jobs do not change based on the most recent election. Regardless of who is in office, we work with elected officials at the local, state and national level to push forward policies that drive economic growth and cultivate strategies to attract talent to our respective regions and state. The 2020 election cycle in our country, perhaps more than any in recent political memory, was highly contentious and very personal to many people. The conversation around politics at all levels of government has continued to be polarizing.
IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH
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A legislative subcommittee advanced a bill providing grants for companies expanding high-speed broadband service in targeted areas.
Some communications companies told state lawmakers Tuesday that Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to offer state grants to provide high-speed broadband service across Iowa may require speeds that would be hard to provide everywhere.
A legislative subcommittee advanced House Study Bill 133. The action came after industry representatives took issue with the broadband speeds the measure requires before special state grants covering up to 75 percent of project costs are approved in areas that have poor or no service.
In short, critics of Reynolds’ proposed legislation said the rules would make it harder to get good service to rural areas.
Today s political climate undoubtedly turns people off, spurred on even further by the recent tragedy that took place in the U.S. Capitol building. We believe the business community holds the answers to the issues that will move our country forward. The issues we promote have vast bipartisan support, and bipartisanship is what we need now more than ever.