“Foundation for the Future” re-election campaign

I bring a unique perspective of economic development and land stewardship to the current council. I will continue to work toward sustainable growth and investing our tax dollar wisely to reduce long term operating costs.

Please join me on my “Foundation for the Future” tour. Many events are planned throughout the city. They are as follows:

I look forward to serving the community another term as an effective voice for good policies. Please tell your friends and family to be sure and vote on November 6, 2007.

Thank you for your support.

Cheers,
Tom Podzimek 

RE-ELECT Tom Podzimek   City Council @ Large

Fund Raising

We've done a great job with a Grass Roots Campaign. Any funds that you can donate would be greatly appreciated.

Please send your donations to :

Citizens for Tom Podzimek
1044 Maplewood Dr NE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402
(319) 363-8094

Please show your support by putting out a yard sign as well.

Building a BETTER community Cedar Rapids Native Kennedy High School Iowa State University Four Years – United States Air Force Owner Benchmark Construction Cedar Wapsie Group Sierra Club Knights of Columbus

About Tom

Questions & Answers

• What would be a 100 year plan to deal with our trash problems?
• What is sustainable growth and how can we achieve it?
• What is meant by a long term land use vision?
• How do we minimize government waste?

What would be a 100 year plan to deal with our trash problems?

People have been trying to get rid of trash by burying it forever. The problem is that there is only so much land and the contents of our trash have become a toxic mess that eventually ends up in our water supply.

New options such as plasma torch technology use ultra high temperatures that not only turn garbage into energy, but they destroy toxic chemicals such as arsenic that leach into water from landfills. It is also suitable for destroying many kinds of medical wastes.

Built properly, a project like this would generate income for the city by letting us contract with other counties to solve their trash problems in a safe and efficient way.

What is sustainable growth and how can we achieve it?

Sustainable economic growth is carefully planned so that jobs are created without destroying the range of resources that allow that growth. This includes environmental resources such as air and water, as well as quality of life resources such as community design, transportation, tax loads and access to recreation.

For too long, some people have believed in treating all resources like they must be used up as quickly as possible for profit. This “fire sale” mentality has lead to wholesale destruction that benefits a few people at the expense of the majority. It also destroys many things that future generations would enjoy and pass on if they had the chance.

Sustainable growth requires planning, not just reacting to events, and a broad appreciation of the many things that produce a good quality of life. It is not driven primarily by the desire for jobs, it is driven by the desire to start businesses and stay in the area.

What is meant by a long term land use vision?

Over the last 50 years, the forests that once covered Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area have been almost eliminated. Many of these forests were in areas that other cities would have preserved as open space, such as along the Cedar River.

We can’t reverse these losses, but we can look at what we have left and make a commitment to preserve it for our children and future generations.

We can also make sure that as the city grows, developers contribute to the health of the city by providing connecting paths to parks, schools and businesses so that we don’t have to use cars to get everywhere.

How do we minimize government waste?

First, every expense needs to be on the table for review. Duplicated services need to be eliminated when possible, and every city worker needs to be urged to find
ways to make their programs as efficient as possible.

Tom Podzimek brings a unique perspective of economic development and land
stewardship to the office. Tom will work toward a fiscally responsible
government and sustainable growth. Tom rejects the special interest influence of
developers. Tom is an advocate for neighborhoods.

Striving for a Government where all benefit equally from the resources
afforded us by society and the environment. Working so that all our actions and
policies will improve the quality of life for the entire community.

Vote for Podzimek

City Council at Large
A common man with common sense !
Contact me at Tompodzmk@aol.com