Congressman Loebsack Invites Glenn Beck To View Flood Damage In Cedar Rapids
Gazetteonline.com
Congressman Loebsack invited Fox News commentator Glenn Beck to Cedar Rapids to view the damage the city sustained during the Floods of 2008. Along with an invitation to come to Iowa, Loebsack sent Beck a copy of In Deep Water: The Flood of 2008, a DVD that highlights the devastation Iowa suffered.
On a recent episode of his television show, Beck referred to federal funds for disaster stricken Cedar Rapids as “government waste.”
Beck was referring to funds for the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library.
“I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit the City of Cedar Rapids and view the flood damage and continued recovery efforts first-hand. I have enclosed a DVD entitled In Deep Water: The Flood of 2008 that highlights the devastation that Cedar Rapids and the State of Iowa experienced,” wrote Loebsack.
The National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library had five building severely damaged during the flood with $11 million in total estimated damage. The museum’s reopening creates the potential for job creation, further economic development, and increased tourism in Cedar Rapids.
The full text of the invitation is below:
During a recent broadcast of your television program which aired on FOX News Channel on Friday April 16, you hosted a segment on government waste. During this segment you discussed what were described as “examples of unbelievable waste” and referenced funding for the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library (NCSML) located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
I applaud any effort to raise the issue of government waste, but I must disagree with the assessment that funds to assist the flood-damaged NCSML are an example of unbelievable waste.
As you may be aware, in the summer of 2008, the State of Iowa was devastated by record flooding. The City of Cedar Rapids, located in my Congressional District, was particularly damaged suffering billions in damage overall. Thousands of homes, businesses, and community resources were damaged and even today many Iowans are still in the process of recovering and rebuilding their communities.
The damage to the city has greatly affected the overall local and regional economy, led to a loss of cultural resources, and has hurt our families at the most basic level. Specifically, the National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library had five buildings that were severely damaged during the floods with total damage estimated at $11 million. I would like to invite you to visit Cedar Rapids to view the progress first-hand in order to better understand the community-wide efforts to rebuild and recover.
Coincidentally, the same evening your program aired, the museum opened a new exhibit, Rising Above the Flood – The Story of People and The Flood. The opening of this new exhibit represents the type of hard work and dedication to community we should be proud of and certainly marks a milestone in recovery for our area.
Again, I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit the City of Cedar Rapids and view the flood damage and continued recovery efforts first-hand. I have enclosed a DVD entitled “In Deep Water: The Flood of 2008” that highlights the devastation that Cedar Rapids and the State of Iowa experienced. Thank you for your time and consideration of this invitation.
Sincerely,
Dave Loebsack
Member of Congress
Blog For Iowa 