As a citizen of Des Moines, I felt somewhat confused about two recent articles in The Highline Times that refer to our mayor's jaunts to China.

In the first article it mentions, casually, that our mayor went to China, "at his own expense," which I did not believe and, as it turns out, my assessment was right on target!

It was your article, "Trip to China by Des Moines mayor opposed by lawmaker" headline that jarred me awake with some feeling of disappointment in the apparent waste of even one penny of taxpayer's money.

My disappointment was quickly replaced by words of reason emanating from one lone, brave "renegade" on our Des Moines City Council, standing valiantly in defiance of his peers and articulating loudly and for all of us citizens to hear, one word, "ENOUGH!"

Now it was difficult to watch our police force being whittled away and $12,000 dollars being spent on a public relations person, which ended in cancellation after only one year of apparent failure.

It was not easy seeing our city hall dwindle to skeleton crews and our taxes rising to maintain a pool that we could not otherwise afford.

Beyond "difficult" though, is to find our city spending money on a trip to China, and for what, is beyond my ability to understand or accept.

Now that we have read a word of reason from council member, Dan Sherman, isn't it about time we voters and citizens of Des Moines stand up instead of being stood upon and echo loudly to our city council members "ENOUGH?"

There is a fine line when government spending transitions between "reasonable" and "waste, fraud and abuse."

Our town is ailing from incumbency cancer and we need to prevent it from becoming terminal. This will depend on our ability to tell the ones we care most for and trust to stay another term.

On the good side of this, we have two new council members that I believe show a great deal of promise, Matt Pina and Melissa Musser.

They have promised more reason and budgetary conscientiousness but they will not be able to perform well unless the "good old boy" pressure is relieved.

In closing I would like to thank Mr. Sherman for his bravery, especially knowing that he has made himself a target of the status quo. Oh, and I want my money back-- all of it!

Pat Nardo
Des Moines