by Matt Marquardt –
The snake oil salesmen hit Mason City hard over the last few months, making promises of trash sorting jobs. These A Teamers depicted a Shangri-La where human trash sorters gleefully pranced seven days a week into a $35 million garbage dump, mystically motivated to stick their hands into filth and nastiness most of them have only seen in movies.
Well, their dream was dashed by level-headed North Iowans who could see beyond the resume-building A Teamers; modern day carpetbaggers I would call many of them, whose real dream is of the next job they land in Ankeny or Johnston or some other suburb.
Here is my theory on why the CES jobs were a mirage.
Who in their right mind would sort trash? Would you, reading this, accept a job sticking your hand into cat litter, food, refuse, hypodermic needles, chemicals? I doubt it. Only those people who had no other choice would. CES would have found the workers to fill these jobs at places like BeJe Clark half way house. After a few months of dealing with these troublesome types, CES would have had enough and moved to install mechanical sorting equipment, which by they way, they say they were not installing just to “support the community” and employ people. Anyone who runs a business knows that the biggest cost is labor. Why would supposedly savvy businessmen like Rod Flores and Joe Yavorski waste time and dollars on employing people to sort trash? Would their investors approve of this? Not likely. I say it was all a short term mirage. Add to this the fact that CES would only be getting about half the municipal solid waste it needed; our landfill could only supply 90-133 tons per day. CES wanted 250 tons per day. Did CES really need the number of trash sorters they claimed? Again, not likely.
CES also made it clear that their plant was a “model” plant and that they did not expect or even think it would turn a profit; it was being built to show off to other investors, who would then buy rights to build their own plant.
Would this plant, with only about half the volume of waste it needs, with sketchy long-term motivation to employ trash sorters, and no clear determination to even turn a profit here, really employ anyone at all? Would it need all the white collar engineers, etc, they claimed? CES said they could run the plant with fewer than 20 employees. Why would they say that if it’s not true? Why would they employ more than they need? And what about their statement of giving back to North Iowa by employing people they really don’t need as trash sorters? Are we truly expected to believe that? These people had no connection at all to North Iowa; they owe us nothing, why would they shoot themselves in the foot and make poor business decisions just to be nice?
At the end of the day, very few stood to gain from this garbage plant, and it was not the average Joe looking for a way to support his family. That is why if you attended all the CES meetings at city hall and the landfill, you would mainly see architects, construction company owners, and resume-building carpetbaggers arguing in favor of this project. They stood to gain just by the place being built and operational even for a very, very short time. “Look, I brought 50 jobs to Mason City,” Brent Trout or Brent Willett could say at their next job interview. Never mind that the jobs dried up in a few months. Construction companies and architects stood to gain by getting the work; I can’t fault them for wanting that. CES would pay no taxes for ten years. No community benefit there.
If anyone reading this can intelligently argue that 50+ jobs at CES were here to stay if the project had passed, I invite you to leave your comments below and explain where I have it wrong. Thanks for reading.
TROUBLE…Right here in River City. This crap reminds me of The Music Man, without the humor or happy ending!
I was at the informative town hall meeting, and the P&Z meeting. You really need to be present at those, to be making an intelligent comment. Actually, the second P&Z meeting in January was a non event but interesting to see how “it works”. So many people, making judgements about what they think they know, and how many showed up to the actual approval meeting…2.
From what I saw, these gentlemen had 35 million dollars, and were throwing a pitch. Every question had an answer, and most of them were highly sensationalized. You need a few skid loaders and some bean counters for operation. Fifty jobs, yes, for Henkel or some other outfit…
Another thought. With 35 million sitting at the table, “no cost to the city”…why aren’t those big cities building these facilities instead of hauling their trash by rail, thousands of miles away?? Cities than can satisfy the tonnage requirements? It’s more business for the railroad, yes. Why aren’t these snake oil salesmen slithering through the big city cracks left and right, just yet??
My knowledge is minimal, and I’m no expert on government. just offering my view and opinion. All I know is there’s a lot of um, well, ahh’s, didn’t get crossed and dotted. I’m not talking about council now…there’s a lot of balls being dropped. People are getting information and others being left out or not checking and doing their due dilligence for the City. It’s apparent the work ethic is blase for someone with such high position in the city administration.
As far as that comment about comments carry on… apologies for the interruption.
It wasn’t their 35 million dollars they were pitching. The snake oil salesmen had already done their pitching to a bunch of unsuspecting investors all to willing to put their money in another get rich scheme!
Very good article Matt. I agree with almost everything you have written except for yourt comment about BeeGee workers. As a rule they are excellent workers and always at work and on time while they are still incarscerated. After they get out it is a different story but as long as they are in they are just plesed to have a job and it gets them out for at least 10 hours a day. They are always willing to work overtime if required and it helps them pay some of the fees and costs.
I have worked with many BEE Bee people and most will call in the very day they get out or not show up at all. Your right when they are in their they always show up, always on time, and will work over because they have to pay to stay. I will say I have met a couple of people that have made a change for the better after getting out but they are the exception.
Just like the Globe likes to pump up the A team and take cheap shots at our past council members Matt informs the non country club citizens of the reality of life in MC. Keep up the good work.
This was the worst example of misinformation and a ram it down our throats projects I can remember. The best thing to come out of it was an exposure of just how corrupt city government can get under pathetic leadership. Great job Matt and all others smart enough to see thru this. A reminder will help keep everyone not in the A team group, but still taxpayers, more is yet to come. Remember there is a 27 million dollar ice rink hovering out there yet.
It has been good to see at least one new council member seems to be able to make decisions on his own.
I totally agree with you. And Matt really nailed it with this article! You are also right about the push for this multi-purpose center. This project is also being shoved down our throats by these resume builders. Just like Northbridge, and away they go. It is just not needed and a HUGE waste of money. Unfornunately, Bookie & Trout have the votes (for whatever they want) even without Lee. Trout has really shown his true colors with these projects and I have lost ALL faith and trust in him.
It sounds the same dummie because you can’t change the truth! All of it will be the same words about the stupid thing because that’s all there is about it. Exactly the way it would go down. Matt is a brilliant guy can’t change that either! So Peter, Matt keep enlightening all the dummies.
I met Mr. Marquardt couple times, he was covering news around the area. Brilliant guy, well-mannered, thorough doing his job. I have read how the city council and mayor ignore his phone calls and emails. There simply must be something wrong with them, just my two cents.
READ:
http://www.northiowatoday.com/?p=4553
Says it all!
@It’s a Dead Horse: I agree, but is it a “dead horse” if the local newpaper continues to write about it? I’m not sure, I mean yes they are more and more irrelevant each day, but the stories and op-ed’s are there. It was obvious from day one which “side” they were on, and they still can’t let it go.
Matt, the Globe filed bankruptcy, does that mean you should also? Just because they do it doesnt make it a requirement on your side (my opinion)! If we are looking back, we arent looking forward! And fyi, I will make the same comment regarding the dead horse on their site! Next topic, please!!!!
Unfortunately it won’t be dropped here until they drop it; NIT must counter the lies and mis-information spread by the Globe. If you read Sunday’s editorial they published, it is rife with mis-information, mis-leading the public. NIT aims to counter that.
Matt You were right in your statement by saying. Here is my theory you are right it is your theory. The truth is your artilce sounds like a Peter Children article should have use the aluminum siding sale pitch also to go along with the snake oil salesman. If you really think about it. This city has lost more than CES. We have lost Target Distribution, and also the Casino and both of them have been pretty successful. I guess time will tell if CES is a success to some other cities benefit. In the mean time we can say way to go Mason City you killed another one and then complain because taxes are going up because we can not grow jobs and tax base to off set the cost to the taxpayers.
Michael, this story has nothing to do with Target Distribution nor the Casino. Totally different projects. The holier than thou in Mason City killed the casino. I would have went 100% in favor of bringing that to our downtown. I also heard Target was met with a very amateur sales pitch here. That may have doomed that project, also one that I would have supported 100%. Every project is different. I could not support the CES project for many reasons, not just the jobs theory.
Mason City’s elite killed the Target Distribution Center.
They did not want the competition for the labor market that would have occurred if located here.
I am an insider with personal knowledge of this fact. If you want additional proof and feel like pursuing this topic, go interview the Target Center Distribution board members and CEO that made the decision.
It’s a dead horse, but let’s beat it up a little more…
The way the government counts jobs is just as interesting (and creative) as the way CES may have counted theirs! That’s another story! I would refer you to their information packet and their employement breakdown, if you cant sleep at night. As for those that would work there, who knows who would. Obviously, they would have been trained accordingly and OSHA requirements adhered to as in any line of work. If you recall at the meetings it was said there should be no bio/medical hazardous materials that they would KNOWINGLY accept. On the face, I get that but one never knows what is in trash and would hope the employees training and understanding of their work enviornment kicks in if found!
I am sure (my opinion) that had this gone forward and made it to council, the number of employees would have been “written in” to a final agreement much like it was for a business out West (call center, drawing a blank on the name, my apologies). They stated a specific number of jobs in their agreement and did not make that number, for which there were monetary pentalties! Would have made sense… anyways!
The city of Marion (suburb of Cedar Rapids) is looking at a waste to energy plant there. They want to bring trash in from the east coast via rail and truck, along with the city’s to meet minimum requirements. Additionally, Newton, Marshalltown, Fort Dodge, and Osceola are also looking at this type of business. It will be interesting to see how those go over… or dont.
As far as resume building, etc etc. Who here reading this doesnt; one, want to be successful at their job; two, improve themselves in life through those successes; and three, move up the ladder to more rewarding (responsibility and pay) positions, be it here locally or where ever that opportunity may be. It’s called life and the freedoms we enjoy. Many successful people have moved on to bigger and better things. Those left behind are better for having them.
Otherwise, it’s a dead horse, it didnt pass the process, move on, let it go, next issue!!! I am sure there are some other newsworthy stories to report on!
Build your resume on your own dime, not mine. 10 years of tax abatement is my money.
The Bookmeyers, Trouts, and Willits exploit exploit tax dollars to build their resumes.
Carpetbagger is a good term for them.
Dead Horse it a good name for trying to defend the indefensible!
And had it went through it could have helped you with your taxes, er ah, dime! Like it or not, every city employee is building their resume on our dime! Thanks for your dime though!
…of course on the other side of the coin, the citizens of Mason City will never know because all these “words” are merely “dust in the wind” now…
WOW! This article is right on. I also was at the meetings and everything Matt says I stand behind him 100 percent!