by Matt Marquardt –
This February, your local government was hijacked by the Mason City Chamber of Commerce.
Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, City Administrator Brent Trout, Clear Lake Mayor Nelson Crabb and Cerro Gordo County Supervisor Bob Amosson and others were whisked away to Washington D.C. on the taxpayer’s dime by Chamber Director Robin Anderson and told where to go, how to dress, who to meet with and when. Read the trip itinerary, authored by the Chamber, for proof. They spent a great deal of time standing in hallways. Their longest meeting of the trip was with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful lobby that fights against labor rights, wall street reform, the environment, and health care reform. It has absolutely no care whatsoever how the average Joe in North Iowa is getting along.
Your Mayor and City Administrator made this trip happen, forced you to pay for it, and you should be alarmed.
Today, it has been brought to my attention by several NIT readers that the Globe’s top feature writer has written a story in a bold attempt to brainwash the public on the importance of this lobbying trip to Washington D.C.
I recently wrote a stinging editorial about this obnoxiously wasteful and unnecessary trip. I stand behind my arguments and feel no need to cover that ground again. Read my editorial and the blogs attached to it and decide if you agree.
What is truly amusing is that the Globe is working so hard to justify this waste. Their feature writer, John Skipper, writes a lot of fiction for his “chuckle buddies.” Mayor Eric Bookmeyer says a lame joke at a council meeting, and Ole Skip laughs like it is 1987 and he is watching Eddie Murphy Raw for the first time. He really wants these people to love and adore him, and it is affecting his work, his judgement, his common sense. But, even a sinking ship needs a captain.
It is well known in the community that the Globe has sold out to the Chamber of Commerce and certain personalities at City Hall. It is a hot day at the North Pole when you read anything critical in the Globe about their cronies like Robin Anderson, Trout, Bookmeyer, Cerro Gordo County Supervisors and others. The Globe abandoned any semblance of a “watchdog” (a vital service the media should provide for the public) years ago and has instead morphed into a lapdog.
To the Globe, these people are the pillars of the community and they will be written about that way regardless.
To me, these are people each with a distinct agenda, and more times than not, the average North Iowan is an afterthought. I will write about these agendas in the future.
Ole Skip’s ridiculous story he published yesterday trying to justify the theft of our local government is the crown jewel of his idea that you are stupid. He thinks you will blown away that he actually got Senator Chuck Grassley on the phone to back up the notion that it is “vital” that the Chamber brings a group to D.C.
Chuck Grassley. A multi-millionaire Iowa Senator since 1981, who has had his snout in the public trough for decades and helped lead this nation trillions of dollars in the hole. Ole Skip and Grassley are taking you for a fool. They argue that email, phones and meetings here at home are worthless and will not work. Ole Skip got old man Grassley to back him up, alright. “There’s no substitute for talking with us face to face,” (in Washington) he said over the phone as Ole Skip smiled from ear to ear.
Wow. I don’t even need to go there, do I? Phones and emails are pointless in the year 2012? Somehow holding a meeting here in North Iowa will not work? Apparently the Senator will only listen when a lobbyist is in the room. What a sad day for America and North Iowa if this is true.
NorthIowaToday.com will continue to evolve into the role of watchdog that the Globe has abandoned. If you want real truth, frank and honest talk and dialogue, I invite you to visit this site everyday and leave your thoughts at anytime below a story.
Your local government abandoned you last month and went to work for the Chamber of Commerce. They were told who to meet with and how to dress.
They stood in hallways and sat in saloons and restaurants for hours.
You paid for it.
I farted
In a few words NIT took apart John Skipper’s blatant attempt to justify the D.C. trip. As the number of Bookmeyer groupies began to shrink the parallel seems related to the diminishing number of subscribers to the Globe.
What is amazing is the people of Mason City are letting this go on!
The most pertinent point made here is that the Globe Gazette is no longer a NEWS paper but a cheer leader for left wing spending and the people that are promoting it for their own benefit.
For the voters and taxpayers of Mason City to sit idly by and let this group of idiots go to Washington to beg for money from a Federal Government that is over 15 Trillion Dollars in debt is insane.
What the hell is wrong with the people of Mason City? Has the Globe Gazette got you so brain washed that you can’t think? Can’t you get involved and raise hell about these kinds of things going on with your tax dollars?
Good article Mr. Marquardt but I am starting to wonder if anybody in Mason City is listening or are they just to lethargic to do anything about it?
I wonder how beermeyers stooge gets the brown stain out of his collar from having his head stuck so far up his butt. Maybe he just likes the afterburn smell of martinis.
Well at least most of the news I read on NIT is Iowa stories. Most of the news in the Globe is either about Arizona or Mexico and those poor Illegals. I don’t live on the border. And I don’t feel sorry for them.
I don’t follow any of this, but these clowns are not getting anything past me. I read this story and the globe story. They must think we are all morons not to finally see the truth here. Meetings have to be face to face? Is this guy from the 1800s? Puleeze!! I think grasslee got one too many gold watches from his interns. He is so bankrupt in the system I had to plug my nose while I read it. Problem is that no one stands up and says ‘no’ on this, they just take take take.
So had it up to here with people like this living off the rest of us!
Hey NIT nose picker. Ill take a hard worker like Matt for a friend any day over a drunk bumb who is to self important to have a job so he leaches off his spouse.
I was trying to decide from the photo of beermeyer and skippy who has more chins. Small minds seem to group together.
I read the article in the globe and i agree it was nothing but a bunch of BS written by John Skipper. You do not see the mayor or city administrator taking trips with any other lobby group. The chamber represents their members they do not represent the average citizen. Why should all the citizens of Mason City have to pay for Trout and Bookmeyer to go to washington DC and talk to our elected officials about things the chamber tells them to. If this is our government at work no wonder so many people are fed up with it.
Matt,
Are you totally ignorant to how a group trip works. The items you have in red in your article are items that you need to know if you are on a group trip. You point out” where to meet, and when.” Well, if you’re going to have a meeting you have to know where and when, don’t you Matt? My goodness, you really do need to step away from the computer and see what the real world is like. If you want to be the “watchdog” look at the whole thing Matt not just what you’re PO’s about.
I’ll bet u this guy is voting for MITT!!!!!! sounds like a typical republican!!!!!! Tourist
Only an ignorant fool would think this has anything to do with political parties. Liberal Dems don’t waste money??? Wake up! All politicians are fleecing us. Especially our local ones.
Sure it’s fine, why don’t we let the chamber run the city, like they did this trip? Oh wait a minute, it does. Look at these sell outs. Heads need to roll after this. People should be fired or replaced. Maybe a recall is in order. Trout has a license to steal $5000. No one can stop him he just writes the check. Pitiful. I love how they are told to dress. They have no idea what class is. Robin is afraid they will show up in jeans and a seed cap.
Hey Tourist you are right. The chamber definitely needs this itinerary to keep Trout and Bookmeyer and the other cronies in line, great point. I haven’t been on a field trip since middle school, but I think your point is spot on. Robin is the leader, like some kind of warped school principal who needs to keep the adolescents in line, and her schedule leaves nothing to chance. She even told them how to dress. Heck, she handed out uniforms (scarves)! How embarrassing for grown men and women to be treated who call themselves leaders. Then later they partied at the Saloon, probably had a great time. Too bad my taxes are going up to cover their vacation.
Good article Matt. People should damn well be concerned about what they spend our tax payers money on. You are absolutely correct about the chamber and it’s goals. The little people do not figure into them at all. As a matter of fact all you have to do is pay your dues and you become a member. It’s all about the money with these folks. Keep up the good work and keep us informed. By the way-our taxes are going up again right along with some fees. But, lets remodel city hall, buy a fire truck and pay for a trip to Washington for our Mayor. Like Washington gives a flip about us.
It is time for a revolt.
Typical NIT drival… “I used to work at the Globe Gazette, now I hate them and I make it my job to hate on them when ever possible…MM” So frickin sad.
Glad to see you are back reading again today, as you are everyday, NIT Picker. Love your commentary. I appreciate the generous amounts of visits and page views you bring. If you want to debate this topic and drop your insults, I’m ready.
Marquardt is jealous that he is not a chamber member and tht he doesnt work at the globe anymore. He probably needs the paycheck. He’s jealous of the mayor too obviously. Marquardt wants to join the cultural crescent but they wont have him for obvious reasons…. he is a loser!
I am not sure that civil discourse is your M.O. I can not remember an article on here that did not involve name calling or negativity. It is so blatant that it would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. I think you have a great opportunity here but you whole focus is to trash Mason City City Hall and the Globe Gazette. You should really consider changing the name of the website because these two topics do not represent “North Iowa” as a whole maybe it should be “Mason City Today” as I am not sure you represent North Iowa well at all. This website used to be on my daily list of sites but I get tired of the daily Peter Childish drivel and yours as well. I cannot remember a positive story here, evidently nothing good ever happens in Mason City or North Iowa because if I stumbled on your website and did not know you I would think poorly of the City in general, why would I ever want to live there? I wouldn’t and don’t.
Picker: We have published 100’s of positive stories from all over the area. I am glad to hear that you are focused on stories like this; you remember them, and that is good. They are meant to be remembered and provoke thought and dialogue in the community. Since you have no idea what else is on NIT, I think you really come here just to read my op-ed’s and Peter Children’s op-ed’s. And that is just fine. You will have lots of reasons to come back… there are many, many more stories being planned.
I have noticed that you typically disagree with me, but sink to going off-topic and finding a way to bash me or NIT. Why don’t you debate the issue? Believe me, I have no problem taking the criticism, I embrace it. You talk about how I used to work at the Globe. Is this a big secret or something? I have told everyone that will listen that I left that job because it sucked. Do you want me to write a story about that, too?
Anyway, have a great day and thanks again for reading.
nit picker if this sight is so bad why do you keep coming back. You should go to the globe sight so they can spoon feed you the chambers agenda.
Well, anyone can be a Chamber Member, just hand them the money and POOF — you are there! It’s just too bad that the tourists just don’t wait for Grassley’s 99 county tour or Latham to come around now and then. These politicians DO have websites, call or email them to get on their itinerary and they will be there! Maybe take in a nice night at the hotel bar or the country club. Throw in some abusive language from the newest young councilman and you’ve got a hell of a wing ding. Leave the scarves at home.
Is it true that Bookmyere has Skipper in his office for hours with the door closed? What are they doing in there?
to dirty to say on here!!!!!
Now, what’s wrong with that? Some father/son quality time. Don’t you see the family resemblance? Eeeuuuwa.
This whole Globe versus NIT soap opera cracks me up. Seems like the little guy is winning, haha. Regardless, this is just more thievery by people that can pull strings, it’s nothing new and happens all over the country. It has been a long time coming that someone took time to write about what is going on here, glad to read it.
Who paid for the items the City does not allow on expense accounts?
I WANNA RED SCARF!!!!!!!!!!!!F*G!!!!!!!!