MASON CITY – Elected officials can run, but they can’t hide, especially if the citizens are determined to confront them about issues they demand answers to. We will be seeing much more of this in the coming week.
Not that Travis Hickey was running on Sunday at a Labor Day picnic.
On the contrary, he stood his ground and took some stern questions from labor supporter Phillip Sanchez.
“I knew this might happen,” Hickey said later by phone. “But I wanted to come out and show support for the working folks, the unions.”
Sanchez accused Hickey and the City Council of “cutting those union jobs and having people work for $10 per hour.”
“You guys are wasting your time with that,” Sanchez said, referring to the Council and Mayor Bookmeyer’s goal of dismantling the city’s sanitation department.
“I’m just doing my job,” Hickey said.
“Your job isn’t to cut union jobs or any jobs,” Sanchez said.
“We’re trying to provide the best service to the taxpayers,” Hickey offered.
“Where are you getting that, no one complained about it. Who brought this to the table? Who brought this forward?”
“It was a council goal,” Hickey explained.
“Your trying to screw us,” Sanchez said. “I’m surprised you even showed up here.”
rukidding…recheck your so-called facts…the average wage adds up to about $72,000 per month and the insurance premium is about $12,000.
KIMT misses all the good stuff, unless it’s a funeral they want to showcase.
Has anyone asked the question…Does the $9.60 cover all costs? Since the city pumps in $750.00 per worker for health insurance…and then there is the contibution to IPERS. These are monthly expenses on top of the salary per men and the city’s contribution to Social Security. We’re I a resident I’d like to see if the $9.60 covers the entire cost!…or does the taxpayer cover the cost elsewhere?
Yes the 9.60 covers charges associated with the department there is no tax dollars included into their budget.
Wonder what would of happen if them two met up and no video and no people around. If that would of been I bet Phil would feel just like the squirrel I run over last week.
Sanchez is a self serving jerk. I don’t say that because I support Hickey because I certainly don’t in his effort to eliminate our sanitation workers. Hickey has not supported any of the taxpayers wishes since he has been in office and is deep in the mayor’s pocket. At least that is my opinion. However, Sanchez is the type of union thug that rides on other people work and trys to make himself important by making a big show in public. I have it on good authority that when he was at Northwestern he told people that he didn’t have to work because he was a minority and he has been riding that ever since. Again, just my opinion.
I heard Mr. Hickey thanking the people for their service at the picnic. Appreciated that he took time out of his holiday to come. He certainly didn’t have to. Sanchez was being a jerk & had no business getting in his face the way he did.
Interesting that when things like this come up, NIT is always handy with a camera. Just a little food for thought.
One needs to understand, what happens in public, and in the secure environment of Council Chambers is two different things. If Councilman Hickey was genuinely supportive of these workers, his vote on the issue whould have reflected that.
Facta non Verba!
I agree 100 percent. He talks one way to your face but behind that table he talks about getting rid of the city workers. Does anyone know who brought this sanitation deal up anyway?
Problem solver, Mr. Hickey is the one behind this. He was asked who brought it up and blames it on Khun. The funny part of this is that Mr. Hickey was raised by city funds, his father was a city empoyee. When Mr.Hickey was campaining he brought this up to several of the the people in his area. Solberg hates city workers too. She was buddies with Ron Holt who also wants to do away with sanitation. Ron is also a former employee.
“another anonymous” wrote on 8-24: “Do any of you bloggers on here ever look at the big picture or should I say the whole picture? There’s more to all of this than just the $9.60 per citizen. If the city workers can do the work in 6 hours but still get paid for 10, do you think a private company is going to get by with that? Absolutely not. I’m not exactly sure on how I feel about all of this but I’m willing to look at ALL the facts & not just one point. There’s too many of you that automatically want to be against the council or mayor no matter what. You are allowing yourselves to be sucked in by the NIT/Max/Peter Children agendas & won’t look beyond that.”
“another anonymous” also insinuated on 8-22 that the incident on the plaza with Jay Lala and Dennis Luna was a set up because I was there with my camera.
Let me give this anonymous person some real food for thought. I get these stories by working hard. I don’t just show up for 3 minutes like the TV station does, pan around with my camera, and then leave.
Also, interesting that you are arguing against the sanitation workers in your previous post on 8-24, and then you seem to take issue with this story and video which stars a councilman who was ready to axe the entire department. I wonder who you are? Care to reveal yourself?
Oh, Matt. You didn’t read my 8//24 post very well. I stated that I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt on the issue of the sanitation workers & that I was willing to look at all the facts, not just 1 side. And there are those who automatically want to take issue with the council, no matter what they’re working on. And how can you say the council, Hickey in particular, is trying to axe the dept.? Have you ever thought that the issue is being looked at as a way to best serve the citizens of MC? Absolutely not. You’re blowing so many stories out of proportion just to “get hits”. And yes, I’m giving you hits but that doesn’t mean I’m always supporting your ideas. A lot of people look at this site for their entertainment & not as a news source. Legitimate news sources don’t try to stir up controversy, they tell the news, period. And then for you to get on & blog the way you do by attacking them is not how professional journalists operate.
Read it well? I copied it and pasted it, word for word. By the way, it was a council goal to use managed competition focused on the sanitation department and shut it down. Hickey is on the council and signed off on it.
Matt, he was willing to ignore my postings on the matter dealing with factually gathered information, not just locally, but all over the U.S.
I purposely left out my personal experiences on the subject, which would be quite telling. Instead, looked everywhere else.
At least Matt, I do not feel alone in the feeling that in public one thing was said, and in Council acted differently.
I totally understand the need to charge to be able to keep your business afloat. Now keep in mind, I am a NIT supporter, but the GG doesn’t charge to be able to read and comment on stories. Some readers will be excluded from voicing their opinions due to the subscription cost.
I respect what you are saying. NIT is more than afloat without subscriptions. Subscriptions will allow NIT to grow. Also, please check back in a few months and let me know if the Globe is still free. I can tell you that most all “online newspapers” are going to a subscriber-based paywall. Call up the Globe and ask Howard Query the BBQ man if his “website” will be free forever. Further… the cost right now is $2 per month. I feel this is a bargain, but if someone really can’t pay, they can let me know and I’m sure we can work something out. Thank you for your feedback.
Thanks for the info, Matt. Your personal involvement with the bloggers is what keeps me coming back.
Matt: I appreciate your desire to bring political issues to the voters but you must understand that when you charge for these stories the issues are lost- you are now a business instead of a news agency. The Globe and KIMT will continue to be the bearers of the news if you insist on charging the public.
All Lee Enterprise material online access will be charging by the end of the year. How does 59.00 a year sound for the Globe? Goodluck with KIMT they think they are based in MN.
I fail to see your point when it comes to the Globe. To subscribe to the paper costs money.
Doc, all due respect, the Globe and KIMT took the day off, they were not at the picnic. Plus, I gave the Dougherty story for free and probably one more story coming. I do appreciate your points; I have reasons for how I am running NIT. Also… all (local) news agencies are businesses, I’m sure you know that and mis-typed your thought here.
Kimt was there, they had it on the news tonight and on their website.
I’ll take your word for it. I didn’t see them; they left before I got there, and they missed all the good stuff.