Editorial by Matt Marquardt –
They get to sit on a perch 12 inches higher than the rest of us, these so-called leaders here in Mason City.
Seems to me our elected officials at City Hall know no shame. With a disgraceful voter turnout here in Mason City, 27% of the eligible voters bothered to show up at the polls in 2009, when our infamous Mayor Eric Bookmeyer was swept in to office.
In the first in a series of editorials, I will lay out how several of our elected City Hall officials have, in my opinion, abused their office. I will begin with the worst offender, Mayor Eric Bookmeyer.
#1 Worst Offender: Mayor Eric Bookmeyer
Mayor Eric Bookmeyer has been the #1 abuser of his office. Let’s examine his record. Since he took office in 2010:
- In 2010, Bookmeyer was told to leave the Other Place Bar after slamming two $1 bills onto the bar and yelling at the bar staff “I want to play some f****** pool!” The young lady behind the bar refused Bookmeyer’s request to make change and told him it was time to leave. Brent Trout then put his arms around Bookmeyer and the two men laughed and walked out of the establishment.
- In December of 2009, with a drink in his hand, Bookmeyer was screaming at a television set at Frank’s bar during a football game as his Nebraska Cornhuskers were losing to the Texas Longhorns. A Mason City citizen warned him to quiet down.
- Early in his tenure as Mayor, Bookmeyer berated an employee at a local hair salon when he wasn’t treated to a haircut fast enough. According to reports to NIT, Bookmeyer raised his voice to a young woman and demanded his haircut immediately, asking her “do you know who I am” and then telling her he is the Mayor of Mason City. The young lady was in tears over the experience.
- Bookmeyer admitted this year that he took postage and invitations from City Hall for his “private” mayor’s luncheon; a meeting that he claims was closed to the public and not official city business. In the business world, this is called pilfering.
- Bookmeyer commandeered city staff to perform his personal errands in setting up his private meeting at the Mason City Library that he says was not official city business and then ordered Brent Trout to physically intimidate and force a citizen of Mason City out of the meeting.
- After using the IC Systems call center to help him get elected in 2009, and using a family member of an IC Systems upper management on his election committee, Bookmeyer then set about the task of tearing down Human Rights in Mason City. NIT has been told from many sources that IC Systems faced a number of complaints at the Human Rights Commission, as it does all over the internet.
- Since 2010, Bookmeyer has now taken three trips to Washington D.C. all paid for in full by the people of Mason City, with absolutely nothing to show for it.
- In February of 2010, Bookmeyer referred to long-time Mason City council members Max Weaver, Don Nelson and Jeff Marsters as “stupid.” Bookmeyer then directed the people of Mason City to pile on the three councilmen and leave comments on the Globe Gazette’s website where they criticized the three men.
- Early in his tenure as Mayor, Bookmeyer stood up at the Mason City Country Club, after consuming alcohol, and proclaimed in a loud voice that “Weaver, Nelson and Marsters have to go!”
- Bookmeyer claims to be a “stay at home dad” but in reality distorted the very definition of a stay at home parent. Bookmeyer employs cleaning personnel at his home and daycare providers for hours and hours each week.
- In October of 2010 at the Prime n Wine restaurant, Bookmeyer approached a Mason City citizen whom he had never met and told the man to “give up” on his new business and that it would for sure be a failure. Bookmeyer then set about doing his part to make that happen, by approaching customers of the man’s business and discouraging them from working with him.
- In 2013, several expensive pet projects that Bookmeyer advocated for – including Blue Zones, Micro-Enterprise, sculptures and others – cost the people of Mason City tens of thousands of dollars and contributed to an amended budget that the city council will face this month. The new 2012-2013 budget is $1.8 million larger and the city must raid its reserves to cover the expenses.
- Bookmeyer has mocked citizens of Mason City with facial expressions and hand gestures as they walked to the podium to address the City Council.
- Bookmeyer insulted all senior citizens when he told a Mason City citizen that he was looking for “young people” with “fresh ideas” for his appointments to boards and commissions. Several upstanding citizens questions whether Bookmeyer was guilty of age discrimination.
- Bookmeyer ran a dirty mayoral campaign in 2013, taking to the radio airwaves and ridiculing and insulting three Mason City citizens who had become candidates for city council, not running against him for mayor. One candidate’s wife had just died, and the another was a mother of 6.
- More at a later date.
A disgusting piece of xhit.
Bookmeyer is such a jerk and all is sidekicks are just as ridiculous! They should all be fired!!!!!
You can’t fire elected officials genius. In this community the protocol is to vote them out. Did you miss the junior high civics class?? Didn’t get the memo? You’re fired!
Dead article that is three years old. He is still a crook and a asshole but you voted him back in.
This parody paper is as funny as The Onion, but Mark’s sarcasm gives it that extra special “local” touch that makes it even more humorous.
I don’t always agree with who or anyone group,but I have lived here for almost 40 years and kind of miss our old city downtown area, and really don’t care for the Mall,but I really don’t care for malls no matter what town or city they are in.But I may not always agree with everything that was done downtown, but at least something has been done and even I have to admit it didn’t turn out bad at all.At least people come too the downtown area, and I think we are just turning the corner to some very good things.Change is sometimes very hard to accept,We just need to keep are young people around and get jobs and more things for everyone to do.I would like my son and his family to live here and see my grandchildren grow up close by.And no I don’t work for the city,just a bluecollar working class person thinking Mason City isn’t all that bad to live in.
I agree whole heartily. Things are not great right now but we are no different than the rest of the country. I like the direction this council and Mayor is taking us. We are not the laughing stock of the state anymore and are projecting a very pro business image. Unfortunately it usually takes time to turn a bad image into a good one. I know Matt and his minions don’t agree but we are not a dying town, just getting our second wind.
@Reggie (red) it must be wonderful living all the way up there on that cloud. Why don’t you come down to earth with the rest of us.
LVS I would say I’m looking at the positive , you say I’m on a cloud. I say you and Matt and all the others are Debbie Downers, always looking at the negative in everything that happens. There is no right or wrong, IMHO, but I would hate to go through life with your attitude.
@Reggie (red) You have it all wrong. I have always been an advocate of change and positive thinking. However, I think it must be intelligent positive thinking, not just following what I believe to be a elitist local government that favors only the “special” people. There are some people on the council I think mean well and would try to do the right things for the people given the opportunity but they are held back by our dominate mayor and his henchman Turncoat who are special interest all the way. I happen to totally disagree with our current national administration and their socialist policy. I was always taught that you get what you work for not what you ask for and don’t earn. It is the way I was brought up.
So LVS if you’re such a fine upstanding tax-paying citizen, and you claim to have such an interest in positive Mason City politics, why do we not see you running for public office? By your standards, you have all the proper credentials and qualifications necessary, yet no LVS on the ballot. Could it be because you’re a negative pessimist who doesn’t even believe, nor can trust his own thought waves?
Hell, I had a GED when I stepped up to the plate and ran to make a chsnge for the better. What’s your excuse? And in case you need help translating all this it means basically that A. I have BIGGER balls than you, and B. I care about the community I live in more than you.
I never thought we were a laughing stock at all. There were conflicts, it is true. I would rather have the debate over governance, than no debate at all through a rubber-stamp legislative body.
Then there is the question of ethics. Ethical behavior goes first on the list when it comes to evaluating governments. It debases trust of elected officials to do the right thing, or perform in the best interests of constituents.
It is quite plain to see, the current government does not act in the best interests of the governed, and instead pays attention to the few with influence.
Chicago Aldermen went to prison for the same patterns of behavior. Why should it be any different in a small town?
We were absolutely the laughing stock of Iowa. It is really unfortunate that Don and Jeff get lumped into the same category as Max. They were not bad councilmen, but when they threw their votes in with Max, they lost all credibility in my book. If you want to read something interesting go to the Globe online and type in “Peter Children and Max Weaver” and see what Peter had to say about Max about 13 years ago. It still rings true today.
I can’t believe Children wrote that kinda thing about Weaver! i thought he was always a weaver backer! what the heck?!?!
I think Matt should run or endorse someone who has a chance to win.the only thing I ask is that they have a very detailed and specific platform so everyone knows where they stand.
get the ball rolling with ten positive progressive things you want to see accomplished.
What is your position on
Public safety
Streets
Water and sewer
New business creation
Main street mason city
TIf
Parks and recreation
healthy community
Community partnerships
City and county joint ventures
Matt tried to run for city council and lost, to me it’s clear that Matt has become the yellow journalist he used to blame the globe for being. Guess what, the city isn’t listening to you man so just give it up and quit taking cheap shots at people behind your flimsy off brand keyboard. Be a man and get more involved in the community. Stop taking late night phone calls from Weaver and collaborating on these slam articles. We all know he adds little bits and pieces to these articles. You should credit him in about all your articles as a co-writer. Seriously you guys act like a couple of jealous high schoolers.
@Dougy-You are somewhat behind the times here. This article is a year old.
And you’re a dumbass, this article is almost 3 years old.
Mason City has no one to blame but itself. Keep voting idiots like this into office. The whole city need an enema. My grandfather ran a business in the city for over 30 years. And I have watched the city degrade and fall apart for decades.
Nothing is being done to draw in outside business. The thinking at the top levels is antiquated, backwards and counter productive. And it won’t stop until you throw the bums out on their asses, and get a community to freaking care what happens with their town.
Look at the difference between Mason City and Clear Lake. IT’s a joke, how Clear Lake pretty much has it’s shit together, and Mason City is a clown car driven by retarded people. It’s embarrassing and sad.
How insensitive of you to use the word retarded, you swine. That is a derogatory term, just like saying the n-word. Neanderthals like you need to crawl back under your rock. This is a new progressive era, and we don’t use such terminology now. Learn to act civilized or just go out to the shooting range or park yourself in front of your TV and content yourself with Faux News you racist.
Mental retardation has nothing to do with race.
To Laker Forever:
Don’t be sofa king we tah ded.
“This is why some people didn’t want to put the Veterans Memorial in Central Park.”
One of those monuments outdate 99.999% of the living population of the community, perhaps in the whole region.
Mind you my almanac of travels is not as extensive as a lot of other folk, but the list of towns, burbs, and villages visited that had war monuments, is too long to post here. Most in town or courthouse squares. And without exception, they were lovingly maintained.
They were placed there as a tribute to fallen members of the community, out of respect for their service to this country.
Of course it is reality to observe that patriotism is no longer in vogue these days. Replaced by political dogma and pop culture that focuses on ME, and not US.
Observer I think you are talking about the Civil War Monument but I am not positive. If that is true then you too think it is inappropriate to put art in Central Park because it somehow desecrates their memory? Please help me understand your point.
The term tacky comes to mind. The Civil War memorial has a sculpture, which is a form of art one could debate. But it’s context lends itself to the theme. Central Park has a theme, with at least three different memorials to fallen members of the community in service to their country.
The tin dice corrupt that theme, further than the transit depot. (with other open areas of the downtown area, a better placement of the transit depot would have been more appropriate)
This line of thinking comes from the ideas of planners such as Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmstead.
That’s why some people didn’t want another memorial. They didn’t want people like you to think that the park had a “theme” of just memorials. This was supposed to be a park for everyone, kids hence the water feature, bus stop for travelers,flower gardens and art for the artists. Now one could debate on the beauty of the dice but that is art,masterpiece to some ,junk to others.
Iowa fought on the side of the North (Union). Yet we oppressed our black population much to the same degree as did the Deep South. The statute in our park is OK, the only problem the results of it’s efforts still couldn’t get Count Bassie a hotel room when his band played here 100 years later.
It isn’t the new artwork that is scarttered around the city that is so wrong or for thst matter bad; rather it is the ludicrousness in the manner and timing of trying to blame the closing on excessive cost of keeping the HR department while catering to the whims of the opposit end of the spectrum. This is a community….not a private club.
I love our veteran’s monument in central park. I think it is a wonderful addition to the park. It pays tribute to members of our community that served in our armed forces. I think the addition of the dice is tacky to say the least. And I think it was very wrong of Robin Anderson to think that she can just do whatever she pleases with the community’s property. Get rid of them, put the flower garden back and send her the bill.
Matt – believing your reporting fair is believing the sun sets in the East…you’re entitled to your opinion, but calling this news is ridiculous. Should be posted as the editors opinion, not necessarily factual.
Happened to drive by city park today and saw the dice statues! What a horrendous addition to our city park. It really degrades our veteran’s monument. And to think that Bookie and Robin Anderson think this is art??? I’m beginning to think that Robin Anderson is just blowing Bookmeyer!
This is why some people didn’t want to put the Veterans Memorial in Central Park. This is a PARK not a cemetery. Someday there might be a water feature right in the middle for kids to laugh and play in.That was in the original plan when the Park was redone about 7 years ago. Would that be disrespectful? The park should be for everyone’s enjoyment and if that means some artwork ,then so be it. FYI I really like some of the statues but others not so much.That is art.
A water fountain would be a very welcome and attractive addition to the park. That is something that everyone could enjoy the beauty of. Dice???? No.
Several years ago Principal had a nice fountain in front. Unfortunatly, vandals were always putting soap in it, so they got rid of it.
The insurance liability is sky high and the maintenance is horrendous on a water feature. That is why they didn’t put in in. All of you smart people should remember that.
Principal Fin Grp had a fountain for a few years. They had to take it out. Kids kept putting soap in it. The huge soap bubbles were blowing everywhere. It also kept getting clogged up. Never did work right.
They didn’t put it in because they needed to raise private money and couldn’t/didn’t do it.
When you give relatively young people power things like this happen. It often is used in immature ways.
What a clown. Thinks he’s mr. bigshot but is not anywhere close.
Please explain to me why you think it is any of your business if the mayor has a cleaning service or a babysitter and how is that abusing the power of the office?
I agree. Being a stay-at-home spouse involves more than cleaning house and caring for children 24/7. There are a myriad of other errands, chores, and activities to take care of during the day. Plus, why should his children not be in preschool, daycare, etc., when everyone else’s are? I know plenty of children who go to preschool and daycare for socialization when the mothers are stay-at-home moms. Would you be criticizing women for that? I think it’s hypocritical.
Working people do all that and then some. The guy is a fraud. Good call Matt.
Matt: This article is all well and good however there is one undeniable fact. To date only one person has stepped up to run for mayor. And for that matter we really haven’t heard too much from him in the first place. Even though Bookmeyer hasn’t announced one way or another if he will seek a second term, you and the rest of the citizens of Mason City may have to get used to the idea of Bookmeyer being your mayor for another four years. That is a distinct possibility!
And not to seem to be piling on, but with all the articles you and Peter Children have written about Bookmeyer over the years, we have yet to see who either one of you two would endorse as mayor of Mason City. Maybe one of you two would like to “throw his hat” into the ring and run. Face it, neither one of your two has anything to lose by giving it a try.
Extremely fair assertion.
@Matt-Where I do not like our current mayor or the way he bully’s people, I think we need someone to run against him who has the resources and the popularity to win. Just throwing names in the hat will not do it. I don’t know who that person is, but there must be someone out there somewhere with the ambition and knowledge to do this.
LVS for Mayor.Matt,Peter and Watchdog for the 3 council seats. Max can guide them and Don can bankroll them. Peter said he was too old but I bet Matt can talk him into it. The NIT ticket is set.This ain’t over until we say it’s over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?Who’s with me?
@ Red Reggie: please tell me your last post was a joke. Do you really think it was the Germans who bombed Pearl Harbor?
@Reggie (Red) we all know what the Red stands for. What is wrong with you man!
Katie that was a line from Animal House.The joke was the proposed super lineup. LVS get a clue.
You have to remember The majority never votes anyone in…it’s the minority. Anything past that is white noise.
I can’t stand the thought of bookmeyer being mayor another 4 years. I hope that someone that really cares about mason city and will listen to what the people want will run. I am tired of sitting back and watching everything going to the good old boys. Really Matt Dodge has around 30 homes for rent in mason city and he is on the human rights commission come on really? Tell me that is not a conflict of interest!! Buy the way did you notice where the statues are placed in mason one is in front of Jeans office one is down the street from janet and the big one is on Henkils place hmmmm how did that happen just say’n.
What would be neat is getting a whole new Mayor and City Council. They they vote to get all the junk (and that is exactly what those statues are) removed from downtown with a beautification program.
That stuff they put up makes downtown look junky.
Hate, pure hate.Most of these “ACCOUNTS” are 3rd hand and the one that isn’t, Matt writes as if it was 3rd hand.
The 2nd to last accusation is laughable, implying that the Blue Zone , Micro-enterprise and statue projects caused the 1.8 mil amended budget total. Yes I know Matt stated ” tens of thousands of dollars”, but what is that ? If it is even $100,000 that would be only 5.5% of the overrun.
Matt why don’t you come out and just say “I hate this man” and no matter what he does I will oppose it and belittle it.
A pretty pathetic defense of Mr. Bookmeyer’s continued assault on the people of Mason City. For three years this man has bullied his way through his term as mayor and juvenile insults against me, the messenger, the deliverer of fact, is the best you can conjure. I can tell you that many of the facts listed above I personally witnessed. The others are based on countless conversations and communications with people in the community that alerted me to Bookmeyer’s behavior. And yes, there are more tales of debauchery. Just stay tuned Reggie, I know you can’t resist reading NIT for even one day.
You are right about one thing Matt, I do like to read NIT. I don’t agree with you most of the time but I respect your opinion. Keep up the interesting work.
I appreciate that. After nearly three years on the job here, I would like to think that even you, Reggie, know by now that I would never deliberately mis-lead NIT readers. All accounts above are accurate as far as I am concerned and I challenge Mr. Bookmeyer to refute the claims I have made. I would even show up at a public debate with Bookmeyer and settle these claims and more.
” I would never deliberately mis-lead NIT readers.” I really don’t think you would do it on purpose BUT I think your “Bookmeyer Hating colored glasses” sometimes betray you. Your example of Bookmeyer yelling at the TV because the Cornhuskers were getting beat by Texas is one instance. Matt have you ever yelled or got upset when the Hawkeyes were getting beat? I know I have.
Not in public, as mayor, with alcohol-infused spittle spraying out of my mouth.
If Marquardt runs, I hope his efforts are based on facts, not innuendo.
I too hope Matt runs. It would be interesting because after reading some of his comments it would appear the thickness of his epidermis is in question.
Reggie. I have had my life threatened over NIT. I have endured countless threats to me physically, financially, legally. I have been called every name in the book. I have had the so called “elite” of Mason City mount attack after attack on me. And yet, here is NIT with hundreds of paid subscribers and plenty of advertisers. I am just fine, thanks.
Matt if this is true, and I really don’t believe you would lie, then I guess I too would have a “CHIP” on my shoulder. Find someone to run against Bookmeyer and back them with all of NIT power and lets see what happens.
Less bitching and more voting. You only get what you elect.
Let’s not forget about the sanitation department.
If you can link chubby to IC and HRC – you should be able to sizzle his bacon !
Well the 27% elected your dick tater !
Matt, I heard u were at City Hall picking up the paperwork needed to run for Mayor or Council. Any truth to that rumor?
Its about time!
Shamefully, I didnt vote last election time. Lesson learned. If you run, Matt, I will vote for you.
@Do it-It could be worse. I voted for him last time. (Wasn’t a lot of choices) I won’t make that mistake again.
I will also vote for Matt for mayor.
Reluctantly, I feel at this time I must consider this as an only course of action to save Mason City from the corruption and ignorance that infests City Hall. It saddens me that my hometown has been hijacked by this group of self-enrichers who rob the rest of the common people for their own gain, whether it is financially, for their own career prospects or just for their own egos. It has become clear to me that the best interests of Mason City and the majority of its citizens are an afterthought for this mayor and his cronies. I am studying the next course of action.
I’ll be anxiously awaiting your official announcement, Matt. (Really can’t wait to see what the Globe has to say about that.)
Kudos to you if you decide to run. You’ll have lots of support.
Matt; All one has to do is examine the motives behind the Mayor’s first actions, trying to eliminate public comment at Council meetings. It was not about the 3 D’s, since actions speak louder than words.