Editorial by Matt Marquardt –
MASON CITY – Average Mason City citizens and some small business owners can apparently have their homes torn down and/or their names drug through the mud at city hall’s whim, but big corporations like Wal-Mart with daily, multiple calls to law enforcement and other emergency responders which chew up the people’s tax dollars continue to hum along without so much as a warning and a helpful blind-eye from city hall.
Mason City police and Cerro Gordo deputies are routinely called to stores and shopping centers in Mason City, sometimes on a daily basis. Police records and activity logs prove that law enforcement make countless trips each year to these major corporation businesses to deal with drunks, crooks, thieves, bad behavior, drug deals, car accidents, property damage, etc, but rarely or never are even warned about keeping the bad element out of their stores or property. At the same time, there are a number of small business owners in Mason City that have complained about being targeted by either one or all of a combination of police, city hall officials, the city council, and Mayor Eric Bookmeyer himself. Bookmeyer, in particular, has shown an avid, nasty, aggressive streak in targeting at least one local business as well as other property owners and citizens with a series of dirty tricks and back room shenanigans while spewing public tax dollars into the wallets of his hand-picked pals and drinking buddies.
City officials most-recently targeted Chop Restaurant in downtown Mason City, narrowly approving that small business to retain its liquor license. A source told NIT that had Chop lost its liquor license, the result would have been “devastating” and that the city council intended to punish the business owner for police calls to the business. One weekend evening in recent weeks, police were seen outside the establishment in a heated conversation with the business owner, placing blame to some degree on him for the actions of persons on a sidewalk, in the street and across the street in a public parking lot outside Southbridge Mall. Those persons had not yet entered the business that night. Sources told NIT that they wondered if Southbridge Mall management was treated in the same fashion after a number of drug deals and other unlawful activities took place during daytime hours in the same parking lot and even inside the mall, where shoplifters are routinely detained and taken to jail.
Some people have questioned the status quo in Mason city, openly wondering how blatant favoritism, cronyism, corruption and possible intimidation can continue to flourish practically right out in the open for all to see.
As an example, two men were caught and arrested by Mason City police in separate incidents late Wednesday evening and very early Thursday morning. Arlo Blu Harris, age 42 of Fruitland, Iowa was spotted at 2:37 AM in the parking lot at Mills Fleet Farm and arrested for being drunk in public. Just a few hours earlier at Wal-Mart, police arrested 56-year-old Monte Paul Butterfield of Mason City for the same offense. Both men remained jailed Thursday. Both Wal-Mart and Fleet Farm and the Indianhead shopping center in general are known for being some of the most-visited addresses in Mason City for unlawful behavior and attention from law enforcement and emergency responders. Some wonder why no fines nor warnings nor application of the “nuisance code” have been issued to businesses like these, and the small businesses and common citizens of Mason City are being targeted and perhaps made examples of.
Many now say that due to the flagrant actions of elected officials, a clear divide has emerged in Mason City between the “elite” – represented and backed by city hall – and the rest of the populace – backed by no one. The prospects of trouble on the streets isn’t just probable; it is festering now and manifesting itself routinely. America has always had to bear the cross of a classed society, and nowhere is it more evident than here in Mason City, where a select few who refer to themselves as “elite” run rampant and use the city as their own personal playground, accept free public monies, and ignore the proclamations of boards and commissions while others are tossed into the street like common trash or held to a higher standard than the politically or socially connected.
In Mason City, it seems that the concept of America has been twisted into a Bizarro World run by a small man known for not-much-more than drinking caseloads of booze and taking freebies from anyone and everything in his path. His only real problem is, he will get no free pass here, and he and his exclusive club members will be watched like a hawk and taken to task.
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
Phil- revenge factor with toast makes no sense. So he brings in rappers to seek revenge??? Those guys just fought amongst each other, how is that revenge? Besides I thought he was at Lorados now not some Greeks.
Who really cares about bar culture anyway? It’s stupid and corrupt. And why does the ONLY taxi cab in the area (KC Cab) quit at midnite? Why do the area city councils DECLINE any attempts at persons starting Taxi Cab businesses? Why is that? It’s to fuel the lucrative DUI bust caper the police are running, making millions off of helpless people trying to unwind and have a good time. Why aren’t PBT’s sold easily in stores? They don’t want you to know your BAC. They want you busted.
I know at least one store, WalMart, that does security on the cheap. Rather than have more effective measures like floorwalkers, private security offiers present, etc., WalMart’s policy externalizes its security costs by placing the burden on its customers through its policy of asking exiting customers for a receipt.
Unless they suspect you of theft, they have no right under Iowa law to stop you and ask you for a receipt.
If stopped, ask if they suspect you of theft. If “no” keep…
When we were at Walmart last week they were asking very politely to see the receipt for large items. They were not demanding, just asking. They accused no one of anything at all. They have a right to ask while you are in the store. They can not accuse until you leave the store without paying. No one seemed to be offended and the lady asking was very nice.
They have a “right” to politely ask you what your astrological sign is as well. And you have the right to politely ignore them, whether you are on store property or not.
If you are politely asked to produce a receipt, you have the right to politely ask them if you are suspected of theft, and if they say no you have the right to politely continue on.
The applicable Iowa law only gives a merchant the right to stop and detain someone if they have some reasonable grounds to believe you’re…
Pt. 2
The reason I don’t show them my receipt is 1) Walmart store policy is not state law and, believe it or not, some folks conflate the two and 2) my earlier statement that if WalMart wants better security, they should pay for it rather than putting the burden on shoppers to prove they didn’t steal something.
Again, this only applies once you’ve asked them if they think you’ve stolen something and they say no.
@rahmbo-No reason to be rude to the employee asking. They are just doing what they are told to do.
You wouldn’t believe the type of profiling that goes on in South Texas, near McAllen. Winter Texans (as in white people) casually exit the Walmart store with a pleasant “Have a nice day” from the employees standing at the exit. The locals (as in Hispanics)? Every one of them is stopped and asked for their receipt.
It’s even worse at gas stations. The locals must prepay. Winter Texans? Never.
Hard to believe they get away with this.
@JMO-do you think it could just possible be due to the amount of illegals they have going through the store. They come in and steal and then beat it back across the border. That is why they have all gated communities down in the valley.
I’m sure that’s part of it, LVS. The locals down there can’t stand the illegals because they give all Hispanics a bad name. One other thing – don’t call the locals Mexicans. They don’t like it. Mexicans live in Mexico. How does your wife feel about this, if I may ask?
@JMO-she doesn’t mind being called Mexican at all as long as it is said with respect. None of her family mind either. They are proud of their heritage and culture and after having lived in Mexico for two year and worked on the border for four more and then lived in Texas around people of Mexican decent I can say that is true. They do not like illegals as their parents had to go thru the process to live here and also they get blamed for what the illegals do.
@JMO-the Mexicans that I know are hard working, very religious, family orientated people who pay their bills on time and just want to provide for the family. There are bad ones too and a lot of the illegals are bad. They very word illegal should tell people something. Not all of them mind you are. I had a lot of good ones that worked for me at one time and when you treated them with respect they responded with respect and would do anything to help you out.
Please site the law you claim exists.
So how did the upscale concept of fine dining and mixed drinks that once canonized Chop / Eleven twist into the rowdy, police call, debauchery filled establishment that it is today? Did Jeff from TOAST catalyze this?
booze and min. wage earners after midnight probably are not a good combination for any establishment.. Philly whats wrong you still bitter that Jeff from toast expelled you from his businesses? are you bitter that a man of color put his neck on the line to start a couple of successful businesses and didn’t want to put up with your strange personality? or you upset that business are successful without your belessings? whats the deal philosophus? why are you always bitter?
Jeff from Toast laid unauthorized hands on someone, and it wasn’t to give them a Jesus Healing. I don’t give a hoot about Jeff from TOAST being a man of “color”, nor that he started and closed businesses. The point is Eleven Bar is known as a troubled spot with many police calls, and I was surmising that perhaps Jeff from Toast’s involvement with the bar is the reason for this. He has been rumored to be an agitent, providing a staging ground for black vs. white revenge.
@Philly-Once again I agree with you. If you drive down Delaware at night you had better have a sidearm or some type of personal protection with you.
And since I’m willing to speak truth around here, I’ll say it directly: People said the reason Jeff’s last incarnation of TOAST failed (where present CHOP / ELEVEN sits), is because he destroyed the charming hole in the wall that was the original TOAST and replaced it with an intimidating array of bumping music, out of town black-power brothers with chipped shoulders, and an air of “SCREW U WHITEY, this is my revenge”. The town knocked him down and now he works for the Greeks.
And for the record, I liked Jeff. He was a forward thinking progressive guy. Did a lot to jump start the town and challenge those longstanding racist pricks next door at Ransom’s. But he got too big a head, and became materialistic. And he wasn’t fair. He sided with those he thought to be town “players”…who thought themselves to be “I have drinks with Roger Bang the mayor” studs. You only know part of the story. Jeff knows the meaning of humility now, and that’s a good thing.
I almost don’t want to reply to this as this article has nothing to do with Jeff Edwards, but I believe in being fair. Jeff never tried to create a white vs black atmosphere. That is complete BS. That is the last thing he wouldve wanted. I spent enough time in Toast to know Jeff is not racist. comment back on this if you want but I’m not even going to respond because this argument doesn’t even warrent another response. My opinion has been stated.
Mike do you understand the principle of “Causation”? Causation states that things arise from a source or stimuli. Physics has its own version: Every Action has an opposite and equal reaction. Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion, bodies at rest…
Word on the street was TOAST 2 had an atmosphere of out of town black guys from Detroit, Chicago etc who were looking to fight and cause trouble, and that Jeff welcomed them and didn’t police his bar accordingly. As a result, it failed.
I agree with this opinion. Jeff did not do what Philo contends, and to perpetrate such a rumor is baseless. Yes, Toast had its problems, but that is irrelevant. Let’s leave innocent citizens out of discussions on stories that are not related to them.
I hear ya Matt, but I just want to make this one last comment to Mike to summarize what I meant about causation. My point is the CAUSE of Jeff’s resentment and subsequent rebuttal was the racism he endured while a tenant next to Ransom’s cigar store. I was there. I heard it. There was a mini-war that had started, until Ransom’s realized the overflow from Jeff’s booming business was good for their own. I don’t blame Jeff for being pissed and wanting some revenge.
Fair enough.
Sexy Bookmeyer. Really look at you. Who’s zoomin who here. Look again, inside too.
Do you think we make this shit up? Think about it dummy. You and you all know who else brings it right to us. Awesome.
Matt could you look into what ever happened to the so called committee that was going to bring in different options for cable and internet? Were they payed off to not find an option? Are they still looking? It seems that they don’t want to or never tried to do anything.
I heard about that. I think that committee was formed a long time ago and then it kind of fluttered away. I will check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
Other cities have had the same types of nuisance laws for years, with the same result.
It’s nothing new or particular to Mason City.
having an ordnance on the books and honoring that ordnance equally is the difference. still doesn’t make it right to single out some and let others go.
I totally agree that this group of council members treat their friends better then the average citizen. Just look at Bookmeyers time clock at meeting If Robin Anderson or someone he agrees with is talking they can go over the 5 minutes. Maybe it is because this is the only time in their lives they can act like big shots.
Of course you are correct in every way; there are know examples of favoritism being passed out at the police station as well as City Hall. The so called nuisance law would be quickly put to the test should liquor licenses be with held and the consequences would be unpleasant. A law like that leads itself to bias.
Bookmeyer has to protect Mark Holt and the Quarry Crowd. The city code for business owners/landlords was written poorly and will not hold up in court. Ask the mayor how many times he eats at CHOP compared to the Quarry and ask him how he feels about people that don’t pay their employees fair wages, produce itemized receipts for their meals and basically skim to the IRS
I have been trying to tell people this for years. Mason City has always been bad this way, but has gotten much, much worse in the last five years.