Opinion from NIT Publisher Matt Marquardt –
You haven’t heard much about this from city hall and the other media in Mason City, yet, but there are three city council seats up for grabs this November.
The Globe won’t report it, because it is part of the Mason City machinery along with city hall and the Chamber of Commerce; they don’t want any challengers to muddle up what is already in place. Same with Bobbi Fisher over on the radio; he draws a paycheck from city hall, and he certainly supports what’s there now. KIMT… well, they’re just too dumb to know what’s going on – what with the transition to Rochester and all – and they already learned to keep their noses out of the political arena outside of reporting results and announcements.
So, the public drifts along this spring and summer, and the good bet is, most folks don’t know much about this election. Never mind that tens of millions of dollars and people’s livelihoods are continuously on the line, controlled by these 6 people.
Most don’t really care to know. Abysmal voting turnout, folks distracted from playing Farckle on their cell phones, a blind eye to city hall and a poisonous political climate accurately describe the state of affairs in Mason City. Add to that the secrecy and non-stop cheerleading of anything from city hall by the local media, and you have voters who are dumbed-down, uneducated, and out-of-the-loop.
Even so, for those interested, there are two questions as November 3 inches closer. Will anyone challenge the three city council incumbents who face re-election? And will all three run for a second term?
Let’s profile each council member, and the chances on whether they will seek re-election or not.
ALEX KUHN – AT-LARGE
Chance he will run for re-election: 99.9%
Profile: Don’t call him Representative, Senator or Congressman – yet. The word is, this rich farmer (some say he’s a millionaire) and staunch Democrat from Charles City has higher aspirations. He is sharpening his skills here in Mason City as a councilman, and he has no plans to abandon his perch. The 32-year-old Kuhn – an avid tennis player with his own grass tennis court, comes from a family with a political background. Now, it is common knowledge that virtually no one who has ever served on the Mason City council has been elected to an office higher than mayor – at least not in the previous several decades. So the question is, why is Kuhn sticking around Mason City, and perhaps jeopardizing his political future on the city council? Eight years is a lot of sharpening, and a piercing blade with dings doesn’t cut very well. Some are wondering, when will Alex Kuhn follow his dreams? Does the right person have to announce she will not seek re-election? Or, is there more to Alex Kuhn than meets the eye?
Chances of re-election (if he runs): 99%. Kuhn is well-liked, well-prepared, articulate. Looks like Kennedy, wears fancy shoes, flooshes his hair straight to the sky. So why not 100%? No one is perfect, and the murmur on the street is, there could be a challenger or two out there that could make things messy for Alex Kuhn. He doesn’t want a fight, and the right candidate could embarrass him – even raise issues that could maim his coveted future in the capitol.
JOHN LEE – WARD ONE
Chance he will run for re-election: 29%
Profile: A school teacher and former Mohawk football coach. A busy man; he volunteers and has kids. His wife, Abigail, is a realtor who, up until last week, was an employee of fellow council woman Jean Marinos (whose seat is also on the line). Lee, 44, is well-liked by students, parents and citizens. He votes almost exclusively in line with all items on city council agendas, and is not known for advancing new ideas – or seriously challenging bad ones. He did cast a vote against the Mercy expansion on 1st Street SW – after all 5 other council members voted in favor. His vote was meaningless – except in his eyes – but at least he tried.
Chances of re-election (if he runs): 90%. Lee is just too highly regarded from his teaching days. He hasn’t had any big slip-ups since he joined the council back in 2012. That being said, he ran on a platform of being “his own man” … has he lived up to that moniker? He started out that way, but early on, he was once scolded by the entire council – and he dropped his head, and never really picked it back up. He stayed down in the dumps when he personally went to the courthouse to shake hands with Eric Bookmeyer to congratulate him and his “team” on winning bare-knuckle re-elections in 2013. This “stamp of approval” seemed staged, and to some degree, soured Lee’s good name. In his 3-plus years on the council, Mr. Lee hasn’t advanced many of his own ideas, and rarely has went against the mayor and the chamber’s agenda. The winds of change are blowing across America, they say, and establishment-type leaders could be on notice. Lee certainly qualifies as one of those. The chances are better, though, that Mr. Lee is too worn-out to run again. He may feel that he has proven his point, put in his four years on the council, and wants to devote his time to other things. 2011 all over again?
JEAN MARINOS – WARD THREE
Chance she will run for re-election: 6.66%
Profile: Jean Marinos has been in the political game in Mason City for over twelve years, making sure her rental empire remains as unscathed as possible. She has voted against good projects in Mason City (low-income senior housing) simply because they bring more competition against her business. Some might say those kind of votes or abstentions are putting her interests above those of the people – making her an abhorrent representative to the public. Marinos, 67, has also been a part of disastrous episodes in the city’s history, such as the failed Northbridge development that the city is still paying for and the rich lawsuit won by Lionel Foster, due to her collaboration with the mayor to destroy the city’s human rights agency. She was also mayor as Mason City lost a casino to Northwood. Marinos, in her 3-plus years on the council, has been a virtual rubber stamp for every item on the council agenda. She is not known for researching issues, and relies heavily on city staff for guidance.
Chances of re-election: 66.6%.
Marinos could very well win re-election if she so chooses to run. The public largely ignores her gaffes and poor judgement, and seems incredulous to the fact that for much of the year, she governs Mason City from the shores of Europe, frolicking in the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean Sea, where she vacations regularly. Most notoriously, Marinos once got up and left a council work session early. At that meeting, she stood up and declared that she “had another meeting to attend” and left with Mayor Eric Bookmeyer’s blessing. Minutes later, she was spotted at the Park Inn Hotel sipping martinis in front of a custom chef who served her appetizers. Issues she skipped that night included repairs to a city bridge and helping a blind man navigate city sidewalks. Again, an out-to-lunch public, low voter turnout, and her name recognition as a former mayor still make her a tough out in an election. That being said, rental units are being left unoccupied, and there seems to be fewer realtors than ever working for her at American Realty. She is selling her BMW. Times just might be getting tough for Jean Marinos, and everyone knows, serving on the council is bad for business and eats up time. Marinos just might not have enough time or energy left to devote to being office manager and realtor there, plus driving one block from her office to city hall to (mostly) sit through meetings. Jean’s time in power just might be up, and again in her case as in Kuhn’s, the murmur on the street is that a potentially potent adversary is lurking.
