An opinion sent to NIT –
Consider this. In (Friday’s) Globe, and NIT (Thursday), the story on how the Click is planning to bring back a new Development Agreement to bring this hog plant into Mason City via our City Council.
Appears that one or more of the 3 that ended try No. 1 are up to changing their vote depending on the MONEY.
In Mason City, where growth is totally absent “the Click” (NIT definition: Robin Anderson and her smug, money-grubbing cronies, also known as “the elite”) has decided that our only shot at any population growth is to seek and accept the options on the bottom rung. Like third world style and pay hog slaughtering & processing jobs.
Most will be for a little over $13.00 an hour if you can work at this plantation style Employer for 52 hours a week.
Even with overtime at 1.5 times for the extra 12 hours a week these are low paid positions that will qualify many for public assistance.
In Friday’s DM Reg. page 11A is a story on Ankeny, 110 miles south of MC , but in a whole different world.
Ankeny one of the fastest growing cities in the whole country , like No. 3. 53,299 in 2014 to 56,764 in 2015.
From the Mayor of Ankeny, “It’s a tribute to the fact that the city and school district have created an atmosphere that people want to participate in and live in.” What an accomplishment. People from all over rural Iowa are moving to Ankeny. Especially a lot of young families.
Compare their direction to Mason City’s. One gets fantastic growth, great jobs and a top school district in a beautiful prosperous community. The other is in a race to the bottom and stupid enough to pay the bottom feeder to bring it on.
Morley Safer should have done one of his last stories on these two places in the No. hog place in the US.
North Iowa sucks and so does Mason City, a bunch of whiners that don’t do shit, take action or shut your bitch ass up. School board is dumb, City Council sucks.
Bye bye, you wont be missed.
I was on the fence regarding this plant. I agree with Bill, this was pushed too fast. If all the objections are addressed that were put forward regarding the plant, I think the City could move forward and approve it but not until we have those answers.
That comment was from me.
Again I will make one point least talked about: What if in 7 or 8 years this plant goes bankrupt? How many millions is MC out?
Roughly 10 to 20 million dollars more than if Prestage financially squeaks by. We will have another government give away to attract a new buyer so the couple hundred unemployed “management jobs” and the ~1500 “poverty jobs” can get back to work. Look at the history of Storm Lake. Look at the history of the Industry.
This will be very interesting to see how this all pans out
yeah real “interesting” – if you live 100 miles away! for those of us in town its “interesting” in a similar way that waiting for the cancer biopsy results to come back can be “interesting”
Hey Matt ! Is it true that there will be a few load of hogs in the Band Festival parade just to convince the public that pigs don’t stink? I for one am willing to change my mind about this government project.
Red Prestage – I think you have your wires crossed!
Speaking of deception -What was that private 8 hour escort between Mason City and Manly sunday nite – started about 10 PM until about 6AM monday morning – traffic backed up for a block – Worth county sheriffs dept said they knew nothing about it and no officall law enforcement involved ? Strange as hell.- Anybody got a clue ???
I’ve always heard that the “elite” never wanted a large plant to come into town because wages would go up for existing companies. Law of supply and demand would kick in. But some are saying this plant is somehow bad for the working class. This argument makes no sense. If Mason City is short workers ,and this plant comes in, the wages will go up to retain/get workers.. A big win for the City and the working class IMHO.
Your right it does make sense that a pig plant would be bad for Mason and a big loss.
I don’t believe Marshalltown and Storm Lake has experienced wage increases because of their plants. Your argument of increase wages only holds true if they fill the available positions from within Mason City and surrounding area but if you bus in hundreds if not a thousand people then wages will go down or at very least stay stagnant because of the high turn over rate of these plants.
Is it possible the MC council could see the Prestage proposal again, only this time in the form of a Resolution, where the mayor would be able to break a tie vote?
Good luck getting them to accept an offer from racist looks. We need a hog plant like we need another dollar store or check cashing place.
According to Iowa law, the mayor can only vote to break a tie on motions not involving ordinances, resolutions, spending over $10,000 or appointments made by the council alone.
The same people that are in favor of this hog plant was also in favor of the trash burning plant a couple years back. And the same arguments were used against people who didn’t think it was a good idea. Guess what the people who opposed that plant were right. If not where did the trash plant that City leaders said was such a great fit for North Iowa get built anywhere? No wonder people don’t trust the mayor and chamber.
Here is an idea, let’s turn the landfill into a ski resort.
Nothing like having your comments deleted. With all of the speakers at the council meetings not one I have heard from has said they will quit their day job to work at this state of the art facility. You have realtors and pig farmers all lining up in support but not one average laborer who says hey I want to work for this company . State of the art pig plant people should be falling all over them self for a chance at 12 dollars a hr.
It’s “clique” not “click”
The casino died because Clear Lake did not what it. Besides Worth and Franklin counties both had plans already in place.
There was also a developer we thought was just in it for getting rich.
Only 22% of the people turned out for the vote….
I think you mean “clique” not click. You are right about how elected officials failed to grow Mason City and I put the blame squarely on Max, Don and Jeff. They were in power for a long time and NEVER got a prospect like this to even look at us. Max’s big idea was to bring a gentleman’s club to the downtown. Look what happened in Nora Springs. Comparing Mason City to Ankeny is silly because of their proximity to Des Moines, one of the few growing areas in the state.
Prepare to have your comment deleted for criticizing the writer’s spelling skills. Three other already have. People whine because there are no good-paying jobs in this town, but the people who think they are worth $20/hour can’t spell and are only worth $13/hour for an unskilled labor job. If they had the work ethic, they would train as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, or heating/AC journeymen. But I have seen trainees in those jobs who don’t give a hoot, do a lousy job, and don’t follow directions. Those types belong in hog processing plants.
Look at the location of Ankeny! You’re surprised that it’s growing and MC is not? Regarding location It IS in a whole different world. If you are waiting for some amazing company to pull into town I’ve got some bad news, It’s never going to happen. Keep passing on the few businesses willing to move into town and continue to watch your town die. Who needs Prestage and the countless others jobs/business it would have created when you’ve got plenty of jobs at Walmart and McdDonalds.
I totally agree. This is our best and perhaps last chance to grow and not slowly die. Sad that whenever we are offered a chance to grow we flush it down the toilet and then wonder later why were we so dumb ie the casino.
How do you know this is our last chance to grow. Are you some economic guru that can see into the future? We had Target distribution Center looking at us not to long ago. North Iowa elite would like to sell you on the doom and gloom of Mason City. If this plant was the savior of all why is it not looking else where because it should have a list of cities lined up to give them everything they want. No they are sitting in the shadows waiting for the elite to lead them to the promise land. The problem about the elite is they want to stay elite. So pay less and exploit communities on fear.. Love the opinion of the guy in the globe about how great prestages cafos are. of course his job was directly tied to hog confinements. I have yet to see one person come up at say I want to work at prestage because of their great wages and not one has come forward. What I see is the working class people of Mason City rallying against and the so called elite rallying for. Me I”m with the working class they understand the problems of Mason City better than the ELITE they live it everyday.
“How do you know this is our last chance to grow. Are you some economic guru that can see into the future?” No ,but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night: ;>) From over 40 years of experience I think I can say my observation is a pretty safe bet.
what the **** are you even talking about!?
I’m sorry the humor went over your head. Look up Holiday Inn Express commercial on google and you might get it. The second part means that in 40 years we have never been this close to a large project and i”m willing to bet we wont’ be this close in another 40 years. The Target Distribution Center was never close to coming here.
This comment was from me.
In my view the sudden “no” vote was possibly a ploy to garner more $, so what if the people against it thought they won, because some of the council knew if not all six of them the plan would be back up for reconsideration,then the plan miraculously will get passed, in all the anti Prestage people were just used as a bargaining chip for more $ and to give the illusion things aren’t rigged and peoples voice/opinion matters, the council in the know assume the anti Prestage people will never know/figure that out and if they do well hey it can’t be proven, all phony, they do what they want.
Hmmm. Quite an observation here. I think you might… just might be onto something here.
i have relation in Ankeny and let me tell you they pay for it. the taxes on their house is $350 a month, its a nice house but nothing elaborate. they grew fast but so did the taxes they built school after school and each police officer has his own vehicle that hey take home with them. so grow they did but the taxes grew too.
Never was impressed with Ankeny. No character town. No heart. I’ll take MC / CL.
Peter is right. This was all a set up. Anyone with common sense can figure that out. I knew it the minute they voted No.
Somebody needs 2 grab Robin Anderson by the arm whack her upside the head with her own hand!!! Smh
First of all, stop distinguishing them as if they aren’t part of the same team-they are. No one’s going to put anyone in their place…their place is all together, unified to bring this plant in, no-matter-what.
Secondly, don’t act surprised. This was all part of the plan, pre-worked out between Schickel and Prestage. Bill was going to appear as though he was listening to the people, vote NO to win their approval, wait a few weeks then vote Yes in the end. Duh.
There’s only one way to defeat this at this point: 10,000 signatures in Cerro Gordo county telling the county explicitly NO MEANS NO.
Signatures don’t mean shit. I bet I could get 5000 signatures from people in Clear Lake who would which you would just disappear, but you still won’t. Hell, 250 people wanted you banned from this site and you are still here. So again, signatures don’t mean shit.
What is most amusing is that Robin Anderson has a degree in Servant Leadership.
For those of you unfamiliar with this concept, just google it.
Then see if you think that the “esteemed” Ms. Anderson practices those concepts.
I for one will not shop in Mason City lets the slaughter house in…..
He also said Spencer Ia didn’t even court the idea. They knew better. They said bye before hello.
Very ridiculous the whole thing. Get a water bottling plant or something fresh idiots.
Still going to have the “ELEMENT” all around you.
I just spoke to Scott from a smaller town close to Storm Lake and he said it stinks to high hell and ruined the town. He said there was a 60 unit complex and only 3 speak English,3 units do not believe in drinking and the rest are hell raisers and trouble makers. It took the town down. Maybe Solberg could take another dangerous drive to there and look at the complex and it’s behaviors.
Bottom line if it’s not your HOMETOWN foreign or not(which is Bookmeyer,Anderson for sure) NO ONE gives a hoot about what happens to it. They are IN then OUT!
The mayor and council need to step up and put the chamber of commerce and Robin Anderson in their place. the citizens have made in clear to all that they do not think this plant is right for Mason City. Robins smug elitist attitude toward the citizens is appalling. Any business that belongs to the Chamber should pull their membership because your leader is putting up a wall between you and the people who keep your doors open.
Good Points! No means NO! I still beieve that the RIGHT decision was made to pass on the hog kill plant.
That was going to be my comment as well. People not knowing the difference and not caring is part of the reason we can’t get decent-paying jobs here.
Please. A lot of good points and all you can do is complain about a homophonic mix up? I think this town has a lot bigger problems than that, as indicated by the writer.