The biggest problem in our society is the fact that less than 20% of qualified voters go to the polls to vote. I always vote, never miss. To be able to choose who you want to represent you is the greatest privilege on earth. Why do you think everyone in the world wants to come here to live? People say, “It was too cold to go vote, it was raining hard that day and I just didn’t feel up to it.” The next time you see flag draped coffins coming off military transports containing bodies of young people whose lives were cut short on foreign soil; ask yourself if they were able to tell their commander that it was too cold to go on that mission where they gave their life for us.
If you are ever find yourself standing in line somewhere and there is a young person in uniform in line behind you, insist that they move up to the head of the line or at least to the position immediately a head of you. Trust me….you’ll feel much better about it.
What we are witnessing her in this small town, is the possibility that some people may have tried….or wanted to shut down a local agency that has existed in this community for close to 40 years. This agency is the safe harbor for countless people who need its services. Of course it is almost impossible to gather hard evidence to prove this claim….but convicting someone of murder has been done even when there was no corpse to be found. How is it done? Its called “circumstantial evidence.”
Lets consider the facts, as we are able to ascertain:
Fact: We know Scott Bultje manages I.C. Systems. And we know he and his firm contributed $449.00 towards Bookmeyer’s campaign.
Fact: We know Cohl Bultje served as campaign manger for Bookmeyer in his successful run for mayor.
Fact: We know I.C. Systems has a history of complaints from their employees. More here than at any other location, according to Scott Bultje.
Fact: We know that a female employee filed a complaint against I.C. Systems during the time frame of Bookmeyer’s taking office.
Fact: We know that Bookmeyer tried unsuccessfully to cut the budget of the Human Rights office soon after his taking office to the point it would no longer have the budget needed to operate, thus in effect shutting it down.
Fact: We know that three board seats on the Human Rights Commission have sat vacant for three months.
Fact: The oldest member of the Human Rights Commission resigned after Bookmeyer’s comments pertaining to old people because they felt intimidated.
Fact: Bookmeyer has requested an internal audit on the Office of Human Rights going back to 1974. No other department audits at the time of this writing have been requested. I feel after this article appears he will order additional audits to make it look like he was not focused only on Human Rights. This audit request shows an inordinate interest in this one department.
Fact: Scott Bultje has admitted that there are more complaints filed at this location than any of their other sites across the country. This writer believes he thinks its because of the Mason City Office of Human Rights; he should consider that it just might be attributed to his personal style of management as an alternative to his line of thinking.
Personally I am most appreciative of I.C. Systems being here. I am further appreciative of the payroll they generate that is pumped into this community. None of that goes unnoticed with me. That said; let me add…no one, no matter how many jobs they may have provided to this city, has the right to abuse any one of their employees.
Based upon the facts presented here, facts that to the very best of my knowledge can be verified; I ask you to cast your decision as to whether or not you think there is sufficient information to create enough doubt in your mind that the mayor tried to shut down this office in order to accommodate his campaign manager. You can do this by replying to staff@northiowatoday.com.
Peter J. Children||
