Art in the Park. This will happen if the Chamber wants it to and there isn’t a thing you can do to stop it….and why would you want to. It hurts no one.
No one should be against anything that is creative, if you don’t like the way it looks, then don’t look at it. As to the cost to the city and the use of taxpayer money….how is it different than the remodeling job at city hall that will cost double the estimated amount of what is being spent on statutes? There are things in life you can’t stop…like this; so get over it.
Direct your energy towards things that you can make happen, things like a new mayor, maybe a different form of government in this city. Go back to the strong mayoral form of governing and get rid of the City Administrator position, that would even out the cost of moving the desks around in city hall.
We seem to be functioning well without a City Attorney, so why not eliminate Trout’s job. Weren’t they looking for ways to save money by bidding out the garbage hauling, the working shifts at the Fire Department…well why not trim back at City Hall?
Ever since Eric took office there has been a feeling of uncertainty in the city. Starting with trying to shut down the HR office, then fooling with the Fire Department, the Sanitation Department, the Police and the North Iowa Landfill; all of which I believe were fueled by a lack of oxygen flowing to his brain. This guy now has a brain dead council and still he can’t get started. He gave a great “State of the City address,” which was total fiction…he should be reading fairy tales to youngsters at the library.
The city gives the museum around $265,000.00 a year. That money should be reexamined. The museum is firmly established now, they have a lot of money in their coffers and are in no danger of closing. Money should be spent on things that help the city and currently that is the Park Inn Hotel. That hotel brings a lot of people into town which in turn spend money while they are here. The museum is an important asset in this community but it’s proven that it can sustain itself now. Some of that money should go to the hotel to insure it remains open, the dividends it is paying will only increase as time goes by.
Skipper make good sense in his Monday column regarding the statues; while they might not be to everyone’s liking, I remind you that Baskin Robbins offers 31 flavors because not everyone has the same taste.
Peter Children
I come from a different place and time.
I appreciate what they did to the Park Inn because of it’s history, to which should be preserved. That makes me different than most folks here because of that belief. I grew up with fine architecture, fine art, and fine food.
Vision Iowa however, concerned me because of how they organizers went about it. They did not come to you or I about it’s substance, it was kept very quiet, even in the media. However once details did come out, there was a lot of public upset, and rightly so. We had just approved a bond issue for the Library (to fix up what those who mismanaged the institution allowed to fall into such disrepair).
But behind our backs, the same group proposed spending more money than we had, at a time when we had (and still have) other priorities. It was a wish list made up by a dollar amount goals, not prudent planning nor priorities.
The same people behind all that, are leading [sic] us today. It is hard to imagine anything less from them. They ignore what we really need here. They ignore the crime (and make sure the official organ does the same). They ignore the majority of the citizens needs. They also mismanage what they are entrusted to keep up. They want to break what is not broken. They allow anti-social behaviors by their collective inaction. (In fact, they have facilitated and tacitly approved some of it by giving money to an organization which for all practical purposes, perpetrates those violations of the law (where clearly, the organization owner had the wherewithal to do without taxpayer money).) They ignore the things that are wrong with Mason City such as broken sidewalks (safety hazards), broken homes (safety and health hazards), and overall blight.
I wish, truly, they would prove me wrong. I wish honestly they would look everyone in the face and say we have a long way to go before we look like, and more-so act like Sioux Falls, SD; Westchester, NY; or Aurora, IL.
But realistically, they put the horse before the cart, applying whitewash to a pig sty.
I would be remiss if it was not mentioned that commonly, exceptions to local laws are made where people are friends with officials from the City when it comes to safety and health hazards in our community. That only serves to deepen the chasm.
speaking of the park inn, and i don’t want to sound like a wet blanket but how are they really doing. i knew somebody that stayed there and said they were suprised on the lack of people staying there.
ernie you cant say that… the park in patrol will come after you. and boy are they sensitive.
Hello Mason City, IA,
You have a problem folks, your being ruled by people that want to rule you, not work for you. They want you to accept what every they want to do. Like spend thousand up on thousand of dollars of your money without bring it to a vote. The most important conclusion is this, YOU JUST DON’T GIVE A DAM!
Concerned Citizen
Is Robin (or should I say Rob em?) going to clean her statues when they get dirty or colored by the local artist with spray cans in the dark of night? Or will that be done by city workers paid for by taxes?
Just asking.
The Park Inn is one of the nicest places to have a few ice cold frosties. Very fairly priced & Very interesting people we have met. Most are far from social elites what ever those kind are?. Mason City has a real good start with a possibilty of a vibrant uptown again.
There are many possibilities… just ask Carl Grover how to invent a better entertaining uptown, downtown and around town…
I don’t know what you ordered but the drinks I’ve had there are by far the most expensive in town and poorly made. I won’t be back.
“Go back to the strong mayoral form of governing and get rid of the City Administrator position,”
I disagree….what happens if you get another mayor just like Mayor Bookmeyer is now? I don’t see how you would be any better off, we could even be worse off. The city manager is only doing what he is told to do, so in my opinion, the only sure fire way to change the things you don’t like in city hall is to start making changes at the top. And that would be to not re-elect Bookmeyer as mayor. Once a good level headed leader is in place, I think you will see a change (to some extent) in the council itself. BUT, people have to get off their butts and VOTE!!!!!
Pete, I got the gist of your article.
The taxpayers of Mason City have lost total control of their city government. The Chamber usually gets their way because for decades the Chamber have managed to have a majority on the City Council and controlled the Mayor.
Until this council we also have had a rogue Councilman that has served as a Watchdog. Most of the time that Watchdog could make things public and embarrass the Chamber and Elite to back off.
This last election that all changed. The Chamber has 100% control and they can cover things up until it to late for the taxpayers to raise hell and get special interest spending stopped.
I wonder if the Taxpayers are getting the gist?
To all who blogged:
You missed the point. If the Chamber wants it they are going to get it, there is nothing you can do. The do nothing council will give it to them because they are all cut from the same cloth. Yes I agree it would be much safter in the Southbride Mall but it will go just where Robin wants it to go….she running this dog & pony show and none of you are.
I am not against art, I am in the art business and have been for 40 years. Is it a good time for this? No it isn’t but your mayor is 100% behind it. and so is Trout. Just wait and see what and how this council will vote…then you’ll know what I already know
I meant to say “safer” in the mall
Did you also mean “Southbridge” then too? I know, it’s probably tough to type when you are rolling around on one of them old queens you are always servicing.
PC is right again. This do nothin council has already given robin the key to the city, where does it end? Eagerly awaiting the vote on this item.
Your title made me laugh, “….worry about other waste.” So you admit the statues are waste. LOL
Well, Moneybags… perhaps YOU would like to pay the bill for this!!! These sculptures could be displayed in the Mall at no cost and less vandalism.
Children must be smoking the same funny stuff as Peter L. Money spent by seniors on a bus tour. Who the HELL are you kidding. The Park Inn is nothing but a rich man’s toy and for the social elite only. If they spend one more dime of tax payer money on it they should all be run out of town on a rail. I have yet to see more than two people at a time in Central Park other than on special functions. Just the ravings of a senile old man in this article.
How big was the gift certificate from the park inn to get you to write this piece? Were ya still a little drunk when you wrote it? Weren’t you crabbing about the park inn earlier this year?
I agree. How much olive oil did the inn pay children for his sad little endorsement?
I don’t really care what the chamber does or how they spend their money. If they think these horrible statues will make the downtown so called cultural crescent look better, then let them spend their own dime on it. Taxpayer money should not be used for this crap. There is too many other things that need attention and need taxpayer dollars in Mason City.
To sum the whole opinion of this article, the writer actually said “Skipper makes good sense”. I don’t need to say anything else as I rest my case. “oh well Silly me”
Not very long ago they tried to get Max to get rid of his stuff, looks like they found a place for it, downtown.
That’s right! Everyone should turn a blind eye to the fact that Robin wants to spend over the average annual income of a MC citizen to put some crap in the park where only low income city bus riders go. Worry about something else for a change gall dern it! We should expect to just be double charged for everything. Oh well. And that beeaauuutifffulll downtown area. Bringing lots of revenue… Where? I see the buses stop, then a bunch of old social security geezers get out, take some free pictures then go to frank Lloyd wright house, take some more pictures and never see their bus again as they probably hit diamond jo casino next. Gotta spend their govt money somewhere right? Pete, either you live in a different reality than I do where everyone is trusted and money grows on trees or you are supporting the very political crappola that has put this town in dire straits.
So you think these eldery people are living on Govt. money OR the money they paid in for the last 50 or 60 yrs.?
It’s not about the sculptures – it’s about sticking the taxpayers of Mason City with the bill. If The Chamber of Communists think public art is a good idea, let them fund it PRIVATELY with ZERO involvement of taxpayer dollars.