Editorial by Matt Marquardt –
I just received a phone call alerting me to a press conference that will be held today at City Hall regarding what the caller described as the “real story” behind how Mayor Eric Bookmeyer has treated our Human Rights agency. This oughtta be good.
You remember our City Hall, it’s that building in downtown Mason City that is being remodeled at the behest of Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and our do-nothing, leaderless City Council.
This is the same mayor who hates our long-standing Human Rights agency and wants to put it out of business. Bookmeyer wants to take River City back to the mid 1960’s, a time when segregation was still being practiced; when whites and blacks could not always eat in the same cafes; when sometimes blacks couldn’t easily vote. A time when there was no Human Rights agency here.
I was in City Hall yesterday, checking out the construction project. I wanted to make sure the mayor was only going to have one drinking fountain installed, not one for whites and one for everyone else. So far so good there; I’ll keep an eye on it.
Back to the call I received about the press conference. Apparently, what was written in the Bookmeyer Gazette about yesterday’s Human Rights Commission meeting wasn’t 100% accurate and some of the victims of Bookmeyer’s bullying want to get the story out first hand so it cannot be tainted, skewed, and twisted by our local newspaper that’s not worth much more than used Charmin.
I’ll be at the press conference today and report the truth as always.
Enough said.
Does anyone know what beermeyer did before he came to MC? He must of been a salesman because he suckered alot of us into electing him for mayor. If Im correct alot of us were pissed off at what was happening before and now again were pissed at what hes doing. We as a community need to check out who we are electing. If I knew he had an arrest I would of voted for a monkey instead of him. “Enough Said”
What he did before he came to MC? I think he was ran out of Clinton, Iowa. Didn’t he get charged with harassing a public official and public intoxication out there?
Why do the voters keep electing alcoholics for mayors? Please someone, tell me why?
Katie: If you don’t think there is racism right here in River City today then I have a bridge I would like to sell you.
I actually think there is more racism in North Iowa now than there was 40+ years ago. I’m shocked by some of the hatred I see spewed on this website. But a lot of things have changed locally.
Is crime in Mason city of intrest to the Mayor at all? Does be review and evaluate Mason Cities finest like be does HRC? It seems to me that with all the dope on the street , Mr Bookmeyer should be more concerned with MCP keeping law and order.
Skinny Eric, what happened to you?
I am happy to see the other side of this issue have a chance to tell its side also. After reading the article in the globe I thought the story was too one sided to be an accurate account of what is going on. Whats up with the picture of the mayor in the paper doesn’t look like our mayor at all.
Charges, Dispositions, Sentences
Title: STATE VS BOOKMEYER, ERIC A
Case: 07231 SMCR041146 (CLINTON)
Citation Number:
Defendant: BOOKMEYER, ERIC A
——————————————————————————–
Count 01 Charge
Charge:
718.4 Description: HARASS PUBLIC OFFICER/EMPL. – 1978 (SMMS)
Offense Date: 03/03/2000 Arrest Date: Against Type:
DPS Number:
Adjudication
Charge:
718.4 Description: HARASS PUBLIC OFFICER/EMPL. – 1978 (SMMS)
Adj.:
DNU-DISMISSED Adj.Date: 04/19/2000
Adj.Judge:
JUDGE, MICHAEL M
Comments:
Sentence
Charge:
718.4 Description: HARASS PUBLIC OFFICER/EMPL. – 1978 (SMMS)
Sentence Date:
04/19/2000 Sentence: DISMISSED
Appeal:
Sen.Judge: JUDGE, MICHAEL M
Facility Type:
Attorney: N
Restitution:
N Drug: N Extradition: N
Lic.Revoked:
N DDS: N Batterer: N
Fine Amount:
Duration:
Comment:
——————————————————————————–
Count 02 Charge
Charge:
123.46 Description: CONSUMPTION / INTOXICATION – 1978 (SMMS)
Offense Date: 03/03/2000 Arrest Date: Against Type:
DPS Number:
Adjudication
Charge:
123.46 Description: CONSUMPTION / INTOXICATION – 1978 (SMMS)
Adj.:
DNU-DISMISSED Adj.Date: 04/19/2000
Adj.Judge:
JUDGE, MICHAEL M
Comments:
Sentence
Charge:
123.46 Description: CONSUMPTION / INTOXICATION – 1978 (SMMS)
Sentence Date:
04/19/2000 Sentence: DISMISSED
Appeal:
Sen.Judge: JUDGE, MICHAEL M
Facility Type:
Attorney: N
Restitution:
N Drug: N Extradition: N
Lic.Revoked:
N DDS: N Batterer: N
Fine Amount:
Duration:
Comment:
2 dismissed charges from 1978.WOW what a find!!!!
should have read from 2000
Failure on your part.
@Reggie, he was born in 1978…the charges are from 2000.
Looks like he was celibrating 4/20 a bit early! Must have shared some of his stash with the judge to get this expunged!
If he gave up the booze and started his happy hour at 4:20 every day we would probably see a nicer, mellower, much more approachable mayor. He sure doesn’t sound like a “happy drunk”. All we need is a “mean drunk” running our town!
I fully believe that bookmeyer is a bully. If he doesn’t like you watch out and if your not his puppet you will be on his get list!!! Do you all understand that the human rights is not a paid position. It is made up of people that care about people’s rights. I don’t believe 2 commissioner are there for that reason. I believe they are bookmeyers puppets I am so proud of Dean He is a stand up guy and will not be bullied by bookmeyer.
I stopped into city hall last week to pay my $100 water bill and saw that the unneeded remodel is underway and sign posted by the “out of town” construction company.
Are you so sure this is about racism, or does the mayor just not like Mr. Foster? You called what the mayor did to him in announcing his appointees in the GG without telling Foster first a dirty trick, so it sounds to me as if he doesn’t like Mr. Foster. That doesn’t make it racism any more than there is no racism in the fact that I don’t like Obama. Unless you have proof that he has said racist things about Mr. Foster, you can’t accuse him of racism for disliking him. And if that were the case, Mr. Foster would know where to file a complaint!
So please explain how you know that the mayor is a racist wanting to take us back to segregation, which I don’t ever remember existing here. Do you think closing the HR Commission will take us back to segregation? I don’t think so.
Matt, I don’t remember any blatant racism in North Iowa when I grew up here in the 50’s and 60’s. The blacks and Hispanics in school were accepted and included by the other students.
I went on a trip to the southeast in 1961 and was totally shocked at how black people were treated there. They were treated as sub-human. It was a huge wake up for me after being in Iowa where that kind of thing didn’t happen.
Careful now Katie…how dare you question “the kings” OPINIONS.
@Katie-Let me assure that there was discrimination here in the 50’s and a little in the 60″s. We even had some KKK here. They were not real active but if you went to the wrong place you were made very uncomfortable in a hurry. Now, don’t misunderstand, it was a two way street as the minority’s were just as prejudiced and maybe even more so then the white’s. I can attest to that. I am not convinced the mayor is a racist as I think he just does not like Lionel and has it in for him because of I.C. Systems. Doesn’t matter, our mayor is a proven dictator and bully and needs to be impeached.
She didn’t see it so it didn’t exist. Is that so hard to understand?
There was likely some racial discrimination here, but I never saw anyone mistreat a minority at school or in public. Of course I knew some bigoted parents who didn’t want their children dating Mexicans or blacks. However, there were plenty of Protestants who wouldn’t let their kids date Catholics back then, either. Times have changed for the better in a lot of areas. It’s all relative.
@Katie-You are entirely correct. I am a living example of the prejudice of the so called religious people and of the racial biase that went on back then. On both sides of the street.
Geez– typo;;;; this douchebag….
Iam so anxious for this!!! The truth about his douchebag and his agenda against the real citizens of Mason City has gotta start striking a chord!!!
People wake up!!! Take your town back!!! We cannot afford much more of this. It’s like the Gestapo and the Tea Party have joined forces and it is really ugly!!!!
Isn’t there a way we can empeach ole beermeyer? We push all this bullying stuff in our schools and as far as Im concerned this is what him and his gang are doing. This has to stop. “Matt for Mayor”
Probably can’t do it if you can’t spell it correctly.
WOW Smoothy-you were just hit by the N.I.T. spelling policeman. Anonymous has nothing better to do then to watch for spelling errors. Must be a retired, frustrated English teacher.
Chide the literate? That makes no sense.
Racism is alive and well here! So are a lot of other ugly things! This mayor is a joke!
I remember playing at lionels house,with his step daughter Kandi. Its was Lionel who taught us about racisiam. I’m white so it was’nt discussed in my home. I learned of Martin Luther King jr and Rosa Parks through my friends Kandi. She too is white. I rember she once confided on me that Lionel was unsure of how much be should educate me on the matter,be feared my parents would like it.
The real story.Ask John Erickson sr. who be wanted for mayor and why? That is were you’ll find your truth.
Thank you Matt-Please keep us informed. Just for the record, you will have to go back farther than the mid-1960’s to see the kind of predudice you discribe. There might have been some in the 50’s but not any where as much as some people would have us believe. There was predudice on both sides of the street believe me. I have lived it.