Editorial by Matt Marquardt –
What is Robin Anderson doing in Des Moines, meeting with our two Democratic legislators, Sharon Steckman and Amanda Ragan?
According to a post made Thursday on the Mason City Chamber’s Facebook page, which has a whopping 335 followers, Anderson “had a great day in Des Moines yesterday learning about governmental issues that may impact local businesses” and they posted the photo you see accompanied with this story.
You can bet Anderson’s not there in the best interests of the average Mason City citizen, and probably not doing a whole lot for 99% of the small businesses that somehow feel the need to belong to the Chamber, but feeling and looking important is the juice for some people, and Robin loves to strut around with people and act important. I wonder if Anderson knows she is losing a Chamber member this month when another downtown business, The Clothesline, closes? How many does that make in the last year or two, Robin? By the way, from what I am told, you are really reaching with some of your new recruits.
Perhaps Anderson is in Des Moines lobbying for millions more state dollars for her posh Commerce Center, located in her pal Eric Bookmeyer’s “Cultural Crescent.” You can’t miss the $1.5 million Commerce Center, it’s the one with the Frank Lloyd Wright lamps and the granite counter tops that we all paid for, courtesy of state funding Steckman and Ragan helped secure for Anderson.
Mason City is known as a blue collar town. According to my research, the Chamber of Commerce is anti-labor and according to one source, “has been campaigning against unions, fair labor practices, increases in the minimum wage, and legal protections for America’s workers for nearly a century.” In fact, I have been told more than once by politically-connected folks here in Mason City that our Chamber over the years has fought to keep wages down here in Mason City. Apparently, our larger employers who are Chamber of Commerce members do not want competition from new industry coming to town, and offering better wages. They might then have to raise their wages. Could this be one reason Mason City has not seen any new industry of note come to town in years? Just last February, a peer of Mason City’s, Fort Dodge, bragged about the hundreds of new jobs coming there. Meanwhile, our delusional Mayor Eric Bookmeyer recently took credit for unemployment of 5% in Mason City. He might be right, as McDonald’s and Wal-Mart are teaming with $8 per hour workers. See what can be accomplished when City Hall, state legislators and the Chamber of Commerce work together?
Why would two Democratic legislators spend time with this woman and associate with this organization, helping it secure millions of our tax dollars, while it clearly cares nothing for the common person? What has the Mason City Chamber of Commerce done for Mason City besides use its political connections at City Hall to force us to buy sculptures? Is this not the height of hypocrisy?
Sharon, Amanda, perhaps you can explain this Saturday at your town hall meeting you are holding at the Mason City Library at 10 AM: Do you stand with Democratic ideals or the agenda of the Chamber of Commerce?
Mason City is a dying town. It has a blue collar heritage that declined even worse due to civic mismanagement and short sighted low wage policies.
The casino would have been a major boost but the fear mongers and zealots killed that idea while money floods into Worth County.
I wish I could see into the future and glimpse at Mason City in fifty years.
Who in the H would want to come to MC and open up a plant? No one with half a brain would invest in MC. They know when they do all the naysayers would whine that the pay isn’t enough. All the bickering whineing backstabbing idiocy in that city is enough to drive anyone away. I lived there for 12 yrs. and wouldn’t live there again if someone else paid my rent. There is so much petty jealosy going on there it’s enough to make a person puke.
Anytime somone wants to improve the looks of the city people start whining. If MC wasn’t the county seat; the whole town would look like the N End. It’s outsiders that keep that city thriving.
You’re right about the jealousy. I am amazed at the attitudes of so many of the blue collar posters on here. They hate business owners and do not want them to do well. Small, independent business owners struggle like everyone else and have to fight the big box stores and Internet businesses in some way or other. It’s very hard for some to stay in business at all, especially if they are a business that has to mail invoices out for services as way too many people just ignore the bills and you have to spend more money to take them to court.
Good article Matt. It points out what I have been saying for quite some time, people are fooling themselves thinking their political party,(either one) is noble and not being bought out. The republicans say they hate wellfare and then turn around and with bailouts have corporate wellfare that completely dwarfs individual welfare. the democrats claim to be for the little guy but are constantly making exceptions when the big guy is on there side, special tax breaks for the entertainment industry, Exceptions to laws for Unions-yes unions are big guys too-check out the salaries of the union bosses. And oh yes, the democrats supported the bail outs too! Both parties conform together on the biggest screw jobs. So yeah, I’d be pretty worried when I see the likes of the picture above.
Well said Mr. Petersen. The truth exposed, again.
Anyone remember old prune face Marinos saying on camera as long as I am mayor there will never be a casino in Mason City. I guess statues downtown and remodeling in the courthouse for the toad man and the brain dead idea of marketing our water is better for the community.
Marinos and her “hands off” style of governing are the worst poison Mason City could swallow. This woman is no leader. She is a chair warming, martini sipping parasite. She has been a failure as Mayor and now as a council member. She has helped no one but her crony Robin since she was elected and Mason city has suffered for it. We need new leadership.
@Matt-and this is a surprise to anyone?
Wow, I just went on Sharon Steckman’s website to find out her stance on medical marijuana, which will be a topic of discussion in the Iowa legislature this session. When I searched for “medical marijuana” on the website, here’s the message I received:
“Sorry the search you looking for did not existed”
I’m not kidding. This is exactly what it said. (I copied and pasted.) There are at least FOUR instances of incorrect punctuation, spelling, etc., in that ONE sentence. Pathetic!
How DARE you question Sharon and Amanda. Are you some kind of bully??
I guess I must be. 🙂
I agree with 4ever49. Referring to MC as being “blue-collar” in this day and age is a negative. Too many people here are living in the past looking for their knight in shining armor (manufacturing) to come to town and provide good wages with excellent benefits to those lacking motivation whose only goal in life is to work eight hours a day putting a widget on something and retire with a good pension. Those days are HISTORY!
@Globe-Really-why don’t you tell that to the workers at Stellar, IMT, Winnabago, The new tire plant in Charles City, the new company’s that have opened in Hampton and Fort Dodge, and of course the New one in Osage. You are mistaken if you think manufacturing is dying. It looked that way thanks to NAFTA and Bill Clinton but now company’s are finding out that due to the dollar exchange, taxes and not being able to control the operation, it is cheaper and they get better quality by manufacturing here in the U.S. Smart city’s and towns know that and are getting the business and that is why they are growing and we are shrinking.
Matt: If you get a chance you might also investigate the national Chamber of Commerce’ stance on the National Affordable Health Care Act (aka- Obamacare). When viewed in that light, this odd trio of bedfellows becomes even more ironic and unsettling.
A couple of observations – first, it is the Chamber of “Commerce”, not the Chamber of Labor. Second, if Mason City persists in identifying itself as a “blue collar town” just how many new employers do you think would be attracted by that?
“Blue collar” jobs continue to disappear – into Mexico and elsewhere. The latest biggie is Federal Mogul in the Rochester area. The reason – labor costs enhanced by NAFTA which was passed while Clinton was President. These are all economic forces outside the ability of the City to affect.
Mason City swims in an ocean of competitors who essentially have the same plate of goodies to offer prospects. Target went to Cedar Falls because, in addition to the standard set of freebies, they own their own utility and had another set of goodies to offer that we did not.
As to the oft repeated comment that the Chamber does not want high wage employers in town as they would drive up wages – I’d like to see the proof of that Matt.
@4ever49-the proof is right here in River City. How many new company’s do you see starting here? How many have shut down over the years and have not been replaced? All you have to do is look. They will bring in retail with their minimum wage jobs, but all the good jobs go to Garner, Forest City, Hampton, Osage, Northwood, Charles City and even New Hampton. You would have to be BLIND not to see there is something keeping good paying jobs out of Mason City.
I have to agree with LVS. Garner and other area communities are growing in population, adding opportunities and Mason city is losing population and very few if any middle class types of jobs remain. This town ran off the possibility of a casino as well, which would have been a huge asset to the county and city not to mention the downtown area. Now, Worth and Northwood are literally fighting over the money. Perhaps we are afraid of success here. I just mentioned Fort Dodge in the story, re-read it and click the link where their local newspaper talks about all the new jobs coming there. These jobs are mainly blue collar. Manufacturing is not dead in the U.S., in fact it is reported that it is on the rebound here, so do not use that excuse. Lastly, the labor pool here is fit mainly for manufacturing, just a simple truth, so manufacturing jobs should be pursued.
Yes, if Chambers of Commerce are so bad for attracting decent-paying jobs to a town, that must mean that Fort Dodge, Cedar Falls, and all the other towns that have won businesses instead of Mason City must not have Chambers scaring business away.
Katie, again you are reading more into my assertions than what was said. The Chamber is only 1 piece to the puzzle. As I stated, a loosely-affiliated group working together to keep wages down and new industry out is my contention (Large employers who belong to Chamber, the Chamber itself, City Hall, legislators). How this is accomplished is more complicated (some might call it “corruption”), but the fact that smaller surrounding communities are landing industry with blue collar jobs and Mason City is not is the writing on the wall that something is rotten in the cultural crescent and proves Mayor Bookmeyey is a delusional liar with an ego to match Robin’s.
Furthermore, all Chambers are not created equal. Some have very competent people working and directing them, that care about their communities and not their egos. They may not have an open checkbook at City Hall like ours has and actually has to work to accomplish things. I seriously question if the MC Chamber gives two cents about Mason City and its betterment.
Democrat and ideals is an oxymoron!
The Chamber has been this way as long as I can remember. It has been well known around town that the chamber and the “business” owners in town do NOT want good paying jobs in Mason City because they would have to raise their pay rates and wouldn’t make as much profit. Max Weaver used to complain about the chamber and he did it for a reason. max is from my old neighborhood and my time. He knows. I know you can not trust Ragan but I had hopes for Steckman. I just lost that hope.
The statement I was always told when talking with my business friends is ” we don’t want to be another Waterloo.” The self proclaimed leaders of this community will stop at nothing to try to inflate their egos and carry out the agenda of the Chamber which is to control wages. This mindset is at an all time high with the election of their toad mayor who has no conscience or respect for the blue collar worker.
Could be interesting if Matt actually gets an answer to his (very fair) questions.
The big wigs of this town have been keeping new industry out for over 60 years.
The face of socialism at the local level. They will demand to spend every dime you make. You dont deserve to keep it
How dare you question Amanda and Sharon. Matt you are bully, why don’t you find something else to investigate? They both have done so much for North Iowa. They tirelessly serve. So what if they helped the chamber.
@Sharon was my teacher
WTH? Matt asked a couple of questions and he is a Bully?
You said: “They tirelessly serve,” Serve what? For their re-election and that is it.
Could you state a list of things specifically that they have done for North Iowa? I would love to see that list.
I really don’t think it is fair to label me a bully for questioning our two fine legislators. After all, it is my job to do so, and I did it in a civil manner using my real name. This is an obvious, glaring double standard here from these two. How can Sharon and Amanda claim to stand up for the working man yet support Robin Anderson and the Chamber Commerce? It simply does not compute. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. They helped secure $1.5 million for an organization that hates regular working people unless you join their club and pay dues as a “business owner” which after checking the ranks of their members is shaky at best. The Chamber is nothing more than an elitist lobbying group that does nothing for most of its members. It has no place in our legislature and most of all no place in our City Hall and should be shown the door immediately. Let’s hope we get a new mayor and three new council members that see this.
Matt, the question everyone is asking is, will you run for mayor or council? What are your thoughts? You’d have my vote.
I appreciate you asking this question, but as I have stated before, at this time I am only a concerned citizen who has gotten involved with city government by attending meetings, reading council packets/documents and writing stories about what I see. I have taken pages of notes on what I have learned and what common people have disclosed to me. Some of it would make your jaw drop and has never been written about here on NIT.
Matt, when will you write about this? I’m dying to hear about it!
I will either write or speak about each incident and item when the appropriate time arrives. Until then, the list grows. As a teaser, just today was given a very interesting piece of information on our not-so-illusrious 4th ward council woman. Seems she doesn’t play nice when camping and loves free coffee. Talk about giving Mason City a black eye.
“How dare you question Sharon”??? Holy sheit! LMFAO. GD right question that worthless woman! And who cares if she was your teacher.
Matt, I hope you will be there to pose your questions to Amanda and Sharon on Saturday. I am unable to go, but I would be very interested in hearing their responses.
Your editorial hit the nail on the head. Mason City is a blue-collar town, while those that are supposed to be attracting new businesses/jobs don’t give a crap about the ordinary working person. Who even goes into the Chamber? Why the swanky digs?