by Matt Marquardt –
Today at a popular downtown eatery, Supervisors Jay Urdahl and Phil Dougherty were overheard discussing the possible city council candidacy of a local Mason City woman.
According to a trusted source, Jay Urdahl was heard talking about the woman’s prospects versus either Scott Tornquist or Travis Hickey. The name of the woman who is considering a run for the city council will remain confidential at this point.
The person who provided this news tip said that the man who paid for the supervisors’ lunches told the two supervisors that based on what Urdahl and Dougherty told him, “this lady running for City Council, for either the at-large seat or Ward Two, will get blown away by either Scott Tornquist, or by Travis Hickey.”
Also according to this source – who was seated very near to Urdahl’s table – Urdahl sat directly across from his host, with Dougherty seated next to the man who paid for the lunch. The source explained that Urdahl and Dougherty enjoyed a lunch of fried pickles, calamari, soups and desserts to go with their main entrees.
The source claims that the host of the lunch involving the two elected officials placed two crisp 50 dollar bills on the table when the bill arrived which remained in full view for “at least five minutes before the server came and took it away. A few minutes later, the waitress brought his change.”
“It blew us away,” the source told NIT, “just to see how brazen these two guys were, allowing someone to pick up the tab for such a pricey meal. No one at the table even seemed to give any thought to the idea that under the Code of Iowa, this lunch was illegal.”
As the three men got up to leave the restaurant, Phil Dougherty was overheard to say, “I wasn’t looking for a free meal,” and told his benefactor that he would “treat” him “some time” in return.
The patron who overheard Dougherty told NIT that Dougherty addressed the man as “either Tom, or Todd, something like that.”
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NOTE: According to Iowa law, elected Iowa officials may legally receive only non-monetary items with a value of three dollars or less that are received from any one donor during one calendar day.
Who is using who. There is more to this story. Urdahl is a cheap ass sleaze, who does not know that? But there is reasons besides fancy free lunches Jay hangs with a Nazi that laundered money for Republitards. Todd Blodgett is a cocky shit, he looks down on people he call leeches. Jay is the biggest leech I ever met, theres more to this story that needs peeled away.
That’s what I want to know too. Toddy boy is too much a snob to hang out with Urdahl unless there is something in it for him. Either that or all those years he used cocaine fried his little rightwingnut brain.
So our local neo nazi trouble maker steps into his latest pile of shit. Nothing new about that. Our local money crazy politician gets another free meal and then tries lying his way out. Nothing new there either. NIT deserves some credit though for getting this story out, the Glob would never touch it. They are too much in Urdahl’s corner and the Blodgett’s pocket. I bet ole doc sends his money laundering son back to Texas or wherever he lives real soon, if he’s not already been shipped back. Good riddance.
You reap what you sow; and now Urdahl is harvesting that very crop. How terribly sad that after years of public service, the only one who got serviced was himself. The only way to redemption left is to step down….and maybe avoid prosecution.
Urdahl should resign and him and Toddy boy the Nazi should be prosecuted. Get them for the max our laws can do.
Ronnie Raygun and Lee Attwater were two of the biggest turds the Republitards ever put over on us. That is where Todd Blodgett learned from them how to put one over on people, also why I will not get my hope’s up that him and Urdahl get brought to justice.
I was their waitress when this supposed incident happened. They have been in the restaurant on numerous occasions. This “witch hunt” is not accurate. They usually go dutch and sometimes take turns. They are not coming to lunch for a free meal, they enjoy each others company. Also, they obviously felt whatever they had to say didn’t need to be private, being they were eating in a small restaurant and knew they could be heard by others. Like the National Enquirer, don’t believe everything you read. I’m black and white or on the net!
Nate, is that you?
Matt make sure you check out this IP address
How much will you be getting paid to say that?
LMAO Katie, your right. The worse Republitards are the one’s who’s initials are TB? They think they can get away with anything.
Matt’s pics of Urdahl’s face are always so funny. He always has that same look on his face. It’s the same look I get from wild animals out at the acreage when I wonder by them.
Nope… not working. Very frustrating. I spent quite a bit of time on my drawing & then it disappeared when I tried to post it.
I really do apologize for that. I went ahead and disabled that feature until the developer fixes it. Then I will bring it back. Thanks for trying it.
A recall is the way to go, get Urdahl and Dougherty out. Ombudsman should look into the Blodgetts but I bet Gary already called Terry Braindead to head this thing off. Republitards and nazis protect their own, the more money they have the more cover they get from the powers to be.
No. If the ombudsmen go after Urdahl and his druggy friend, it don’t matter who Dr Blodgett knows or how much money he has. Thats why there is a ombudsman in the first place. If Jay broke the law when his racist buddy bought him lunch he is in legal arrears and Terry Bumstead cannot do shit.
If it doesn’t matter who they know, why is their racist, money laundering son with anger issues allowed to carry a lethal weapon and not in federal prison?
Tell that to the family that was killed by braindeads kid after he stole a government car and had an accident while driving drunk. after they found out whos kid it was they covered up the drink diving. fact
I just reread some of the reports and it said it was one of Gov. Branstad’s campaign vehicles, not a government car, and Eric tested negative for drugs and alcohol after the accident, according to the State Trooper. The biggest scandal was that the life flight helicopters on the scene flew him to the hospital and not the other victims. I doubt Branstad himself had anything to do with that decision. They probably did triage at the scene and decided Eric had the best chance of survival. The others were maybe already gone. I don’t know.
The kid really pissed everyone off when he showed up in court with a get out of jail free card. Only the joke was on us because the kid was right.
Katie: what you are reading was wrote after the fact. if you heard news reports from people at the scene and can find any information originally reported in the Ames??? paper you would find different information. the coverup I was talking about was the fact that his drunkeness was covered up. Eric was a troubled kid and had many many run ins with the law. Im not sure how to prove it, but because of his troubles he was shipped off somewhere cause he was causing alot of trouble for his daddy. his name is ERIC. does anyone in Mason City know another ERIC? back then there was no NIT or internet to get the truth out asap. it was manipulated. just like some of yo say the GG does
Sorry, Iowa doesn’t have recall votes.
Thats sad.
Its getting worse. Now Beermeister wants in on this gravy train, he invites Urdahl to his lunch thats suppose to be only for mayors.
All those years doing drugs must have fried TB’s brain because the editorials he writes for the Globe are some of the most anti free lunch, anti Democratic things I’ve ever seen. So he buys a couple Democrats a free lunch. It took us about six weeks in Mason City to hear Urdahl can’t be trusted.
Todd writes that shit to suck up to his old man, it is his way to make sure he stays in the will after all the drugs he did and all the shit he put them thru.
I used to see Jay Urdahl & Tom Jolas out to lunch all the time.
Funny part is, I saw in December, Jolas is Chairman of the Compensation Commission. For those of you that don’t know–that’s the group that recommends the Supervisor’s pay raises. Wonder who paid here?
This itself should be a CONFLICT-I would think.
I would LMAO if Urdahl ever gets bounced from his seat and goes back to loading boxes. If that ever happens Gary Blodgett would drop Jay like a hooker with AIDS.
Tom Jolas has been a walking conflict of interest for years.
@ Brick … yep. that’s right. It’s lucky for Mason City that Jolas never won favor with Gary Blodgett like Urdahl has. If Tommy had sucked up to old doc, he would probably still be mayor instead of washed up and bankrupt. And us working people would be stuck paying for it just like we are with Jay.
He was a conflict when he was mayor and has not gotten any better. He would love nothing better than to get back into politics locally again so he could make more money.
Now see these facts. Matt from Nit has what it takes to get the story and follow through.
Investigative reporting compared to the Glob!!
Oh that’s right, Skipper is one of the Supervisor’s “buddies” also!
Bet anybody here 10 bucks–the Globe won’t carry this story.
Better yet, I challenge EVERYONE that reads this to call Howard Query at the Globe and demand them to do a story. John would most likely get assigned.
Investigative journalism? The only thing I read hear was a retelling of a story told by an anonymous source. I’m not saying this didn’t happen, but investigating requires some investigation. No servers, owners, other patrons or the subjects of the article seem to have been consulted to verify information.
Before the spelling police show up, yes I know I should have spelled it “here”.
Your wrong, first of all they did talk to a patron it was a patron that give them the story. Second of all how do you know nobody else got consulted on this. Third of all don’t you think if NIT got even a teeny tiny thing wrong Urdahl would have had a public bitch on this. This is some the best investigative journalism work I have seen and the kind we will never see the Glob try.
Never turn down a free lunch.
People had a chance to vote them out and didn’t they got what they voted for
No the people did not get what they thought we voted for. No way. If I would of known Urdahl is controled by the Blodgetts I would of voted in a heart beat for Kyle. Gary Blodgett never did nothing for people like me I always vote against him every time he was running and Jay is worse, he came to my door and told me he is for the common person, ya right.
@ WTF yes Todd admits he is a addict, that is a good thing a lot better than half the drunks out there looks down on anybody has a diffrent addiction. i do not agree with him on his politics he is to Repub for me but at least he faces his demons tries to stay clean. One day at a time 12 steps to a new life.
Todd doesn’t need to take it to pot because he had a problem with coke. I can’t believe it, even the American Cancer Society changed their website because of cannabis’s ability to kill cancer cells.
Theirs gonna be a whole lot of egg on the face and eating crow when pot and it’s derivatives are shown to cure cancer.
Seems like the Supervisor’s have been called on the carpet several times the past few years. SOMEHOW, they “snake” out of it each time.
Makes one wonder how they keep getting re-elected??
There’s no wonder. When Phil Dougherty was on the ropes last fall, Gary Blodgett flooded the county with mailings to registered Republitards. His letters endorsed Jay’s alter ego, and greedy Gary asked them to vote against Chris Watts. Watts would have beaten Phil otherwise. Then there’s Jay, whose neanderthal sugar daddy Dr. Blodgett makes sure always has oodles of money in his campaign account. Same reason why Blodgett won Mason City when he was the candidate: in every election, the fascist doc outspent his opponents by at least 10 to one. No wonder. For Gary Blodgett, money talks.
Why don’t you do the respectful thing and just step down?
You both should not have been re-elected.
It was Blodgett’s money and ILL-influence that helped make this happen.
How many of you fools fell for this tactic?
Ask yourselves ONE QUESTION?
What have the County Supervisor’s done to improve the Economy here???
Jobs??
Where???
Put me down for that, Urdahl never serves the people elect him, his masters are the rich. Some Democrat he is, right. Jay accepts freebies from Todd the Nazi crack head than he gets his money from old man Blodgett and Gary’s rich friends. The a-hole lets these 1 percenter’s buy him fancy meals, there is no shame with this fake Democrat. Jay should be recalled by us who he has screwed over and keeps screwing.
Would you be interested in checking to see how a re-call election COULD happen?
I’d sign the petition if you’d get the ball rolling.
Toddy boy must of switched from buying crack here to buying fancy lunches downtown for the two court house nincapoops. This nazi cost MC working people lots of money, the cocky azzhole took his buddy Steve Minert to lunch out to the country club a couple years ago and introduce him to Bookie. A couple months later Bookie gets the Council to give all that money to Minert for the Harley. My neighbor worked there back then, she seen the whole thing go down.
@ Real: I heard the same thing, Blodgett was in on the Harley deal right from the get go. Just wonder if Minert paid him in cash or drugs.
You can tell when he’s using that crack. He get’s really defensive and types in caps. I think he has alter egos too that he uses when posting to make it look like he’s not alone in his view. Clue is most of them never show up until he does.
It’s a hoot ticking him off and watching his veins pop out in caps. lol.
Todd Blodgett is a drug addict? Now it’s all making sense to me. Good grief, what next?
He’s an admitted addict. He wrote an editorial at one time, I think it was on the Glob about drug addiction and openly admitted that he was a recovering addict.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL ROTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The crux of this issue comes down to the language in section 68A of the Iowa Code. Should a complaint be called in, most likely one phone call would be placed to both elected officials, and at the most they would be required to repay the value of this lunch. However, I’m not sure that this could be considered a “campaign event” if the individuals are friends and met for a casual lunch.
Matt. Why don’t you poll N I today readers and put together a slate of candidates?
Surely you and your readers can suggest names of people who would be good community representatives.
Does anybody else find it hilarious that in an attempt to attack Urdahl, the focus is now on Todd Blogett? Looks like this latest attempt to discredit anyone with any position of authority in Mason City has blown up in the “source’s” face.
Blodgett is a spoiled jerk, an arrogant rightwingnut that uses money to buy influence. He was a troublemaker at MCHS and he still makes trouble for MC. Urdahl is a phony Democrat, a greedy wanna-be that looks at Todd and sees dollar signs. Those two spell trouble for MC. Jay should resign and Blodgett should go back to Texas or wherever he lives.
Todd was funny in school, he trolled before trolling was even heard of. He’s still trolling you…lol
He was funny all right, but in an arrogant way. I was in the lunchroom when Blodgett mouthed off to Barry Alvarez. Only the most cocky or stupid kind of kid would do that. Blodgett was both. Coach Alvarez lifted Todd by his belt loops and dumped him in one of those big garbage bins. Yeah that was funny.
Wrong teacher, it wasn’t Alvarez, lol, good story though. It was the that bully azzwipe of social studies teacher and he deserved it!
@James-I think you will find that Blodgett is from Clear Lake or at least North Iowa. At one time the guy was FBI and I think possible secret service and I thought I read where he was on presidential duty at one time. That means the guy has some talents but has way to much money because of his parents. Now, as to Jay and Phil is something Democrats should be used to. Liberal Democrats are always ready to believe anything that they think will get them something for nothing. Just look at happy pinko guy and his girlfriend sick and stupid They are so pink they look red.
“Talent?” LOL! Yeah talent for being weird and having anger issues. He got his stint as aide to Regan thru his Dad’s connection. His dad was head of Health& Humman Services.
Most people of importance, class or intelligence don’t really care for him. They are just being polite and putting up with him instead getting down to his level. I wouldn’t trust him to walk my dog. God only knows what he’d do to the dog.
@anonymous-thank you. I don’t know the guy at all and have only heard about him from others. There is so much B.S. on here it is hard to know what to believe. When you have sick and stupid quoting stuff that is so far out Matt had to point out she was wrong (again) you know it is bad.
that is all you do LVS…repeat what you claim to have heard from somebody else. That is why you look so foolish most of the time. Half the BS that is on here is yours.
LVS once again you don’t know what you are talking about . “At one time the guy was FBI and I think possible secret service and I thought I read where he was on presidential duty at one time.” Never in the SS and according to him (who I trust about as much as you) he worked under cover as some sortof skin head. When will you learn to stop speaking out your butt?
@happy guy-just repeating what some Dumb A## Liberal told me.
If you want to know his history just tune into the GG and ask him. He lives on that site and will happily tell you his work history if you ask him.
This sounds like hearsay. Without audio tape or photos as proof, anyone can say anything they want just to make up a story.
Anybody can make up a story, true. But it can get very expensive to defend a lawsuit, even a baseless claim, when the plaintiff has deep pockets. Google ‘Blodgett v. University Club of Washington, DC’. Read what Blodgett did to the private club that booted him out after a news article revealed he took a neo-Nazi leader to lunch there. Blodgett got his head handed to him when he sued that club, and about a dozen other named defendants, and mhe ade a fool of himself in the process. But that action took seven years, and it cost both sides over $2 million. I believe that this story happened exactly as reported by NIT, especially given Mr. Blodgett’s known willingness to take legal action against those who he believes he can bully.
But there again, there is no real proof that Todd Blodgett is even involved. Only someone’s speculation is all there is.
Here is what I think happened. Blodgett takes Urdahl and Dougherty to lunch, he buys. But now the cat is out of the bag, so if Todd is contacted he will probably say Jay and Phil repaid him for their part. The two supervisors are probably freaking out over this like they should be. Blodgett doesn’t give a damn what anybody thinks, and he shoots his mouth off without any thought to consequences. For as long as I have known him, Todd does things his way, and he is used to getting his way. He is book smart but people stupid. But the last thing TB wants is to piss off his old man. That would prove to be a very costly mistake. I would wager he has already made Phil and Jay pony up, on the promise of him being willing to cover for them.
Unless the conversation was taped, it’s the nosey person’s word against theirs.
Not necessarily. If this thing goes to investigation, they will go to the restaurant and talk to the workers, the owner, the server, cashier, and anybody and everybody that saw these three there. All it will take to nail Urdahl and Dougherty is for whoever got Blodgett’s hundred bucks to verify that he paid. Iowa law categorically prohibits elected officials from accepting any meal that cost $2.50 or more. Even if Blodgett is willing to cover for these clowns, and say that they reimbursed him, it is still no stogie for Jay and Phil. The law is really very clear. Not only would Dougherty and Urdahl be in a legal and an ethical mess, but Blodgett will have stepped into yet another pile of shit. I pity this wingnut’s parents, they are actually very nice people. As for Moe and Larry, AKA Jay and Phil? Serves ’em right. Nail ’em.
It was paid with “cash”. No way to prove who’s 2 50’s were on the tray. And again no taped conversation. Burden would be on the persecutor. I doubt big government is going to waste time & money following this “overheard in a restaurant” story.
If it turns out I’m wrong I’ll apologize and take salt with the crow.:)
Wrong, no way any of that money was Urdahl’s. Jay wouldn’t give you the steam off his piss.
Anonymous you are so wrong, all the investigators have to do is ask the server who paid. Who got the change. Who left the tip, if any. If that’s Blodgett, then Phil and Jay get wrote up.
I think I know who this could be, If I am correct she is the mother of 5 children. Is not a person who has anything handed to her, I admire her as a mom, wife and excellent professional. I see her routing for her kids in sporting events and I have also watched her cheering on other children. She is respectful of others, yet speaks her mind and beliefs. I hope hope hope she runs, if it is who I think it is, she has my vote based on how I have watched her be a person in this community, not needing the lime light and yet works her hiney off for others. What I love the most, she fights for what she believes in, yet if she makes a mistake when she knows it she is the first to apologize and will do what it takes to make it right. I really hope it is her…. When do people start publically announcing?? When will we know for sure who it is?
TORNQUIST IS A WASTE OF BREATH
HE THINKS HIS SHIT DONT STINK
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2005/02/wildest-dc-gay-prostitution-story-yet.html
NIT has looked into the old story (from 1989) about Mr. Blodgett and the scandal you provided the link to. We found no evidence anywhere to substantiate the allegations purporting Mr. Blodgett’s involvement, certainly nothing direct, in the matter. In fact, Mr. Blodgett continued working in GOP politics, and campaigns, for many years after that article ran. According to sources we spoke with, and researched, Blodgett was not only never accused of any direct involvement in the matter, but he was exonerated by the powers that be within the Republican Party apparatus. Finally, given the strident, anti-gay attitudes of the Republican Party in the 1990s, and beyond, Republicans told NIT that it would have been highly unlikely, if not impossible, for Mr. Blodgett to have remained involved in conservative Republican politics if he had been in any way what-soever directly connected with the story you referenced.
Good for you NIT Staff. I am not a fan of Todd Blodgett but I don’t think it is right to spread rumors either.
@bodacious-that is what sick and stupid does best.
now that is a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black. I doubt LVS understands that saying but I’m pretty sure the rest of you do. Sorry LVS I don’t have time to explain it now. I have some volunteer work to do today. That is the kind of stuff us pinko commie libs do. Lend a helping hand to those in need. Another concept you probably don’t understand. Save the name calling for later today. I don’t want to miss a good laugh.
@happy pinko guy-did you get someone to read it to you. Then after that do they have to explain it to you. People who do good charity work do not have to brag about it, they just do it so I would think this is just another one of your lies that you are so good at.
@sick – I also didn’t mean to jump down your throat. And I probably didn’t explain what I meant very well either. I look at the aspersions to Todd’s character as irrelevant to the discussion about this story. I usually agree with you and I still do. I just don’t think bringing up anyone’s past transgressions adds anything to the discussion. And LVS, oh, never mind.
LVS: whats your opinion on happyguy and anonymous being the same person, friends, or lovers? both of them sure have the same attitudes, use of phrases,and name calling. think about it.
No happy & anonymous aren’t the same nor lovers. Perhaps they have like minds. Like you and LVS have. Happy was here before anonymous. And there is more than one anonymous.
And what’s your fixation with anonymous? You really have a problem with someone having a different view than yours. And discrediting you on some subjects.
The lover thing could be said about you/LVS. You seem to not be able to stand alone in your view. You need cohorts. Poor poor pitiful you.
p.s @ happy. I like your view and style.
If you had the opportunity to look at ALL the post between me and LVS you would not say that. we have had disagreements before. I cant recall him badmouthing me tho.
thanks anonymous. I appreciate that. I should be a bit nicer to LVS. He is getting old and demented. He doesn’t seem to know fact from fiction or a truth from a lie anymore. He is even getting boring with his name calling. He has been stuck on the pinko thing for quite sometime. It is getting boring, just like his posts are. I guess that is old age catching up to him.
50 miles I don’t believe I have ever met anonymous or sickastupd but I would like to. They seem to be some of the smarter that post here. I do believe we could become good friends.
Pardon me, but isn’t this whole story mere hearsay and speculation? The link I provided has verifiable facts – Todd himself even admits his former Neo-Nazi ties. As for being a liaison for politicians and gay prostitutes, there is exactly as much proof to back this up as there is that Todd was the mysterious “Tom” or “Todd” buying lunch in the original story.
Well we will see about all that. I have made contact with Urdahl and Dougherty asking for their side of the story. They can deny or admit this incident. I have also contacted the state authorities. We will let this play out all the way to the bitter end. I stand by the story 100%.
And I am looking forward to the results. I strongly believe that this incident occurred, and, as I have said before, appreciate your style.
So what’s with jumping down my throat for posting this link? Todd even admits half this stuff. And if your premise is that Republicans are stridently non-gay so it can’t be true, I am here to tell you how wrong you are.
Sorry if you get that impression. Was not trying to attack in any way, just stating what we have come up with so far. Thank you for coming to NIT to share your perspectives.
But of course they will deny any connections to homosexuality. Republicans tend to hide their little secret lives. Todd also claims to have worked for the FBI. Who knows what he’s done in his life. When it comes to Todd as the saying goes “Who knows? The Shadow Knows.”
By the way he’s probably reading all this stuff and loving the attention he’s getting. I’m going to stop feeding into his over blown ego trip myself.
I really do hope this gets reported and investigated, as it is illegal as hell. State law. What most pleases me about this is that the neo-Nazi’s daddy’s connections won’t be of any use to him this time. Big Daddy Blodgett won’t even be able to go to his old buddy Terry Braindead to rescue his cocky little holocaust denier from Todd’s latest act of gross stupidity. That’s because Blodgett fils was meeting with two Democrats, and I doubt that in this case the TB in Des Moines will want to help the TB up here.
Kudos to NIT for unearthing this one. Grand work, Mr. Markwardt. It will bear watching to see if this lady announces her candidacy. If all of a sudden some very substantial money starts flowing to her campaign, we will very likely be able to trace it directly to this pow-wow.
@ Publius: Surprised that young Blodgett even talks to Urdahl and Dougherty. They voted to ban guns from the courthouse, that could not of sat well with Todd. Jay is greedy as all get out and Phil is dumber than a box of pancake mix. But TB is insane.
Strictly physical attraction.
You might be right. I have also heard Jay was roommates with Schickel back in the day, and people got to raising eyebrows. Maybe the neo-Nazi’s money is not the only thing about TB that Jay is attracted to.
eeeeew. dangit…..my memory will not let me erase your post. EVER!
And Todd hates liberals. I can’t imagine him buying one lunch. He’d accuse them of being a leacher. His daddy bought Urdahls election so his taxes wouldn’t go up. (from Matts story during election time)
Definitely somebody call the ombudsmen. I wish this would of come out when the election was going on. I have read that Todd Blodgett sold some stock shares he owned in a racist music company Resist Records Inc, for $250,000. OK if this is true than Phil and Jay ate food bought from hate dollars.
I know this is old, but it’s our boy:
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2005/02/wildest-dc-gay-prostitution-story-yet.html
OMG …
Maybe Jay was asking Blodgett to give money for the lady’s campaign for Council, and he wants to skim some off the top.
Why do these pathetic excuses for supervisers give a rat’s what Todd Blodgett thinks. TB don’t even live here now. Urdahl and Dougherty were just looking for there latest free meal from somebody with more money then brains and too much time on his racist hands.
Can I interest you in a dictionary?
I know the lady they are talking about and whether she runs against Tornquist or Hickey, to be honest neither of those gentlemen stand a chance against her!!!!!!!!!!
Please tell me her initials aren’t KC.
Here’s my two cents worth. Hickey is the least-hated out of the four up for re-election. And make no mistake, all four will be back on the ballot. In my opinion, in my dealing and interactions around town, Bookmeyer is loathed. Plain and simple. The stories I have heard about Eric Bookmeyer make my skin crawl. The man has a narrow echelon of people backing him- but they all vote. The same goes for Tornquist. No one likes him. I can’t find one person who will speak highly of these two, ever. Hickey is distrusted and un-liked by city workers but has more respect. Solberg is the butt of every punchline. If a broomstick runs against her she will lose.
The broom stick wont run against Solberg she rides it to counsel meetings.
To Anonymous also. That’s not right, It is illegal period. How does anyone know if they are talking about business, and better yet, are they going to tell anyone that business was discussed? I think not. No one knows what goes on in these meetings, except the ones meeting together. It is against the law, and not morally ethical. I know this because I was a city elected official for 5 years, If I or anyone knew there was going to be a qua-ram present, one or two of had to leave, which was done a couple of times when I was an elected official. This would never happened when we were in office. The supervisors should know this, and should come under investigation.
Mike, based on the story, they were not talking about County business, they were talking about city council candidates. In that case, they are not subject to open meetings laws. If no one was privy to the conversation, then you are correct, we don’t know if county business was discussed and there could have been a violation. Simply having a majority of a board of supervisors or a city council in the same room, does not violate open meetings laws. For instance, if four council members show up at a band festival, they are not violating the law. If they are at band festival and choose to discuss an upcoming project that will be on their agenda then they are violating the law. I appreciate your service on the Park Board. It appears that you were very careful to avoid the appearance of a violation. It also sound like you went above and beyond what the law requires. I take the transparency of government seriously. Every Iowan should read the sunshine updates on the Attorney General’s web page. The Public Interest Institute also has a newsletter they publish on government transparency. Both are valuable tools to help citizens.
Gotta hand it to you, Matt. You truly are the best. After this story gets out you will double your subscriptions, but you’ll need to start allowing only paid members to read articles like this. Only fair.
I thank you for that note. In this case, I want all the people of North Iowa to see these shenanigans. Some people may not have the means to pay for a subscription right now, and I feel this is information all voters and residents of North Iowa should know about.
Fair enough. I like that.
Is it illegal for them to discuss city council candidates outside of a supervisor’s meeting?
How sensational!
Throw the book at all 3 sleazey bast–ds. Phil is Jay’s lackey, just like Jay is Todd’s. Thanks to Mr. Marquardt, what is wrong with our broken system is now exposed.
Phil is Jay’s lackey alright, but Jay is Todd’s daddy’s lackey, not Todd’s. Gary’s. Toddy boy would be nothing, but a washed up Nazi if it was not for big daddy’s fortune.
I have a question, I believe there are 3 County Supervisors, and if two are together, this is a violation of the Iowa’s Open Meetings Law, because a qua-rm is now met with the two meeting together. Correct me if I am wrong. If I am write, it should be investigated Just sayin.
Generally its only a violation if they are talking about business that is before the Board or likely to be before the Board. 100% of the time it looks bad.
A case for the ombudsman. Be fun to see how Jay and Blodgett try slipping this one. What do you bet they are mighty hacked at Phil being so dumb, what he said leaves no room for Toddy boy to say he didn’t buy. LMAO ROTF
Yep.
I shall venture to speculate that Publius is probably correct in opining that the unethical favor seeker who paid was Todd Blodgett. Just like most Republicans Mr. Blodgett learned early on that things can be bought, including politicians. Like father, like son, applies.
Jay lives for his freebies, good for you Matt getting this out. Time to shut down these fake Democrats that live high on Republicans bribes.
That’s another reason Kyle & Chris should have been elected!
Never seems to cease with the good ole boys!!
Todd Blodgett
Bring these two up on ethical charges. They are no better than anybody else, they just think so. Go after who it is that paid too.