BACKGROUND: NorthIowaToday.com has reported since 2010 that Mason City Mayor Eric Bookmeyer lead a behind-the-scenes agenda at City Hall of dismantling Human Rights in Mason City, beginning with his 2009 campaign and culminating in success in 2013. With the help of a city council who agreed with his agenda (Alex Kuhn, Scott Tornquist, Janet Solberg, Jean Marinos, Travis Hickey and John Lee) City Hall was successful in defunding the Mason City Human Rights department, thereby leaving a Human Rights Commission rudderless and without ability to fact find and perform its customary functions outside of a monthly one hour meeting.
The following is a letter sent to the Globe Gazette on July 26th and sent to the NIT newsroom on July 29th, 2013. The letter is from the League of Iowa Human and Civil Rights Agencies:
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We have watched with dismay as the Mason City Administration and City Council have chosen to in essence defund and decimate the core functions and values of the Mason City Human Rights Commission (“MCHRC”). This action does a great disservice to the persons living in Mason City and in Cerro Gordo County, as well as others who work in your area and those who pass through or seek public accommodations.
At the helm of the MCHRC, was a strong civil rights advocate who had served the community tirelessly as the director of the MCHRC for over forty (40) years. He mentored us and many like us who serve at small local agencies throughout the State of Iowa. He helped many in Mason City, in Cerro Gordo County, and those who work in and traverse through your fair city and county. The lack of a fully-functioning local civil rights agency, simply because an arbitrary population number has dropped below a certain benchmark, has and will continue to deprive the persons in your area of the best and most-responsive service in the area of civil rights and the prevention of discrimination, as well as outreach and educational efforts in the area of human rights.
Local agencies benefit their communities in myriad ways that a larger state-run agency cannot. For example, a local agency has the benefit of being able to personally interview a person complaining about discriminatory treatment, as well as any and all witnesses involved in a given complaint in a convenient, local setting; a state-centered agency sends out rote questionnaires which are often inapplicable to a given situation, rather than personally interviewing the involved persons. Local agencies have personal subpoena power in non-housing cases, which means that if a witness fails to cooperate, a local agency can require a witness to appear to give a statement or interview with the local human or civil rights agency, at which the information gathered is the result of more than mere words, but also body language. An in-person witness interview allows follow-up
questions to glean important information from the person being interviewed; the state agency does not have this type of subpoena power for non-housing cases.
Moreover, local agencies know the fabric and mosaic of their communities, and can plan appropriate and timely outreach and educational events that are truly applicable to the cultural norms and mores of a city and region, or in reaction to an occurrence in the community. This innate knowledge is only possible when one lives in a community, city, and county, and is impossible to acquire when one lives and works in a state capitol city, and only visits a city occasionally for a training event or mediation.
In sum, local human and civil rights agencies, and their directors, investigators, paralegals, assistants, and other staff members are the ones best-suited to most cost-effectively and efficiently resolve civil rights complaints in their local jurisdictions, through a more-thorough and more-personal investigation, and via a more personal touch than a state agency, which, with its hundreds of cases each year, cannot possibly possess, despite its best intentions. Whether taxes are spent on a state or local civil rights agency, tax dollars are still spent on civil rights enforcement, education, and outreach. Instead of paying for state employees to drive out from Des Moines, local agencies may use their connections within the community – its community organizations, churches, youth groups, other non-profit organizations, etc. – to assess a given local civil rights challenge and address it within the societal environment of a given city and county. That knowledge is not found at a state agency – it lies solely within local agencies.
The fully-staffed and funded Mason City Human Rights Commission was a standard to which other local agencies aspired, and for which the persons in Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, and those who work in these areas, and seek public accommodations in this area, should be extremely grateful. We hope that city officials will reconsider the value of local human and civil rights agencies and fully-fund the Mason City Human Rights Commission for the benefit of the State of Iowa and to prevent further discrimination.
Sincerely,
League of Iowa Human and Civil Rights Agencies, Inc. By: Karen Mackey, President
Jamie Anderson, Vice-President Crystal Schrader, Secretary Tamra L. Walz-Madsen, Treasurer
Armbears is right…if the service was so valuable, I guess they should have ponied up. I am a taxpayer so anything to reduce the government dole is fine with me…I also own my home so again, I really didn’t value the service. To me, the issue was simple, cut city expenses..it makes no sense to spend 170+K to get a 80K grant when all other communities our size pay around 10. The service is in Des Moines, is willing to travel and most importantly, is already paid for with state tax dollars. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Ya, but we took $150,000 of the savings to buy in part, products wholesale to give to retailers to sell and keep all the money. We just took the savings and gave it all to small businesses. We didn’t save squat.
I will never again suggest Mason City as a meeting place for my family and friends.
Please don’t.
There are several other places the Council could have eliminated spending in order to keep HRC functioning.
A service to citizens is more important and improves the quality of life in the community.
I am sure there are other areas to cut too, this was one of them. Hopefully the others will get addressed soon. Like I said tho, a lot of taxpayers probably don’t understand or appreciate this service as they don’t personally have a need. I am probably one of those. Logically, if it is so valuable, why don’t other communities our size have one? Where are the voters supporting this issue? I suspect it will not have an impact on fall elections. I see too many feel good arguments on this topic and not enough facts.
It never should have come to this but I have always felt that all the other municipalities in North Iowa should have ponied up with their fair portion of the costs of a home grown HRC rather than sticking the citizens of Mason City with most of the costs.
How does a citizen get help now??? Discrimination etc.
Simple call City Hall and ask for either the Human Rights Commission or ask for Amy Simpson. Amy has a wealth of knowledge and has worked their for a number of years. Contrary to what some people on this site may lead you to believe. The Human Rights Department hasn’t went anywhere. The only thing that has changed is the funding.
That’s absolutely not true and u know it…. The Mayor and the Council effectively cut the funding so it would not be able to be full staffed and took away local control. And furthermore, the Mayor appointed his cronies from is church to do his bidding on the commission. Pay attention to the truth!!
What do you mean took away local control. So you are saying that there is no longer a Hrc in Mason City. You know that’s not true.
he means “in name only”. without the true power to accomplish anything locally.
No, there is still a HR Commission– not a true department….. If you have a complaint you can take it there, but u will be referred to the State for your case…. YOu cannot run the dept. when u take away all but a pittance….
We have also lost our Fair Housing Status– that was in the Globe Gazette — we cannot do fair housing training… there is just so much more– ask Amy Simpson. Then losing the $ 87,777 in grant money from the Feds for not having a fully funded dept…. just investigate, You know that Bookie and his ilk do not tell the truth whoever u are…. Perhaps a member of the infamous Exploratory Committee,,,,,
@Had It-Do you really expect any politician to tell the truth? Not very many do you know. You can usually tell if they are lying when their lips move. They will tell you anything to get elected and then they forget everything they said and do whatever the special interest tell them to do.
This is a tremendous article and tribute to the Human Rights Department of Mason City. It functioned brilliantly under the leadership of Lionel Foster and his staff and commissioners for 40 years. In one fell swoop this Mayor of ours and spineless City Council were able to dismantle and destroy the best public service we have locally. Now, do u expect the State to come to the aid of the local citizen that has a complaint against our bully Mayor, or any of his appointed mean-spirited, biased, commissioners that he has brought in to continue this egregious blight on justice for our citizens.
The reason it does not bother them is that they are the problem. They live in a world where they cause the issues that cause people to seek the services of the HR dept. Bully, intimidate, unfair housing practices, employee issues, etc…..
I think it was improper for Jean Marinos and John Lee to vote on the issue, since they own rental property and have tenants that may need to use the services of the dept. They should have abstained since that it could directly effect them.
It is my hope that we can elect new leadership in November. Keep an eye out for candidates for Mayor and City Council over the next month. There may be hope on the horizon.
And, the big thing is — don’t just bitch. Vote!! That is the only way we can restore the City to its Glory Days before, Bookmeyer and Robin Anderson and that ilk took over the town….
Power to the People!!!
It functioned brilliantly? If it did then why did all housing complaints go directly to HUD in KC instead of locally? Oh, they got paid to go there but nothing if they went to the local authorities.
“The best public service we have locally”? That is a real stretch – police, fire, EMT’s, trash, water & sewer are all public services that a lot more tax paying citizens interact with daily. The old HRC service also addressed complaints from outside of Mason City – but was not reimbursed for – so how is this a “best public service”?
As to Marinos & Lee voting on the matter – they also vote on rental housing inspection matters carried out by the city outside of the HRC focus. I see no problem here either.
At the end of the day council stopped our paying for a duplicative service available through the state – and at the next election I predict they will be re-confirmed by the voters.
And that’s not all: at least two of the present commissioners appointed by this mayor have HRC claims pending against them! They should never have appointed in the first place. It’s as clear a conflict of interest as there can be.
The closing of the HR agency was never brought before the public.
The “public” elects the council to act on its behalf.
Mike you are wrong. If this were true why don’t these other cities fund their human rights commission the same as Mason City was funding theirs. It is easy to end other people’s money. I agree with 4 ever 49. Maybe these people should open up their check books along with the county if they are so passionate. Otherwise they should worry about their own communities. I am sure they have enough to worry about without worrying about what happens here.
To 4ever49 you don’t know crap, support of the Mason City Taxpayers, you are as dumb as the mayor and council to do this without approval of the Mason City Voters, which had nothing to do with it. It was ramrodded by the mayor and council, the Mayor’s little puppets that can’t think on their own. So don’t comment if you don’t know what you are talking about, nothing is worse than people commenting with their heads in the butt. Just sayin.
Mike – just wait until the next election to see who is left standing on this issue.
I do know what I am talking about – and you are right, I don’t know “crap” but then I assume you are on speaking terms with it.
This story is a load of bull.
Until this group and others like it come down off their holier-than-thou perches in Dubuque and elsewhere with checkbook in hand it is none of their business.
This a done deal with the support of Mason City taxpayers.
It is pukes like you and your Democratic friends that hurt mankind with your hate. Not to mention, you are full of shit!
My Democrat friends?? I am amazed that you think they are my friends – now who is full of it!
union man meant to say those republican bastards not democratic friends.
This letter proves the caliber of our HRC in Mason City, and it’s reputation throughout the state of Iowa.
In tight budget times, HRC should have been the last to be reduced compared to the Museum, Chamber, and other non-essential entities that do not provide direct services to citizens.
I have written in the past about other entities such as the museum who in other places, are wholly supported through donations and grants, or Chambers who actually have programs to help displaced workers, unlike what occurs in Mason City. Here, they do not care about you the taxpayer, but their own constituencies.
Such savings would have gone a long way in funding not only HRC, but added police in our City to curb traffic offenses and reduce drugheads that pollute the community.