MASON CITY – At-Large City Council member Scott Tornquist said Tuesday night that new jobs from WS Live headed to Mason City are “so close to the minimum wage.”
WS Live – a company from Dubuque that offers call center marketing – is planning to come to Mason City and move into the former IC Systems building located at 858 Calmus Court.
The company plans to offer 29 jobs the first year it is in operation, 29 more the next year, and so on, until potentially 135 jobs are filled in 5 years. The bulk of the jobs will pay a $9.50 per hour wage. Currently, the Iowa minimum wage is $7.25 with a potential raise to that on the horizon as lawmakers meet in Des Moines next year.
WS Live plans to accept over $70,000 in city incentives to come to Mason City; they must meet employment targets to keep the funds. The last company in that building, IC Systems, got about halfway to the 200 jobs it promised the city. Once IC System failed to meet their employment goal, the company was forced to return economic development funds to the city of about $177,600. IC System manager Scott Bultje made a public spectacle of returning those funds to the city.
City officials, including Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and the City Council as well North Iowa Corridor Director Brent Willett, have touted the WS Live jobs.
Council member Jean Marinos said at a May 21st City Council meeting that the $9.50 per hour jobs are “amazing”.
At that same meeting, Council member John Lee said that the jobs are “nothing to scoff at” and “exciting”.
Council member Scott Tornquist chimed in, saying “people could not survive on minimum wage jobs” and then went on to say that “this was a great project and a great opportunity and a huge win for the community.” Tornquist also added that “it was just as important for the Council to be working on opportunities at these levels ($9.50 per hour) as the $16.00, $17.00, $18.00 levels,” meeting minutes show. Tornquist did not write about the WS Live economic deal and jobs on his news website located at TornquistForRivercity.com, which he has mentioned by name at televised council meetings.
Mayor Eric Bookmeyer said that the North Iowa Corridor agency “exceeded expectations” in bringing the call center and jobs paying $9.50 per hour to Mason City.
Watch video of discussion of low-paying jobs:
People don’t let Bookmeyer fool you all he is a stay at home daddy lol while his wife a doctor supports his lazy butt.
Lets have all the council persons and mayor live on $9.50 and hour for six months like someone said earlier. Not a two income family but ONE PERSON income and see what kind of apt they can rent, car they can afford, what kind of food they can buy and etc. If anyone one of them says well that is why we went to collage so we don’t have to live on that kind of income. Then where are the jobs in mason city to pay the kind of jobs collage grads should have making a decent income. Love to hear the response to this comment!!!!!!!!!
The welfare people from chicago and detroit being bused into worth county and set up on welfare live better than a person in cerro gordo making 9.50 per hour – yea! Welfare is broke in the big cities so obammer buses them to small towns to spread the burden around – hoppy/changy? Ask the people that live around the pool side apartments in northwood -and the –
No one on the council or the mayor could live and raise a family on 9.50 an hour. That is what is wrong with this council and the EDC when they bring in a crappy paying company they want to be applauded for it. I would like to see all the elected officials live for 6 months on this salary then come tell us you still think this is a great company to give incentives to for coming here. We all don’t have spouse’s supporting us.
Don’t understand how NIT can make things so negative…
I wonder if Jean Marinos were making $9.50 an hour — could she drive a BMW and own that fancy house?
If people don’t wish to work for $9.50/hr at WS Live, then they may choose not to. Let them work for a job that either pays for the lifestyle they choose to live, or pays them the wages they feel they deserve. If those jobs require them to relocate, so be it. The only stipulation is that if they choose not to work, they get no federal assistance, i.e. food stamps, extended unemployment. But this will never happen. Most people unemployed are the bottom feeders who wouldn’t work whatever the job or whatever the pay. They enjoy the free govt. handout which allows them to use drugs, get drunk, and have babies all at the expense of the taxpayer.
The market place unfortunately dictates the wages. Our disadvantages are we have very high electricity rates, an older work force and an uneducated work force. Energy costs are a key decider. would you build a home and pay close to 30 percent more each month for electricity? Would you locate a business where you could choose from a hundred or thousands of technically strong people ? Would you locate where the average education s high school or one that predominantly had college education? It’ is so competitive in trying to get new industries . we need to grow more of our own because they will stay in spite of higher electricity, lack of numbers and education since they are already here and want to be here.There ain’t anymore slaughtering plants, tile manufacturers and the cement plants are pretty much shut down. Old industries, old business models. w need to move on an reinvent ourselves and quit putting the set screws in our head when it is firmly stuck up our ass.
Jobs are jobs-if you don’t want to work for $9.50 then don’t. Many jobs at Trinity pay $10.00 an hour, Sukup Manufacturing is $10.00 an hour, and of course all retail, food service, hotel staff, ect are far less. Any company that wants to re-locate to Mason City is great news. Plus the management positions pay extremely well at this company. Do I think the city should have given them an incentive package-NO! But we can’t hate on the company for taking it-most would. I know a few already working here who really like it-they are wives with husband’s who have good jobs-NOT welfare folks. Spouse’s of a salary Lehigh guy, a policeman and radiologist. EVERY community wants $20.00 an hour jobs and I hope we get some here in Mason City.
Our current council and mayor are an embarrassment to our city. Turncoat is the biggest, snob, elitist on the council. We need to vote them all out of office and put in someone who will support all of the people all of the time, not just when it suits them.
When Tim Moorman was the City Administrator, he would not bring an incentive package to the council unless the employer paid the county median wage (13.00/hr right now).
LMAO… I am a local entrepreneur on a shoe string budget who is about ready to complete contracts with AT&T and Apple to provide individuals with “work at home” customer service positions that pay $16 an hour.
I am doing this single handed with very little start up capital. Without taking any money from banks, government or private investors.
I will be able to create 30 – 50 positions in my first month of operation. Can’t anyone in this city conduct good business without special interest, kick backs and paying incentives to companies to come to this area?
Our city government is a joke. Hopefully after Matt gets on City Council he can shake some sense into these people.
$70,000 to create 29 call center jobs in a year is a friggin joke in my book. Specially at near minimum wage.
Again, ROTFLMFAO…
MY 2 CENTS:
I was making $5.25 per hour in 1969!
Median Household Income: $8,389.00
In 1969 a 12 oz box of Corn Flakes was 29 cents.
In 2013 a 12 oz box of Corn Flakes is $3.79
In 1969 16 ounces of Nabisco Oreo cookies were 51 cents.
In 2013 14.3 ounces of Oreo cookies are $4.59
1969 Cost of a gallon of Milk: $1.10
2013 Cost of a gallon of Milk: $3.69
Cost of a new home: $27,900.00
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.06
1969 Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $0.35
2013 Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $3.32 today
1969 Cost of a dozen large eggs: $0.62
2013 Cost of a dozen large eggs: $1.89
I think you get the point here.
$9.50/hour is BS. Why, Why, Why has the wage bar been set so low?
Answer: Our local employers do not want to compete for labor so they won’t let good paying jobs into the North Iowa area. The want to keep our local wages low!!!
The elite, Chamber of Commerce, and the well to do’s put their money in the campaign coffers of the people they want and do get elected to keep bringing us these low wage jobs.
Then this group has the audacity to puff up there political chests and say, “Hey look at what we are doing for you.” They have no shame!
Mayor Bookmeyer and the current City Council are all bought and paid for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wake up folks!
9.50 hr. what a joke this may have been good pay in late 80’s early 90’s .In no way should a city pay in any way to get these type of jobs.Look at all the under use of all the buildings in our so called industrial park compared to the past.Need to get some major companies to build up by Avenue of Saints so Mason City is even visable from interstate, we have easy interstate access we need to push this and build for a future instead of being stuck in the mold of very low paying jobs on the average.Our city is all worked up about new Marshall store.Also the population goes way down from 70’s, close to 8000-10,000 people.What gives? No good jobs what else is there to stay for.Wait a minute I got it low income housing assistance to out of towners with no work ethic.Just give them handouts that is incentive to SOME.
$9.50 an hour is better pay than the starting wage for most hourly positions at the Diamond Jo casino.
9.50 an hour jobs what a joke. No way should any city give any financial incentives for a company to come to their community and pay this low of wage.
Sorry to say that our council members are idiots. I would like to see anyone of them live on $9.50 p/hour. If they get 40 hours pay in a week that will be $380.00 gross pay.By the time you take taxes and S.S. out of that you would have around $285.00 left to pay rent, pay for transportation, buy food, buy clothes, pay for insurance, doctors, dentist and so on. That is only $1,225.50 p/mo. net.Just how far do the elitist think $1,255.50 will go? It wouldn’t even pay the mayors bar bill. You can’t even get a decent house to rent for under $500.00 anymore.
I agree, $9.50 an hour is not very much at all and is extremely tough to live on. It is possible, but very tough.
Just one thought for thinking outside the box (something many people here hate to do) isn’t a $9.50 an hour job better than no job at all? For something that is making just mininum wage (currently $7.25 as mentioned in the article), isn’t this an upgrade?
I get it that it isn’t a high end deal and that it isn’t going to set the world on fire on the payscale, but jobs are jobs and everyone needs them. Again, just my opinion but I’d rather have the $9.50 an hour than nothing at all. Just my 2 cents.
Scott Tornquist you are out of touch with Mason City and how many of us live paycheck to paycheck. I was surprised at John Lee I thought he was his own man really Jean owns him he’s no ones man.
This display put on by the council and mayor would be laughable if not for the absolute insanity of the remarks that were made by marinos, tornquist, bookmeyer, and lee. If they were smart and as we all know are not they should of just kept their mouths shut and moved on.
They talk about 9.50 an hour as a triumph! The facts are according to the u.s. department of health and human services for a family of three…say a single mom with two kids, the poverty level in this country is a annual income of 18530.00. If this same person worked at the new call center if they worked a 40 hour week, 52 weeks a year the gross income would be 19760.00. A thousand dollars above the poverty level. What this means is we continue as taxpayers to help support them with food stamps, housing assistance, free medical care ie hawki, and more.
Matt stated very clearly in his time at the podium…”could you live on 9.50 and hour?”. Yet our leaders feel this is good enough for some of you out there.