MASON CITY – There will likely be no debates held in this year’s elections in Mason City. There will likely be no interaction whatsoever between the candidates, except through the media, each with a supposed “one-sided story” where the reader (or listener) is left to scramble for truth.
The incumbents refuse to meet the challengers; that much is for certain. They have made it clear they are above the “discourse.” The challengers, all citizens of Mason City, have been cast aside by the “old media” and their own elected representatives.
Debates and town hall meetings are not for the candidates, it is said. Those events are for the people, so they can make the best decision possible in the voting booth. This year in Mason City, the people are on their own and must weed through all the name-calling and innuendos to make up their minds.
It didn’t use to be this way, even as previous city elections had a “nasty” tone to them. Through this organization or that, the “old media” held these public events, for the people, so they could make their decision.
This year, a weak or non-existent effort has been made to put the candidates in the same room to answer questions. Only one candidate, Matt Marquardt, openly called for a face-to-face debate with the incumbents. They refused or did not answer the challenge. That much, as well, is on the record.
There was an effort by the NIACC student senate to hold a debate. A local radio station and TV station were called and asked to participate. Both refused.
The Mason City Chamber of Commerce was asked to hold a debate, or if they planned one. The organization said they have no plans to do so in this election, despite having a long record of holding such events.
The Globe Gazette has participated in the past, as the following video will show their reporter, John Skipper, as far back as 2001 asking questions of candidates. He is now above the discourse as well, apparently, and is sticking to writing opinion articles.
Mason City mayoral candidate Max Weaver was featured in a world premiere video last evening in New York City. The video is part one of a 12-part series titled “How Democracy Works Now” produced and directed by filmmakers Michael Camerini and Shari Robertson.
The following video snippet is about 4 minutes of a one hour segment featuring the 2001 City Council At-Large race between Max Weaver and Lori Henry, who has since left town, but won the 2001 election. The video shows a town hall meeting / debate between several candidates for office at City Hall. The hot-button issue at the time was immigration, with accusations of racism tossed about.
“Mason City had attracted national attention when the immigration argument broke into the public square, then made it onto the CBS Evening News,” a synopsis of the video said. “A national anti-immigration organization, Project USA, had enlisted local grandmother Janice Easley to maneuver their Truthmobile into the high school band parade. All of a sudden the issue of immigration is at the center of the city council race.”
Perhaps the theme to remember is, Mason City politics has always been rough, but the candidates owe it to the citizens to face them, no matter what the issues are.
The Epidavros Project on Vimeo.
(Photos are taken from the above video; credit to the makers of the film.
Anon you can’t come up with anything. Until you do go away. NOt one person can come up with anything. Where as there is sooo much on Bookmeyer Solberg Hickey even Skipper and the globe.
So sad.
Of course they do not want to debate when they know they would like the fools they are, Lori Henry sold this town down the river and then bailed out of town. Her bestest buddy was Marinos. Surprise, surprise.
Why would they all that’s going to happen
Is Max will sit there and tell us again how
He has mad mistakes and this time he will
Learn to act Like an adult. Well you know
As well as I do that will not happen. Max
Is all about Max he cause more trouble
Then help’s. He go’s out and get Avery one
Worked up and 99 percent of the time.
It don’t work out for them and they get
Mad at the city. When all the time Max
Knows what is going to happen. He just
Want them to think he is there savior.
Suuure they would. They have more chicken in them than Northwood!
Bookmeyer doesn’t know this city.Or the people who live here. He would be chewed up and spit out by Weaver period. The rest of them too.
Hiding to many secrets and lies. Weaver would just bring more out as he has for years with these creeps.
Skipper is as transparant as they come. He can’t even give reasons for no debates none of them can.
We are waiting for the answer Bookmeyer and Skipper.
Losers.
Why doesn’t NIT take a poll of voters who want debates among the candidates? If KIMT, GLOBE, radio stations etc see how many voters actually want these it may change their minds.
Hate to burst the love bubble here but I’ve openly challenged the mayor to debate as well. Noone on any campaign other than the incumbents is against participating in debates either from what I can tell. If people want debates they need to let people know they want debates. Contact three Eagles, the moose Lodge, KIMT and the globe and tell them you’re upset about no information at all about debates.
Didn’t I predict this, Quinn??
I said at least a month ago, there would be no debates.
I said this when Max told me he was running. It works in his favor too, he doesn’t seem to care.
Lori Henry looks like an undertaker in that photo. I heard she once fought for the ‘little guy’ until she got elected, then rolled over within a few weeks. Also heard it is her fault (and the NIACC sports department) that we have all the north end drug dealers in town.
You can thank Cathy Burtness at the Mason City Housing Authority for that too. Sucks up to landlords by getting anyone and everyone into rental properties, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what effect it will have on the neighborhood and the city.
No thank Russ Hardy he will rent to any one. Cathy is just doing her job.
The housing authority has pretty strict standards for who can qualify for their vouchers. If you have an arrest record, but not a conviction, you’ll be disqualified. At a murder trial about 8 years ago, a guy on Section 8 testified that he had exchanged drugs for sex. As soon as Cathy found out about his testimony, she terminated his assistance.
She gets housing assistance for the girlfriends of Chicago and Detroit gangsters’ girlfriends, and as soon as they get here their gangbanging boyfriends move in with them, and invite a bunch of their buddies too. Cathy Burtness sells out this town every day in favor of out-of-town landlords who just want their slums rented, to get those nice, dependable HUD rent checks. 12th St. might as well be the side of Chicago thanks to her.
Weaver has my vote, and my wife’s.
I would just like everyone to take a look at the pattern:
1. City Council Meeting NO Public allowed to speak, now after the first Public Hearing and not allowed to be aired on TV
2. Council Members are not to address the public’s questions during that time.
3. Now the Council does not have to address the public and allow for them to choose between candidates from discussion/debates (etc)
So what I draw from this: Our City Goverment wants your VOTE, but they do not want to give you a choice, they do not want to answer your questions and or have a dialogue with you.
Did they forget THE VOTERS are the elected officials BOSS! LETS FIRE THEM ALL ON NOVEMBER 5th
For once I might agree with Matt. it would be nice to see all candidates campaign like the good old days, On the issues. Debate or no debate I have yet to see or hear much about anything other than mudslinging, name calling and he said she said bs. please anyone just give us some facts. I can guess why no media,, including this site, civic groups or institutions have stepped foward…simply because they would need to be a babysitter rather than a moderator. if candidates can’t resist bashing each other when they are not in the same room what makes us believe they would act like adults together. Matt, if it bothers you so much why don’t you host a debate
If this isn’t a scaredy cat running what could be?
They know any one of these folks running against them would CRUSH ’em but good. So hideously scared and feeble. Come on this is the most ridiculous moment in Mason City ever!
No debates! And the local newspaper dissing all the candidates? Seriously? UNHEARD of!
YUP that’s weaver 24/7. HELPING all!
Lori’s little tribe at the end to Janice was the most insincere words I’ve ever heard!
Skipper what the hell is in your mouth that you can’t talk right? And where is your duty to insure good political debates during an election?
Who ever runs the paper should not be so obvious! Just plain WRONG! No city in America would operate like this!
On that alone everyone should vote for MAXand MATT and any other !
Off the subject. Since the name Lori Henry has come up, I’d like to thank her for inviting all the alien losers from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, etc, to come here and live free off the economy. Your support of this kind of lifestyle has helped this city immensely, not. Hopefully your helping the city where you live now, the same.
VOTE MAX!