DES MOINES – AFSCME Iowa Council 61 (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) PEOPLE Committee is proud to announce that it has endorsed Matt Marquardt for City Council in Mason City.
“Matt reached out to our members and earned their trust. We know that he will support public employees and the services they provide. He understands that well-qualified, well-trained public employees provide the highest quality services to their communities,” said AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan.
AFSCME is known for its political action program which is financed with voluntary contributions. The program supplies grassroots volunteers for AFSCME-endorsed candidates.
In Cerro Gordo County, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 represents city employees in Mason City and state employees.
In Iowa, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 represents 40,000 public employees including law enforcement and correctional officers, firefighters, mental health workers, professional school staff, emergency responders, and many other workers.
Just a reminder – this website is an opportunity for the citizens to express their opinion about various issues. Not everyone has to agree with each other. There is no reason for name calling. Please be courteous to others. We all have a right to express ourselves, whether or not we agree. It is called the freedom of speech.
I wish that applied to the op-editors as well.
Who is really in charge of Mason City, Bookmeyer or Trout? It is hard to tell.
Congrats Matt!! Give ’em hell!! Eric & his so called “friends” need to be exposed about how this city is being run. How many hours a week did he spend at the Country Club rubbing elbows with the wealthy in this community over drinks? How about he get a real job & not have his wife support the family?
Matt get’s more votes from this then he loses. It is very unusual for the state AFSCME director Homan to get involved in a city Council race, hardly ever happens even in the big cities like Des Moines Waterloo and Sioux City, Davenport, etc. AFSCME must be really pissed at Janet over her trying to help Booky mess with the garbage workers. I do not get the idea that Matt is any kind of down the line Union guy. But he would be crazy to not take this endorsement. Plus, it would be good for Mason to have a Councilman that is already known to big shots down in Des Moines.
Matt, can you explain to your voters and readers why you went after, and/or accepted this endorsement? What is it about you and the AFSCME that you see eye to eye about?
Great question – let’s see if there is an answer.
Matt, I grew up in a working class household. Both my parents worked a lot and we didn’t have much. My dad was at MC Iron and Metal and my mom was a nurse’s aid. I relate to people who work hard, but may be at the mercy of their boss. I’ve worked my share of jobs that pay an hourly wage: Brick and mortar laborer; fast food; meter reader; car rental business; Globe Gazette, you name it. Workers deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity. Unions may not be perfect, but they should be given credit for many of the good things we see in workplaces, like mandated breaks, safety regulations, and more. I feel like our city employees (AFSCME members) haven’t been treated right. Our mayor and council tried to take the jobs of our sanitation workers for no good reason and as I understand it, Mr. Bookmeyer will try again. One council member, Travis Hickey, a delivery man, tried to micro-manage our Fire Department and their shifts. This is just wrong; he has no expertise and quite frankly, violated city code in doing so. I want to make sure these hard-working people are treated fairly and are productive for the taxpayers. A point of order, yes I reached out and asked for an endorsement from the union folks simply because I feel like I have the best interests of these people at heart. I hope this answers your question.
Thanks Matt, I appreciate the response. Sometimes people just want to spout knee jerk reactions to something like this without ever asking someone why.
Matt, a fair question deserves a thoughtful reply. Appreciate you being here on NIT doing so.
great answer Matt M. Matt rezab thanks for asking the question
Matt M, thank you for answering this question. Now am I to understand that you are the only candidate who pursued an endorsement from this union and that is why they have not endorsed other candidates in this election? I was confused as to why you were the only candidate endorsed.
I appreciate that you explained your views on an issue in detail in a positive manner.
I cannot speak for any other candidate.
I will try again the back room deals apparently are not only limited to the mayor and local business. I wonder what the grand bargain was to get this endorsement. These things don’t come free. In fact the tax payer will more than likely pay the price if this crowd gets elected. Let me guess more union workers in city government and lets see if its a clean sweep then NIT agrees to smear the liberals #1 enemy Steve King. Just guessing but that’s probably pretty close.
I do not think NIT will smear Steve King, Mr Markward has been real fair to him. Why just last summer NIT run a article when the Globb did not, it was when one of Villsack’s commies threaten a King man, the Democrap said if you hit me you will get AIDS, ha ha ha. If you dont beleive me look it up. NIT told the truth about what went down between the King guy and the fairy.
Congratulations Matt!!! I hope you get it. This is an awesome article!
Extra large article in the GLOB today on this announcement. All you have to do is look real hard and you might find it. Now if it was the town drunk it would be on the front page.
Tiny. Three sentences and hidden. The Globe hates Matt because he is beating them. Keep fighting Matt, you are almost there my friend.
Wow… disagree and have your thoughts removed.
Mr. Marquardt, this endorsement will cost you more votes than it will garner IMHO. Good luck in your bid!
THAT’s ALL you got? Poor idiots. Matt get’s a great endorsement and that’s all you got?! Can’t come up with nothin can you?! It’s been asked to all of you WHY can’t you answer anything?!
F U N N Y !
Great Matt !!!
VOTE Matt Max !!!!!!!!
caught – just how many bites at the apple should public employees get? They already have the ability to vote on the candidates and now they also have a union who supports those candidates most likely to approve their labor agreements. Meanwhile, the taxpaying public foots the bill – again.
Make no mistake here, voters have had enough of picking up the tab in a system rigged against them and it will show at the ballot box.
Do we assume Mr. Marquardt is conforming to Iowa Election Law by reporting the reduced if not free media support he generates from his own news reporting service? How ethical is it to find the most demeaning and degrading images of opposing candidates to post on your web site while smearing them in endless attacks.
This was a press release. Matt didn’t even write this story. Geeze, did Eric buy you a drink once or something?
Can we have a source location of the original “press release”? It would clear up this comment.
Is there such an election law requirement?
THIS ELECTION IS GETTING SO TWISTED.
Just give us the facts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but at the end of the day there is only one set of facts.
Still undecided since I just am not seeing specific facts. Lots of accusations, poor choice of words, spiteful statements but none of this is what I believe…
Hotel. Yes or no
City employees painting yellow lines yes or no
North Iowa corridor. Yes or no
downtown support yes or no
Hwy 122 realignment. Yes or no
These are all issues in our community and there are probably a lot more. I didn’t include more jobs since that requires a much deeper response than a yes or no
So please feel free to add in
Congrats Matt this endorsement has helped me make up my mind to vote for you. The people of Mason City deserve to have someone in office who will work for the majority and not just a few.
AF-SCAM, LOL!!
You just can’t beat this endorsement! City, County and State employees are actually out working for a living and supporting their families and odds are….will sure cast their vote for Matt! The union bashers will always bash-they let jealousy get the best of them. My family will be voting for Matt!
DR Dunn has it right-debate is a good thing!
Matt seems like 99% of your posters here hate unions. I’m not sure this will help you. It does make me throw my support behind you though. Without debates we don’t have to much to go on. To bad I vote in the 2nd ward.
Then please vote for Jodie Draper. Matt will need suport
Bob I am leaning toward Draper. I have yet to have here knock on my door. Hope she does. I would love to hear her ideas.
@DR Dunn-You can leave her a message on her facebook and I am sure she would come and talk to you. She is a very impressive young lady who really will support and listen to ALL the people. That is all I ever wanted in a council person, someone who will listen. I know they will not always agree and that is OK as long as they show enough respect to listen and give you some type of answer. I have sent Hickey several e-mails and never even received a answer, just flat ignored. And I am not the only one.
This endorsement will not help your campaign Matt.
I’m curious. Did this union endorse any other candidates for other wards or for the mayorship? That is also news that should be reported here, whether it is candidates that are supported by NIT or not.
Do we really need more union bashing. Any body associated with unions has heard it all before,PAAAALEASE. There’s other things more important to complain about, like maybe your government….
Allen – the unions (particularly public ones) deserve to be bashed when they take unfair advantage of the taxpayers. Why should average taxpayers support a payroll & retirement system that is better than the norm they receive? For starters we need to cancel all defined benefit programs and convert them to defined contribution plans – that’s what taxpaying voters typically get if anything..
Congratulations Matt. It just shows that the working people do not trust the current council. They showed their stripes when they tried their best to do away with the landfill and the sanitation department. They tried to go after our fire department as well. The working people are also not real pleased with the tax hikes that are coming.
Congratulations Matt, Its writing on the wall for the incumbents.
Marvin would never join a union because they have to pay dues.
If Matt is union man I’ll not vote for him.. If you need a union to hold your job you must not be very good.
Limestone Court aint in the fourth ward, genius. Learn your city. You can’t vote in that election.
Quite a coup, Matt. Congratulations.