Op-ed by Chris Watts –
In two weeks we have a chance to exercise our right and privilege as registered voters again. I would strongly suggest you be engaged in this process and go vote. Encourage your fellow workers and neighbors. The saddest part of an election is to see only a small percentage cared enough to get out and vote.
How easily we forget about the men and women that fought and gave their lives so we could be the free nation and have the rights we do.
This being said, on Monday October 28th, there will be a public forum at The Prime & Wine. At 6:30, all Park Board, City Council and Mayor candidates have been invited to participate in a meet and greet. At 7:00, there will be a formal question and answer forum. This will be for Mayor and Council candidates only. Our guest Moderator is Shawn Dietz-Mayor of Hampton. All questions will be written on index cards provided and turned into the workers on the floor. Shawn will direct the questions as presented, with time limits, to the candidates to respond. There will be opening and closing statements for each candidate. This is your opportunity to see and ask questions of our City leaders.
Spread the word and hope to see you there Monday evening.
14 thoughts on “Op-ed: Meet and greet for Mason City candidates is a great opportunity”
I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to Chris as well as Shawn Dietz for conducting these forums for us. It truly should be the media’s job to do this for the community but since they dropped the ball these guys stepped up. I can’t beleive the lows kimt, the globe, and especially kglo have stooped to this election. Everytime they mention these forums they read off that “our turn message” as if it’s a campaign commercial. Just who is being paid off or who is gaining what is anybody’s guess but something is wrong when all the media is backing “the team”. Something is very dirty here, but that isn’t my point. the main point here is it is just a good democracy that Chris and Shawn are promoting regardless who you are for.
Mc resident. Your comment was totally out of line. Chris does more for this city than the city council combined.
I am so sorry for my comment earlier I did not know that he did so much for the community. I forgot he was part of the team.
What team?
I too look forward to seeing these elected officials gathered to personally thank their constituency for their past votes and contimued support. Like any publicly elected official, these people are egar to face the voters and answer any and all questions that the public miht have.
This will also be an opportunity for the canidates to express their views and goals….this is the way a real democrocy works. I can hardly wait.
I too want to thank Chris Watts for his hard work.
Thank you Chris-I have already made up my mind, so, I won’t be coming to the Prime and Wine. That is kind of small for this type of thing if you get a good turnout and I hope you do.
I have yet to see a letter signed by all of the candidates running, however I do see a letter signed by all the incumbents. So who is banning together? Who is making this an us vs them? It is our elected officials. They have the gang, they just want us to believe it is not them. SAD day for Mason City when we allow the elected officials to dictate what and who we speak to. At least we still have the power to vote! I encourage you to vote and show them we are not in a dictatorship and they can go home we will not need their service the next 4 years!
Thank you so much Chris for putting together this opportunity for Mason City citizens to hear from and speak to the candidates for the upcoming election. I am looking forward to it.
I truly hope that the 4 incumbents change their mind and decide to attend. I am extremely disappointed at what I read in the Globe yesterday about the “negativity” the gang of 4 claim is swirling around them. They are responsible for this negativity! True, we do see them every 2 weeks BEHIND the council table but as citizens we are not allowed to speak to them on issues that are important to us nor are we allowed to get answers from the gang. They set the agenda and follow it lock-step behind the safety of that same council table.
I believe it would be a HUGE mistake for them to not attend either forum this Saturday morning or Monday evening. This is a DEMOCRACY and not a dictatorship. Their absence would speak volumes as to how much they really care about Mason City and the folks that live here.
Im glad chris watts is organizing this since he knows how to win elections
In Chris’s defense for you stupid comment, I know Chris very well and he has organized and conducted these public forums for over 20 years. Granted he lost his election bid, but at least he has the #$%@ to try and make a positive difference in the community he resides in. How about you woth yor negativity. Why don’t you step up to the plate as he has??
Chris would of beat Dougherty that idiot if it would of not been for Urdahl, he got his favorite Republitard to mail out all them letters to Republicard’s said if Watts wins your tax will go up. Jay made that happen, Gary Blodgett should keep out of our politics.
Republitards do have a bad name in north Iowa most simply due to the bad leadership of the party. Never had a good leader at the county level. Plus the biggest Republitard, Jay Urdahl, is a conservative wrapped in a donkey suit. He bamboozled the masses into thinking he’s a Dem but he’s really an R’tard, you can see that by all the Dough(erty) he gets from right wingers. The donkeys are so dumb they invite him to their cocktail parties and somehow JU schoomzes them. And for real, only stout R’tards are so cheap as to drive across town to pick up a half-empty pop can.
@woody what would a smart a## libraterd like you know about anything. You probably voted for that retard Obama and that makes you a imbecile.
Pretty lame comment. Mr. Watts has the guts to run, to want to serve the public. What have you done besides hide your name and insult a good, hard-working civic volunteer? As far as his prospects for election, I advised Mr. Watts to start hitting harder, earlier. He should write a story after every County Supervisor meeting and expose each and every hidden trick Jay Urdahl pulls on the people of Cerro Gordo County. He could also write about the crumbling roads and bridges and fairgrounds. Exposing the truth would root out this vermin.