Editorial from NorthIowaToday.com Publisher Matt Marquardt –
For about a year, I have received rather nasty, threatening letters periodically from an entity which refers to itself as the “South Side Boys”.
Since this unknown entity refuses to reveal itself, and since I am very well aware that it reads NIT everyday, I will respond to its letters right here in public.
The South Side Boys entity apparently dislikes me and NorthIowaToday.com. In its letters, it says I am wasting my time and that I contribute nothing to Mason City. Mixed in there are plenty of threats of varying degrees, plus whatever insults it thinks are amusing. The letters now come to my home instead of my business PO box.
The letters from this timorous letter-writer mean about as much to me as a stray cat who hisses when I jog by. It is very apparent that this entity is extremely angry and disturbed about NIT stories and editorials that expose the various good-old-boy systems that are rotting Mason City to the core. Every time I mention Eric Bookmeyer (especially), Brent Willet, Robin Anderson, or some other crony, a letter appears. It is very touchy about certain subjects, mostly criticism of any kind of Eric, the city council, the chamber, the downtown, or various businesses that have helped themselves to heaps of public funding so they can turn a profit.
I don’t know who exactly the letter-writing entity is – anonymous trolls with fifth-grade writing skills and hours of free time come cheap – but really, it needs to up its game. In it’s last letter – which I received today – it writes “we have asked everyone in the group to stop reading NIT”. My response: Is that so? Your entity has been writing to me for a year – letter after letter – and you are still pleading with your own “members” to stop reading NIT? Either you are not very persuasive, NIT is just too alluring, or you forgot that your group has only one member, who is glued to NIT like a label on a beer bottle.
To the South Side Boys entity, I say this: Be not angry with my success; it is merely a product of hard work and good intentions for my readers, nearly 600 of which are paid subscribers. They deserve the truth, which they have been deprived of for decades by the corrupt, “old” media radio, TV and newspaper we have all been subjected to. I am flattered that you are smitten by me; perhaps obsessed, and definitely tormented. I am not a counselor, but for help with your anguish, I suggest you phone the good folks at the North Iowa Mental Health Center at 641-424-2075. Maybe they have some extra Zoloft for you. In the meantime, while you battle your inner demons and fear of writing the name your mom gave you, I will continue to snicker when your letters show up and gently place them in the paper shredder.
25 thoughts on “Letter to the “South Side Boys” from Publisher Matt Marquardt”
This is interesting. You place the letters in the shredder and say throughout this article they don’t mean anything to you and but feel compelled to respond to them? Since you’ve got the mental health center number I’d suggest you call them also Matt.
🙂
This Rhambo guy sounds like bern Sanders
Matt Trump for VP – I think you done a swell job Matt – these dogs are like public servants – they have more excuses for fking up than Lying Ted Cruz and his lying RNC butt buddies.
Sorry to see you play the victim card Matt.
Your chosen role in the Mason City media seems to be as a gatekeeper.
In other words, you use your position to define who or what is an outsider (and of course, you are the crusading outsider) And you do that very narrowly, defining the terms of debate on most issues within very narrow parameters.
Mason City needs a genuine alternative media.
You are not it.
Hardly playing the victim. I am facing my cowardly detractor head-on. Try it sometime, maybe your self-respect will surface.
There is always some one that won’t play nice! I remember being at the Holiday Train this year when the band introduced Bookmeyer and not one single person clapped, yelled or hooted and hollered. It was total quiet!!! I also remember Matt picking up my daughters story and running with it! Which I appreciate so much!! Thank you for running this paper!
Thanks for this post. Two interesting points. The common citizen can’t relate to Bookmeyer, doesn’t like him, but he does not care. And as you said, NIT will do the stories the other media will not do. Many examples just in recent weeks. The underage party at City Administrator’s house being another example.
Do you think that our south side council members have a gang that’s out to get you Matt. Keep writing just to piss them off. Job well done.
Would be glad to lend my services any day to deal with this South side coward Matt. This site has done a great service to keep all citizens informed of the under the counter antics of the self proclaimed gods of MC. You would never get this imfo from the Globe.
Matt, I live on the southside and these “boys” are giving my part of town a bad name.
I can tell you that the “men” from the south side think you’re doing a great job. Keep it up as we all like reading the truth that NIT provides for us.
Matt
You have done a great job! If I don’t like the content of an article or disagree you just move on to the next one. No one is ever going to agree all the time. Why send out mail that can potentially get a person charged for harassment. I would not shred them. I would keep them every last one and keep turning them over to authorities. Or Send the Mayor a Thank you note and that you received his letters and he just keeps giving you more to write about and readers coming back for more!
Appreciate that. Thanks.
Matt I think I know who is doing this. I will send you an email explaining. Keep up the great work. Also, I need to renew my subscription, where do I send the $24?
Matt when dealing with big mouth cowardly trolls like that you must just consider the source. If the had any guts at all they would come to you face to face, but they will not. You are doing a great job and I know it hasn’t always been easy for you. If I had to guess I would say it is one of the establishment crony’s. This sound like just their style. they must be afraid of what you can do and this is their only way of stating it. That’s what cowards do, attack anonymously. Hang in…
“The letters from this timorous letter-writer mean about as much to me as a stray cat who hisses when I jog by.”
Yet I’ve never seen you write a response to said stray cat.
I’m writing a response to you… which is nearly as pointless as writing to a cat.
However, it does mean something to his significant other and children who feel violated when this form of harassment comes to their home. He is a true man who wants to protect his family from harm–something I hope you can relate to.
I get unsigned letters also. I also get signed ones. By far the signed ones are better written. I also received a note from a widow whose husband wrote many letters in the GG. She said it reminded her of him and thanked me for picking up where he left off. I framed it.
Long time GG reader will remember a man from Rowan
600 paid subscribers! Wasn’t the subscribers fee running at 2 bucks a month? I hope you are making more than 14400 per year on subscriptions!
My annual fee for Kiplinger and Money magazine are only 12 bucks a year apiece
There will always be idiots out there that play these stupid games.
Keep up the good work Matt….
Your concern is noted, but not needed. We do just fine, thanks.
@Matt-I seem to remember we used to have one of those people who went by “Anonymous” who was on here all of the time just before the election last year. He was always making bad comments about N.I.T. and we stayed on him about if he didn’t like it do not post on here. From what you said it sound like the same idiot.
Yes, I think the letter writer is not representing any group at all. It is just one tormented soul. By the way, he sends the same letters to Max Weaver, as if Max works here or helps write the stories. Pretty clueless, misguided individual.