MASON CITY – NIT has received word that the Human Rights commission in Mason City is eliminating a long-standing volunteer component, called “friends” of the commission.
Friends of the commission have, for years, volunteered their time, expense and expertise in assisting the Human Rights Commission and Department (agency as a whole) in investigating human rights complaints involving landlords, employers, and others in positions of power to impose violations of human decency on citizens of Mason City. Untold numbers of citizens have been helped, assisted, and directed as a result of their efforts over the years, and many cases would never have been investigated or brought to a conclusion without their involvement.
According to a strong source, a letter was mailed in recent days to remaining friends of the commission, telling them that the friends will be cutoff from the agency and that their services will no longer be needed.
The complete or near-complete elimination of the Human Rights agency – through various methods, including de-funding, elimination of office space, stocking the commission with people who allegedly do not believe in enforcing human rights, not investigating cases locally, and using the Globe Gazette to rail against the agency – has long been a goal of Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, council members Scott Tornquist, and others, who have seen the agency as bad for business in Mason City.
Since Bookmeyer’s election in 2009, Human Rights in Mason City has crumbled into chaos, shed its volunteers, had its funding slashed, and has been stocked with Bookmeyer appointments – approved by the city council – that have themselves fought the agency. Matt Dodge, for example – who recently resigned from the commission – fought the local agency in Kansas City at the federal level when he disagreed with a finding of the commission, before he himself sought to be on the board and was appointed by Bookmeyer.
A quick check of the MasonCity.net, the city’s official website, shows that the page for the Human Rights agency has been stripped of all information, and says “The Human Rights Commission site is under construction. For inquiries, contact Deputy City Clerk Diana Black at (641) 421-3600.” The phone number, 641-421-3600 is simply a generic phone number that is answered by a recording.
More on this developing story to follow.
You’re just against this because Eric is for it. I’m not buying the fake outrage over this. Post after post about those Detroit imports should be run out and now you want this guy to play the race card with landlords?
Not buying it.
Does he except kickbacks? You know beer and 100 bills – probably has his own grease pencil.
You people got exactly what you deserve. You sheep didn’t vote when you had the chance to put in to vote in some young people that cared about real people.
Mason City has been hit by the perfect storm. Shrewd politicians + apathy/hopelessness.
The media, (television programing, editorialized news, talk tv, talk radio, Madison avenue advertizing, ect) have honed the skills of controlling the emotions of the masses.
Shrewd politicians have learned to effectively sell hopelessness followed by promised hope for the better and then put policies in place to create more helplessness.
Wha-la they control us all and our government at all…
levels.
To those who voted Eric back into office…….THANKS!(sarcasm). This joker and his court jesters are destroying Mason City. Hope you Eric lovers are happy!!!
All to long Mason City has been on a losing streak. The last election was just one more example of the hopelessness that exists in Mason City. Mason City and it’s local “official” newspaper, the Glob Gazette are a pathetic mess.
The voters spoke and those “standing up” in opposition to the Mayor lost – big time.
Hardly big time. You need to wake up and smell what you are shoveling; your ignorance is embarrassing. The vast majority of eligible voters stayed home, because they apparently like to be pawns to the elite. As for myself, I do not care about losing the council election; I made my point simply by running and showing what fools and cowards the incumbents are. I may just do it again. At any rate, it sounds like you and the mayor are great pals, maybe more. Why don’t you invite Eric over to your house for some drinks, turn the lights down, and commence with some light petting?
When, as you say, the voters stayed home it could be they did not intend to vote for anyone as they were simply tired of the mud-slinging.
What you call mud-slinging is not always that. When campaigning, one must point out the differences between himself and his opponent. I did so. My opponent, literally, said nothing, and let the mayor sling all the mud – which he did through his sold out newspaper / radio. I pointed out the faults of the incumbents and the changes I would have made, if elected. I do not feel that is “mudslinging”; that is campaigning. If there are no differences, why run? Those differences must be articulated, and sometimes it’s not pretty.
So you pointed out the “faults” of the incumbents and the changes you would have made, if elected.
The “voters” that actually showed up and voted (and are the ones that count) made their opinions known as you well know.
Even if you have great ideas, they can be lost in the delivery – as a former council member demonstrated again and again.
I fail to see your point. The 35% who voted had just enough to keep me out of city hall, for now. Do you not think if the voting turnout was, say, 45-50%, that I and Mrs. Draper make it in? I would bet at least half of the empty beer cans in Eric’s garage that Solberg and Hickey get kicked to the curb with just a few hundred more people coming to the polls.
However, I see your point on the delivery of ideas and the conveyance of messages to the public. What I would say is, I think I was too nice last time. If I ever run again, I think I will turn up the heat to, say, double or triple what it was last fall. I would forgo any political correctness, perhaps take my message to places Eric and his cronies never dreamed off. This town is dying to be shaken up a little.
Why does this surprise anyone? Truth is most MC citizens don’t have the backbone to stand up to these dictators so this is what you get. Get over it
I’d agree with this point. The people of Mason City seem to like Eric and his cronies to punish them and rule their lives. Pretty sad no one in this town has the guts to call out Eric “Crookmayor” to his face. Well, maybe one of us does 😉
Exactly. You and a few others had the guts to stand up to these bullies to make a change for the good to this town. I don’t think a lot of people like the mayor I believe most are afraid of retaliation if they did speak up.
Yes Eric retaliates with everything his pasty white little body has in it. He’ll try to put you out of business, put others up to writing you nasty hate mail, talk bad about you around town, call you names on the radio, etc… but he will look down at his feet when he is in your presence, or send his cronies to try to muscle you. Eric is pretty much a tiny, cowardly little man who found his niche in small town politics as the captain of the Mason City titanic, escorting it right down the drain into the abyss. But that’s just my opinion.
FYI Matt Dodge did not re-sign his seat on the commission for any other reason but to devote his time and energy into fighting cancer. Do use him as an example in this article is in very poor taste.
Truth is truth. You have injected Matt’s personal health issue into this discussion to help you in your point, which is actually in very poor taste. Why don’t you leave Matt and his health problem out of this issue and focus on the facts, as I did in this story.