MASON CITY – In the seemingly endless, pitiful downward spiral of Mason City’s once-proud Human Rights institution, the city of Mason City kicked a group of dedicated volunteers out of city hall.
In a letter from city hall, the “friends” of the Mason City Human Rights agency were told they are “suspended.” The letter is from the commission, all appointed by Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, who was elected on the premise of putting the Human Rights agency out of business.
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.
The agency has now had its funding slashed, its director terminated, most or all local human rights cases sent to Des Moines, all its employees have left, its website has been stripped of all information, and the city is facing a potential lawsuit.
21 thoughts on “City of Mason City tells volunteers to go away”
As far as landlords/renting goes I would advice people to take pictures/videos of every little crevice before moving in. Photos don’t lie. It would do a world of good in court.
Yes, Quinn… Plus go to the landlord’s home and put a video camera in their face too.
Truth teller, really? Not only do you sound racist you talk silly.
I’m not buying the fake outrage. You’re just against this because Eric is for it. How can I tell? Because of the thousands of previous posts arguing for prison sentences for every minor infraction and drug use. You don’t want some poor out of town black guy to be able to play the race card when getting evicted, you just want him evicted. You’re against this because Eric is for it. You hate poor people and minorities, I’m not buying it.
@Truth Teller-are you smoking the funny stuff or have you been hiding under a rock?
C’mon, I’m not buying the outrage. Do you really want some NIACC negro to be able to play the race card when he’s kicked out of an apartment? All your previous comment indicate you do. Now you complain about this? I’m not buying it. You’re against it because Eric is for it.
all your previous comments indicate you do NOT is what I mean’t to say.
It’s funny, most of you consider the town overrun with poor minorities and druggers who abuse the system. However, in this case you have the opposite view. Why? Because you just don’t like Eric the Mayor and that is the only reason.
They want any poor accused drug user or minority in jail without due process, why would they fight for poor people and supposed druggies to stay in the place they live?
It sounds more like a trained dog. Barking on command instead of people who think for themselves.
I’m not sure I see the connection you attempt to make here between “poor minorities and druggers” and the HR agency … are you saying people that fit this description are the only ones who need a Human Rights agency?
In a word, yes. The drug war and race war is primarily a war on the poor. The poor are the most likely people to need a commission. On one hand you want these people in jail and on the other want them to have power to stay and fight power abusing landlords.
And why? Because Eric’s for it, so you’re against it.
“Best Regards”
They got jokes, people! *sigh* Good times.
Hahaha, right. “Best regards”. What a sendoff by a classy group of cronies who only care about doing the bidding of their little cult leader Eric. Do the volunteers get a plaque, too? Maybe one more “big cookie” from Cookies Etc before they close their doors forever?
Well Eric finally got what he wanted and got rid of Human Rights. It is a sad day indeed for the people of Mason City. You got what you asked for when you voted for the slug, or worse yet stayed home instead of voting.
This is a public stripping, beating and torturing of this now-former institution. This is Eric, Scott Tornquist, Jean Marinos and pretenders like Janet Solberg and Travis Hickey (they don’t get it that they are not considered equals, socially nor intellectually) and their ilk telling the lower classes of Mason City that “you no longer matter” and “we run this town, lock stock and barrel.” It was four years in the making. Eric, originally, owed IC System the favor of assassinating the HR agency; IC System faced a number of cases there, and wasn’t doing well, sources tell me. IC let Eric use its call center to help him obliterate poor John J. in the 2009 mayor’s race; associates even joined his campaign. The “elite” cronies gave Eric thousands of dollars to help him win, and then expected him to carry their water as mayor,which he has done steadfastly. They all hate the cause of the HR agency, even if it wasn’t perfect, and wanted it gone, so they could make their money unencumbered. None of the cronies already in town wanted to be mayor, though, so they found a willing subject in Eric who had no career, no prospects, needed something to do. He gleefully took the reins and will be kept there until his masters decide they want someone else.
@Matt_Solberg, Marinos and Hickey are not bright enough to know what is happening. They are followers.
^^ Truth.
The humiliating thing for Mason City – and I mean city hall, the people, elected officials, collectively – is that it is not gone. It is like a bizarro commission, there only in name, nothing more, perhaps doing the opposite of investigating cases… perhaps sweeping complaints under the rug? I would bet Jean Marinos’ BMW that the current commission wouldn’t even investigate one case; heck, it might not even see to it the cases are sent to Des Moines. Who is watching this commission? What country is this again?
Yet another dark day for Mason City. Why do so called “good people” not speak out? Why does Mason City allow such negative leadership? Where are the educated and civic minded leaders?
I know exactly why. After the last election, it became crystal clear that it was futile. The Mayor and his Dream Team or Nightmare team depending where u stand, decided once again that the average citizen would have no voice. The Chamber and the Cerro Gordo Co. Republicans, made sure they had enough affluence and influence to get the job done.
I used to be a vocal, active community leader and advocate. For my own sanity, I am not going to kill myself trying again for awhile…
Another ridiculous power play!!