NIT – Seemingly right in line with the dirty politics at play in Mason City, most NIT readers believe that Iowa Governor Terry Branstad was named Band Fest Grand Marshall as a political payback for a favor he did for Mayor Eric Bookmeyer.
Corrupt politics and dirty tricks by elected officials are nothing new in Mason City – especially over the past 4 years under the Eric Bookmeyer mayorship – and NIT readers seem to recognize this fact – although many do not seem to care, as evidenced by voting results in answer to the following question:
“Was Terry Branstad named Band Fest Grand Marshall as a payback from Eric Bookmeyer after he was named to the Vision Iowa Board?”
The majority of voters – 55 – said “yes”. (Each visitor is allowed just one vote in the poll.) Of those 55 votes, 28 say that Bookmeyer and Branstad are crooked and the scandals are out there to prove it. The rest of the 55 votes – 27 – are resigned to the sad state of affairs, agreeing “that is how politics work”.
Nearly as many – 45 – voted “who cares”, very much in line with the poor voter turnout that Mason City routinely experiences in local elections. Many people say that most Mason City citizens know they are getting bamboozled and run over by Bookmeyer and City Hall, but they refuse to stand up to it and find even a few minutes to go to their polling place.
Just 22 voters stood up for Bookmeyer and Branstad, claiming that naming Branstad as Band Fest Grand Marshall in an election year was just an innocent coincidence.
Mason City was in an uproar when the Chamber of Commerce – an ally of Eric Bookmeyer with hardly a shred of care for the common worker – named incumbent Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as the Band Fest parade’s Grand Marshall, a move practically unheard of over the decades that the parade has been held. Rarely are candidates for public office named as Grand Marshall. Just prior to Branstad being named Grand Marshall, he announced that he had named Eric Bookmeyer to the Vision Iowa Board, which rates applications for economic assistance for projects from communities, and makes recommendations on how project terms should be negotiated and decides on funding. Branstad named Bookmeyer to the board, despite hardly any new jobs or industry of note coming to town, while the city continues to shrink and lose population even as taxes and fees to the remaining taxpayers skyrocket.
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Furthermore, I grew up in a Republican family. Out of respect for my Grandfather Frank B. Pirkl, I waited until he passed on, to formally make my change. I have lots of Republican friends and family and many Democrats and Independents. To me it is more about the person and the issue than anything. So, my personality lends itself to Independent. My philosophies are based on my Roman Catholic background for Social Justice, caring/advocating for the poor, disabled and those who have no voice..
@ Marybeth Greenan, you were talking with Todd Blodgett? Really. That must of been the reason you change you’re tune on here. I think we know how things would of went in person. Not to good. You could not pay me to talk to that Republitard nut.
@ Mary Beth Greenan, your gutsy. I do not even know Todd Blodgett but I would not want him mad at me. You did a good thing talk it out with him, hope he stay’s not mad at you now.
Yes, he has a gun. A carnie found that out once, and man did he pay for it.
@ Garner Lady, Oh, how nice. You think it is just peachy that an intoxicated, trigger-happy Republican Yahoo pulled a gun on a carnival employee. You are disgusting, and obviously as much a neanderthal as Toddy boy. Blodgett may have a legal right to carry a gun to a bar, nobody can threaten somebody with it unless life is being threatened. This was not the case, according to what I have read and heard. That poor kid probably will never get over the horror that wingnut put him through.
@ Wendy…
Thanks Wendy. Our families have known each other since the 1960’s.. I have no problem stating my opinions. I stick up for what I believe in. Life goes on….
@ Really I have no idea who you are– but with your comments you may know me. If you do, u know that I stand up for what I believe in regardless of the cost. With age comes wisdom and at 62 I don’t give one shit what you or anyone else thinks. Todd and I have always agreed to disagree. And, that is what we discussed again. I am not changing my tune. My comments to him included that he is a right-wing radical and I am a liberal democrat. And, He said– Fair enough…. No problem.
@ LVS, why call us “haters” when Blodgett, whom you defend, made a fortune from hatred? The Washington Post article, “The Pied Piper of Racism” reports that Todd Blodgett cut a $250,000 deal at “the University club” of Washington, DC, “an oak-paneled gathering point for the city’s elite”, where Blodgett was a member. He sold his company to William L. Pierce, who was a notorious hater. Why defend these Nazi elitists? Are you in the same gun club as this neo-Nazi? Are you a drug addict,…
@Retarded NIACC-No I am not in any gun club and have never done “ILLEGAL” drugs of any type. I am also not stupid like some people who claim to be educated are. If what you say Blodgett did is true(and I never believe a liberal) lying is part of their culture, it is not illegal to own or sell a business and from what I understand from people who do know him he has not taken drugs for years and dumb asses like you who should give him credit for changing his lifestyle do nothing but backstab…
continued-him and his family. You have admitted several times you do not even know his family or him but continue to put them down. That makes you a damn hypocrite as well as a educated (so you claim) liar. If I was BLodgett’s I would find out your real name and sue the shit out of you for defamation. You did use their real names in a public forum. If you ever did run across Blodgett you would run away so fast you would have a heart attack. That is what backstabbing cowards like you do.
LVS I would pay money to see Retarded get in Blodget’s face on this. Throw down mix it up good. Todd, he can take care of him self he don’t know any fear never did. Hell I would pay $20 to see them two meet up. He would do alot better in county jail then Retarded will, that is for sure, LOL.
LVS— It is unfortunate but true re: Blodgett. You can google his name and come up with many true accounts of this history. Shameful!!!
@Marybeth-that may be true, but I think you are a fair person. From what I understand from people who know him is he sold that business and no longer does drugs. Past history is just that. If someone changes for the better than they should be credited for it. Don’t you agree with that.
LVS: Yes, I do agree with that!!! And, I was just visiting with Todd. We are ok with each other. We are polar opposites politically, but, we have many things in the past in common with family etc.
We all have pasts… and God is good to forgive and we can move on….
@Marybeth-Thank you. I am glad you see my point. I just hate people who attack other people behind their back. They would never have the guts to stand in front of them and say the crap they put on here anonymously. I am glad you talked to him and found out the truth. I too do not agree with every thing he does politically, but hen again I don’t agree with the other side all the time either. I knew you were a fair person, otherwise you would not have been associated with Jodi.
I have a friend who is very close to the politics around here. She says this all went back to when Robin A. tried to keep Merlin Bartz from going out to Washington DC with the Chamber last year. Bartz got to go only because he got Gary Blodgett to call up his fellow fascist Steve “Rightwingnut” King. King said ok, bring Bartz along. This made Robin mad, embarrassed her. Her wings got clipped. So now she does all she can to stay in with the Republitards. That is how Braindead got to be GM.
@ Laker I would not be suprise if your right what goes on around here is sicko. Republitard’s use our parade this is suppose to be not about politics they make it in to something help there Republitard’s. How great it would of been, if we have no sneaky Robin no greedy Urdal no pompus Booky no dumbass Dougherty no wing nut Steve King. Ok you connect all them dot’s what do you see. Rich old doc, that is who. Gary he makes trouble for us 99%, needs to just stop.
That is right, Gary Blodgett put Urdahl in his pocket a long time ago, Phil to, Doc and Steve KKKing are thick as thiefs. Then there is his Nazi doper son the black sheep, Bookie goes drinking with. On count of Toddy boy Beermyer gets the council give the big time bucks to the Harley, our money. Put more dots in they connect, Steve Minert. Now Doc wants the Callahan kid, for the Superviser. No worse Republitards then Blodgett’s get all them crooks in they take care of theirs not us.
Well expressed, dear readers, regarding the notoriously ubiquitous, neo-Nazi Blodgetts and the jokers which pass for public servants whose campaigns they fund. It is so appalling as to make one consider moving away. Alas, democracy for the few is not to my liking, and, I suspect, not the preference of most of you, either. I shall now close with a quote from the sainted FDR, who elegantly stated that “the real safeguard of democracy is education.” Here, ignorance prevails.
@ Union your a mean little nothing make fun of Todd ok. You got no idea what are you talking about. He don’t use drugs now get a life looser.
@Drug Free-Just ignore the haters. They are jealous of the Blodgett’s because they have earned their money and have the ability to support what they believe in. They have no proof of nothing they say other than Todd “USED” to use drugs. Bunch of damn idiot’s attacking other people just because they have earned something they can’t have. Nothing but backstabbing cowards and most of them have never even met a Blodgett.
Ya I heard Robin got a facelift too and now she look like michael jackson. sometimes god just decides he want you to be old an ugly and science cant change it.
Originally I too thought it was payback for the mayor, but, what I have found out was it was all about Robin Anderson wanting to get herself appointed to a board. What I heard was she lied about the board approving Branstad in the parade. It was all her. I am sure the mayor didn’t object, but that was not the ulterior motive the way I heard it. Face it, Robin Anderson is a snake and is nothing but bad for the city. In my opinion of course. (and a lot of other people agree)
This could really cost the governor this fall. Another scandal revealed, and no shocker who else involved. Looks like Hatch is on course to sweep into the gov’s office.
Well this makes it official. We all knew something was wrong. Thanks NIT for showing that not everyone was fooled.
This is a non issue Matt, give it up, he is a north Iowan born and raised here and I am glad he was here supporting our community.
If it was a non-issue, why did anyone bother to vote in the poll? Thanks for reporting the true feelings of the people, NIT.
When the governor “retired”, he didn’t come to North Iowa, he settled in Boone, if I recall correctly.
A valid point. If Mr. Branflakes loved Lake Mills so dam much, why didn’t he retire there? I guess he’s no longer “from” north Iowa since his career is in DM and he retired to central Iowa. Just another former North Iowan who turned his back on his hometown, I think.
As far as where our Governor wants to live I think that is his choice. As we get older we can change our minds about things. I also love California, but would never live there…ever.
So the Governor was Grand Marshall, great!!! Who cares!, just something else to NIT pick.
It looks to me that more people (45) didn’t care vs. those who thought this was some kind of a political pay back.
There were two yes options that add up to more than the don’t care option.
The who cares and the no’s add up to more than the yes’s. Most people don’t care about politics anymore as you can tell by the recent voter turnout.
I don’t understand how you can lump the “don’t cares” in with the no votes any more than you can lump them in with the yes votes.
I’m certainly not going to argue with you about the engagement rates of primaries. They are always low. Some understand this and make it part of their strategy.
Thank you, that was my point exactly. Opinion polls can lead you to an answer based on the question of the poll itself. In feel its the actual vote total that counts at the end of the election. Unless of course your “strategy” is to see if you can get the least amount of votes in your primary race.
I was speaking of using resources to target only those that typically vote in primaries instead of a more broad-based advertising campaign as an example of understanding low turn out strategy.