Malcontent, illogical, misinformed, vindictive, vengeful and incompetent.
These are but a few words that attempt to describe our “current core of authority” that are shepherding our community through what have been turbulent times.
Starting with the burning facility and ending with Prestige could be described as military maneuvers led by local groups of gorilla fighters that were necessary to save this city from destruction. Now the madness continues with attempted designs to raise our taxes….all of it calumniating in a sheet of ice. It would be understandable if we didn’t have ice, but as everyone knows… we already have ice.
Transforming our current skating facility could easily be accomplished with a mere fraction of the proposed budget now in play. It has been said that this bad dream carries a price tag of $36,000,000. It’s been referred to as a Renaissance movement… don’t be lulled into a make believe trance by fancy words; these people want to mortgage your homes to create an unnecessary edifice by investing $18,000,000.00 into the same mall these geniuses sold for 1.5 million. And the guy who paid 1.5 M will then lease it back to us for $180,000.00 a year for 5 years after which the rent increases by thousands of dollars with each 5 year increment. After 20 years we will have paid 5 million…. and we are paying for the improvements. This is what happens when you don’t vote.
With the failed hotel developer we’ve already invested over $426,000.00 for design and engineering and legal costs with absolutely nothing to show for it.
Only now do you truly realize the real value of the late Alex Kuhn…. someone who stood and voted no in the face of diversity. That vote in effect cost him his life.
I ask you now; who at that very table will stand today and exhibit the courage that embodied Alex Kuhn?
Peter Children
Mason City, Iowa
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To buzzcrumbcutter. Your comments are right on the money. This town is too small and the project is too big. It’s overkill. It’s all about Bookmeyer’s ego that he wants homeowners to pay for.
Send a message and VOTE NO on this Tax Levy and on the upcoming arena referendum!!!
What message would that be? That we’re anti growth and a city of chock full of residents who have never taken a basic college level economics course?
This isn’t growth. Tax growth maybe. But will not grow our city. People sure have a way of grasping onto crazy pipe dreams, then trying to convince themselves that it is a good idea.
I do have a college degree and have taken several econ courses…you? More tax is more tax and do you think that most people in this city want and would benefit from this sketchy project with it’s huge price tag? I don’t think so and I hope people will get out and vote…NO!
Great! Then your one of the 15% of residents in Mason City with a college degree.
So you understand perfectly that it makes sense for the city to bond at historically low interest rates to pay for future capital purchases that are going to be made regardless of whether the levy passes or not. And you also understand perfectly that job creators look at many dynamics of a city in choosing where to locate…and that tax environment is one of the dynamics that is nearly always trumped by other criteria, access to qualified workers, to name just one example.
Kenny? Kenny the cheerleader? Is that you? Take your snake oil elsewhere, nobody is buying!
Understanding a questionable business proposal, does not require a college education just basic math skills, and common sense.
Common sense is something these over educated BOOBS know nothing about. A degree doesn’t mean they are intelligent, they just think they are.
Can you evaluate multiple complex cash flow scenarios and determine which one utilizes capital most efficiently – simply by ‘common sense’? I’d rather have a guy with a finance degree make that determination than relying on the blow hard who says he has ‘common sense’.
Yes, I can.
Great! Than you’re voting ‘yes’ on the capital improvements levy.
o. I am voting no. This city administration has proven it can never be trusted. They like backroom deals. I would never trust them with a open ended levy like this.
Shocking. So you can’t evaluate complex cash flow scenarios with just ‘common sense’. Instead, your voting with your emotions. Sigh.
This is real easy. If someone like you is for it the rest of the world better run away as fast as possible.
If projects like this propose arena are such a great thing, why doesn’t a private entity(s) raise the needed funding and operate it themselves? Most of us know, government is the LAST place to get something ran effectively or even efficiently.
Let the entrepreneur reap the rewards, profits and pay the property taxes.
Where anywhere does such an example exist? Is Target Center in Minneapolis privately owned? Is Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Privately owned? Sanford Arena?? Growing, progressive cities invest. Dying cities seem to think that ‘shrinking’ expenses will somehow lead to prosperity.
Lets wait and see what the vote results are. If it fails to pass maybe we could have march and piss and moan about it not passing or us not getting our way.
Is this Kenny again? Either way, you’re an idiot. These aren’t even fair comparisons. You might as well compare it to Madison Square Garden’s, you ass hat. It is probably a closer comparison to Duncan Hall.
Kiss your mother with that mouth? Find a multipurpose arena anywhere you like. Ottumwa. North Platte. Dodge City. Find one anywhere that a private enterprise owns and operates. Comparison still stands.
you can compare all you want. whether or not the comparisons are accurate is a different story, anyway, each situation is unique, and needs to be treated as such. Not a good fit for this community, just like Southbridge eventually proved to be a terrible fit for Mason City.
You’re completely missing the point. The poster claims a multi purpose arena should be built by private enterprise. I’m asking the poster to give one example of such a facility (and you are trying to use a straw man argument either on purpose just to be argumentative or because you don’t understand the logical fallacy you are making – I sure hope its the former). You won’t find a multipurpose arena anywhere owned by private enterprise – that’s the point I’m making.
These types of facilities are always investments made by government organizations to enhance the quality of life for its citizens. Is Mason City going to be progressive, invest, and grow? Or continue to dwindle in population and hope that it can somehow ‘shrink’ costs into prosperity?
But when a government builds it to improve quality of life, there is all ready a need for it in place. Our community does not need this. And the hope of “if you build it, they will come” only works if the movies. Real life doesn’t work that way. We would have to have the NEED for it first.
What delusional universe are you living in? Mason City is slowly withering away. People don’t stay here – more troubling – our most productive and educated residents flee at a much higher percentage. Something has to be done to reverse decades of population decline and increasing issues with poverty.
So why spend this kind of money on a shrinking population? IT WILL NEVER ATRACT NEW PEOPLE TO TOWN WITH AN ARENA. That is the point you keep missing. I understand what you would like to accomplish, but this is not going to get the results you hope for.
This has been discussed ad nauseam in this thread and others. But one more time for the slow readers. Growth industries need a young, diversified, educated workforce. Mason City doesn’t have this type of workforce. There is no single silver billet that will fix this. Progressive cities invest in quality of life enhancing projects to attract this type of worker. The multipurpose arena is just one cog towards improving the quality of life in Mason City. Once a critical mass of quality of life enhancing projects are in place, the tide starts to turn. It’s a kid no process that has to start somewhere. The other option is to continue on the path of trying to cut costs and somehow thinking this will lead to prosperity.
What the writer is really saying, “Mason City is being led by a bunch of stupid buffoons that have no idea how to lead.”
The most important focus should be keeping taxes low and City Government out of the Development business.
Taxpayers habe spent $75,000,000 on the downtown over the last 40 years. That is 75 million taxpayer dollars folks. Enough is enough!!! The fact of the matter is, Mason City downtown is nothing more than a small financial and business center.
A Ice Arena is NOT warrented as it will forever require tax payers to help fund it. A Hotel is not warranted either. Parking ramps are not needed.
Mason City’s so called “downtown” is just fine the way it is.
A city which is more focused on ‘shrinking’ costs than growing is a city which slowly withers away. Mason City must invest in quality of life enhancing projects to reverse decades of declining population or eventually face the issue of insolvency once the population becomes so small that tax dollars are no longer sufficient to pay for existing infrastructure.
The first priority should be NEW JOBS. As we now see America is poised for INDUSTRIAL GROWTH AND NEW JOB CREATION, we should save our tax resources to go entirely (at this time) toward GOOD PAYING JOB CREATION.
The Ice Arena on the other hand is not the kind of “quality of life” investment that would benefit Mason City’s taxpayers. If will benefit a very small group. I am told studies that the tax payers have already paid for clearly says is not a feasible project. The city should release that study to the public for review.
Mason City has ample quality of life amenities.
This latest boondoggle is just a hair brained scheme that foolish elected people are promoting at the expense of unsuspecting and uniformed taxpayers.
Agreed. Job creation should be a priority of the city. Funny thing is, the types of industries Mason City is currently able to attract (due to its demographic profile) have been flat out rejected by a very vocal group of citizens.
High paying, growing industries like high tech manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare will not consider Mason City because these industries would not find qualified employees here. This is why Mason City needs to invest in quality of life enhancing projects to being the process of skewing the demographics to more favorably align with growth industries.
I believe the situation you speak of, is called a “catch 22”
Special interest ice arena is not a quality of life enhancing project no more than another hotel is. It is just like Music Man Square and the Old Whore House. They will all fade away after the new wears off.
A multi purpose arena absolutely, positively is a quality of life enhancing project. This is a indisputable fact.
The hotel is private investment. And private investment is a necessary component to access state dollars earmarked for quality of life enhancing projects.
I can’t think of a single person I have ever met in my lifetime, that would move to a different community based on a half ass ice arena hooked onto a rundown ghost town of a mall. If these assumed people were to move here, where would they work? Wal-Mart? Get a clue folks, not going to improve anything, but resumes.
There isn’t any one magic bullet that is going to fix Mason City issues with population decline and poverty. All you curmudgeons must recognize this fact first before we can make any meaningful steps towards progress. It’s going to take a critical mass of quality of life enhancing projects to turn the tide. The multi purpose arena is a great start
Alex Kuhn was a coward. left behind a family instead of facing adversity
“Malcontent, illogical, misinformed, vindictive, vengeful and incompetent” I think this describes Peter perfectly. The sad part is that he thinks he’s clever,insightful and witty.
the levy might not be going to be used for the “mayors fallicy” but it will be replacing the money used on it. law says it cant but if we didn’t spent the money on “ICE” then we wouldn’t have to raise taxes, the money would be there
Actually, the money will go to another community entirely if it isn’t used here.
Mercy Hospital is a non profit yet in 2013/14 they made 17 million dollars have them pay for it, they steal everyday from the sick.
If you are constantly remodeling, buying houses to bulldoze and over paying your executives, there is no money left. Hence non profit.
Your post does not apply to home owners.
Huh?
It is apparent 75% plus of the real estate is in dire need of repairs, painting etc. exactly how do these council people assume citizens can afford any more taxes when their own houses businesses need repair, in my view the council is blind to the real needs of citizens their job title needs to be scaled back and their responsibilities need to be explained to the general public are they a business and if so where do they get their $ from, with skype and the free use of the Library the building they occupy needs to be sold it is not necessary or affordable, they need to scale back be frugal and efficient and hire only volunteers, start there.
Please clarify. Are you advocating selling City Hall, firing all City employees and replacing them with volunteers?
Yes.
The writer know a lot about taxes including IRS- IFTL but question knowledge of the Levy Tax.
This is not good for MC. Once again the numbers to not add up and the smoke screen continues. VOTE NO
Alex Kuhn was a proponent of this. He spent a lot of time working on this concept. All the way to designs that were developed. To bad Mr. Children doesn’t know the difference between fact or fiction.
But he voted against it.
No he didn’t.
Alex Kuhn was the biggest chearleader FOR the arena project.
Alex Kuhn was wrong and don’t use him as a martyr on this losing project.
Once again I must agree with Peter. We just can not trust this administration. Look how many times they have tried to sneak things by us.
I laughed when I read the statement; “our “current core of authority” that are shepherding our community through what have been turbulent times.”
I thought shepherds were supposed to protect their flock, not fleece it.
Was this article written by an adult? So many fallacies are written into this article by purposeful omission – a very juvenile argumentative tactic . Most intelligent folks recognize Mason City cannot afford to continue on its current trajectory of a dwindling population and an increasing issues with poverty. At least Bookmeyer has brought employment prospects to the table rather than literally chasing away employers like Mac Weaver has done (IC Systems).
You still don’t know what you are talking about.