I read John Skipper’s column this morning, if I had a degree from M.I.T. in Theoretical Physics as it relates to trust and values… perhaps I could interpret it for you. Seeing that is not the case, let me simplify it for you.
Captain of the ship in this community: Eric Bookmeyer. Title: Mayor. Level of trust: Zero. Level of community value: Zero.
That is the real reason the issue failed!
Peter Children
Mason City, Iowa
PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
BACKGROUND FROM MARCH 8, 2017: MASON CITY – Voters in Mason City were not swayed by pleas from council members, Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and the Globe Gazette that raising their own taxes was a bright idea, and shot down a proposed new tax.
STORY ON HOW TAXPAYERS TOLD BOOKMEYER, SKIPPER AND THE CHAMBER OF CRIME “NO”
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Watch dog makes sense….practical,
Dump Bartz and Walk 2018 – sponges off the little guys.
You know what we could all vote for?
Using all this tax money for the Ice Arena Pipe Dream and vote to give it to Industries that will bring decent paying jobs to Mason City and NEW money to town to help sustain our growing tax burdens.
Don’t bother carping about the Hogs being rejected. That too was another money pit that provided nothing to North Iowa but more financial grief.
All of us out here that want positive growth are willing and more than ready to support growth for working man/women and po’folk. We are sick and tired of giving our tax dollars to the downtown elite!!!!
The fallacy in this thinking is this: We already offer significant financial incentives for new employers to locate in our community (along with just about every other community in the United States that we must compete with for these prospects). Offering financial packages alone is not enough. Employers have other needs besides financial incentives (access to qualified employees or access to raw materials to name just a few) and that is where these quality of life enhancing projects can be just one component of a city economic development plan.
You talk silly. All your double speak is just that. BS. We have plenty of people that want jobs. You just don’t want the competition for labor that will drive up wages.
You must think the Joe Lunch Box’s of the community are stupid. Well, we ain’t! We have been wise to all your bullshxt for a long time and we have grown tired of giving our tax dollars away and getting NOTHING of value in return
Potty language doesn’t change the fact that you still aren’t seeing the fallacy in your argument. I don’t know how I could have spelled it out any clearer to you. We already offer boatloads of financial incentives for economic development. It isn’t working because every other community everywhere does this too.
On to your next ‘point’. Key term you either missed or are purposely ignoring is ‘qualified’ when we talk about employees. Growth industries require a youthful, educated workforce. They wont find it in Mason City and that is evidenced by the employment prospects which have presented themselves here (retail, food service, and food processing). Those with some college level finance courses under their belt can tell you the invisible hand is speaking. Too bad no one in Mason City is listening.
Build it and “they” will come! I would put money on it. The other fallacy you promote is you have to be “young” and “educated”. Way overblown concept!
While it is a good thing to educate yourself, my experience has shown that ON THE JOB TRAINING has produced employees equal and better than college educated fellers.
Way to much emphasis on a college degree. Again, experience has taught me that all that education crowds out “common sense”.
Just saying.
The one thing we all seem to agree on is that Mason City needs to grow. Since you are now trying to deflect the argument, is it safe to assume you now see the fallacy in your original proposition about redirecting hotel/multi purpose arena funds as a financial incentive for employers to relocate?
How can Mason City grow? Let’s really analyze this…When potential employers look for a landing spot, they are looking at macro factors such as available infrastructure, median age and % of the workforce with a college education – they are not looking at the micro factors you are now proposing (they could care less that some guy from Mason City learns good with on the job training). So, to grow, Mason City could invest in meaningful infrastructure, we could invest in educational programs, and we could invest in quality of life improving projects that shift demographics more favorable (just to name a few possibilities).
YOU talk silly. The person who replied made a valid point. There are plenty of jobs in this area but we don’t have the labor force to supply them. Listen to the radio – Assa Abloy is hiring – read the paper – Winnebago is hiring, drive around town and look at the help wanted signs. All have raised wages to bring in people. One big problem all of them experience is that many are willing to work, but not all can pass the drug test most require. That aside, when 4-6 towns of equal size and equal incentives vie for a company, how do you think the company decides on the town you eventually choose? They look at the other things the town offers. How is its school system? What recreational facilities are available? How do the residents involve themselves in community activities? Why should we believe that our future workers would want to live here? Ask around rather than believe you have all the answers. There are people out there that know more than you do.
BS! Raise the wages and they will find plenty of help! You believe the propaganda the elite keep putting out. Who ever said build it and they will come I believe is also saying pay them a decent wage.
If it is as bad as you say (and I don’t) it’s time for folks to start having more kids. Another reason to get the wages up!!!!!
Geezus. It is a travesty that your vote counts the exact same as mine. This is how we end up with a dullard like Terry Branstad as governor for 20+ years.
So, you’re saying Mason City governments should mandate what private enterprises pay and this would make Mason City grow?!?! Do I even need to explain to you why a market would operate inefficiently with a government emposed wage floor like this?!?!? Do you see how what your proposing would probably lead to further population loss rather than population gain?!?!?
WIKI Leaks quote – Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth — T I F – Throw bartz and walk out of office in 2018 – corporate pawns
Aren’t you the same guy who thought Central Springs School paid property taxes?!?!
Well it seems my opinion has found common ground; when push came to shove the residents of our community cast their votes and saw clearly through the smoke screen set up by Bookmeyer .
Hopefully these same people will gather in even greater numbers to defeat the hotel ice rink money pit. We don’t need a hotel and we already have ice at the fairground’s,
However, this community has little to attract a young, educated workforce and our declining population and stagnant economy is a testament to this problem.
So, we can either invest in this community and make it grow, or we can listen to the town curmudgeons and naysayers and continue to watch Mason City wither away.
Us naysayers can do what we want, when we want and there is nothing you can do about it! That’s tooooooooo sweeeet!
you FIRST have to have jobs for the young, educated workforce. Rather than the low paying service jobs that seem to be the only business the people of Mason City are willing to accept.
Chicken or the egg. You have to invest in the things you can actually impact. You can’t force a employer to move here, but you can invest in infrastructure and amenities that make your community a attractive landing spot. Growth industries require a youthful, educated workforce (among other things). The progressive city that is attractive to this type of worker will land employment prospects.
Simply, the voters did not fall for this BS and Skipper continues to spew these lies and their agenda, as usual. Sounds like Trump and Co. Money doesn’t seem to be a big problem as the city just bought a New Ford Fusion Hybrid. And they didn’t even buy it from a Mason City dealer, instead from Billion Auto of Clear Lake. Why?
Don’t be blaming Trump! He is the only Conservative that is saving taxpayers money. Granted he has some things to learn when it comes to T.I.F. TIF is nothing but welfare for the rich. Unfortunately it is a State Program and the Federal Government isn’t involved.
I have a real good feeling you don’t’ understand what TIF is or how it works.
Oh yes I do, I was holding office when the State Of Iowa passed it into law. I voted no then and would do the same today. TIF is nothing more than Welfare For The Rich. Totally screws over the tax payers.
TIF is a Socialist program that replaced the banks in many cases loaning business money to get a viable business up and running.
TIF has been abused!!!
What office did you hold? Assistant janitor at MCHS??
You know what we could all vote for?
Using all this tax money for the Ice Arena Pipe Dream and vote to give it to Industries that will bring decent paying jobs to Mason City and NEW money to town to help sustain our growing tax burdens.
Don’t bother carping about the Hogs being rejected. That too was another money pit that provided nothing to North Iowa but more financial grief.
All of us out here that want positive growth are willing and more than ready to support growth for working man/women and po’folk. We are sick and tired of giving our tax dollars to the downtown elite!!!!
The taxpayers of worth county are being asked to borrow 26 million dollars to build a gas pipeline fromJoice Ia. to Mitchell county also Mitchell county taxpayers are being asked to borrow 34 million dollars for the same FREE project for Alliant energy – Worth county already has the highest tax per county residents in Iowa – Stan Walk and Merlyn Bartz must be removed from office in 2018 as they are corporate puppets for large corporations at the misery of the property owners. This so called Obama Port Authority phase is just another word for stealing from the taxpayers such as is T I F another fraud that large corporations have invaded and used to steal money from the hard working general public. Your copy machine seems like a fly on a bulls ahole in the summertime compared to the swindle we have in progress in our counties thanks to bartz/walk.
Thank you for the laugh. Worth county does not have the highest property tax levy in north Iowa yet alone the entire state.
What the City Hall wasn’t telling you was this new tax was needed so Kevin Jacobson (Finance Director) could move money around to help pay for some of the Tollbridge development we are voting on this fall.
Southbridge=Tollbridge=Ice Arena
VOTE NO
I voted no because I knew the city was lying to us.
What kind of stupid government would borrow money to purchase a copying machine, or anything for that matter? The city Department Heads submit there capital expenditures needs to the City Council at budget time every year.
Should there be a need for an emergency purchase, the city has a reserve fund (in the millions) to pay for it.
This whole notion that the city borrows money to pay for stuff is BS. We maybe sell a bond to purchase a firetruck but this levy wasn’t for that anyway.
Peter’s looney-tune editorials usually serve as entertainment or brain teasers that exercise my “where is this guy coming from” skills. This time I have to agree. When I read Skipper’s column, I felt slightly disgusted. The “no” vote didn’t have a thing to do with negativity or stupidity of the voters – it had (at least to me) everything to do with distrust. Believe me, I WANTED to vote “yes”. Paying a bill vs taking a loan out on everything you buy makes sense to me, but it’s basically like giving someone who has burnt you before a blank check.
It failed because the voters in Mason City have been fleeced for over 50 million dollars fixing up our downtown already. Now they want millions more for a Ice Arena to nowhere. A pipe dream, if you will.
After all the voo-doo accounting practices Mason City has used moving money around “we the people” have had our fill of running us up against the $8.10 taxing limit. Years ago this city funded the purchases he talked about in the city budget. Each department bought and paid cash for them at the time of purchase.
Look at this city. The streets are a mess compared to other cities. Terrible management and no one is ever held accountable and the elite still want MORE tax money.
What Skipper don’t get is, the people are fed up!! It’s cheer leaders like John Skipper that shoot the whole community in the foot.