I read John Skipper’s thoughts this morning and I can see the analogy he is trying to lay out. This has turned into a real boondoggle – it’s more than that, Bookmeyer and his half of the council have turned this into a real cluster cluck.
It has his paw prints all over it and is easily identified from the stench that comes with everything he touches. Look back to the burning plant, he tried to push that through but thankfully failed.
Next came the pig people; if you read what NIT recently reported about China looking elsewhere for its pork, that entire industry could be in serious trouble. Hong Kong consumes 50,000 hogs a day…..if that is the case build the process plant and the confinement pens there.
The livestock business today is much different than it was when I was young. Today it is heavily laden with carcinogenic poisons that can kill you. And it doesn’t stop with the pigs and the chickens; it also permeates the grain industry. Cancer-causing drugs on the land to control the weeds… fluids sprayed on the ground go into the ground water and into the streams causing cancer that often kill the fish and us with it. The way to stop it is ban that type of agriculture within the state. Instead of trying to add to the yield by using chemicals….raise the prices on the crop. Farmers get cancer and so do their families probably in a higher proportion than the rest of the population. How do you expect to find a cure for cancer when every day we are aiding and abetting in the spread of this disease with the water we drink and the food we eat. People say there is a cure for cancer but the medical society doesn’t want us to have it. That’s Bullshit. you can’t stop cancer when you’re feeding it to the entire grocery industry.
We see on television fines imposed on the automobile industry that run into the hundreds of millions of dollars because they tried to cheat on the emission systems of the car they were selling. This happened to Volkswagen. We’re concerned with the air we breathe, that’s why we fined them for cheating. Why not fine the farmers
who use chemicals on the land and inject every pig with the fast growth additives? Want to know why? Because we have a strong farm lobby in Washington DC, our representatives are farmers themselves.
Can you grasp what I am saying? You can’t have your cake and eat it to. Some of the smartest people in the world live in America. The accomplishments made in the field of chemistry and medicine are unparalleled throughout the world. Why then doesn’t some research firm trying to develop chemicals to improve farming yields, with a focus on achieving the same results but, cancer free, the same way with the fast growth additives; why does it have to be carcinogenic?
Let’s go back to the issue at hand; the hotel and ice rink. The first thing that is missing here is honesty….the truth is absent and with it the due diligence that is part and parcel of every project. Here is the truth….the numbers are fictitious. There isn’t sufficient population to support this wet dream of Eric Bookmeyer. You could bus people in from out of town and it still would not cash flow. What’s on the table in front of you here is a quagmire; the final cost of it could run $35-$40 million. Stop and think, we are not short of hotel rooms and we have an ice facility at the fairgrounds. No more than $500,000.00 investment in the facility at the fairgrounds would make it look spectacular. Don’t be tricked into voting to put the city deeper into debt. Use your good judgment and vote against this proposal, soon the curse that Eric Bookmeyer brought to this community will be gone and with it, his subordinates. If you think about it we have our own form of cancer here, all we have to do is survive the next few months and our administration will be cancer-free. I am not including Brent Trout in this analogy, God knows he fell on the sword so many times for Bookmeyer it’s a wonder he didn’t bleed to death.
Now Gatehouse is in arrears in delivering their development outline….and the former developer G8 is suing the city….this has Bookmeyer all over it and his ventriloquist puppets along with him. Vote No!!
Peter Children
Mason City, Iowa
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If you own a home in this city you are going to pay for a hotel you will never sleep in and a sheer of ice you will never skate on. Don’t be fooled, vote no!
If you own a home in this city and do not have kids, you are going to be paying for schools that your family will never use.
If you own a home in this city you are paying for some roads that you will never drive on.
if you do not live you will die, is that the message peter?
The hotel component of this project is private investment. The only people who will be paying for it are the people who stay there.
I’m certain a large percentage of north Iowans and southern minnesotans will see a show at the multipurpose arena. Plus, economic development officials will have something to showcase to new economy employers that our city invests in quality of life enhancements that will make it easier to attract the types of employees they need.
What a bunch of horse shit. You have nothing to back up those eloquent words that are completely facticious. Potential businesses don’t need a third (3) ice arena nor will it attract additional people to the area. Music Man Square is insolvent and is looking for another bailout. Besides the fact that this whole discussion is moot considering Gatehouse has failed to follow through. And, take a good look at how the hotel is taking away parking from the mall. Not to mention they have also failed to address where are they going be able to park up to1,000 potential people for conventions. If they plan a sky walk they should have planned another one from the convention area to the mall. Again, the hotel developers have failed to follow through with the needed paperwork. All I see is one big headache after looking at those drawings. And, potential for the city to come back and say ah we should have thought more about parking. Find out what potential employers needs are not some eloquent words from a pipe dreamer. Vote NO!
There are some severe fallacies in your parking argument. Would you like me to point them out to you or would you like to think about it?
WE KNOW WHAT EMPLOYERS NEEDS ARE. THE PROBLEM IS YOU ARE NOT LISTENING!
My ears are definitely open to rational people. The only thing you, “Anonymous”, are trying to to do is cash in at MC tax payers expense. Gatehouse has failed to follow through on its obligations so this whole discussion is moot.
The first fallacy. Parking is not currently, nor has ever been a problem in Mason City. The second fallacy. We are on the leading edge of technology which will significantly reduce the demand for parking (you’re argument is akin to trying to build a typewriter factory because autonomous vehicles and ride sharing will decimate the demand for [parking in the very near future).
We are on the leading edge and yet earlier you said our schools are crap and Mason City is basically akin to Detroit. We are not even close to this futuristic/leading edge style. Look too your voting market. By the way, this is where you’re gonna lose my futuristic, dreamer, Anonymous friend. Mason City and the surrounding communities are aging communities. People don’t want to walk blocks in our harsh winter climates. Look to Rochester, MN., they have done a great job of catering to their clientele. Am I getting through to your Peez dispenser of a brain yet?
Not ‘we’ as in Mason City, ‘we’ as in American society. Seas of parking will soon be akin to a typewriter (insurance companies are already preparing for the sharing economy and autonomous vehicles shaking up their indistry).
I have never said Mason City’s schools are poor. It shouldn’t be surprising you’ve drawn your own incorrect parallel. Mason City’s demographics skew heavily towards a poorly educated workforce. This is because there is no opportunity or amenities here for our best and brightest – they go on to college and never come back.
Didn’t you claim to have two masters degrees (admittedly I could be confusing that claim with another poster). I ask because I’m about to point out another fallacy in your argument that i would expect anyone with a masters degree in business to recognize immediately (it has to do with elasticities of demand).
Nope, I did not share that I had two Masters. Interesting that you should think this… but it’s a good thing I am apparently here to keep you grounded. Your cliff notes appeared to be seriously flawed as I have pointed out previously. Perhaps, you should actually read the material and not rely so heavily on cliff notes. Also, please look up Opportunity Costs and how the value of a dollar is worth more than a dollar in the future–Economics 101. I am intrigued by your futuristic visions. However, MC isn’t there yet. You know I am right and I encourage you to vote NO.
Are you trying to say that the concept of opportunity cost is all about the time value of money?!?! BTW, your interpretation of the time value of money is bassackwards.
Earlier you said people don’t ‘want to’ walk blocks in the winter. There is a difference between want people ‘want’ to do and what they ‘will’ do. And it’s the very same reason your grocer puts the milk at the back of the store. The elasticity of demand is very high for some goods and services like milk or a concert. They will buy the milk whether they have to walk 5 feet or 5 miles.
You’re comparing a need for “milk” to shopping at Southbridge a want. And, then claiming elasticity of demand? Do you even understand this concept? You’re comparing apples to oranges. Under your scenario Southbridge would not be in the financial problems that it is, i.e., I would much rather go to the drive thru at Starbucks by the Fairgrounds then say go into Starbucks Target when we have negative temperatures. I really hope you don’t do marketing for a living cause you really stink at it. BTW, I would definitely take a dollar today than a dollar a year from now. You should know this concept my dreamer Anonymous friend, That is exactly why you are trying to cash in on the tax payers money now then say table these same plans for another year or two or even five years. Simple economics.
Whoa there fella! You’re not making the correct analogy at all. A gallon of milk and Southbridge? This is about the multi purpose arena. TCOB seems to think that the availability of parking will cause the multi purpose arena to fail. This is where the elasticity of demand comes into play. Some goods an services are are highly inelastic. In the case of a concert, the demand is highly inelastic and the fact that parking is difficult will have negligible effect on ticket sales (just like the fact the milk is at the back of the store has almost no impact on sales of milk).
I ‘d rather have a dollar today than a dollar a year from now too. But if we take the advice of curmudgeons like Weaver or Children we’re not getting any dollars now or in the future.
I urge you all to vote no on the nightmare of a development. There will,be better….more investment worthy propositions coming after the Dark Prince.exits the stage. Vote no on this quagmire that will put you in debt the rest of your life.
VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES
What debt is created by this project. Be a ‘reporter’ and give your readers the unbiased facts.
There is nothing more dangerous than organized ignorance.
Great statement, Children.
You could use that as a title for your own autobiography.
Now CAFO’s are back on the front page, and according to what I read they’re not going anywhere. Callahan and Latham are strong supporters of all the pig shit you can eat in a never ending 24 hour Buffett. If your sympathies ran along side those who can no longer open their windows, then you’d be in line with Chris Watts whose heart is as tender as a fillet bathed in butter from the Northwest Cafe.
Once you have given up on why the guy you voted for is sticking it to
you….until you figure it out you might want to re- think where you buy your next lazy-boy or mattress. Same is true for insurance and stocks & bonds. When you are trying to survive you use every weapon you got. If you think economic’s aren’t effective you’d be wrong.
Yesterday I cast one vote for my choice on the School Board. My guy won because he got a lot of ” one votes” and those added up to a total that put him at that table……….see how that works. In this life we all live, if you keep handing out ” free passes to ride the bus, pretty soon there won’t be a seat for you……..
The only fecal matter anyone in this town need fear are the words that come out of your mouth.
peter, the efficient hog confinements will be built whether it be at 5000 head capacity or 50 head capacity. so which are you going to like, one building next to your residence, or 50 smaller buildings encircling the perimeter of your residence? please let us know so we can start the appropriate groundwork. keep talking about this subject as you are a clueless fool who will continually put your foot in your mouth.
FYI we are still waiting for those hundreds of hog confinement applications all you anti-progress people screamed would be built in this county if prestage were approved. another lie by the radical citizens of the city
2 things:
1. If you work for a living, don’t disrespect Liberals. The Liberal/Socialist/Democrat/Union coalition is the only reason our wages aren’t worse than they are;
2. This entire downtown development fiasco has multiple failure points built into it. If you vote Yes, you’re risking municipal insolvency and further MC decline.
I hope you all voted today for the school board…..I did
I just fingered it out – Your skateing in circles waiting for Santa Clause or maybe the fairy food finger called Stiff with TIF !
Let me say this one thing to all who contributed to this community form; “After all is said and done…..more will be said than done!”
These are not my words but they have proven themselves to be true more than once.
Beside all of the other concerns brought up, I’d like to address one more.
The Mason City Youth Hockey organizations has pledged “up to 2 million dollars” for this project. (Note the words “up to”).
1. Who makes up the difference if they cannot meet that amount?
2. There is no credible financial backing or guarantee of their statement.
They have a hard time just making ends meet as it is.
No one makes up the difference if any of the funding components fall through. The project doesn’t happen if the funding isn’t in place.
POINT BLANK: the numbers do not line up, many are fictitious, it was a bad plan with limited confirmation from the state, no vetting of parties involved, and way too many non answered questions………..this is a very easy NO.
What questions are unanswered?
You are one of the turds in town that don’t want this city to grow. Go away, don’t come back.
Re: anonymight turd
You are the only one who should leave.
VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES
VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES VOTE YES
How interesting – there was a time when the city council and chamber were excited about Chodur – he he he!
Been following NIT for years nothing surprises me anymore thank God we have this newspaper to tell us the truth we know Skipper and Maybarry who lives in Northwood won’t tell us cause Robin pays there way. My fixed income can’t support all the rich kids skating in their $500 outfits but these greedy people wnat me to pay there way. Dag gum it, I’m putting my foot down this time. NO
There is something very wrong with you if you consider this a ‘newspaper’.
No proof in the SLIGHTEST that the state will give MC a DIME! Alex, Eric and Brent are gone! They sold this thing to the state and got no assurances of anything! City ASKED for $10 million. State said ‘maybe’ to $7 million and never said ‘yes’! We are going through this ordeal for a hollow promise of nothing and pure CONJECTURE! The wine-drinker on Facebook is a snake oil saleswoman, her numbers are bullshit, she must be drunk like Eric is when he’s sitting at the Willow all night long.
The only way to make yourself heard on issues involving the community you live in is to vote. Make time to go to your polling place….now in Mason City I think you can vote at any polling place regardless of the precient you live in. Vote in every election no matter how important you think it might be or if you feel it will effect you or not. Get your neighbor….or neighbors and go together, make it an event. You,might think your single vote won’t count for much but you would be wrong.
$400,000 blown by the city (Eric, Robin, Jean, fleet-footed Torny, etc) on a bogus parking ramp that will NEVER be built. And you want support for this joke???
http://wp.me/p6bCbC-CBj
Roger Stone/Infrowars = Peter Children/ NorthIowaToday . Man ! Does he know how to stoke a FIRE ?
Bite my azz you civilized liberal (inventor of nothing including an intelligent thought)
I can sight two things that give credence that Bookmeyer is washed up. The .67 tax measure failed and Andy O’Brien lost measurably in his bid for a council seat. This in spite of the fact he tied himself tightly to Bookmeyer. In order to achieve this the populace had to go to the polls….and they did, and they will again.
I know outside money is available for this but just not enough. The brunt will be paid by increased property tax. Shit- can the hotel, fix up the ice at the Fairground. And call it a good days work.
Yeah please SIGHT those two things for us why don’t ya.
Yes ! Don’t forget the OLD PLOY !! IT’S FOR THE KIDS !!! You are no doubt a public servant and thinks money and your fat cat paycheck come from the tooth fairy. BS or piggy poop take your pick.
Yea! Move to Michigan (deadtroit) Illinois (Chitcago) or even Kalifornicate – All democratic controlled areas that people are fleeing like rats from a sinking ship – or bused to MC.
Do schools pay property taxes ? NO BUT BUT – YOU DO pay a school tax LEVY on YOUR property taxes SO ? could this be considered a property tax ? All depends if your a liberal or a patriot –
???? Now I’m intrigued, where can this line of idiotic resoning possibly be headed? I’ll bite…
Yep. I pay a school district levy on my property taxes and I don’t mind one bit. Education is of paramount importance and funding a public education system is part of the deal when you live in a civilized society.
This is pathetic to say the least. These people have no secure financing no guaranteed agreement with the state of Iowa with the 10 million they have no confirmed franchise with iron hotel; the hotel is $200,000 the number on taxes and the city officials want to beautiful yes?
Does anybody have any idea what you’re really voting for nothing is real nothing exists there is nothing concrete it’s time to make a citizens arrest.
TIF or TAX ABATEMENT ! = RIPOFF to the general public – same con/different title.
Sigh. You really don’t get it. Have fun living in your slowly dying county where your kids and grandkids move away because there is no opportunity.
no opportunity? those brats can someday work at ws live for 9 bucks an hour. o wait, ws live closed. they can work at humach for 8 fitty an hour instead. thanks, eric and puppets, for the high pyaing jobs.
Why would you blame Eric for this?!?!? He’s brought employment prospects to the table that pay more than 8 or 9 bucks an hour. Recall, the same gang of curmudgeon-y clowns made a circus of city hall meetings and quickly stamped that employment prospect out. Blame them that you only make $9 a hour. Or blame yourself.
Until we do something about the quality of our workforce, Mason City will continue to only get retail, hospitality, food service, or ag processing type jobs. The ‘invisible hand’ is speaking, but no one is listening.
STIFF the public with TIF if not try TPP as Bartz and Walk are promoting. (by the way TRUMP KILLED THE TPP treaty – (agreement) so what the hell is all this pigshit their spreading ?
Bragging about pay huge taxes – are you trying to impress me as to your hefty (possible public servant) wages or are you just stupid ?
If you had $100,000 work done to your home and only paid $25,000 ? Great liberal response – You forgot to say -welfare/ebet cards/free medical insurance also – That’s okay the hard working conservative slob next door will pay for it – Just another HUD/TIF ripoff for the average working JOE blowed.
I’d love to compare 1040’s with you someday. I’m certain no one here pays more in taxes than I do.
Exactly what, pray tell, does your ineptitude at filing taxes have to do with the matter at hand?
Pete ! Politicians in DC ? Hell our Iowa lawmakers (legislature) is dominated by farm corporate members and farmers . They control the Iowa DNR and what’s termed as pollution and hazardous to Iowa residents – In other words if your not a member of Farmersonly.com. F-you.
Liberals – Private investment are the hardworking private citizens giving their money ( private citizens are wealth producers -( con artists and public servants (non-wealth producers) -Private contributors ? FAKE NEWS ! Now the taxpayers are private contributers? What a bunch of PIG SHIT.
Peter! That was super correct and took a lot of balls to say it – Bravo ! Supervisors in Worth county (Bartzie the corporate puppet) want us RICH bitches to kick in 26 MILLION dollars to fund a gas pipeline for alliant (by the way the state of Iowa will GIFT 52 million more of your tax payer dollars along with the Supervisor Walks TPP trade agreement -that’s 34 MILLION for the property owners in Mitchell (hog haven of north Iowa) to cough up. Old Barney ain’t over in China selling indian beads – we beleive its Iowa farmland and pork. I agree with Pete – Iowa is becoming Chinas HOGLOT!
You have shown time and time again that you don’t know the difference between a tax abatement and TIF financing and you’re comment about Central Springs paying property taxes was legendarily stupid.
We get that you’re a frugal fella that doesn’t like to spend money, but let’s leave the finance analysis up to the experts.
You have shown time and again you do not know the difference between you’re and your. Who’s dumber?
they say it wont cost any taxpayer dollars, so tell me where does the city get money if it isn’t from the taxpayers. wont raise taxes, ya, sure. they will just take money from other projects and use it and when its time to do those projects they will say we have to raise taxes to pay for those projects. they aint foolin me, the money has to come from somewhere, maybe bookie can shit it
The funding sources can be found here:
http://masoncitysaysyes.com/funding-structure/
The City of Mason City actually contributes very little and a HUGE component is private investment.
You know what will raise taxes? Having a continually shrinking tax paying base. Eventually the population will be too small to pay for existing infrastructure without significant tax hikes. This is a fate much worse than the one you describe.
Bull, we have heard that BULL before from so called city leaders. Making up crap doesn’t change the fact that it is a bad deal for the tax payer. Take the money and invest it in infastructure and then you will have something to sell. Putting money into something someone else will own is stupid.
You don’t see the fallacy in your statement, do you? You say, take the money and invest in infrastructure. What money???? Most of the funds are PRIVATE INVESTMENT and state of Iowa funds which can only be used on quality of life enhancing projects.
This comment shows precisely why this town doesn’t grow. You keep listening to blow hards like LVS and Weaver and cast aside the advice very smart people give you.
Bull, we have heard that BULL before from so called city leaders. Making up crap doesn’t change the fact that it is a bad deal for the tax payer. Take the money and invest it in infastructure and then you will have something to sell. Putting money into something someone else will own is stupid.
WHAT MONEY? What money are you going to invest in infrastructure?? The money that is going towards this multi purpose arena project??? How can you tell a private investor where to spend their money???? You can’t redirect the state funds and the TIF dollars physically do not exist if the facility isn’t built.
You say it doesn’t make sense to put money into something you don’t own? The financing doesn’t work if the City of Mason City owns the multi purpose arena because municipalities pay no property tax (TIF financing requires the property tax payment for debt service). Do you relaize that lots and lots of businesses put money into property they do not own (that is the arrangement for all types of leased flex office/industrial/retail space)?
As usual, LVS is blowing smoke out of his ass, not knowing what in the hell he is talking about.
The smoke does manage to squeeze by his head which is permanently lodged in his ass.
If the money is not coming from the tax base as you contend, why then should a shrinking tax base a factor? I know vision in Iowa is funded in part by gaming casinos which I’m in favor of. Put a $10.00 tax on each hog and there will be a lot less pig shit
You couldn’t be more wrong on every single point you just tried to make. Again, is it because you are purposely trying to be deceiving or do you really not understand? I know its the former. But I’ll play along.
I have not said money does not come from a tax base. I’m correcting your earlier post where you tried to lead everyone to believe that $50M for this project is coming 100% from the City of Mason City tax payers. Very little is coming from the City of Mason City and a sizeable portion is private investment. Look at the funding sources and ask SMART people when you don’t understand certain components (admittedly TIF is not intuitive to most people and requires additional explanation).
Detroit is the extreme example of what happens to a city’s finances after suffering decades of depopulation. If Mason City continues on its current trajectory, eventually taxes will have to go up because fewer people are here to pay for the existing infrastructure. This is a awful problem to have. I’d much rather see a city make investment to grow than have to deal with insolvency from a shrinking tax base.
petei what does pig shit have to do with this topic of discussion? It appears that there is more pigshit spewing from your articles than any amount produced from a pig.
More phony crap from the most negative hate filled person in Mason City.
You shouldn’t talk about your mayor that way.
Great article Peter. The haters will hate and try to mislead, but it won’t change the fact that Crookmeyer is trying to fleece the taxpayer again.
Great article Peter. The haters will hate and try to mislead, but it won’t change the fact that Crookmeyer is trying to fleece the taxpayer again.
Are all ex beer joint owners authorities on livestock production or is it just Peter Children. Just wondering.
peter doesn’t have the ability to view both sides of a topic like agriculture and comprehend them. He’s just pushing his own agenda like those he speaks out against
The only thing I like about your articles is, I no longer subscribe to the Globe since you started interpreting all of Skippers articles for us.
Can you grasp what I am saying?
Bookmeyer and his subordinates on the council should all be put under citizens arrest. As hard as I try I just can’t come to terms with such a deal. What this is is a horrible horrible joke.
If you received $100k worth of improvements to your home and only paid $25k out of pocket, you couldn’t come to terms with that deal?
To even Think for only for only a second about investing $35-$40 million into a building you do not own plus paying rent on top of it is irresponsible and reprehensible. That is pure revenge on the part of Eric Brookmeyer…plain and simple. To subject the city into an investment of this sort is nothing less than a criminal act.
It’s totally unimaginable to envision the beginning of this three ring circus. G8 development is suing the city, and gatehouse has failed to show up. Did they cash the hundred and $50,000 check that they were paid up front?
Who’s spending $35 to $40M and on what? Are you purposely trying to be misleading with your dollar figures or are you confused? You don’t have to resort to the normal NIT brand of yellow journalism on this project…Even I will confess that it won’t pass a public referendum as 75% of this community is way too uneducated to understand the financing mechanisms (and 100 % of NIT readers are too stupid to understand the financing).
It’s too bad really. The vast majority of the construction costs is private investment (that adds to the tax rolls) and this community certainly could use some amenities that keep young people around.
As evidence of the typical NIT readers education level, I submit to you ‘johns’ reply to my earlier email. John thinks the city is contributing $50M and that the hotel is funded by city dollars and no private investment is involved. Sigh….
I never said that we were spending $50 million on the hotel. Read my comment again you dumb ass. We have no business subsidising a hotel and building the ice arena is a bad idea on its face. Why spend that money and then have to turn around and lease that space from the mall owner? It makes no sense. I can understand that a liberal like you can’t understand common sense.
To a reasonable person, it makes perfect sense to incentivize private investment to capture $7 to $10M in state funds. The City of Mason City’s contribution is actually quite small
The financing for this project does not work if the city owns the multi purpose arena as TIF financing is a portion of the funding sources and municipalities pay no property taxes. Furthermore, it’s very common in commercial leases for the leasee to pay to build out the space and pay on a lease. Very common. It all depends on what a organizations financing and taxing structure goals are.
I re-read your earlier post and my sentiments stand. You indeed tried to infer that the $50M was all tax payer cost.
the only revenge happening here in river city is being done by those who opposed the pork facility and are now hell-bent on rejecting everything proposed by this city administration.
Bull, if it was a good idea, I would support it, the hog plant was a better deal than this one is.
Good post, Mr. Children.
Yes! $500,000 is a lot less and more in line with our aging population. Mason City tax payers have already been screwed over before with the whole Southbride fiasco so let’s bend them over again. It really ticks me off that they think we are all lemmings.
$500k to spruce up a pole barn on the edge of town will do nothing to curb decades of population decline and the resulting insolvency issues that will eventually surface. Investing in a quality of life enhancing project that appeals to young people is a start towards addressing our problems with depopulation.
It really comes down to whether you want Mason City to flourish again or whether you’re just out to have the lowest possible property tax bill. I fear that the largely uneducated and downtrodden population of this town prefers the latter.
To Anonymous,
We have enough hotel rooms in Mason City, why do you think it is a good idea to spent $50 mill on this project to build a hotel and Ice arena? Subsidising a hotel makes no sense in the first place, if there was a market for a hotel, a private investor would build one here. That leaves the ice arena. With the terms of the agreement, there are just a few hours a week the public could use it. It makes no sense to me to spend $45 to $50 million for this project and then have to turn around and have to lease the space we built from the mall owner, That is insane, If we build it, we should own it, period. Another thing to add, how many skaters do we have here? A small upgrade to the ice rink at the fairgrounds is a better choice for my tax money. Vote no!
Buddy, The city isn’t interested in building a hotel. The city is interested in encouraging the private investment component needed to leverage state funds for the multi purpose arena. It just so happens that the private investment is a hotel because that it what a private investor wanted to build. The hotel IS PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
There is no state money and there is no private investment if we sink $500k into a cruddy pole barn on the edge of town.
Do you seriously think the hotel is investing in the insolvent Music Man Square? Music Man Square is just as insolvent as the NI Fairgrounds. Not to mention taking away even more parking for this hotel. The lack of parking was Southbridge’s number one complaint when it was in its full glory. And, I can go on and on but it certainly appears that the so called “highly educated anonymous” isn’t capable of doing simple math. Who also appears to be a Democrat who likes to insult others people who don’t align with his/her views. Let’s not worry how we will pay all these wonderful improvements. Let’s just approve this with no common sense. Nope, table this until we can get high paying jobs back into Mason City. Let’s not put all our eggs into one basket and hope industry will come back if we do these improvements. Nope, we ALREADY have two ice arenas. One at the fair grounds and an open ice arena at Lester Milligan Park that is hardly utilized.
TCOB, the funding source for every component of the project can be found here:
http://masoncitysaysyes.com/funding-structure/
What high paying employers do you think can be lured to Mason City current state? Do you think that new Amazon headquarters or this Toyota/Mazda assembly plant would locate here??
I’ve never, ever have had a problem finding a parking spot anywhere in Mason City. Never.
Why try to bring a political affiliation into this? If it matters, I don’t align myself with a political party. Doing so is for the weak minded. Much like religion.
Attention Ice arena supporters/users. Go out and fund raise money for your projects like the great people did for the baseball diamond complex.
Re: MC Pants, Amen! Mason City already has two (2) ice arenas. Why just look at all the people who have flocked to MC to live here in little ol’MC for those ice arenas. NADDA! What a bunch of horse crap! No, invite legitimate businesses here and then let’s get serious as to what their needs are. It’s certainly isn’t an ice arena. Lol
OMG! You actually said something intelligent in your post! You’re absolutely right, ASK BUSINESSES WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE! The only problem is, you guys WON”T LISTEN!!!
Growth industries need a youthful,educated workforce…Mason City doesn’t have it. So what do we do about it? We can invest in quality of life enhancing projects (like multi purpose entertainment arenas, cultural attractions) that appeal to young people to show businesses that our community is making investments in their needs.
Or we can continue to listen to the town curmudgeons and accomplish nothing while the town slowly withers away.
Re: Anonymous,
At least I make sense. You have yet to speak
intelligently on the subject. The money will come in part from TIF. Who do you think pays those tax dollars? This is a no spin zone so take a hike.
The TIF bond and debt service is largely repaid by the property owners who benefit the most from the issuance of the bond…The mall owner and hotel owner! Others in the TIF district will pay a much smaller portion of the bond and its debt service but they, in turn, receive an asset which has increased in value from the improvements.
Now, I already know where your feeble mind is going. Why should the others in the TIF district have to pay extra property tax for the hotel and multi purpose arena. Answer: They don’t pay ‘extra’! They pay the exact same whether the TIF district ever existed or not.
What a steaming pile of horse shit you’re trying to serve up. I think the same song and pony dance was served to us with the Southbride Mall fiasco. How we would all benefit and the next thing we know we have to bail their bankrupt asses out. You wrote “We all
benefit from increased value from the improvements” and my response is: How much of a loss did we take on the sale of Southbridge Mall? We certainly made improvements to the downtown area when we mowed down all those buildings and built the mall buying into the entire pony dance they fed us then. Also, how much is Eric’s and Robin’s lawsuit gonna cost the tax payers? Now you are trying to sell to the public that it shall only benefit us and cost nothing extra. I call bullshit or horseshit or pigshit! Whatever the shit of your choice is but please keep wallowing in it yourself!
No, we have two (2) ice arenas already no need for another.
Are you familiar with the concept of a ‘sunk cost fallacy’?
Christ, who am I kidding, of coarse you’re not. The cliff notes version is those who tend to fixate on emotional investments of the past miss out on the opportunities right in front of them now.
We had 2 sentences of intelligent discourse before you went back to potty language and barely coherent ramblings…back when you asked ‘what are employers needs’. Think about that question. Try to answer it. I feel like you at least want to see this town grow where most of the geriatric idiots that post here are just trying to lower their tax bills…
Thank you “Anonymous” for supporting entirely my point of view.
Sunk Cost Fallacy
The idea that a company or organization is more likely to continue with a project if they have already invested a lot of money, time, or effort in it, even when continuing is NOT the best thing to do: Economists would point out that the sunk cost fallacy is irrational, and could be described as “throwing good money after bad”.
This MC Bumkin, who reads NIT, has a Masters in Marketing and Business.
Great! Use that ‘Masters’ degree and let’s have intelligent back and forth instead of the usual knuckle dragging that occurs at NIT. Why don’t high paying industries locate in Mason City? Why does Mason City only attract low paying retail, food service, and hospitality jobs or Agricultural processing jobs? Amazon and Toyota are both seeking out locations for very large facilities, why isn’t Mason City on their radars? Using the sunk cost fallacy, why is any discussion of Southbridge Mall relevant? Would you not give serious consideration in your personal finances to invest ‘X’ dollars knowing full well you’d receive multiple times more in assets?
Because the mall is not the place our investment in. I would rather see the city build out and have infrastructructure in place to land business that you speak of. An Ice arena is not going to be our savior.
John: I know you don’t see the fallacy in your logic and I know its probably pointless to explain it to you, but I’m a sucker for punishment, so here we go…
The employers I named (Toyota, Amazon), WILL NOT come to Mason City because they are new economy employers who require access to a skilled ,youthful, and diverse workforce. Mason City’s demographic profile is old, lily white, and poorly educated (not to mention getting increasingly smaller in numbers each year). Mason City won’t even make the initial cut on a RFP because of our demographic profile Is so out of line with the needs of growth industries.
These employers also know they can reap very large incentive packages from state and local governments. Its been shown time and time again that the average Mason Citian doesn’t have the stomach for large incentive packages to large corporations (just look at all the curmudgeons here whining about a couple million dollars in TIF and then think about the BILLIONS of dollars Wisconsin had to pay in incentives to land the LCD plant).
You said one thing that is correct in your last post…something about investing in infrastructure. The ‘infrastructure’ new economy employers are clamoring for is qualified workers. We need to do something to improve our workforce. Investing in infrastructure that makes this a more attractive placed to live is one way to do this.
Older folks can’t work at Toyota or Amazon? Careful, that sounds a lot like age discrimination, like your mayor has practiced. Please, do not pick on older folks like Eric does. They have value and skills and are human beings, too, even if Eric thinks they might be less than that.
Look at the issue of a aging workforce from the perspective of a large employer. Near the top of their biggest expense is medical insurance premiums and workers comp expenses. The employer with a more youthful workforce reaps substantial savings on both these expenses as insurers recognize that younger folks are just plain healthier.
But, Age is just one dynamic of our population that is out of alignment with the needs of growth industries…