MASON CITY – Max Weaver called for the immediate resignation of council person Janet Solberg after the Globe Gazette revealed no evidence supported her claims of racism from citizens opposed to a failed pork plant.
Mr. Weaver, a Mason City citizen and city council candidate, thanked the Globe Gazette for its investigative work in pouring through hundreds of emails connected to Janet Solberg and the failed Prestage pork plant. Using the state’s largest newspaper, she made outrageous claims that citizens who did not agree with her on the pork plant (she strongly supported it) were to some degree, racist. She supported claims from Dr. Ron Prestage, who also used the media to lash out at Mason City and North Iowans who opposed his plant, calling them “kooks and racists”.
“Janet Solberg should resign effective immediately,” Mr. Weaver said. “She should tender her formal resignation to Brent Trout and step down from our city council. She should do this for herself and for the people of Mason City.”
As Mr. Weaver made his way to the podium to speak, Janet Solberg left the room, got in her vehicle and drove away.
“And by her leaving that chair tonight… that tells me a lot.”
Watch the video:
This is pure grandstanding on Weaver’s part as usual. He knows full well that she will never resign. Bookie won’t let her. It is just ploy on Weaver’s part to try to convince people he cares.
Grandstanding or not Max makes a great point. After throwing most of the community under the bus to the state news outlet she does need to resign! How can anyone, including her supporters, be happy with her comments, and then to find out she was not truthful?? She needs to go!
This is hysterical! I don’t live in Mason City but I sure have enjoyed all the articles NIT has published regarding Solberg! I am glad my city council doesn’t act like that. Maybe you will all get lucky and she will resign, although I will miss her public humiliations she brings upon herself!
Makes us all look childish doesn’t it. When Max was on the council last time we were the laughing stock of the state. Clear Lake has moved further west just to get away to save embarrassment.
Circus Maximus
What is wrong with her face??
Nothing. She doesn’t look like that normally. If you have not noticed Mat likes to go through his video footage and pick the worst grimaces possible to use as his “press photos” for public officials he doesn’t like. Some of them are quite priceless and it is hard not to laugh but, frankly, it is pretty low.
It’s not racism when it’s true
That is a fact.
So in a town of ~27000 people you’ve found a small minority of individuals harboring mild-to-moderate xenophobic (you are using the word racist incorrectly BTW, xenophobic is the word you’re really looking for) views. Whats next Captain obvious? Half of the population have a below-local-average intelligence?
I’ve got a few years on you, and unlike yourself I’ve lived and worked in different overseas countries for extended periods of time. Let me assure you that the frequency of xenophobes here is no higher than other countries. In fact, the further away from the west, the worse it gets. The only traditional racists I’ve met were Indian nationals.
Nice try, but I’ve been here from the beginning watching people essentially use the N-word to describe Detroit, Chicago transplants, and blacks coming up from Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. That’s not xenophobia, that’s racism. They are xenophobic as well though, so thanks for adding that to the lexicon.
Go away Peter. You don’t live in Mason City so this election has absolutely nothing to do with you. STFU, no one cares what you have to say loser.
I hope that someday people extend the same treatment to Max when he screws up…… public humiliation and shaming. A witch hunt and awarding a scarlet letter. Max was right but his approach was wrong. Karma to your house!
Watch the interview video about him running for council. He says every one needs to nice and civil to each other. I guess it doesn’t amply to him. Max is a nut from way back. I mean that in a nice way.
Go Max Go!! You got my vote!!! Here’s what I posted on the Globe Gazette opinion page on September 4th: Thanks John; you did our elected official’s job again! You took the time to dispel Ron Prestage’s outrageous depiction of Mason City as “kooks” and “racists “. In doing so you have confirmed my belief that this Mayor and City Council are tone-deft. They lack the sense of caring about the racist perception Ron Prestage created for our community. Get a petition ready to get Solberg out and I’ll be the first to sign it.
To sit in that chair and place negative adjectives to the citizens, to demean, to value one’s own opinion to the place that you allow yourself to be condescending to those that would vote for you,who you are to be representing, and then to allow yourself to lie, and feel validated in those lies because you feel you are right and want to be right, does not change facts. And when a person wants justice for those lies that were told about the people she represents, before she will listen she leaves? Once again showing Mason City she is beyond being accountable, beyond doing what is right, beyond listening? but I have to listen to her and what she decides to lie about? I really wonder if she ever took that drive to Wright County for “HOURS” on a very windy day and never smelled anything… My guess is that was a lie also! She has learned to be a politician, tell a lie when the truth would do just fine. I want respectful truth. I hope the 4th Ward votes her out or she does our town a favor and does not run. #BYEFELICIA
She always was a ignorant bitch. But, they voted her in twice so, no matter what you say the voters must have liked her. She certainly wouldn’t have been my choice.
Why did people vote for the people on the council if they didn’t like them ??? Maybe they didn’t vote well now’s your time vote in three weeks then again every time a seat comes up for election problem solved
Janet is all about Janet. I’ve seen her in public and she is so full of herself (as Hickey has also become]. Words have consequences and she needs to go. The biggest concerns about the Prestage deal were water and air quality, costs to schools and utilities and most of all, the way it was thrown at us! VOTE MAX!!!
why does her hair look like a chickens ass?
A class action lawsuit for slander and libel against Prestage and Solbergb might be worth considering. Those comments are available now all over the internet, and will be for eternity. The only way to counteract the damage is a lawsuit. A class-action lawsuit requires 100 plaintiffs, who’s ready to step up?
Good luck trying to find a lawyer to take that on. They are entitled to their opinion just like everyone else. Ever hear of free speech.
For the record, free speech, as protected by the first amendment, guarantees your right to say your peace without fear of governmental persecution. Nothing more, nothing less. Civil repercussions is a different matter entirely. Slander someone and you’ll find out how expensive it can get.
Bull shit. Everyone has a right to their opinion.
Lol, I hope that you one day will get the opportunity to see just how many New York seconds that ignorant *opinion* of yours will buy you in a court of law.
They’d still have to defend it, which would cost them money. It would get onto the books, get publicity, and get onto the same internet searches that now just have our own elected official calling us racists, providing a counterpunch. The definition of slander is “the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation,” which is exactly what they did to every person in Mason City, and free speech laws don’t protect lies. You might be surprised how many lawyers might take such a case, they live here too after all. And, you can file a lawsuit without a lawyer.
She did not make her statements against any one person so there is no slander and no law suit. Besides the truth is a defense against slander.
I can’t believe the number of commenters here who do not believe that racism was a big part of the Prestage issue. All you have to do is read some of the comments to other NIT articles on the topic and you will see evidence of plenty of kookery and racism.
I live in the 4th ward and Janet NEVER EVER responded to my e-mails, not only the Prestage project, but other issues as well. JANET SOLBERG is an embarrassment to the tax payers of Mason City. Is it true that she promised residents of the Central Heights area that she would get the streets paved out there if she won the election?
Janet’s comments were lies and she should resign. She sure is not a City leader. She lied just because she did not like the taxpayers of Mason City standing up for their rights. Majority of people were against this plant for very valid reasons and only a small minority of them had racist reasons.
Oh whatever grandstanding, lying. Weaver is the most legitimate in town . The most experienced, especially with the organized crime at work at the governing table. Wake up. Who could be a rational decent human that agrees with Solberg, bookmeyer, hickey, Anderson and so on. Really who thinks these people give a shit about many . You all witnessed what they are capable of this summer. Remember that. We do NEED MAX even if he is not your favorite.
Max being Max. Grandstanding just before the election and grabbing all the press. How politically astute of him and way cheaper than buying yard signs.
Just watched the video. Max is a true leader calm and composed. He’s got my vote.
She did our city a lot of damage by the things she said. How are we ever going to get legitimate, well-paying jobs here if our own council members make derogatory remarks about our city? She needs to go, and now!
She sounds like Hitlery Clinton, ( I was caught in a bad moment). Typical government BS, from the top to the bottom. As for being an ungrateful job, it just might be, but so are a lot of city jobs. But if you do what is right, you have nothing to be ashamed of.
Just like Hitlary, she made a bogus excuse and will get away with it. You liberals accept it from Clinton, why not Solberg? Weaver has no room to talk, he had lied many times over the years.
Max Weaver is right on this one.
The Globe didn’t find evidence of racism in her emails doesn’t debunk her claim of racists opposing the pork plant. One need only look at many of the comments on this website. Maybe this is evidence that Janet reads NIT.
According to the Globe, Solberg’s statement was “Most of my phone calls and emails were, ‘We don’t want those people in our community.’ It played a very large factor in all of this, sad to say. I’m so disappointed in our citizens.”
She said most of her emails were racist. This is a lie. The Globe’s story affirmed that and whether or not she reads NIT is irrelevant. She made a statement that was false and she was caught. Now, she is trying to slip out of it by saying she was “caught in a bad moment” hoping that some will look at that as an excuse. It isn’t.
Get off it. Even today there are still racist comments about packing house employees. Just look at the comments about Fort Dodge.
I didn’t say there aren’t racist comments. This town is full of racists. But, a public official shouldn’t get caught lying to (or about) her constituents just because things didn’t go her way. You need to wake up and see reality.
Were you there? Did you hear the conversations? Or, are you just blowing out your ass as usual?
FYI, when a writer puts words in quotes {“} it means he is taking the words of the speaker verbatim. That means word for word. Janet said them, she was quoted as saying them, and she admitted to saying them. I don’t think I need to be there to figure that out. Are you married to her?
Bodacious, the dumbass that you are attempting to communicate with is beyond reach.
He/she is one of the NIT resident idiots and there is no getting them to comprehend anything as they are too stupid to even realize that they are stupid.
Trying to carry on a conversation with these nitwits is like playing chess with a pigeon, no matter how many correct moves that you make, it will not make a difference as they will just knock over the pieces, shit on the board and then strut around like they won anyway .
Calling a shithole a shithole doesnt make a person racist. On the other hand, calling a person racist because he calls a shithole a shithole makes YOU a bigot.
fort dodge sure is a shithole
I would think that elected public officials are held accountable to higher standards than most of the anonymous keyboard warriors of the area!
She doesn’t respond to most e-mails or answer phone calls. Husband and I have sent many respectfull emalls to Solberg and a few phone calls with no responce. Exactly what is her job?
Same here. Granted, I’ve not written her a lot of times but I’ve never heard back from her. She is the only one in local government that I can recall not responding to respectful inquiries and suggestions.
Hickey doesn’t respond either.
I hear she sells RVs in Riceville now. RICEVILLE. And the Osage insurance job. Her other job is Bookmeyer lackey and magician, as in pulling a disappearing act.
Wouldn’t doubt it. She’s buddies with Dean and Kari Gansen. Since she has no other friends. Everyone very much dislikes her at the campgrounds.
Janet, “WE are so disapointed in YOU!”
This is outrageous. Are you proposing that Solberg can READ – and COMPREHEND? You’re banned.
I think Matt is still upset that Janet beat him two years ago.
The voters spoke, and I never had any problem with the outcome. I think Abraham Lincoln lost a number of elections before he ever won one, and he probably lost to a boob or two, so it’s all good. I think karma is kind of catching up with that election outcome. Eric, Solberg, Hickey all mortgaged their futures to win in 2013. Look at them now. Disgraced bullies. Look at the Globe, which helped them win: Too broke to even produce a paper on Mondays, and the end is near. NIT, meanwhile, is becoming a juggernaut. ~70,000 unique visitors a month, upwards of 400,000 page views a month. Look at the advertisers here. The paid subscribers in the hundreds. You should try recognizing realties instead of dwelling on a speed bump and revealing your ignorance.
Juggernaut?
Have you even looked at the definition of that?
juggernaut
noun
1. Any terrible force, esp one that destroys or that demands complete self-sacrifice.
2. An institution that incites destructive devotion or to which people are carelessly sacrificed.
But since you prefer the fictionalized version of “something great & powerful”, perhaps you can use your “great juggernaut skills” and do something about this website’s atrocious performance.
https://www.webpagetest.org/result/160904_BD_13Q/
It is like 1990’s 14K dial up.
Amazing. Skipper how do you feel being on the truthful side for once? Feels nice doesn’t it. I hope you get used to it and cross over to the good guys for good.
One of your articles you wrote basically you have to be tough in seat. Solberg showed pure cowardness by not facing the truth she knew Weaver would speak. Or I guess we could question if she is being bullied by bookmeyer and it is getting to her as it did Alex. Either way she left her voted in assignment and it is a true move of yet another act of disrespect toward our citizens and city. We are done with $Solberg as well as the entire group sitting there.
Her leaving says it all. The same as can’t look someone in the eye. She has abused our town and people long enough. They all have. For the love of what you love let’s take this town back! Please Solberg get out of your personal denial and leave !
I don’t know. She has officially said that she was caught at a bad moment and that her comment was taken out of a larger context. I guess that counts as an apology. And she is right about one thing: Being a councilman is an ungrateful job. Even if you do it well (speaking in general terms here) people will give you nothing but grief. If we don’t treat our elected officials with a minimum of Christian decency, can we really expect them to behave any better?
I wouldn’t say “ungrateful” as much as unhappy with performance. Falling short of promised accomplishments. This current council has little more than a stack of receipts of the tax money they spent, to show for their last three years. If they acted with the city’s best interests, the people would support them.
I actually agree with you mostly, but I guess my point is that no matter what you do you cant please all your constituents all the time. Some are bound to feel you made the wrong decision. And I think we could benefit from trying to be more respectful when we find ourselves in that displeased crowd. Note that I’m talking in general terms here. As for the particular councilperson in question, I agree that it would have been best had she resigned. Out of that Christian decency. But if she doesn’t, i don’t think a witch hunt will make things better. Let her serve the rest of her term and then go into history as a fine example of what happens when the citizenry, myself included, doesn’t take its voting responsibility seriously.
For sure! Get rid of her.She should have respect for our city.
Why? You don’t.