Editorial by Matt Marquardt –
Someone in Des Moines is reading NorthIowaToday.com.
Without divulging too many details – because there aren’t that many yet – I did take a call today from an investigative reporter with the Des Moines Register, Iowa’s most-trusted and well-known newspaper.
The reason for the call: Background on the North Iowa Corridor, for use in a broader investigation they are pursuing. We had a very nice chat, and I pointed my new friend in the right direction in digging up the true dirt on the Corridor and its shenanigans.
Seems that the newsroom in Des Moines has taken a gander at some of the deeds of the Corridor – chronicled on NIT – and wants to look deeper into the organization and others like it. One topic in particular our conversation centered on was an expensive speech given by Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads at the Music Man Square last year. I reported that just prior to his speech, Rhoads’ booking agent told me in a phone call that $20,000 was a good starting point for negotiations to bring him to a speaking engagement. Corridor board members – some of them elected officials – refused to disclose the cost; we still don’t know what Rhoads was paid. The Corridor is supported by hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars, each year, most of which is given by these very same elected officials sitting on the Corridor board.
I welcome the Register’s investigation into the North Iowa Corridor. Sunshine is a great sanitizer.
I see all this as much ado about nothing. A tempest in a teapot…. As much as I usually distrust local government entities… I would just keep your pants on and wait it out!!! I trust Clear Lake City Council and their efforts much more than I do Mason City. They have a proven track record on getting things done and doing what they say they will. I think that more damage could be done to this company’s stockholders, current employees etc. Sometimes silence is golden….
While they’re at it, maybe they’ll look into that Marshall’s WE’RE building. Yeah right.
My comments I made about clear lake’s involvement with the corridor and mystery company are relevant to the discussion. Please delete LVS and Buzz Crumcutter’s comments harassing mine. I retaliate only when given reason to do so. A bunch of bullies like them will only be drawn to follow my comments forever unless discouraged to do so. If you don’t enjoy the humor of my responses, then at least delete the attacks in the first place.
@Philly-Your comments are just Physco babble as usual from you. You seem to think it is OK to snipe against us anytime you want but do not like it when we come back at you. Karma is a bitch isn’t it.
@Liberty-Your attempts to bully me will not work either.
@Lady Liberty-You trolls are out again today just like every other damn weekend. We have good discussions on here all week long and then you non-paying trolls come on every weekend.
@Liberty-what a dumb name. You last post was nothing more than an attempt to intimidate me and that has been tried by expert. You are a long, long ways from being a expert at anything. You are like a damn bug buzzing around doing nothing.
As I pointed out in another comment, psycho-babble is spelled accordingly. With comment deletions raging, people are seeing only part of the picture. Basically I stated my opinion and LVS and Crumcutter showed up to bully me saying everything I write is “physco babble” (sic),and “blah, babble, blah”. Matt is either in bed with LVS again, or is too busy to kept track of the LVS initiated squabbles. Please delete all this crap and return us to the topics at hand..,all of it below too.
I think Matt is LVS’s alter ego.
@Dick-and your opinion doesn’t count,troll.
@Philly-and you are nothing but a whiner. I have told you many times to keep your mouth off me and I would leave you alone but you seem to be to damn dumb to understand.
So now Scott (unable to type last name that starts with F and rhymes with “story”) is off limits to discuss on NIT? He’s the city administrator for cripe’s sake, and intimately connected with the Corridor and Willett. I get that NIT found him helpful and polite when calling over to city hall, but that shouldn’t excuse him from scrutiny. What gives? And I’m sorry my equation of LVS to a fly on excrement garnered me a comment detention. I figured once attacked, I was free to retaliate
The sky’s too blue and sun’s too warm for me to worry about this minutiae anymore. LVS can have his peon victory. I enjoy stating my opinion on matters from time to time, but the boullions spend their every waking hour trying to drive me from this site. Maybe the next rainy day…
@Philly-Have fun and get some rest.
Your comment was reported twice. I put it back up.
So let me get this straight.
We pay taxes for the city of Mason City.
The city of Mason City then gives money to the North Iowa Economic Development Corridor.
The North Iowa Economic Development Corridor spends that taxpayer money to promote existing businesses improvements & moves within the city.
These businesses in turn get more money from the city of Mason City and pay less in taxes.
The North Iowa Economic Development Corridor then takes credit for this “largesse”.
I wonder if Mason City was one of the 10 cities who initially went after this opportunity ~ it seems like this would have been an excellent way to achieve business & growth dollars from where they should come from – State Economic Development
http://globegazette.com/news/local/cities-pitch-big-ticket-projects-to-iowa-economic-development-board/article_b02c572c-275c-591c-9f4a-5dae51b21145.html
Yes. Mason City did submit an application but was one of several cities that were not invited to submit a full application.
Interesting, I just read Willet’s report from April 2013 to MC council.
If nothing else the man is well versed in “corporate-speak”. I am wary of those that use this a lot.
He used the following terms:
leveraged (4 times)
heavily engaged
shovel-ready
aesthetic consistent revenue stream
embodied Strategic Plan
…and more
Back on topic and as pointed out
“The Corridor’s unique multi-jurisdictional public/private structure.”
Since 47% of the Corridors funding come from the public tax dollar they should be held accountable for these expenditures.
Per Willet:
“Our budget demands that virtually every dollar of public investment the Corridor
receives is driven directly into Corridor marketing, programming and project administration.”
(cont)
while
“Revenues to support the vast majority of the burden of Corridor staff wages and benefits
comes by way of Corridor private fundraising efforts.”
So, since public funding is used for marketing, programming and project administration, where/how is this spent?
And to use another “corporate speak term,
What is the ROI or return on investment?
@BCN-Good post and damn good question. Where is the R.O.I.? We have invested taxpayer dollars in this scam for years and years and other than a couple of $10 a hour businesses and the one in Clear Lake (which does nothing for Mason City) we have nothing to show for it. Investing in existing businesses just because they are the mayors drinking buddy’s at the country club doesn’t count in my opinion.
I disagree that the development in Clear Lake does nothing for Mason City. I believe that Mason City is the real winner in this. Clear Lake gave away the farm (property taxes) and won’t see much benefit. Even if all the employees live in a Clear Lake they still lose money since residential properties costs the city more in services than they generate in taxes. Mason City gets the shoppers and their local option sales tax.
@Anonymous-Whoooppee. More retail shoppers and more money in the local option tax for our mayor to give to his buddy’s.
A chunk of local option sales tax goes straight to the general fund. At leadt half if I am recalling correctly. Retail sales generate tax money without generating as much demand for city services. I’d much rather see some good paying jobs in the new economy with a firm that is locally owned( local owners invest more in local economy) but at least Mason City didn’t give up the farm to get the mystery business like Clear Lake did.
@Anonymous-And the mayor and his followers have sucked the general fund down to the point they are raiding the pension fund to cover their over spending. What good does it do to put extra money in there for them to give way to their friends.
That’s an easy answer. We got a couple dozen amazing jobs that pay nine fitty an hour.
Philly-Get on topic. Your comments have nothing to do with this discussion. Go to the Whiners Den if you you want to whine about something else.
For all this “blah, blah, blah” you do, show me once where my policies are wrong. I’ve been correct about everything and it pisses you off that someone outside your little pecking order could be so profound and oftentimes brilliant. What it really boils down to, is that you’re jealous in a big way. You wanted to be the NIT sage, but no ones buying your dung patties.
@Philly-You talk about bullying but look what you are doing with your comments. Just because I don’t buy into your babble (And, you have been right about nothing) and also get damn tired of seeing your babble every day (as do a lot of other people) doesn’t mean I am putting up with your bullying for one second.
So LVS gets to bully my comments off the air huh? How about him staying off me in the first place? If a guy like him throws a punch, it’s only fair I get to punch back.
@Philly-so when are you going to threaten me again? I am waiting for that to happen. Still waiting for you to show up here. When you do you had better bring someone to carry you home.
Well they shipped the Willet Robot to Des Moines. Good-bye Brent. The next robot is probably being programmed right now by the red-haired beer-drinking chain-smoking mayor-menace on how to properly pilfer the people of North Iowa. You see, that is an art you cannot learn in a textbook; the robot must be taught by the elite in a low-lighted sleazy bar the nuances of legally robbing the taxpayer coffers.
This is long over do!!!!! This could really be opening a can of worms. Think of the waste city wide within all the departments. No city policy or department should be spared. Start with the corridor and expand from there. City, county, school system, anything receiving taxes. Let’s not forget the Main Street BS.
Matt, Congrats on the milestone!
^^ LIKE.
All I can say is AMEN the Lord does answer prayers!
Transparency is always the best policy for Public office and any office using public funds and if you can’t be tranparent you should not be allowed the priviledge of utilizing tax payers dollars! THANKS NIT!
While they’re at it, they may as well investigate the clear lake city council’s secret deal with the mystery fortune 100 company the corridor ushered in by using taxpayer monies and refusing to disclose who is coming to town until it’s too late to say NO. Who runs government that way? Friggin ridiculous and patronizing at all levels.
I’m convinced that my theory on government is correct: use government for public safety, infrastructure and justice, but concerning economics and capitalism, stay the hell out of it. When the playing field is leveled, people will know what to do concerning commerce. All of this bullshit interplay between city government and business needs to end immediately.
To bad no one else believes in you. Not many voted for your way of thinking.
@LVS….And they never will either. Just more physco-babble gibberish.
What is a “masonry jar”?
It’s a jar invented by the Masonics, to store brain matter of those with lesser intelligence, not be confused with a Mason Jar, which is useful for canning vegetables and other foodstuffs.
I didn’t see the recliners at the Clear Lake Public Library. Better get my eyes checked.
And…like you would know anything about being physically fit. For certain, you aren’t mentally fit and I highly doubt, fiscally fit either.
You sound desperate to be discovered Cutter. Revealing clues like that could get a man popped. J Edgar Hoovers g men, may miss ya, but George Malone won’t. Jus kidding. I’m reading Public Enemies. Great book. Check it out if they have it. Always plan your escape git. Baby face was the worse. With a name like Lester Gillis, he wanted desperately to be Jimmy. Btw, judge shot Hamilton from 3rd story window.
oh for god sakes give that up. It sounds like it will be a distribution center of some sorts–it’s located in an area of town that the sound of people making a living shouldn’t wake you up
Well I hope they bring a shovel for digging!!! And, maybe unearth things from the Mayor, Council and Chamber while they are at it!!!! It would serve them right…
@Mary Beth-They are are tied in together and it is just possible that a little outside investigative work might uncover a lot of crooked things such as payoff’s and illegal use of the public’s money.
I have a sneaky feeling there is so much malfeasance with Bookmeyer and his dirty crew that the good folks at the Register would need an industrial-strength excavator to uncover it all. I understood from the chat today that budgets have been requested from the Corridor, with no luck so far in getting them (I got little or nothing when I asked, too). I am making up notes and putting everything together for the next conversation I have with the people in DM.
You may ask yourself, how does the Corridor get away with this secrecy? The are a “public-private” entity. Basically, it goes like this: Whenever they want OUR money, they go to the public for it (city hall, the courthouse) and they get it. Whenever they have to explain how they spent it or where it went, they claim they do not have to talk because they are private.
This could possibly get real interesting.
I hope they dig into all the corruption going on in River City…..Jim