Category Archives: Prestage Farms

Why Robin? Why?

Prestage Farms
Robin-Anderson
Robin Anderson

Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce willing to wreak havoc on Mason City and Cerro Gordo County?  What Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce are doing makes no sense at all.
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce behaving with the same arrogance as Eric Bookmeyer?
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce so willing to divide and alienate our community and their membership?
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce holding private meetings of a legislative nature?
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce referring to the vast majority of Mason Citian’s as naysayers and aginners?
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce willing to import poverty?
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce so hell-bent on dramatically changing our way of life and the culture of Mason City, after 146 years?
Why are Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce so willing to revisit a toxic company that has labeled our citizens as racist and kooks?
What Robin Anderson and the Chamber of Commerce are doing makes no sense at all.   Robin Anderson has never been elected to city government, yet she has the keys to the front door of City Hall.  Who gave Robin Anderson the authority to act in this way?

Here’s who:
Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of The Chamber of Commerce 

There are two things the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors can do to make this right in the community:
1.  Immediately cancel the private meeting on Thursday, June 2nd at the Park Inn.
2.  Take a good look at Robin’s employment status…it’s time.

More later…MFW

 

 

Round One: The People – Round Two: The Money

Prestage Farms

And lots of it – $$$.  Sources tell www.maxfrankweaver.com that a deal has been struck.  The prime time players are the usual suspects: Robin Anderson and Chad Schreck.  The duo have gone on the offense and have been working around the clock the past four days, convincing and giving Mayor Eric Bookmeyer the will to live again.  This back room deal has given Eric Bookmeyer a new mission:  To convince one of our favorite council members to bring this back (and I hear he’s willing to do it) – with the promise of lots and lots of new found cash in the hastily written, regurgitated development agreement with Prestage Foods, LLC.  On a side note, it seems not all is well with all of the Economic Development Board Members.  There’s been a shake-up and some dissension.  Look out Mason City and North Iowa.  It’s back.  And with a vengeance $$$.
More later…MFW

Bill-Schickel

Why Would Councilman Bill Schickel Flip?

Prestage Farms,

I hope you prove me wrong Councilman.  There’s so much one can say about the art of this deal.  How it came in just before Christmas, and how our elected and nonelected (NICEDC) officials sat on it for 3 months before tipping their hand.  Before we knew what was happening there had already been one meeting held, with fewer than a dozen citizens in attendance, who, to my knowledge, kept the deal a secret as well.  The Mayor and staff (Brent Trout) already had the state tax credits lined up, already had the tax abatement figured out, already had the change of zone, and already had the not-so-rough draft of the development agreement written.  Lurking in the shadows was inappropriate and inconsiderate.  No one was going to steal this out from under us.  Prestage did not have a plan B.  Very, very sneaky.

There is a bright side to this issue:  All of the people on both sides that have come forward, to get involved and fight for their cause.  They have learned about the good, the bad, and the ugly that exist in our politicians and in our political lives.  Hopefully this will change the face of our local politics, with less apathy and more involvement.

Now let’s go back to May 3rd, and I’ll try to make this simple.  Councilman Bill Schickel said, to paraphrase, “for this to work it needs the acceptance of the community, and it doesn’t have it.  There’s too much turmoil.”

Schickel and I have, at best, a dubious relationship…all of it political.  We’ve never voted for each other.  I did ask him to run for mayor against Eric Bookmeyer in 2009.  If he’d done that maybe all of this could have been avoided.  You’ve put us in a hellova predicament Bill.

I can imagine all of the attention you’ve received, Bill, and I think you like it.  I feel like you knew what you were doing with your no vote on the night of May 3rd.  Politics is funny that way.  It’s like a good hand in a poker game.  Are you that smart Bill?  Maybe I’ve underestimated you all these years.  I always thought your wife, Candy, was the dealmaker.

The big question is:  What Has Changed, Bill?  Nothing!  We actually have more turmoil and division in the community since you announced that you are rethinking your no vote.  I know you see yourself as an ethical man, but as rumors and innuendoes abound across the community (and state), with names like Brandstad, Doug Gross, the Prestage’s, along with many unfounded comments of all sorts, there is now a cloud of suspicion.  It’s always shameful when politicians try to monetize their situation, and it happens frequently.  It may not be illegal, but it is unethical.  Bill, it seems like you’re a man with a fishing pole just waiting to hook the big one.  I hope you prove me wrong.

Now that we know that the Prestage move to Worth County is in doubt, and the evil-doers (John Skipper, Globe Gazette Editorial Board, Brent Trout, Robin Anderson, and Mayor Eric Bookmeyer) have toned down their rhetoric of misinformation and flat-out lies, maybe, Bill, you can take a step back now, sort through everything, and maintain your no vote.  Mr. Schickel, please respect the will of the majority of your employers.  Don’t go over to the dark side.  You don’t have to bring this back to the table.  Find the courage to protect your adopted community.  Remember…nothing has changed.   More later…MFW

 

 

Prestage Farms Project Timeline from Iowa Economic Development Authority

Prestage Farms

It’s amusing that Supervisor Bartz and Mayor Bookmeyer are cut from the same cloth, trying to impress the boss of the Republican Party, governor Terry Branstad.

Below is the complete Prestage Farms project timeline.  See “Mid-afternoon of December 17″ entry in bold type.  Not sure why they would be looking at Worth County after reading this.  We know Worth Development has access to a lot of casino money.  Maybe they’re considering splitting the cost.  More later….MFW

PRESTAGE FARMS PROJECT TIMELINE

December 7, 2015

Mr. Joseph Kerns, President  & CEO of Kerns & Associates of Ames, IA (an agricultural consulting firm) speaks on the telephone with IEDA representative, Allen Williams, about an unnamed company interested in establishing a pork harvesting facility in Iowa. Due to confidentiality concerns, the company is not identified and no project parameters are provided.

December 8 – Allen Williams & Joe Kerns agree to meet at IEDA offices, with Mr. Kerns’ unnamed client company in the afternoon on December 17, to discuss their project. Williams sends to Kerns a number of detailed project parameter questions (e.g. water & sewer requirements, investment, jobs, etc.)  Kerns in turn relays those questions to the client.

December 14 – Kerns calls Williams and asks if he, and the client company, can visit a site in Fort Dodge, IA later that week – Williams contacts Fort Dodge Economic Development who agrees to meet with Kerns, and his unnamed client, the morning of December 17.

Morning of December 17. Williams, Kerns, and 3 members of Kern’s client company meet with local Fort Dodge economic development contacts and tour sites. The client is identified as Prestage Farms of Clinton, NC.  Prestage Farms brings to the Fort Dodge meeting the project parameters – the first time that its plans are revealed in any detail.

Mid-afternoon of December 17. Allen Williams and Mark Fischer of IEDA meet with Kerns, the Prestage Farms team and their Iowa attorney. Prestage describes its interest in certain sized Iowa communities, with available infrastructure, in the mid to north central area of Iowa where no other pork harvesting facilities are located. Later the Prestage Farms team meets with IEDA Director Durham.

Late-afternoon of December 17, Allen Williams sends out the Prestage Farms project parameters as IEDA Project #AW 1949 to the North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corporation (Mason City area) and five (5) other economic development groups in north & central Iowa. Allen Williams speaks on the phone with Chad Schreck, Executive Director of the North Iowa Corridor about the project.

Morning of December 18, Prestage Farms contacts Allen Williams and Chad Schreck to immediately make arrangements to visit a site in Mason City

Afternoon of December 18, Prestage Farms Team visits sites in Webster City, Iowa.

From this point on – Prestage Farms is in direct contact with Iowa communities under their consideration for the project – they do not go through IEDA

December 21 – Williams sends Prestage Farms an estimate on possible incentives for the project.

January 11, 2016 – Williams meets with Prestage Farms team at IEDA offices to discuss project

January 2016 – Prestage Farms makes repeated site visits to Mason City and Webster City.

February 10, 2016 – Prestage Farms team meets with Williams, Director Durham and others at IEDA offices to discuss the project.

March 21 – Prestage Farms announces, subject to approval of all applicable state and local incentives, its plans to locate a new pork harvesting facility in Mason City, Iowa.

March 29, 2016 – IEDA Board of Directors approves High Quality Jobs (HQJ) Program tax credit and tax refund incentives for the Prestage Farms project in Mason City.

Special Event: Meeting of the Minds

Future of Mason City, Prestage Farms

Meeting of the Minds: A Mason City Think Tank
When: Thursday, May 12 @ 6-8pm
Where: Mason City Public Library

Now for some bad news….sorry folks…..the following people are not invited and cannot attend:
Anyone belonging to the press
Elected officials
Local government staff
Any city or county funded organization
Anyone who supported Prestage Foods, LLC
And if you can’t stand Max Weaver, you probably shouldn’t show up either

Rancho DeluxeNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has……..Margaret Mead

I’d like to take a moment to thank those citizens of Mason City and North Iowa who took a stand against Eric Bookmeyer’s secretive scheme to shove this pork processing plant down our throats.  I’d also like to thank Council members Schickel, Lee, and Kuhn for having the courage to vote no…..more later MFW