The Common Sense Politics Blog » Mason City Issues

Promoting the Gay Agenda to Your Kids … At YOUR Expense!

Candi Karsjens — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:07:37 +0000

Apparently today at Mason City High School, the gay-straight alliance club (yes, we have one as of this year) gave out free t-shirts throughout the school with the phrase: “Gay? Fine by me!” printed on it. I was told that many teachers and students — including one of our administrators — were all sporting these shirts today during school.

While I believe STRONGLY in First Amendment Rights, I don’t think a public school system is the place to allow any club to promote their political platform, especially one that is as controversial as this issue.

Children should be protected from indoctrination by ANY group in this manner in a place of learning.

This is a controversial subject that should be discussed at home in families, and not pushed down the throats of our students when they are at school to learn, in a publicly funded learning institution. The disruption to learning at a school where we have not made our district learning goals in at least three years is really disturbing.

Regardless of how you feel on this issue, the public school learning environment should not be allowing such a hot political topic to overshadow learning, incite bad feelings, and promote a way of living to our children by endorsing this type of lifestyle, at school.

What is next? Pro-abortion or Anti-abortion groups? A Student led Communist Party Group? Student led Socialist Party Groups?

The Fellowship Christian Athletes group was told they could not meet anywhere on the school grounds, even before or after school because they were “religious” in nature. But the gay-straight alliance club can meet during the school day?

I was told by a school board member they knew nothing about this and it had not come by the school board. I feel strongly that this type of disruption should never happen DURING school hours at a public (taxpayer funded) school and I hope you will join me in voicing your discontent by e-mailing our school board members and your administrators.

Thanks.

Candi Karsjens

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You Can’t Polish a Turd …

Election 2010 and YOU …

Michael Fiala — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:02:51 +0000

It’s here. It’s time to put up or shut up. It’s time for YOU …

… the voter … the one that really counts … the one that ultimately suffers or benefits from the policies implemented by the politicians YOU allow to occupy local, state and national offices …

… to elect people who will fix what’s ailing us as a state and as a nation.

Or continue to allow progressive, big-government elitists to continue flushing your country down the toilet.

From nationalized, unconstitutional health care to tax hikes only a liberal could love to immigration polices that DO NOT reflect the intent or the wording of the 14th Amendment, the consequences of the next two election cycles are more important to our survival as a country than any in recent memory.

Candidates with Tea Party movement support won handily in two important primaries in liberal-leaning northeastern states last night. Dems are claiming they think they can win those seats now because Tea Party people are “out of the mainstream”.

But – in typical arrogant elitist politician fashion – they’re only listening to their own echo chamber. So they don’t realize Tea Party people ARE the mainstream.

A recent report from The Tax Foundation – a nonpartisan think tank – found if Democrats in Congress allow the Bush Tax Cuts to expire, a middle income Iowa family (income of $61,663/year) will see their taxes increase by a whopping $1,616 beginning in 2011! That’s not going to happen only to “tea-drinking-out-of-the-mainstream-conservative-radical-wackos”. That’s going to happen to YOU! And your family.

For a revealing look at how your vote could affect your life and your family personally and financially, please check out this handy Tax Calculator – http://www.mytaxburden.org/. You might be surprised (and possibly horrified) at what you find out.

The power is in your hands to get out and actively support — with your time and money — common sense, Constitutionally-based, conservative politicians to replace those who would transform our country into a second-class banana republic.

Michael Fiala
Clear Lake, Iowa
September 15, 2010

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Lefty Faux Outrage

Michael Fiala — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:04:11 +0000

***WARNING: This article contains offensive language!

I must admit, it’s been kind of exciting the last few days.

The Mason City Tea Party billboard has everybody up-in-arms. And, having worked on the North Iowa Tea Party website, I’ve been getting my share of nasty emails and phone calls.

Never mind that I had nothing to do with the billboard. But what good leftist ever let a fact get in the way of a good self-righteous rant?

It wouldn’t be so bad if I had a staff to deal with lib hate mail and phone calls like Rush or Beck. But I’m a one-man shop, so I have to field the venomous hatred spewing forth from these people myself.

They remind me of my second ex-wife — there’s no limit to the lies they’ll tell … the mischaracterizations they indulge themselves in … the cherry-picked historical revisionisms they accept as fact … and no limit to the amount of fake indignation they serve up under the guise of moral outrage.

Oh, well. Maybe I should back up and explain how all this got started …

I help my local Tea Party movement with technical services like website services, video, social media posts — things that have to do with communications, which is how I earn my living.

But last week, a couple of people claiming to be acting on behalf of the North Iowa Tea Party put up an incendiary billboard that played right into the whacko-lefty’s hands.

The message they intended was to point out the similarities between Obama’s policies and the socialist policies of Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin … like nationalized health care, the collusion of government and business to interfere with free markets, and government collaboration with labor unions aimed at control to name a few.

When I first heard about this I told the people involved to quit drinking whiskey when they designed these billboards … that the message would be lost as outraged lefty’s screamed “RACIST” at the top of their lungs … that moderates and independents would be turned off … but my warnings fell on deaf ears.

So the billboard went up, my email address and phone number are readily available to anyone willing to look for them, and the S%^$ hit the fan!

What’s been entertaining — and very instructive about who liberals, leftists, and Democrats really are — are the “hate” emails I’ve received. They’re filled with “educated”, “intellectual”, “tolerant”, “inclusive”, “compassionate” things like:

“… you should educate yourselves on shay’s rebellion and Adams assertion that rebellion against the republic should be punished by EXECUTION …”

And this …

“Do you know anything about politics or history? Because if you did, you’d be ashamed of yourselves … congratulations, now the whole world knows that North Iowa harbours ignorant cunts.”

Or this little gem …

“You’re all a bunch of racist retards like Palin’s dumb kid. You guys are doing nothing for this country. I’ll give credit to Palin. At least she’s keeping the paper towel industry in tact. Her kid’s drooling needs tons of paper towels just like you guys when you think you saw a pussy shot of her. Iowa, corn and cornholing. No suprise they let fags marry since there’s so many of you hershey highway homos. Iowa, what a dissapointment to an otherwise civilized country.”

Aren’t lefty’s “civilized”? Just full of “tolerance”, “compassion”, and “love”? (Yeah — if they’re screwing the tax payers to pay for it.) And how about that superior intellect lefty’s are always bragging about?

Then there were the “I hate you teabaggers” emails. After that brilliant opening they rant on and on, calling Tea Party movement people “hate mongers”, mischaracterizing the Tea Party message as “hate speech”, and accusing Tea People of being racists (the default position of liberals that don’t have their facts straight).

Don’t the shrinks call that transference? As in accusing your enemy of doing what you’re doing to put them on the defensive, hide your own unethical conduct, and/or confuse the issue for the general public?

Judging from the emails and calls I’ve been getting it sounds like lefty’s know quite a lot about “hate”.

We know libs are experts on racism, given Robert Byrd’s Klan association. Strom Thurmond was a Democrat when he was a member of the Klan. Democrats filibustered Eisenhower’s civil rights legislation. If it weren’t for Republicans, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would not have passed. And our current President attended a church pastored by a racist-communist for somewhere around two decades.

And finally, where the hell were you “sensitive”, “offended” lefty’s when movies and books came out depicting and describing the methods for assassinating George Bush? Where was your self-righteous indignation when you and your lefty friends compared President Bush to Hitler?

I find the left’s faux outrage and hypocrisy immensely more disgusting, vile, and hypocritical than any billboard trying to make a valid comparison about policy no matter how stupidly, unprofessionally messaged, and ineptly it was executed.

So it’s been a pretty exciting couple days here in quiet little Mason City.

Oh! Another lib in Chicago just sent me some more hate mail! Gotta go get me some more of that lefty “tolerance”, “diversity”, and “love” …

Michael Fiala
Mason City, Iowa
July 14, 2010

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Game On!

Michael Fiala — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:00:25 +0000

Breitbart has an AP story on attempts by liberals to infiltrate and disrupt Tea Party gatherings this Thursday in an attempt to discredit the participants and ruin their image with “average Americans”.

I say, “Bring it on!”.

My advice to Tea Partiers is: Stay on your game and stay on message.

Marginalize and negate the kooks and nuts at your gathering. Expose them as liberals deliberately lying to the American people about your mission and your message.

Click Here for the article.

Have a great time defending the Constitution Thursday!

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Michael Fiala — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:25:35 +0000

The Common Sense Politics Blog will be taking a few weeks off to celebrate the birth of Christ and bring in the new year.

The writers would like to thank everyone for reading and we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

We’ll be back in January of ’10 to discuss the unconstitutional aspects of the health care reform bill, the economy-killing “cap and tax” bill, and the alarming growth of the federal government and its intrusiveness into our liberty and our personal lives.

Until then, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and thank you again for reading The Commons Sense Politics Blog!

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Mason City Auto Dealer Stays in the Game

Michael Fiala — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:49:42 +0000

While the auto industry tries to recover from too much government “help”, it’s nice to see one of Mason City’s oldest and finest dealers find a way to get out from under the hob-nailed boot of government … and even find a way to thrive and prosper!

Debbie Sedars sent us this email on December 2nd, detailing a little of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering she and Jerry had to do to survive the government takeover of the auto industry. And she’s kindly agreed to share her story with Common Sense Politics Blog readers.

Here’s Debbie:

First, a little background …

The history of the Sedars family in the automobile business began in 1941 when Orvis Sedars became a Pontiac dealer in Perry, Iowa.

Sedars started an automobile dealership in Mason City in 1945 when he and Willard Hunter became partners in Hunter-Sedars Motor Co., a DeSoto and Plymouth dealership and distributor. The business was located in the fifth and sixth blocks of N. Federal until 1954.

During that period, Mr. Sedars bought out Mr. Hunter’s interest in the company and then purchased the Pontiac dealership at 22-3rd NW (currently the county jail location) from John Gallagher. In 1956 he purchased the Cadillac franchise from Harry Gelt of Lapiner Motor Co. and added the GMC truck line. Sometime in the late ‘50’s Vauxhall, an English car line, was acquired.

In approximately 1963 Sedars moved its main location to 307 N. Federal. In 1971 Subaru was added and Mazda in 1975. In 1980 Buick was added to Sedars’ franchises. Orvis Sedars died in 1988.

In 1997 the Sedars family built a new facility on the west edge of Mason City. Sedars Motor Co., Inc. (Sedars Auto Park) is Mason City’s oldest automobile dealership spanning three generations.

Which brings us to today …

Yes, it’s true: We’re now the Honda dealer in Mason City. We are in the process of remodeling and relocating to the old Price Motors Chrysler-Jeep dealership on South Monroe across from Schukei Chevrolet. This was a great opportunity for us, and we’re really looking forward to all the opportunities that await this new venture.

Some of you have been aware of this prospective business change almost from the beginning, and some of you have only received hints that something new might be in our future. Others have come right out and asked if the rumors were true. Heck, one person heard that Jerry and I were getting a divorce, and a neighbor even came over after hearing that Jerry had died! Thankfully, neither is the case. We tried to be discreet until “the deal” was finalized to avoid embarrassment in case it “fell out of bed,” and I apologize if you felt like we were trying to be evasive.

This was not an easy decision for us to make as the Sedars name has been associated with General Motors since Jerry’s dad became a Pontiac dealer in 1941. However, as you all know, GM has had a very bad year resulting in government bail-outs, bankruptcy, changes in leadership, massive loss in market-share, and the demise of Pontiac (one-third of our business), Hummer, Saturn, and Saab. These results were many years in the making due to stupid decisions, arrogance, underestimation of the competition, mismanagement of its relationship with the UAW, squandering of assets during the good times, reliance on sales of gas guzzlers for profit just as gas was hitting $4/gal., and finally, refusing to accept that to survive it could not remain what it was in the ’50′s and ’60′s.

GM also cut the throats of its dealers by allowing more dealerships to be established than could be supported. For instance, before the restructuring this past spring, Iowa had forty-six Cadillac dealers as opposed to only two Lexus dealers throughout the state. Then, as is GM’s pattern, they went to the other extreme by eliminating the Cadillac franchise from all but two locations throughout the state. They are now in the (all-too-familiar to dealers) process of reversing some of those decisions. But for us it’s too late. Our facility was built in 1997 for four franchises, not two, and the aforementioned causes and effects have trickled down to GM dealers. It became a relationship that has become, at best, difficult. It was time to make a change.

Unlike many dealerships who were forced to close their doors, we consider ourselves very blessed to have this chance to continue operating in the industry that we love.

And now you know.

Hugs,

Debbie

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Announcing: Deb’s Corner!!!

Michael Fiala — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:54:34 +0000

Today the Common Sense Politics Blog is pleased to announce a new feature called Deb’s Corner.

We’re not sure how often we’ll be able to get Deb to speak up, but when she does we know we’re in for a double-dose of good old fashioned common sense. Take it away, Deb!

Deb’s Corner

Empathy … It’s Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

Monday a local auto dealership got a ruling from an “empathetic” judge right here in M.C. for a lawsuit that’s been going on since last September.

The dealership had been sued by a former employee who quit on the anniversary of his first year (for which he had already received 2 weeks vacation pay … something the dealership normally doesn’t do for the first year of employment).

The former employee then sued the dealership for two more weeks of vacation pay plus other damages amounting to $4000.

It should have been a slam-dunk for the dealership, but the judge ruled they have to pay one week’s vacation pay plus court costs.

How’s that for “empathy”?

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Marketing Mason City Isn’t For Amateurs

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:15:41 +0000

With the council voting for a common sense split of the hotel tax last night, the CVB dodged a bullet.

With one council member comparing marketing the city’s tourism industry to an oil change and another wanting to remove funding altogether, it seems to me the city’s in dire need of some professional marketing advice.

The fact is, there is no “ceiling” or top limit on how much you should spend on marketing, other than it should be balanced against operating expenses and it should always yield positive ROI or grow your list in the case of an acquisition campaign.

If you’re in “building” mode, as much as 90% or more of your profits should go back into marketing. If you occupy the number one slot in your market, you can take more profit but make sure your competitors aren’t whittling away at your advantage by out-marketing you by out-spending you or advertising more effectively than you.

That said, detractors had a point when they voiced concerns over a lack of factual data on the CVB’s marketing efforts and accountability for results. If the CVB is just engaging in “branding”, they have no way of knowing how much money they bring in to the city. If they’re using direct response marketing techniques and proper metrics, they should know to the penny how much revenue they generated by each ad in each ad campaign. They should also be testing ads against each other to try to improve results.

And, if tax money is being used to support the marketing efforts of the CVB, the CVB should have every fact, metric, and stat at their disposal publicly accessible 24/7.

That way the CVB can avoid the kind of funding threat they had last night at the hands of our marketing “experts” on the city council.

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