We literally stumbled across the cartoon above while conducting an internet search of political candidate websites, and couldn't resist including it on our blog.This cartoon appears on the website for Michael Flynn, candidate for Shelby Township Trustee.
When we saw this we immediately broke out laughing. How truthful and how appropriate. Skip Maccarone sleeping at the wheel of a snowplow, while an outraged township resident vents her anger at being stuck in the snow.
This cartoon brilliantly explains why Shelby Township motorists were stuck in the snow this past winter. It also explains why people are outraged that on a simple issue like snow removal, Skip Maccarone could not help people who are paying his "grossly under-compensated" [his words] salary. See previous INSIDE OUT posting.
Although the snow which blanketed our township has melted, Supervisor Skip Maccarone's lack of leadership on the issue of township snow removal remains a sore point for taxpayers. Residents stuck in the snow this past winter are angry, and rightfully so.
Back in 2001, the Road Commission of Macomb County offered to help townships with snow removal during heavy storms. Shelby Township didn't take the Road Commission up on this offer, and this past winter we paid a heavy price.
Obviously aware that this is a major issue on our minds, Skip has tried to "duck and dodge." He insists no offer was made by the Road Commission to Shelby Township. He called newspapers (and even drove to the Macomb Daily in Mt. Clemens) in a desperate attempt to defend himself. Even after it was acknowledged (by Skip himself) that discussions on this did indeed take place in 2001, at the Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Board of Trustees meeting, Skip once again told a resident publicly that no offer was made. He tried to deflect and spin the information, blaming the whole thing on miscommunication.We're not buying it! As we see it, this is not miscommunication. This is not a misunderstanding. What we have here is misrepresentation of reality by Skip Maccarone in an effort to save his political behind.
This snow mess came to light during a February 28, 2008 work session of the Board of Trustees.
WE HAVE ATTACHED SOME EXCERPTED MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 28, 2008 MEETING FOR YOU TO READ. Click on the graphic for a larger version. If you want a complete copy of these minutes, contact the Shelby Township Clerk's Office at 731-5102.
Another interesting point involves the videotape. Yes, the meeting was taped by Shelby TV. However, we understand that the tape has mysteriously vanished. Could it be that somebody didn't want the public to see for themselves what happened at this meeting? Something smells here, and NO it is not the garlic we had for dinner!
At this meeting, the Board met with officials from the Macomb County Road Commission. This is when taxpayers discovered that the County Road Commission floated the idea of helping with winter snow removal seven years ago. Macomb County Maintenance Superintendent Bob Mykytiak confirmed that the discussion with Maccarone did take place in 2001, but unlike Chesterfield Township and Clinton Township, Shelby Township (more to the point Supervisor Maccarone) turned down the offer
Township Clerk Terri Kowal discovered that the Macomb County Road Commission did extend such an offer to townships, and Chesterfield and Clinton accepted. She made this announcement during a televised Board of Trustees meeting (and you could tell Skip wasn't very happy). Mrs. Kowal was visibly upset that Shelby Township (more accurately, the Shelby Township Supervisor) did nothing. As a result of Skip's inaction, her office got flooded with phone calls from angry taxpayers whose cars got stuck in the snow.
When pressed about this by Trustee Jim Carabelli, Skip confessed that he did know about this arrangement with the Road Commission and that discussions did take place in 2001. He did that at the March 4th, 2008 Board of Trustees meeting.
An official at the Macomb County Road Commission has said (publicly and privately) that Shelby Township was one of the communities the Macomb County Road Commission offered to help way back in 2001. So then is Skip calling the Road Commission a bunch of liars?
Somebody is lying -- but we seriously doubt it is the Road Commission!
When you consider this situation in its entirety, you can see why other township elected officials are so upset.
Why did Skip Maccarone ignore an offer of free assistance from the Road Commission seven years ago?
Why did Skip not inform his fellow Trustees that an offer of snow assistance was made to Shelby Township?
Was Skip sleeping at the wheel?
Was Skip preoccupied with his massive $50 million township "campus?"
Was Skip more concerned with wasting our precious tax dollars establishing his one-horse "mounted division?" The horse has since left the pasture - and with it our tax dollars!
Did Skip have more important work to tend to, such trying to resolve the dispute between the City of Sterling Heights and Hillside Productions (Freedom Hill) by offering his legal expertise?
Whatever his excuse, the bottom line is that, here again, Skip failed to do the job that we elected him to do. This time, while complaining that Shelby Township doesn't get its fair share of revenue sharing dollars, Skip turned a deaf ear to an offer of FREE help!
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Skip Maccarone dropped the snowball.
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