Uniting To Save Shelby Township From The “Save Shelby” Mob

Oh what a tangled web they weave, when Shelby’s recall radicals try and deceive!

The efforts by a small band of residents who want to get rid of our township officials - leaders who are cutting spending without impacting vital services, enhancing public safety, protecting Shelby taxpayers during tough financial times, and enhancing our overall quality of life - is backfiring.  The lies these people are circulating to try and trick people into signing petitions is having the opposite effect.

Most Shelby Township taxpayers recognize the truth and don't want any part of this political muck.  People we have spoken to about this, and exposed the truth about the recall, are angry at those involved and committed to fighting back against this band of dissidents.

What is surprising is the lengths that these people will go to push their ill-conceived recall, and the depths they will sink to try and trick and/or coerce people into signing their petitions.

Shelby residents are asking several poignant questions:
• Who is really behind this recall?
• Who is pulling the strings?
• Who is bankrolling this outlandish slap in the face to township residents?
• What is the real agenda here?

The answer is somewhat complicated, but one thing is certain: the Nightingale family is the chief architect of the recall.  They will deny it to your face, concerned about the backlash public exposure will cause, but the facts speak differently.

We have previously written about how their group is circulating lies and smears via Facebook.  We have been following their vain attempt to paint themselves as just ordinary residents with no political agenda.  But this is no ordinary family.  On the contrary, this is a family with a clear feeling of entitlement and a determination to keep people in office who will massage this feeling.

The Nightingale clan has a crude website to spread their lies.  Sadly, they are not about to let fact and truth get in the way of their message.  They will say anything, do anything and make up just about anything to try and convince people that our township officials are not doing their job.  They are lying, they know it, but they just don’t care.

We have long wondered who exactly was putting together the so-called Save Shelby website.  We had our suspicions, but they were just educated guesses.  Now the guessing is over.

As you can see from the graphic on the right, the Nightingale family is administering the Save Shelby website.  How do we know?  Because the home page of the Nightingale business Facebook page says very clearly that the Nightingales updated the website.  "Hi everybody, check out the new update to the SaveShelby site."  It also states that "Nightingale has updated Save Shelby."  So they can try and run from the truth, but they will never hide the fact that this family is responsible for spreading misinformation to their circle of "friends."  Click on the image for a closer look.

Here's another interesting fact.  On their website this group is pleading for money.  They ask that all donations be sent to a house on Huling Street in Shelby Township.  The obvious question is, “Who lives at 46822 Huling?”  So we went on-line to Shelby Township's website and, after scanning the township's assessing records (public information), got the answer.

According to Shelby Township's tax records, the owner of that home is Noel Ryan Nightingale.  If you don't believe us, go to the township's website and check it out yourself - this is public information.

Who is Noel Nightingale?  Where have we heard that name before?  Noel was the Nightingale who filed recall petitions against the Supervisor and Treasurer in 2009 after the Board voted to seek competitive bids for township towing work.

We all remember that televised Board of Trustees meeting where Nightingale family member after family member after family member came up to trash the Board.  We recall how one Nightingale crony pointed fingers and screamed at the Board in a very menacing manner.  The Nightingale recall threats started in 2009, and continue today.

Family patriarch John Nightingale is on record as saying “this is my township” when discussing the urgency of this matter.  He also told a small crowd at a recent recall gathering that he would personally recruit people from outside the township and pay them to get signatures.  The Nightingales like to cry foul about money and politics, but when it comes to bankrolling this recall madness, money and special interests buying a recall election are fine and dandy?

So the Nightingales are spreading disinformation, organizing meetings and asking for donations, all while claiming they have nothing to do with the recall?  Do they think we are that stupid?

The Nightingale family’s threats have been condemned as “political terrorism” as they pushed their “family first” demands upon the township.  We should all be alarmed when a small group can hold our township hostage to their demands.   President Ronald Reagan had a firm policy of not negotiating with terrorists, and Shelby Township should heed the Gipper’s advice.

Today, the Nightingales seem hell bent on kicking out Supervisor Stathakis, Treasurer Viar and anyone else on the Board who disagrees with their vision of entitlement.  Why?  Perhaps they figure if they can get rid of certain officials, and get their chosen people elected, they will never have to worry about bids for towing?  Will the Nightingales expect a return on their “investment” if they get their candidates elected to township office?

What the Nightingales are trying to do is NOT okay.  They are using false arguments to disguise the true intent of their recall:  CONTROL!  Their “family first” crusade against township officials and taxpayers must not succeed - or our entire township (and our cherished democracy) will be in jeopardy.  We can only hope that investigative reports by Fox 2 and Channel 7 will shed greater light on what is really taking place and who is hiding behind the curtain.

Are we condemning the Nightingales for participating in democracy?  Of course not.  By law they have a right to conduct their recall.  However, Shelby taxpayers believe that people who falsely complain that our Supervisor and Board lack transparency should be transparent about their recall by coming clean and telling the truth about who is involved and why.  Come out of the shadows and stand in the light for all residents to see and judge for themselves.  What do they have to hide? 

Meanwhile, if you see any of these people in your neighborhood, don’t fall into their trap.  Refuse to sign a petition and don’t let them try to fool you, bully you, trick you, or intimidate you into signing.  You have the legally-protected right to say NO - and no means no.

Until next time...