It is well documented how the recall fanatics are using unrelated, and often false, information to trick people into signing petitions. Below are some of the many false statements these people are making to try and justify (in their mind) their plan to kick out township officials...
DARE PROGRAM
The recall nuts are telling people that Shelby’s DARE program has been eliminated. These people fault Supervisor Rick Stathakis for cutting it. However, as one resident recently wrote to us after hearing this information: “How can the DARE program be gone if my son just went through a DARE graduation? What are these people talking about and why are they lying?”
If someone tells you the DARE program has been eliminated, they are LYING! Due to current financial times, the DARE program has been restructured within the schools to save money, while keeping the program functional. The entire Board of Trustees supported the restructuring of DARE, as proposed by Shelby’s Chief of Police, during a meeting in November, 2009. The DARE program is very much alive.
Now, Trustee Lisa Manzella is running around with recall petitions declaring that the DARE program was killed by Supervisor Stathakis. She knows better, because she voted for the restructuring. The program has not been eliminated. That is just one of her many lies.
“Poor Lisa the Liar just can’t be believed. When she’s out of office we’ll ALL be relieved!”
NEW TOWNSHIP POLICE STATION
The recall gang is complaining that Shelby Township does not need a new police building. They have even convinced some elements of the police union to go along. Could this be a reaction by the union to potential cost reductions within the police department? Judging from the feedback we have received, residents are angered that the police union is playing politics instead of protecting the public.These people, once again, are ignoring facts. It has been PROVEN that the new building is needed to address deficiencies in the current overcrowded building. Shelby’s police chief is on record supporting the building, but this simply doesn’t matter to the Save Shelby thugs. During Skip Maccarone’s administration, many of the people who oppose the current $4 million building (paid for with cash) eagerly supported a $20 million justice center (financed with new bonds - without a public vote). So is this really all about politics? Has their desperation surrounding the recall blinded these people to the actual and documented public safety needs of our township?
When Skip Maccarone was trying to sell his $20 million police palace, he had Shelby This Week take a video tour of the current police station to document why a new building is necessary. Remember all the discussion about safety? Remember how we were told police officers lacked proper work space to do their job? Remember how detectives complained about having to work out of a trailer behind the police hall? Anyone who saw that videotape could clearly see the need. Need was never the issue — cost of construction and bonding without a public vote were!
Shelby’s recall gang hopes to trick people into signing petitions based on another false argument. Once again, Trustee Lisa Manzella is heavily involved. She has publicly criticized the new building, and complained that given the economy we can’t afford to build it now. She enjoys ripping up Supervisor Stathakis for not building the previous $20 million project.
Lisa Manzella chaired Skip Maccarone’s committee that came up with the $20 million “justice center” idea. Manzella did not want taxpayers to vote on new bonds (taxes) for this massive construction - she wanted herself and other politicians to decide. When you have that much political capitol invested into a project, anything less simply won’t suffice.
Shelby’s new police building is a good and necessary project. That is why, despite all of her contrived outrage about the facility, Trustee Lisa Manzella voted for the new building, voted to hire an architect to design it, and was front and center with a cheesy smile during the official groundbreaking ceremony (see photo at right).Trustee Lisa Manzella, speaks with a forked tongue. She has declared the new police building unneeded, even as most within Shelby Township’s police department agree that the building is necessary. She has supported the building, while speaking out against it. Isn’t this what you would call a politician trying to have it both ways?
TOWING, TOWING, TOWING
The Nightingales and their Save Shelby gang claim the recall is not about towing. However:– The Nightingale family is spearheading the recall;
– The Nightingale family is a towing company;
– Nightingale family member after family member speaks at nearly every Board of Trustees meeting about supporting the recall;
— All these recall threats began after the Board of Trustees voted unanimously (7-0) to put the township’s towing contract out for competitive bid.
Looking at the facts, and how their family reacts whenever the subject of towing comes up, do you believe their contention that the recall is not about towing?
Even though we thoroughly enjoy writing, sometimes it is good to let others do the talking. This is why we now turn our attention to an editorial from the April 8, 2011 issue of the Source newspaper. The letter, written by resident Ed Young, hit on a very important theme about the current Nightingale recall. So, for your reading pleasure we are reprinting Mr. Young’s letter below. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
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To the editor:
Ex-supervisors support senseless recall effort
I may be looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, but I thought former politicians had an unwritten rule: “Thou shalt not criticize thy successor.” It did not bother two former Shelby Township supervisors to criticize the incumbent supervisor for his apparent voting record on hot-button issues that are near and dear to the ex-supervisors. They did not remember their own failures as township supervisors.
One used such foul language in front of a summer hire that would make a GI blush. The end result, the human resources director was terminated while the supervisor just made some bad publicity. How about this one? One of them had a free ride at a condo in Florida owned by a developer. The supervisor got off, but his buddy was reprimanded for accepting gratuities.
There are more, such as wanting to build a palace costing more than $20 million to house a combined court house and police department to be known as the Justice Center. The supervisor was adamant in not wanting the taxpayers to vote on the construction. He went ahead with early preparation that destroyed the beautiful trees behind the administration building, leaving a dust-filled landscape. He ignored the people who live in the area and went on with the destruction of the trees.
If you were the supervisor, would you call the people sitting in the board room "those guys in the peanut gallery"? One ex-supervisor personally intervened in a midnight, one-car crash that involved a board trustee. Not much was made of it, but one might think there may have been a cover-up to avoid embarrassing the trustee, especially since the individual supported the ex-supervisor in wanting the Justice Center. There are more examples of poor judgment and leadership I could point out, but the taxpayers saw through the smoke and mirrors, and voted them out of office.
Unfortunately, recall petitions are with us and in most cases may be justified. However, the recent spate of recalls are allegedly from people who are supporters of the former supervisors and want to see current board members ousted and get their own candidates on board to go back to the old ways of tax, tax and tax some more. The recent studies to reduce costs in the fire and police departments have hit a sore spot in that it shows money can be saved if you budget properly. When your ox has gored you, find ways to make others suffer your pain through senseless recalls which will cause us taxpayers to shoulder the burden.
Bottcher and Maccarone said the recall is not about the towing contract. If it wasn't, why mention it? It seems strange that the owner of the towing company would post a sign on his property inviting the public to sign recall petitions. If you had a sweetheart deal for decades, it is difficult to give up a good thing. It is hard to believe that the towing contract and the chief of police only getting a one-year contract did not have anything to do with police officers circulating petitions of which I have no heartburn. Of all the recall petitions circulated over the years, I find their actions strange, to say the least.
If the recall fails, valuable resources that could be used elsewhere have been squandered to satisfy someone's ego and grab for power.
Ed Young, Shelby Township
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We applaud Ed Young, and other like-minded township residents, for their courage to stand up to the Nightingale family’s recall power grab.
Interestingly, in the same issue of the Source, there was another letter favoring the recall, written by (SURPRISE!) Noel Nightingale. Noel Nightingale is the guy who established a Nightingale family political action committee (PAC). Since the Nightingales now have a PAC of their own, this poses an obvious question: Will this PAC be used to elect people to public office who will support, and vote for, Nightingale towing?
When you read Noel Nightingale’s nonsense you quickly pick up some key points:
(1) The Nightingales are directly responsible for the recall.
(2) Their recall is all about TOWING. Everything else mentioned — from the police building, to the DARE program; from claims that Supervisor Stathakis raised taxes (which he has not), to complaints that Supervisor Stathakis has raised township spending (spending has been reduced) — are lies.
(3) The Nightingales have created a political action committee (PAC) named Concerned Citizens of Shelby. After months of condemning PACs as an evil element of politics, the Nightingale’s have their own evil PAC. What possible motive could this towing family have for establishing a PAC?
(4) The recall fanatics are quick to condemn others with gossip, innuendo and half-truths. But when residents fight back with opinions supported by facts, these people cry foul. The recall groupies believe the First Amendment is terrific just as long as they control the message.
This warped view of free speech emerged at the Tuesday, April 5th Board of Trustees meeting. Nightingale “friend” and recall advocate Valarie Alspaugh complained to Supervisor Stathakis about comments being made (on this blog and elsewhere) by those opposing the recall. Mrs. Alspaugh said Supervisor Stathakis needs to step up and silence those who oppose the recall. Sorry Val, but the First Amendment does not give any government leader that power, just as it doesn’t stop people like you from lying to support your moronic recall.
(5) The Nightingales don’t like Shelby This Week, hosted by journalist Philip Nye. Why? Because he didn’t take the Nightingale family’s side in the recall? While the Nightingales are quick to praise the Source for its one-sided recall coverage, when they can’t get the story reported how they want on Shelby This Week they attack the messenger.
We have discussed how Source General Manager Chris Troszak censored free speech (see previous Inside Out post). After the newspaper’s bias was exposed, one Nightingale supporter sent us an interesting e-mail. Here is what their message said:
“The refusal of this 'Chris Troszak' (more specifically, his business) to publish the cartoon is an exercise of HIS free speech rights - you have NO right to speak in another person or business's privately owned and operated publication.”
This is a very bizarre statement, especially since Chris Troszak is a woman.
So let’s see if we have this correct, shall we? According to the Nightingales and their recall grunts, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not permit free speech when it comes to private business? We must have missed that free speech exemption in our Constitutional law class!
Obviously, the recall maniacs are brain-dead when it comes to what the First Amendment says. Moreover, they have no understanding of what the word censorship means, or why censoring free speech (as the Source did) because you don’t approve of the message is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
The Nightingales (and their Facebook “friends”) think anyone with a different opinion about the recall should sit down and shut up. Hey Nightingales — yes ALL of you — listen up because we will only say this once:
• We will not shut up - as you insist!
• We will not sit down - as you demand!
• We will not let you control Shelby Township - as you are trying to do with your recall!
Instead, we will continue offering opinions, supported by facts and research, to demonstrate why the recall is a power grab upon our township. You can complain about us. You can criticize us. You can send us nasty e-mails, which get saved for future use. But you will NEVER silence us!!!!
Until next time...
Thumbs up-As soon as the bullys(Nightingales) realize they are beat they will run and hide with there tails between there legs-Thats what all bullies do-
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. The recall efforts against Mr. Stathakis are ridiculous. He is the best supervisor this township has seen in years! The nightingales continue to exploit and skew the opinions of uninformed residents for their own personal gain.
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