Trustee Lisa Manzella Continues A Public Debate (with herself) About Township Spending Priorities

For this Inside Out article we will discuss township roads and how our Board of Trustees is working (against the efforts of some) to bring our township roads up to 21st Century transportation standards.

We all know how important good roads are.  This is why Shelby Township has pledged funds for road projects over the years.  Whether for interior road repaving or intersection upgrades, our township government has been working within its financial means to improve our roads.

Continuing this tradition, at its July 19, 2011 meeting, the Shelby Township Board of Trustees agreed to spend nearly $1 million on three major road improvement projects over the next three years.  These projects involve:
(1) Reconstructing Auburn Road from Dequindre to Ryan in 2012, which will cost the township approximately $220,000
(2) Widening of Van Dyke from two to five lanes between 25 Mile and 26 Mile roads in 2013, which will cost the township approximately $448,000
(3) Reconstructing 25 Mile Road from Mound Road to Van Dyke, which will cost the township approximately $220,000.

As currently proposed, Shelby Township’s cost of these road upgrades is only 10 percent of the overall cost of the projects.  An additional 10 percent will be funded by the Macomb County Department of Roads and the remaining 80 percent will come from federal funds.  This 10-10-80 formula mix is a great decision for our township.  We will receive some needed transportation relief without have to dig into our pockets to pay the full cost from our township tax dollars.

As reported in the July 27, 2011 issue of the Shelby-Utica News, over the course of these three projects, Shelby Township will make use of $7,102,574 in federal tax money.

Supervisor Rick Stathakis described the road program this way:
“You cannot have a township with roads that are not being maintained, and this is widening roads and maintaining roads.  It’s one of the very things people rely on when they come to … pay their taxes.  They want fires put out; they want security; and they want good roads.”

Despite the enormous positive impact these road improvements will have in our township, Trustee Lisa Manzella couldn’t help but make a critical comment.

“My concern is we had Plante and Moran come and do an audit, and they suggested that 2014 is going to be the most difficult year we're facing in the near future,”  Manzella said to the Source Newspaper in its 7/30/2011 edition.  “I don’t want to commit these kinds of dollars when we don’t know what we’re going to be working with in 2014.  I‘m a little nervous about spending this much money this far in advance.”

Oh really?  Mrs. Manzella, the most free-spending Trustee in Shelby Township history, is now trying to portray herself as some kind of nervous conservative?  Lisa Manzella publicly said that she doesn’t want to commit these kinds of dollars for roads, and yet goes ahead and votes to commit these kinds of dollars for roads.  Where is the logic here?  Does anyone know, or understand, Manzella’s spending priorities?

Has Lisa Manzella been playing political games for so long that she no longer sees the positives in anything?  This statement proves that Lisa Manzella lacks core principles upon which she makes statements or casts important votes that directly impact township residents.

Where was all of Mrs. Manzella’s self-proclaimed “nervous” concern when Skip Maccarone was trying to ram a $50 million campus spending project down our throats?  Where was Mrs. Manzella’s financial fears when she approved bonding for this $50 million campus without a public vote?  Where was Mrs. Manzella’s concerns about the future when she supported the campus despite financial predictions that the township could not support such a grand scheme?

When the Board of Trustees discussed whether to put a fence around the new township police building parking lot, Mrs. Manzella came up with what is the stupidest comment we have ever heard a township politician make.  She said it is better for a governmental body to spend tax money than save it and keep it in the bank.  Below are excerpts from the June 21, 2011 Shelby Township Board of Trustees meeting (full minutes are available at www.shelbytwp.org):

As you can see from the minutes above, Lisa Manzella does not believe a government serves the people by having money in the bank.

Does this mean Manzella agrees that all government spending is good and necessary, as long as politicians think they are doing us a favor?  Could this be the reasoning behind Manzella’s support for the unaffordable, expensive and budget-busting $50 million Maccarone campus?

Since Mrs. Manzella said the police building is under budget, and expects it to stay that way, why in the world would she want to pad the bill by spending even more money?  Does Manzella secretly want the police building to go over budget so she can go on Facebook and complain about how Supervisor Stathakis broke his promise and is spending too much money?  Given her love of Facebook and her hatred of Mr. Stathakis, this motive would seem logical.

It really bothers us when politicians have no real principles on which they make decisions or issue proclamations to the people.  Mrs. Manzella certainly fits the definition of one of these politicians.  One day she is a free spending politico who supports bonding for $50 million and committing taxpayers to this massive campus spending project long term.  Then, the next she tries to paint herself as a “nervous” conservative who doesn’t want to commit the township to $1 million in road upgrades.  One day she says it is better to spend money then have it in the bank, and the next she wants the township to be more conservative in its spending.

If you find it difficult to know where Trustee Manzella stands on spending and tax issues then you are not alone.  Most people don’t.  In fact, the only person who seems even more confused about Lisa Manzella’s tax and spend priorities than we are is Lisa Manzella.  She seems to be having a public debate with herself about this, a debate she is losing — at least in the hearts and minds of most Shelby taxpayers.

As you can see from the Facebook post above, Marsha Nightingale is clearly frustrated.  Why?  Is their recall losing steam as more and more residents learn the truth about the people and the real motivations behind the recall?  Is their attempted intimidation of our township wearing thin with the public?

Hey Marsha, if, as you claim, “Everybody in this township” knows that our Trustees are “wrong for the people” why are you having such a difficult time trying to kick our Board members out?  If the Board is truly that bad, as you claim, wouldn’t there be a groundswell of public support for your recall?  If things were truly that bad, would you have to bring in people from outside our township to circulate recall petitions based on lies and misinformation?

The truth of the matter is that the only people in Shelby Township who feel the Board is doing a bad job are the Nightingale family, the Shelby police union, and the other recall zombies who are hungry for power and dying to devour our democracy.

You will also note from the Facebook post that Lisa Manzella chimed in with her comment about Andy Rooney.  Andy Rooney?  What does he have to do with anything?  Who could Manzella possibly be talking about?

The only person we could think of would be Treasurer Paul Viar.  Treasurer Viar makes his statements and observations known at the end of the televised Board meetings.  Likewise, Andy Rooney does his commentaries at the end of 60 minutes.  So this must be who Mrs. Manzella is referring to.  If so, then Manzella is actually giving Mr. Viar a compliment (imagine that!).  Andy Rooney is a distinguished journalist.  He makes some very wise observations in his statements.  So, comparing Treasurer Viar with Andy Rooney can actually be seen as a positive.

Since Lisa Manzella brought up Andy Rooney, we have decided to include a few of Mr. Rooney’s astute observations about life.   We hope you enjoy them!

MY OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE 

— By Andy Rooney 

“People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.”

“The only people who say worse things about politicians than reporters do are other politicians.”

“I've learned, that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.”

“I've learned, that one should keep his words both soft and tender because tomorrow he [or she] may have to eat them.”

Instead of publicly criticizing Andy Rooney, Trustee Manzella should listen more carefully to what Rooney says.  He makes some valid points.  If she did manage to open her ears Manzella may learn a thing or two about life, especially as it pertains to Shelby Township government.

But, then again, perhaps Lisa Manzella harbors too much bitterness to listen.

Until next time...