Fresh off their duel recall defeats, elements of the Save Shelby crowd have come out swinging — recklessly mind you, but swinging! These Save Shelby recall zombies are like the walking dead — just when you think they are gone, and it is safe to venture outside again, some more zombies spring up eager to put the “bite” on someone. Former Save Shelby spokesman Tom Delise must be feeling dejected these days. Since being cast aside as the recall group’s spokesman, Delise has become a man without a purpose. He looks personally deflated and frustrated. Could it be because his two recall attempts failed miserably? Could it be because his complaints about the Shelby Woods North situation have gone sour? Could it be because his media honeymoon is long over, and people, even those who were initially sympathetic with him, now see Delise as an unreasonable voice of despair?
A majority of Shelby Township condo owners, as well as owners of single-family homes, now understand what the Shelby Woods North “controversy” is really all about. The Board of Trustees voted to remove the restriction on rentals at the complex in order to keep the association alive. If the Board had done what Trustee Lisa Manzella and Tom Delise wanted — NOTHING — then the entire condo complex would, by all accounts, have gone into bankruptcy and foreclosure. How would that have helped the owners living there? Further, would foreclosure and bankruptcy benefit Shelby Township?
In fact, if the Board failed to act when it did, then residents would likely be complaining about a rise in foreclosures in their complex. They would likely be complaining about no maintenance, no grass cutting, no snow removal, no sprinklers, no garbage collection — NOTHING. They would be condemning the Board for refusing to do what they could to prevent Shelby Woods North from bankruptcy. Finally, there would likely have been recall petitions filed, by Tom Delise, over the Board’s turning a blind eye and allowing a township development to fail.
How would this benefit Shelby Township?
So what are Tom Delise and his handful of people who come to televised Board meetings voicing complaints about? Association dues, lawn cutting, snow removal, water leaks, loose siding, window problems, interior mold, road cracks, loose or leaking gutters, an overabundance of bugs (mosquitoes, spiders, ants, etc.), weeds and burned out light bulbs on the buildings. In addition, at the Tuesday, August 16th Board of Trustees meeting, some people even complained about a recent special assessment that was levied on all condo owners.
So what do these issues have to do with Shelby Township? What should our elected officials be doing to intervene on these issues? Nothing! These are all private issues facing these private condo owners which deserve to be dealt with privately.
A vast majority of the complaints we are hearing resemble issues that most often come from dwellers of an inner city public housing complex where the city is the landlord. Is Shelby Woods North our township’s public housing? Are Shelby Township taxpayers the condo association’s landlord? Do Delise and others view it as public housing? What will Delise and his handful of complainers do when the developer is no longer the association? Once the association has a certain number of units sold, the co-owners must take over and run it. When the owners have to operate and maintain the association, who will they complain about? Will they keep demanding that the township help with their issues forever?
Early on, we were lead to believe that all Shelby Woods North condo owners were united in their support of the recall. That turned out to be false. We were lead to believe that all condo owners are dissatisfied with the condos and want out. That is also not true. We were also lead to believe that Tom Delise had the unwavering support of his fellow condo owners. That is the biggest untruth of all.
Case in point. Check out the following blog entry to a recent Shelby Utica Patch story about the Board of Trustees revisiting the Shelby Woods North consent judgment. This Delise diatribe appears near the end of the comment section — check it out yourself:
Why Tom Delise feels a burning desire to attack his fellow condo owner “Dan” is weird! Delise hasn’t liked having his views questioned, and yet the guy has the nerve to attack a fellow condo owner. You would think Delise would try to present a united front, but sometimes an individual’s thirst for attention trumps a need for unity.
After attacking our Shelby Township Supervisor and Board of Trustees (except Trustee Lisa Manzella and Clerk Terri Kowal) for two years, Delise has apparently decided to launch a new civil war. Why is Delise so angry that other Shelby Woods North residents feel differently about the association? Does Delise secretly want public tax dollars used to maintain his private complex?
Shelby Township Treasurer Paul Viar, one of the primary targets of Delise and his fellow recall zombies, recently suggested that the Board send building inspectors to Shelby Woods North to examine this situation and investigate resident complaints. Treasurer Viar’s point was that if something illegal has been done there, then the township MUST do something to correct it. However, if the concerns are shown to be overblown and exaggerated, then what? Will the Delise cadre keep making demands?
Even this suggestion didn’t sit well with Tom Delise. Is Delise afraid the inspectors will find that the situation at the complex is nowhere near what he wants people to believe? Here is what Delise and others told the Shelby Utica Patch about sending township building inspectors to Shelby Woods North:
Tom Delise wants us to believe that he truly cares about Shelby Township. Really? By his own admission, he cares so much about Shelby that he wants to move out and come back (as a carpetbagger) to kick out sitting township officials at election time and then “never step foot in Shelby again.” Okay Tom, now we know you true feelings!
Instead of trying to work toward a positive resolution, Delise is still attacking and attacking and attacking. Delise is actually running around the township calling elected officials “criminals.” He sure has guts, but what about brains? Where is his evidence of alleged criminal activity?
Mr. Delise’s hatred of certain elected officials does not qualify as admissible evidence of corruption. We all know times are tough and that Shelby Woods North co-owners are struggling. Heck we all are! Everyone’s property values have fallen — but is our Township Board to blame for the real estate/financial collapse? Tom Delise says absolutely yes — but what do you think?
Condo ownership is great for those who understand what it is all about, but condo living is not for everyone. Mr. Delise and others who are trying to ruin their Association to prove some strange point, are prime examples of people who should not live in a condo because they don’t accept the premise of condominium living.
Drive through Shelby Woods North sometime. Look around. You will see that the complex looks very nice, especially given what the development has been through. Is it better than it was, yes. Is it perfect, probably not - but what neighborhood or condo association is perfect? However, the condition of Shelby Woods North today is far superior to what it would be had the Board not modified the consent judgment to remove the restriction on rental units along the freeway. That is an indisputable fact!
Some Shelby Woods North residents wish the whole situation would quiet down so the co-owners can do what they have to do to get the association turned around. Here are some comments we received from residents:
“I wish those who are complaining would stop. If these people paid their dues and focused on positive things, we would all be better off.“
“Sure our property values have dropped. But are we alone? Of course not. But what does this have to do to justify a recall or anything else? I think the Board has done the right thing to give our complex a chance to survive, and for that they get labeled criminals. That is embarrassing!”
“I enjoy living here. Nothing that Tom and Tina say will change that.”
Shelby Woods North was, allegedly, the catalyst for the recent township recalls attacks. However, this is more of an excuse than a reason. It is worth pointing out that none of the recall petitions about Shelby Woods North were approved by the Macomb County Election Board as legitimate issues for recall. NONE. Further, the issues that some Shelby Woods North owners are complaining about are simply not issues the township should be involved with, and do not relate to Delise’s gripe about rentals.
The entire Shelby Woods North situation has morphed into a debate over whether public tax dollars should be used to pay for grass cutting, snow removal, water, special assessments and other condominium-related expenses. And we all know the answer to that question, don’t we?
Speaking of recall attacks, Save Shelby supporter, and petition circulator, Ken Underwood has gone ballistic before the general public during two recent televised Board meetings. Underwood, who retired from the Shelby Township police department, objects to the costs of his taxpayer-funded pension being made public. His venom is primarily aimed at Treasurer Paul Viar, but it is clear that Underwood doesn’t much care for the bulk of the Board.
Below are two YouTube videos which give you a flavor of how angry this man is that information about his pension has been made public by Treasurer Paul Viar. The first video is Undewood’s first TV appearance when he told certain Board members to meet him in the “parking lot” after the meeting to continue the “conversation” about his gripes against elected officials.
As you watch, take special note of his body language. What do you think he wanted to talk about in the parking lot?
Then, apparently uncertain about whether his first intimidation speech worked, and perhaps getting a little negative feedback from his crass “parking lot” statement, Underwood made an encore visit at the August 16th Board meeting. At this meeting, he once again lashed out against Supervisor Stathakis, Treasurer Paul Viar and Trustee Mike “sissy” Flynn.
As he finished his angry rant, Underwood started yelling at the Board. Supervisor Stathakis asked the Shelby police captain who was sitting in the audience to escort him from the Board room. Immediately after you could hear Underwood say “Captain my ass.” Nice guy, huh? Would you want to meet him in the parking lot, or anywhere else, for a “conversation”?
Shelby Township taxpayers applaud Trustee Mike Flynn for standing his ground against this bully. Trustee Flynn is certainly no “sissy”, and he showed tremendous professionalism in his response. Mr. Flynn tells it like it is, and it is very clear that Underwood and the Shelby police union don’t like it when people stand up to them. They can’t control Trustee Flynn, and they know it. So they are attacking Mr. Flynn in the hopes that he will back down. However, as Mr. Flynn said, once again, at the August 16th meeting, he will not be intimidated by the unions or the special interests who are seeking to protect their power and entitlements.Way to go Mr. Flynn. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
Finally, we conclude this post with a little humor. We all have seen Nick Nightingale and his unrehearsed performances at the Board of Trustees meeting. The guy LOVES face time on television. Maybe he thinks his input adds credibility to the Save Shelby recall argument. However, those we have spoken to simply see Nightingale’s explosive and unrestrained antics as just plain stupid.
Below is a YouTube video that was sent to us. This clever video features Nick “Loudmouth” Nightingale at his best — attacking the Board with very little facts to back up his attacks. If you are having a tough day, if you are looking for a good laugh, and if you are not Nick Nightingale, this will surely put a smile on your face.
BLAH...BLAH...BLAH. Nick Nightingale truly is one of a kind (thank God). His biggest enemy is himself, and whenever he speaks he exposes the real motivations and frustrations behind the failed recall: unions seeking more pay, pensions and power, and special interests demanding more protections.
While we can laugh at how Nick Nightingale repeatedly lampoons himself on television, the joke (and the tax increases) will be on us if he and his forthcoming Save Shelby slate win positions on the Township Board.
THAT is certainly no laughing matter! Just imagine, these are the same people who desperately want to control the Shelby Township Board of Trustees. This is why all concerned taxpayers must work to Save Shelby Township from the “Save Shelby” gang. We can’t afford that risk!
Until next time...
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