Unmasking the Shelby Township Recall Evil-Doers; Just Who Is Responsible For This Mess?

“Actions have consequences, and stupid actions can have serious political consequences.”

That is what one Inside Out reader commented to us after seeing that the recall petitions against Supervisor Stathakis were filed by the Save Shelby collective.  When you look over these petitions you discover some VERY interesting information.

As readers of the Inside Out know, we have been saying that this recall is really about three factions of the township: upset members of the Nightingale towing family; angry members of the Shelby Township police union; and disgruntled followers of Skip Maccarone.

We also theorized that the Save Shelby group hired outsiders and paid them money to circulate petitions.  John Nightingale told his followers that he would do just that if the volunteer effort fell short.

BALDERDASH...the Save Shelby people cried (they actually used more colorful words than that).  “Your blog is so off it is ridiculous.  This is about Shelby residents coming together,  It is not about the police union or paid volunteers.  GEt a life!!!!”
Editor’s note:  For the record, there is no such thing as a “paid volunteer.”  People are either paid (and thus become an employee) or volunteer for free. 

Okay, so now that we have reviewed the recall petitions (our review is more analytic than scientific) exactly who is right?  The Inside Out or the Save Shelby goons?

Drum roll please...............................................
We hate to say it but ...WE TOLD YOU SO!!!!!

Upon checking the 747 petitions in eight electronic files from the Macomb County Clerk, we find that our predictions were in fact TRUE.  Check out the analysis above.  For a larger view click on the image.  

When you look at the names of the people who circulated petitions, you will find that the Shelby Township police union comes in first, hired outsiders who were paid to circulate petitions (and don’t live in Shelby) ranked second, the Nightingale family came in third and Shelby residents came last.  As to be expected, there is a group of Skip Maccarone supporters (Linda Maccarone, Nancy Bates, Linda Stout, Joseph Manzella and Clarence Cook) who also collected signatures.

Two other recall petition circulators are Jayson Bykowski and Misty Bykowski.  Even though you may not recognize these names, these two individuals are relatives of Clerk Terri (Bykowski) Kowal and on their petition (according to our search of township assessing records) Jayson and Misty list Terri and Paul Kowal’s home address as their address.  How much do you want to bet that even though this directly ties the Kowal family into this recall scheme, the Clerk will plead innocence!  “I honestly didn’t know. They are adults and can do whatever they want.”  Remember, Terri Kowal is a long-time ally of the Nightingale family and was listed an internet Facebook friend of the Save Shelby recall gang.

The collection of special interests and political operatives behind the recall comes as no surprise to those who understand and follow township politics.  Remember:
• The NIGHTINGALE FAMILY has an obvious feeling of entitlement for a towing contract.  They are apparently still upset that the Board voted to put towing out for competitive bids. 
• The POLICE UNION obviously feels entitled to higher pay and benefits, paid for by taxpayers.  Asking the police to make sacrifices during tough times, as law enforcement officers in other communities have done, is just not acceptable in Shelby Township.  The officers involved in the recall, who have been complaining for years about the need for a new police station, have even gone so far as to trash their own needs.  They want the $4 million that is being used to give them a safer and more modern police facility to be used to guarantee pensions.  What was their previous solution for a police building?  Raise taxes/millages on residents and let them pay for a multi-million dollar police palace.
• The MACCARONE ALLIES  feel entitled to return to power.  They believe they were betrayed by taxpayers and unfairly lost the 2008 election (even though Skip was beat by a 70% to 30% margin).  Is this their bid to return to power and a resurrect the Maccarone $50 million “campus”?

As readers of our blog also know, the Inside Out hypothesized that the Save Shelby gang hired people from outside the township to circulate petitions.  We publicly raised this possibility in a recent blog post where we discussed the newly-established police union PAC (founded by two Shelby police officers who don’t live in the township).

When we came up with this concept, we were initially rebuffed.  “You people are so stupid.  We used volunteers, not hired hands” one angry person e-mailed to us.

However, as the facts leaked out, even Trustee Lisa Manzella was forced to finally admit that the Save Shelby recall fanatics hired a company whose business is circulating recall petitions.  We will be poking around to see who paid the bill for these recall “employees” from other communities.  Stay tuned...

The bottom line here is that the Nightingales have been exposed as liars.  After initially denying involvement, the family had to come clean.  Considering the huge number of petitions signed by some Nightingale family member, employee or close friend, they knew the truth would come out sooner or later.   So now that it is out John, Marsha and Nick (along with their close associate Tom Delise) were videotaped watching as the petitions were turned in.  Check out the Shelby-Utica Patch website if you doubt what we say.  Click on the “video” link below the photos.

And the Nightingales claim this is not about towing?  Who do they think they are fooling?

Now, the Nightingale family is trying to play the role of victim in this recall drama.  You heard correctly.  John Nightingale told the Shelby-Utica Patch that he doesn’t feel like celebrating after turning in the petitions.  “I am not happy that I had to do this to anyone,” he said. “My intention was never to hurt anyone but I feel they didn’t give us a choice, but I feel it was my moral obligation to do this.”

So what is Mr. Nightingale really saying? Hey everyone (especially our customers who we are afraid of losing) I didn’t want to go around telling lies about Supervisor Rick Stathakis.  Really I didn’t.  I didn’t want to try and smear his reputation.  Trust me.  I HAD to do it.  A higher power intervened and told me that I had a moral obligation to launch this fight.

OKAY JOHN ... WHATEVER TAKES THE TEARS AWAY!!!!!

Then, there is Nick Nightingale.  Little Nick is on record as demanding that Supervisor Stathakis resign.  “If Supervisor Stathakis wants to do the right thing by the citizens of Shelby Township he will resign,” he said.

Really???  The Nightingales are suddenly worried about our tax money?  Who do they think they are fooling?

If Supervisor Stathakis wants to do the right thing (and we believe that he does) then he needs to stand up to these bullies, stand his ground, fight back and let Shelby Township voters decide which direction we want our township to go.  Do we want independent, duly-elected township officials making decisions, or do we want the Nightingale towing family and the police union calling the shots?  This recall is about more than just one individual, it is about whether we create a township where one family gets to decide, or where the police union rules.

Taking this further, isn’t the concept of one family ruling a government, backed by the army (or in this case the police union), exactly what people around the world are rallying against?  Isn’t this what they are calling the Arab spring movement in the Middle East, where people are dumping long-time family dictators and demanding freedom?

The truth is that the Nightingale family is likely worried about having to explain to Shelby taxpayers why they are going to force a recall election that will cost $30,000 plus this November (if the signatures are certified).  How will residents who are feeling pinched by the economy and struggling to pay the bills feel about this unnecessary expenditure of money?  Maybe the family can’t afford the bad press?

So what they are trying to do is blame someone else.  Instead of taking responsibility for the costs their political attack will place on taxpayers — remember these are the people who pushed the recall knowing that there were costs involved — they want to play victim and demand a resignation.  We wonder how this message will go over with taxpayers once word gets out about what the Nightingale family and the police union are really trying to do.  Rest assured, we will do our part to fan the flames of discontent over the Nightingale recall.

Not to be outdone, Save Shelby fanatic Tom Delise, the alleged face of the recall, is demanding his share of publicity.  Remember, he is the guy who filed the language, right?  So he deserves all the credit.

Here is what Delise posted on Facebook when he complained about not getting enough publicity for himself (please forgive the typos, that is how it was written):
__________

Thomas Delise How is it that I filed the petitions,but never see my name mentioned in the paper ad or the mass mailing ? :P
March 16 at 10:42pm
     Marsha Nightingale likes this.
• Thomas Delise   If he runs another ad hope he does'nt leave me out. ( I am just a concerned shelby resident.I wonder if Mr. Turner could mentiom me at the next meeting.  March 16 at 10:47pm
__________

This has been his issue all along.  Mr. Delise has been angry that the Nightingales and the police union are getting all the credit.  He has scrambled to have his voice heard.  A new article from the Shelby-Utica News about the recall once again puts Delise front and center.  We can almost see the enormous grin on his face now that Tom is back in the public limelight.

“I’m very pleased,” Delise said. “There’s a lot of people who help; there’s some people who really put in a lot of time.”

Mr. Delise is correct in making that statement.  There were a lot of people who helped and put in a lot of time.  Those people were primarily Nightingale family members, several members of the township police union (most of whom do not live in Shelby Township) and people hired from Detroit, Troy, Warren and Sterling Heights to circulate petitions.

Delise, himself, did very little work.  Oh sure, he was out standing on street corners taking pictures of himself all smiling by his recall signs, but the actual credit (or blame) for circulating petitions goes to special interests mentioned above.  Tom Delise may think he is “the man”, but given what we see on the actual petitions, he most certainly didn’t do the heavy lifting.

Until next time...