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...

TAXPAYERS Are the REAL Target of the Shelby Recall Zombies

Courage is a characteristic that is lacking in most (but not all) elected officials these days.  Politicians are, by their very nature, timid.  They are concerned about the next election and keeping their jobs.  This is why most of them are prone to take the easy way out — keeping quiet, not ruffling feathers or rocking the boat, not asking important questions, and bending over backwards to try and keep everyone happy.

Unfortunately, some politicians seem more content to do what is politically correct at the moment than what is absolutely right in the long term.  As a result, these politicians fail to tackle tough issues, afraid of possible backlash they will receive.  So, they refuse to stand up to special interests, worried about threats of recalls.  They try to keep employee unions happy, afraid to anger the union because the union’s power and resources will be used against them.

Even though they have been repeatedly targeted for recall, have been badmouthed by the Nightingale family, and berated by the township police union, our current Shelby Township Board of Trustees has NOT been skittish about tackling tough issues.

The five conservative members of the Board — Supervisor Rick Stathakis, Treasurer Paul Viar and Trustees Mike Flynn, Paula Filar and Doug Wozniak, have made it their priority to stand up and protect the interests of taxpayers.   Meanwhile, the two left-leaning Board members, Clerk Terri Kowal and Trustee Lisa Manzella, have become advocates for the unions, employees and special interests — including the special interest most directly tied to the seemingly never-ending recall carousel: the Nightingale towing family.

Shelby Township Treasurer Paul Viar has been the subject of an especially malicious campaign.  The Recall Zombies have declared Treasurer Viar their number one enemy.  Why?  Is it, as we supposed to believe, because of hard feelings over a zoning vote?  Or is it something closer to the hearts (and pocketbooks) of the police union and the Nightingales.

Treasurer Viar is not perfect — and we don’t believe he ever claimed perfection.  As we said in our July 12th Inside Out no politician (despite his or her feelings to the contrary) is.  Politicians are not to be worshipped as gods.  They get elected to do a job, and for Shelby taxpayers that means opposing wasteful spending, cutting spending, and fighting for the interests of taxpayers.  The malicious attacks have not deterred Mr. Viar from staying on message about police pensions.  For that Mr. Viar certainly deserves credit for showing great political courage under fire!

The attacks on Treasurer Viar are not new.  They are just the latest in a 12-year campaign to oppose Mr. Viar’s conservative views.  Over the years, Treasurer Viar has been the focus of criticism from a handful of residents and some township officials who reject his views about lower spending.  When Skip Maccarone was Supervisor, Mr. Viar was a consistent voice against Maccarone’s persistent spending increases.  As Mr. Viar said, his opposition to the $49 million campus earned him criticism from some elected officials, but praise and accolades from a majority of township taxpayers.   If Mr. Viar and others had not stood up and stopped Maccarone’s campus dream, we would all have awakened from that dream with a huge hangover and the nightmare realization that our taxes would likely have to double (or in some cases triple) to support the Maccarone/Manzella campus plan.

When you think about the position of Township Treasurer, which candidate would you prefer:

(1) A Treasurer, like Mr. Viar, who cares about spending and who speaks up and has tried to reduce township spending to protect taxpayers.  Or, would you prefer someone else who is more open to higher spending and higher taxes, and who sees spending as the first and foremost duty of elected officials.
(2) A Treasurer, like Mr. Viar, who is concerned about the high-cost of police pensions and what they will mean to township taxpayers — today and for decades to come.  Or someone else, who is not really that concerned and, perhaps, inclined to let things go on as they always have been as long as the unions are happy and don’t launch a recall attempt.
(3) A Treasurer, like Mr. Viar, who gets upset when he sees tax money wasted and spent needlessly on a politician’s pet project.  Or someone else, who believes that all government spending is good, and who wants to return Shelby to the days of higher spending, bloated budgets and higher taxes.

The special interests pushing the recall want a new Treasurer.  In fact, at the Tuesday, June 21st Board of Trustees meeting, township resident Lewis Kramer stood before the TV cameras and declared, for all to see, that the people organizing and supporting the recall of Mr. Viar are doing so because they want “something different.”

Following this argument to its logical conclusion:
• Treasurer Viar is a true conservative.  The Recall Zombies advocating something “different” prefer a die-hard liberal Treasurer, more receptive to grand spending schemes.
• Treasurer Viar is outspoken about spending.  The Recall Zombies advocating something “different” prefer a Treasurer who will keep his or her mouth shut about spending.
• Treasurer Viar is informing residents about the high costs of employee pensions.  The Recall Zombies advocating something “different” prefer a Treasurer who will not bother residents with such meaningless information about pensions, and who will just keeping writing the checks as long as there are no recalls coming his or her way.
• Treasurer Viar (and the majority of the Board - minus Kowal and Manzella) is trying to win contract concessions from employee unions to help the township during tough times.  The Recall Zombies advocating something “different” prefer a Treasurer who will be “union friendly” and more willing to give the unions whatever raises and benefit increases they want to keep the union bosses happy.

The Recall Zombies want something different, and to get it they are coming to feast on our tax dollars. “They’re coming to get you Shelby.”  Ask yourself what will happen to spending if their candidate gets in there?  Who will win?  Shelby taxpayers, or unions and special interests?

Treasurer Paul Viar may not be perfect, but Mr. Viar has made it PERFECTLY CLEAR which side of the tax and spend equation he is on.  As he said, he is an unapologetic conservative who has a track record of opposing higher spending and taxes.  Lisa Manzella and the Save Shelby gang may want something different for their own purposes, but taxpayers who are struggling to pay their bills don’t agree with the recall zombies’ views and appreciate Mr. Viar’s service as our Treasurer.

The topic of employee pensions came up again during the July 19th Board of Trustees meeting.   This time, the subject was brought up from the floor by Ken Underwood, a retired Shelby Township police officer.  Mr. Underwood used his TV appearance to trash Mr.Viar for his “rant” about how taxpayers are being stripped financially naked by exorbitant police pensions.  Mr. Underwood was obviously angry that the information about public employee pensions is being exposed by Mr. Viar.  Does Mr. Underwood believe that we, as taxpayers, have no right to know what we are paying, and who we are paying it to?  It is, after all, OUR money, right?

Underwood called Mr. Viar’s information a “rant.”  This was an obvious misuse of this word.  Rants are typically stupid or meaningless things people say or write that have no bearing on reality, and no meaning to ordinary people.  You know, the kinds of things that Trustee Lisa Manzella repeatedly posts on Facebook.  NOW THOSE ARE RANTS!

However, telling residents what we are paying from our taxes to support jackpot public employee pensions is not a rant.  It is, on the contrary, an enlightening discussion with taxpayers who would otherwise have no idea how much are are paying for these union retiree benefits.  We applaud Mr. Viar for taking it upon himself to give us this vital and relevant information.  It helps put things in greater perspective.

If you would like to see Mr. Viar’s “rants” about Mr. Underwood, you can  view it at the following link: Underwood Pensions.

You can also view another enlightening comment from Treasurer Viar about those involved in the petition gathering campaign here: Recognizing Shelby’s Recall Radicals

Finally, you can hear another enlightening exposé about how our tax dollars are funding police pensions here: Jackpot Pensions

Anyway, after announcing that he has “earned” that pension, Underwood then went on to trash Treasurer Viar.  At the conclusion of his remarks, Underwood proclaimed that Mr. Viar, or anyone else on the Board, could take this discussion “to the parking lot outside” after the meeting where Mr. Underwood would be waiting.  This comment immediately brought the question from Mr. Viar: “Is that a threat?”

Here is the YouTube link for this exchange, just in case you don’t believe what we are saying.  The apparent threat is made at the end of Mr. Underwood’s lecture about entitlement.

We couldn’t believe our ears!!!!  This was the latest WTF moment for the recall zombies!

Ken Underwood, who must be in his 50s, actually told Mr. Viar, who is in his 70s, that he will meet him in the parking lot after the meeting.  This is something you usually hear from a drunk at a bar eager to pick a fight.  “Hey dude, let’s go settle this outside in the parking lot!”

Mr. Underwood is obviously enraged that Mr. Viar has decided to educate residents about how our tax dollars are being spent.  So, as one of the recall zombies, he seems eager to silence the messenger, either by recall or by a conversation “in the parking lot.”  

Ken Underwood may believe he has earned his pension.  However, we believe that instead of coming up, acting like a bully and attacking township elected officials, Mr. Underwood (and others) should be kissing the feet of taxpayers who are giving him his $100,000-plus pension and health benefits every year for the rest of his life.  We have not once heard any of these recall zombies, or their supporters, saying thank you to the taxpayers for anything.

Instead of telling taxpayers THANK YOU, these people are telling taxpayers F--K YOU!

At the July 19th Board meeting, Treasurer Viar also mentioned an article about recalls written by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.   The article, entitled “Who Is The Real Target?” talks about what the rash or recalls is doing to our democracy.

We have provided a link to the entire article above, and encourage all Shelby Township taxpayers to read it.  Below are some key excerpts:

Opinions may vary on the legitimacy of recalls motivated by policy differences (as opposed to lawmaker malfeasance). Yet every resident should find it disturbing when a union representing what are supposed to be “public servants” works to recall duly elected lawmakers for being good stewards of taxpayer interests. Specifically, for having acted to rein in unsustainable and unaffordable government employee perks and privileges, among them the excessive power of their union.

The spectacle raises the question of whether government employees are supposed to serve the people, or the other way around.  By seeking to recall the people’s representatives, this union is asserting the latter.

These union-supported recalls escalate into open political warfare what heretofore had been stealthy “guerilla” actions targeted against taxpayers.  Taxpayers need to wake up to this reality and fight back, or they will get hurt. Public officials are the proximate targets of the union’s actions, but their ultimate objective is taxpayer wallets.

Although the Mackinac Center article discusses the current recall attempt against Governor Rick Snyder by the Michigan Education Association, the general theme of the article also applies to Shelby Township.  We have a public employee union (police union) engaged in a recall attack against duly-elected township officials who are trying to do what the people want.  The union is using its resources (money, people, etc.) to push the recall in an apparent attempt to protect their own interests.

By doing this, is the Shelby Township police union serving taxpayers, or do they expect taxpayers to continue to serve their desire for higher and higher pensions and health care benefits?  Either the union  does not see how bad things are right now, does not believe all the news about the economic crisis, or they just don’t give a damn.  Which do you think applies here?

If anyone in Shelby Township told a Shelby Township police officer (active or retired) to continue a discussion “in the parking lot” that person would likely face the wrath of the police department.  However, when a police officer (retired) says something like this we are just supposed to brush it off?

Mr. Underwood may not like it, but we will not be talking to him, or any other union member for that matter, about this topic or anything else in “the parking lot.”  Instead, we will just keep posting these comments from the Save Shelby recall zombies on the Inside Out for the whole world to read and judge for themselves what this never-ending string of recalls is really all about.

Shelby residents we have spoken with about this (and they are many) understand the true motives of those involved in these recalls, and what they see they most certainly do NOT like!

Until next time...

Comparing Supervisor Stathakis to Adolf Hitler Proves Trustee Lisa Manzella’s Poisonous Politics

We all know that politics can be a very dirty game.  It is sometimes called a contact sport where the stronger the hit (or cheap shot) on your opponent, the better.

Some politicians (and political wannabees) prefer to attack rather than stand on their own record.  These people are more comfortable tearing down an opponent, often by any means necessary, than standing up and explaining their own record.

This is especially true when you are a closet liberal in a township comprised of conservative Republicans. The closet liberal we speak of is Trustee Lisa Manzella.

Schooled in Maccarone-style politics (much like Chicago-style politics), Manzella repeatedly attacks those with whom she disagrees, often with nasty personal comments.   It doesn’t matter if you are a resident or a fellow elected official.  Anyone she doesn’t like (for whatever reason) becomes her prey.

Everyone knows now much Trustee Manzella loves using Facebook to smear our township.  We have published many of her more colorful comments in previous Inside Out posts.  We also know how Mrs. Manzella goes on Facebook during township Board meetings to express her hatred for other officials.  We discussed this in our June 29, 2011 Inside Out.  Her favorite attack target has been, and remains, Shelby Supervisor Rick Stathakis.

At the July 5, 2011 Board meeting, resident Bob Vavro came to the podium to confront Manzella about her Facebook fanaticism.  Specifically, Mr. Vavro was speaking about a post, published on the Inside Out, which clearly shows how Mrs. Manzella influenced resident Tom Delise to refile recall petitions after the previous recall flopped.  At first, Mr. Delise said he would keep the issue alive until the next election, which he said was 17 months away.  However, after being prodded by Manzella in a written post, Delise said he was “all for it” and went ahead and refiled the Save Shelby recall petitions.

When she was confronted with this information at the July 5th Board meeting, Mrs. Manzella LIED.  She said “that is not a direct quote from me” as Mr. Vavro read the Facebook post.  Manzella even went so far as to say she never wrote about 200 volunteers.  Really?

Below we are reprinting the Facebook discussion that Mr. Vavro was referencing.  Read it yourself: 

Based on what you see above, did Lisa Manzella write this Facebook post or not?  Did she talk about 200 volunteers or not?  Did she encourage Mr. Delise to refile recall petitions or not?

If, as Manzella said at the July 5, 2011 meeting, she didn’t write it, then somebody hacked into her Facebook account.  However, if she did write it and then denied doing so, wouldn’t that be considered lying?

You will note, based upon the Facebook date and time stamp, that Manzella’s puke talk was posted at 7:56 p.m. on June 21st.  There was a televised Board meeting that night, the Board was discussing a $50,000 fence for the police building parking lot and township resident Dub Hearon was speaking about this topic.  This was a serious discussion, and yet Manzella felt she just had to go on Facebook at this time to complain about her upset stomach.  Instead of listening to the people, Manzella decided that she had more important things to do.

Given past exposure about her Facebook rants, you would think that Mrs. Manzella would demonstrate some educated restraint.  Can you imagine what would happen if Supervisor Stathakis or Treasurer Viar went on Facebook during a public meeting?  It would likely be front page in the Macomb Daily.  Remember, Manzella is using a computer (paid for by taxpayers), to go on Facebook during a public meeting (paid for by taxpayers) and getting a Trustee salary (paid for by taxpayers).  Is this appropriate and professional conduct for an elected official?

Public debate in a democracy is healthy.  However, using a word like Nazi to describe fellow residents is, in our view, too extreme for public discourse.  Sadly, it seems the “N” word is not too extreme for Lisa Manzella to use in her dialogue.  After getting home from the July 5th meeting (at least she waited until the meeting was over this time) Manzella went on Facebook and posted the following on the Save Shelby recall Facebook page:

 What did Manzella just write?  We had to read it again to make sure!

“Oh no she didn’t,” was our initial reaction.

Oh yes she did!

Trustee Lisa Manzella, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 5th, actually tried to draw a parallel between two “leaders”:  Supervisor Rick Stathakis, the leader of Shelby Township, and Germany’s Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi regime.  Since Mr. Stathakis accurately called Save Shelby’s failed recall a “distraction” at a time when there are so many other pressing issues facing our township, she used this word as the basis for what she called “parallels”?

WTF!!!!!!!  Trustee Manzella doesn’t care what anyone thinks about what she does or says?  She must feel that she has the right to do anything at any time, and say anything about anyone without being held accountable.  This Facebook post should prove that Manzella has lost all sense of decency.

Adolf Hitler was the most evil man to ever walk the Earth.  Hitler murdered millions of men, women and children simply because they were of Jewish faith.  Adolf Hitler wanted to create a uniform race under his control by any means necessary.  How can Manzella possibly imply parallels between Hitler and his death camps and Supervisor Stathakis?

Perhaps Mrs. Manzella should have walked on one of the death marches from Nazi concentration camps, where prisoners, including young children, were forced to walk half-naked over long distances – with the certainty of death staring them in the face.

Manzella may want to travel in the shoes of people who were just like us – living their lives, laughing, enjoying, paying bills, kissing and loving, playing with our children — who began their days as regular citizens and ended their days as lampshades or piles of hair and gold teeth.

Manzella should walk the fields where Jews were starved to death, stripped naked in front of their fathers, mothers, friends and neighbors, humiliated and ridiculed, their heads shaved and forced to run around for Nazi entertainment before being shot to death and dumped into mass graves.

Manzella should walk the terrifying road where Jews trembled with fear as they were pushed into buildings where they entered as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and children — and exited as ash piles.

We may have gotten used to Lisa Manzella’s nasty political attacks.  However, this time it is our assessment that she has gone WAY TOO FAR.

Her obscene and insensitive Hitler comparison is much more worrisome than calling Mr. Stathakis corrupt.  This comparison is bigger than saying Mr. Stathakis is out of touch and doesn’t represent the residents.  This is more callous than calling Mr. Stathakis evil.

Manzella claims to love Shelby, and yet seems to enjoy throwing excrement at our township.

Let’s be very clear.  All elected officials, regardless of political party, do dumb things once in a while (as evidenced by Manzella’s Facebook rants).  All politicians get lame ideas from time to time.  Elected officials are not perfect.

However, unless Supervisor Stathakis kills 6 million people for having “inferior genes” (and we all know that will never happen) it would be smart for Trustee Lisa Manzella to choose her words, and her historical comparisons, more carefully.

Until next time...

The Recall Wolves Are Howling Again As They Prowl Around Our Township Hungry For Vengeance!

A wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs.  However, one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.

The lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the wolf was wearing, began to follow the wolf in the sheep's clothing;  so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.

Moral: Appearances can be deceiving.  

Word to the wise for residents contemplating supporting a second wave of expensive and unnecessary Save Shelby recalls!
________________________________________________

The parable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing has been used to characterize the current rage of recalls ravaging Shelby Township.  The recall zombies, who failed when their recall was declared dead and buried, are rising from the grave to try again.   They are determined to seize power (by any means necessary).  The recall zombies are coming for us again, seeking signatures and promising to return our township to the good old days of long ago.  Appearances can be (and in this case are) deceiving.

Recalls are part of our democracy.  The concept of a recall election was borne out of a desire to give the electorate the power to remove elected officials from office who commit blatant crimes against society.  High-level corruption, neglect of duties, conviction of a felony and being mentally unfit to serve are prime examples of where recalls are justified and valid.

However, the Save Shelby recall wave does not qualify.  Trying to recall a township official because you don’t happen to like that person is pure stupidity.  Threatening a recall because you don’t approve of an elected official’s vote on a particular issue is wrong.  Pushing a recall because you want to send a “warning” may boost a petition filer’s ego, but it does nothing to help our township.  Using a recall to try and settle some kind of political score is a grave misuse of the statute.

Allowing the minority to recall someone through a special election process for personal reasons goes against the core principles of democracy.  Logic and common sense would tell you that a recall is wrong.  Unfortunately, there are some people in our township who don’t see it this way.  In fact, just days after the first Nightingale/Police Union/Save Shelby recall was declared dead, the Nightingales were back at it.

Here is a post from Marsha Nightingale that first appeared on Facebook on Wednesday, June 29th:

HERE THEY COME AGAIN.  The recall zombies are coming to get you Shelby! 

One point of interest for trivia buffs:  The first time the Nightingale group decided to try and jam their recall down our throats, they also met at Nick’s 22nd Street Steakhouse.

What we find puzzling is that a few days after bragging about the recall and trying to rally volunteers to attend her recall meeting, Mrs. Nightingale revised her Facebook post, and changed her official Facebook photo.  In doing so, she deleted the references to Save Shelby and the recall meeting.  Why would she do that?  Here is the same Facebook post as it appears today:

As Jan Brady would undoubtedly say:  “Oh Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!”

Mrs. Nightingale kept the incorrect reference to the Supervisor suing the township and removed the two promoting the recall and the recall meeting.  Why?  Is she trying to hide her family’s involvement, or was the recall meeting not as successful as she hoped?

For the record, Supervisor Stathakis did file a lawsuit against the Macomb County Clerk to stop the signature count since the intent of the 180-day expiration date for petition language was unclear.  Mr. Stathakis filed the lawsuit as part of his legal process to challenge the recall.  The Save Shelby recall zombies didn’t like it that Mr. Stathakis was fighting their recall — however, it is his right to do so.  Yes, Clerk Kowal was named, along with the County Clerk, because Kowal was involved in the signature count.

How does that old saying go?  “It’s nothing personal — it is just business.” 

It is well documented that the Save Shelby recall zombies have distributed, and continue disseminating, false information on their recall website.  They gave these incorrect talking points to their hired workers from Detroit, East Lansing, Warren, Troy, Sterling Heights, etc. so they could use them as they walked neighborhoods seeking signatures.  Facts and information didn’t matter during the first recall, and it looks as if the facts are going to take a beating once again as they recall zombies rise up for revenge.

We must stop the zombies!  They must not win, or we will all be eaten alive!!!

So what is this recall really all about?  Some say towing.  This seems to make perfect sense given the motivations and the people who are organizing it.  Some say it is about protecting entitlements. This also makes sense, given that the special interests behind it are angry about towing bids and requests from the township for union concessions during tough times.

But could there, perhaps, be another reason?

At the Tuesday, June 21st Board of Trustees meeting, resident Lewis Kramer came up to speak during Business from the Floor.  He talked about the recall and made a very interesting comment.  The people, Mr. Kramer claimed, are supporting the recall because they want “something different” for the township.

DIFFERENT?  What could Mr. Kramer possibly mean by using this word?

If, as Mr. Kramer says, the recall is because residents want something different, in order to get a full appreciation for these comments we must first consider what we currently have to see if Mr. Kramer’s assumption holds water.

Right now, our township has:
(1) A true conservative majority on the Board of Trustees that is 100 percent committed to standing up for the people.  There are five conservatives and two liberals (Clerk Kowal and Trustee Manzella).  The liberals are angry about being in the minority and so they are playing dirty political tricks.
(2) A majority of Trustees who are concerned about protecting the pocketbooks of taxpayers.
(3) A Supervisor who is committed to reducing spending instead of finding new ways to spend money, including bonding for a $50 million campus.
(4) A Board of Trustees that is committed to lower taxes and lower spending.
(5) A majority of Trustees who are asking employee unions to accept concessions, just like unions are doing across the state, to help with township finances during the economic crisis.
(6) A Supervisor, Treasurer and most Trustees who support competitive bids for township services, including towing.
(7) A Board committed to streamlining township operations and reducing costs to taxpayers.
(8) A Supervisor, Treasurer and Trustees (three Trustees anyway) who are working to reduce union employee health care costs paid for by taxpayers.
(9) A Supervisor and Treasurer who are on record of opposing previous plans to build a $50 million campus.
(10) A Board that welcomes and encourages public involvement and participation in government.
(11) A majority of Trustees who have a real-world interpretation of the financial issues impacting Shelby Township resident.
(12) A majority of Trustees who are unafraid to take the lead on tough issues in the never-ending battle between the rights of taxpayers and the demands of special interests and employee unions.

If we take Mr. Kramer’s comments seriously, then the current Shelby Township recalls are because the people pushing the recall want something different?  What could that difference be?

Here is one scenario of what the recall zombies could have in mind as their “different” Board of Trustees:
- No reductions or modifications to skyrocketing union employee health care and pension benefits.
- No competitive bids for township services, including towing.
- No attempt to reduce overall township spending.
- No reductions in township payroll or personnel.
- No attempt to streamline government operations in order to save money.
- Taking decision-making authority away from elected officials and giving it to special interests.
- A renewed effort to build a $50 million campus, including a massive and overpriced court building.
- A return to the days when township residents were belittled as a “peanut gallery.”
- A renewed plan to raise millions of dollars in new taxes through BONDS on Shelby taxpayers, paid for by taxpayers without a public vote. 
- A return to the days when resident input in helping set township priorities was minimal at best.
- A return to the days of three years ago when Shelby Township teetered on bankruptcy.  Today, thanks to prudent planning and conservative policies,  Shelby Township is maintaining essential services without layoffs or tax hikes.  No other community with a service structure like Shelby’s can say this.
- Bringing back the “good old days” when a majority of the Board was more liberal in terms of its hiring, spending and budgeting priorities.

Two different scenarios for sure.

The first group, the “old guard” (which includes Lisa Manzella, Terri Kowal and the Save Shelby recall zombies) had a motto: “The money is budgeted so we should spend it.  If we need more, we can always bond for it.”

The second group, the “Reformers”, who are in control today have a different motto: “Cut the budget, reduce spending, maintain essential services and protect taxpayers from tax or bond increases.”

Which group would you rather see in control of our township and your future?  Can you imagine what Shelby Township’s financial outlook would be today if things were DIFFERENT?

A recall for purely political reasons, as we are seeing right now in Shelby Township, violates the values of democracy.  Those individuals behind the recall claim they want to save Shelby.  Yet, if you examine their intentions and motivations, you could come away with the conclusion that these people only want to save Shelby for themselves and their own interests.

 THIS ANTI-RECALL BUMPER STICKER SAYS IT ALL!

Finally, here are some points to consider (and pass along to others) about this never-ending crusade by the Nightingale family to ram their recall down our throats:

• The expense of a recall election is not justified. Period!  The next election is soon enough that if the Nightingales want to get rid of Supervisor Stathakis, Treasurer Viar and anyone else, they should do what everyone else does: find a candidate (even a member of their own family) to run for a particular position, support that candidate with money and volunteers and let the best candidate win.

• Township elected officials may feel uneasy or unduly restrained from supporting actions or votes that are in the public interest out of fear of being targeted for recall by well-financed special interest group angry with a particular decision.

• Elected officials should be allowed to do their jobs, unless guilty of some specific provision for recall.  If not, then these political recalls undermine our township and weaken good leadership.  Claiming, as the Save Shelby people are doing, that the Supervisor and Treasurer are not doing what the people want is NOT justifiable or legitimate grounds for a recall.

• We can’t have a recall, or threat of a recall, every time our Trustees vote on something that is unpopular with someone in the township.  If so, then the task of running Shelby Township would grind to a halt.  “Pass that motion and we will recall you,” will be the word of the day.

• The recall election is a special election. There will likely be a low turnout so the view of the broader public will not prevail. Instead, a recall election will get all the people out who are in favor of recall and their vote will be driven by anger on one issue.

Another interesting fact about recalls is that in some states (including Michigan) a person didn’t even have to vote in the previous election to put his/her signature on a recall petition.  This means that someone who didn’t vote in 2008 (“I’m too busy to vote”, “I’m not interested in voting”, “my vote doesn’t matter anyway”) can sign a petition in 2011 to overturn the election that they didn’t care about in the first place.  Heck, as long as they are registered who cares if they even voted since the days of Jimmy Carter — just sign them up!

Most residents are asking why some apathetic slackers should get a second chance to be heard now?  What kind of justification can be made for this?  The process, as it now stands, is upsetting to those who believe our Trustees are making wise and prudent decisions during some of the worst economic times in recent memory.

The only possible advantage (if there is one) in advocating this type of “political” recall is that recall campaigns are a perfect way for sore losers (or defeated candidates and their family and friends) to keep busy while waiting for the next regular election.

Think of it this way: If you bet on Big Blue to win the Kentucky Derby, but he loses the race, wouldn't it be great to send around a petition demanding a re-race?

Michigan needs to reform the recall statute.  While we certainly do need a law that protects the people against abusive elected officials, we also need a law that protects the people against misuse or abuse by the malcontent minority.

We must never deter recalls.  Yet, we must make sure the threat of recalls do not deter our elected officials from making tough decisions, and doing what they must to protect our township from financial disaster, higher taxes and excessive spending.

So, BEWARE THE WOLVES in sheep’s clothing.  They pretend that they want to save Shelby, but they actually want to destroy the pasture that Shelby’s lambs call home.

Until next time...