Lisa Manzella’s Election-Year “Conservative” Claims Will Never Erase Her Years of Big Spending Political Games

What’s the big secret that
Lisa Manzella doesn’t want
Shelby taxpayers to know?

Election 2012 in Shelby Township is underway.  Not only do we have a Republican In Name Only (RINO), Bob Leman, running for Township Supervisor, but we have his close friend and Shelby recall associate, Lisa Manzella, now officially running for Township Treasurer.

The Manzella/ Leman duo is a match made in taxpayer hell — one that will most certainly bankrupt our township and reverse the progress that has been made for taxpayers over the last four years.

As you will recall, on October 26th the Inside Out first exposed Manzella’s race for Treasurer.  When we first uncovered this information Manzella lovers sent nasty e-mails claiming we were lying about her plans.  However, thanks to our alert “scouts” this information turned out to be true.  Unlike the Nightingale/Manzella/Leman network, we don’t just spout off about things.  We do our research and voice our opinions with evidence to back up our opinions.

We will talk more about Bob Leman and his outrageous attack against our township later.  However, keep in mind that Bob Leman and his BOBLEMAN BUNCH are bad news for Shelby Township.  Leman, specifically, is bad because he is currently suing taxpayers for $300,000, at the same time he wants taxpayers to elect him as the top elected official of the township that he is suing.  This lawsuit is based upon Leman’s thought that he is entitled to a township job, and since he doesn’t have one he will use the legal process to try and get a paycheck.

Also, since Leman has not dropped his lawsuit to pursue his political ambitions, this demonstrates
that Leman is more concerned with getting his hands in our pockets than he is with helping the pocketbooks of financially-distressed taxpayers.  Furthermore, his attorney has told the Shelby-Utica News that if, by some fluke, Leman wins the election, he will be more than happy to settle this lawsuit, giving himself another hefty paycheck.

Now, getting back to Lisa Manzella and her campaign for Treasurer.  As hard as it may to believe, Manzella actually does want to be given the job of Treasurer.  Can you believe it?  The Trustee who has made it clear that she hates public service, does not want to run for re-election and has utter contempt for the people, now wants us to give her a promotion from a part-time job (Trustee) to a full-time elected position (Treasurer).

Let’s use a real-world example.  If your employee spent four years trashing you, spreading rumors and lies, stirring up trouble, trying to divide the workplace, and showing a lack of professionalism, would you give her a promotion and a pay raise — or would you give her the boot?

Lisa Manzella is trying to trick the people into thinking she is one of us.  She is not!  In fact, Lisa Manzella has a BIG SECRET that she hopes residents will not find out about — at least not until the election is over.  However, the secret is OUT and people now know the truth.

Lisa Manzella has most definitely earned the BOOT this election year.  Her words, deeds and conduct prove that she is unfit to serve.  Below are just some of the many reasons why we say this...

TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEE PENSIONS
Lisa Manzella supports the issuance of retroactive tickets to help raise money for police pensions.  She has also opposed the exposure of information about the high costs of police pensions, and what they will mean to our township.  Moreover, Manzella has criticized Treasurer Paul Viar for speaking out about these jackpot pensions, and demand changes to the pension system, while failing to offer any examples of what she wants to do to fix the problem.

As Treasurer, Lisa Manzella will likely sit quietly and do nothing while the police union continues to demand higher and higher pensions - resulting in higher and higher taxes.  The police union will continue to oppose cost reductions, a stark contrast to the fire department union which has worked with the Board to bring costs down.  The police union will continue to put politics first, and pressure elected officials to stop spending reductions, even if this means launching another recall campaign against elected officials who put taxpayers’ needs before union demands.

TRASHING OUR COMMUNITY
Lisa Manzella is a recognized political cyberbully who attacks her fellow Trustees, township residents and our township at large via Facebook and blogs - claiming the First Amendment gives her the right to do so.  Really?  Manzella actually thinks the First Amendment gives her the right (as an elected official) to trash and burn the township, and its residents, who she has been elected to represent?

While some people throw mud, Lisa Manzella loves throwing excrement at people that she does not like or who oppose her vision for our community.  Shame on her!

DECORUM vs. DISRESPECT
Lisa Manzella opposed the adoption of rules of decorum at Board meetings, designed to stop the rude and discourteous behavior of the Nightingale/Team Leman bunch.  She was the only Trustee who voted against adopting rules to guarantee proper conduct during Board meetings.  This is the same Lisa Manzella who only a week earlier complained that more needs to be done to stop the rude outbursts from the floor.  Here is what Manzella said:

“I’m in favor of decorum because it’s getting out of control,” said Manzella, who also said she voted no because the vote was not held at a regular meeting.   “My concern with this, by pursuing this, are we violating anyone’s civil rights or freedom of speech.”

So why would Lisa Manzella oppose rules of decorum, especially after saying she supports them?  Because they go against the grain of her special interest malcontents trying to hold democracy hostage to their disrespectful conduct?

Lisa Manzella’s “I was for rules of decorum before I was against them” speaks volumes about her flip-flop fanaticism when to comes to public service.  When it comes to free speech Manzella has decided that the best political approach to take is to side with those who disrespect our township since they will be the people Manzella will need for money at election time.

LISA THE LIAR JUST CAN’T TELL THE TRUTH

If Shelby had a “Biggest Liar” contest,
Lisa Manzella would win the Gold!

Lisa Manzella has gained a reputation as Shelby’s political prevaricator.  Those who have watched and documented her over the years understand that she either can’t differentiate fantasy from reality, or she  truly is in an alternate universe where what you see is not what you get.

Inside Out readers will remember that great deal of time and energy was spent discussing the DARE program.  When this program emerged as a political football by the Save Shelby recall group, these people said that the Supervisor and Board cancelled the DARE program - leaving our children in jeopardy of drug abuse.

Taking their lie one step further, the group condemned the action which gave the township control over public school crossing guards, claiming this was another bad move by the Supervisor.  Lisa Manzella and her Save Shelby recall grunts tried to claim that since DARE was cancelled the township was forced (by the Utica schools) to take on the duties of paying for crossing guards.  The two issues were unrelated.

The facts that DARE is still being taught in public schools, and the fact that Shelby (like surrounding communities) was given the crossing guards duties by the schools as a UCS cost-cutting move (the UCS had been performing crossing guard work as a service to local communities for years) did not stop this group from spewing its pack of lies.  Once the truth was exposed about how this group deliberately lied, public opinion quickly turned against the Manzella mob.

MANZELLA’S TRACK RECORD TELLS THE STORY
The best way to see how Manzella will act as Treasurer is to look at the what she did and said in the past.  When you review Lisa Manzella’s track record, and view it in the full context of her actions, votes and words as a Trustee, you will understand why more residents do not feel she is a friend of taxpayers, and why most residents disagree that she is the best candidate for Township Treasurer.

Manzella’s actions as Trustee prove that she is NOT a true conservative, even though she now claims to be one.  Instead, she is an “election year conservative.”  What do we mean by this?  An “election year conservative” is a politician who claims to be conservative at election time, and then votes like a big spending politician the rest of the time.  Remember, Manzella is the Trustee who said it is better to spend all the money than save some in the bank.  This is the same big-spending political philosophy Manzella displayed when the Board (under Maccarone) wanted to spend $49 million on a campus of new buildings that would have bankrupted our township — or at least forced historic tax hikes to build and operate.

If Lisa Manzella considers herself a conservative, then (at worst) she is delusional or (at best) has a different definition of “conservative than do more residents.  Perhaps this Manzellian view of a political “conservative” is a philosophy that:
• Conserves power solely for her political friends and supporters;
• Conserves spending for her big-money projects, such as a $49 million campus;
• Conserves township contracts for her special interest contributors who have a feeling of “entitlement” for a specific service (such as towing);
• Conserves democracy for her handful of malcontents who value mob rule, intimidation, threats and disunity over democracy, debate and free speech.

What about the taxpayers?  The Manzellian view of conservatism is a philosophy which tries to trick the taxpayers and conserves the truth about Manzella’s true political priorities until AFTER the election.

Lisa Manzella for Shelby Township Treasurer?  Are you serious, or has Manzella been sipping too much snake oil?  Consider what Shelby Township would look like if Lisa Manzella had been our township Treasurer during last four years:
• Manzella supported $50 million in new bonds/taxes for her “campus.”
• Manzella advocated millions in new spending, including $20 million for an unaffordable “justice center.”
• Manzella publicly said taxpayers should not have the right too vote on new bonds/taxers, going so far as to call any decision to give it to the people “cowardice”.
• Manzella has consistently opposed efforts to educate taxpayers about the high (and growing) cost of union pensions.
• Manzella has criticized Treasurer Paul Viar for discussing the costs of pensions — not wanting to anger her friends and campaign supporters.
• Manzella has said it is better to spend every dime of taxpayer money than save the money in the bank for tough times.
• Manzella has lectured her fellow Trustees that “actions speak louder than words.”  

So what is Lisa Manzella’s BIG SECRET that she is trying to keep hidden?  The truth that she is a high-spending, high-taxing, special-interest-coddling, politician.  She is NOT a friend of taxpayers and supports an entitlement syndrome for her friends.  She believes the idea way to build herself up is by tearing others (including our township) down.  Lisa Manzella is, without question, a disgrace to our township.

Manzella’s public record proves that her future actions as Treasurer (if she were elected) would jeopardize our township, devastate taxpayers, and take Shelby back to the days (under her political friend and mentor Skip Maccarone) when our township teetered on bankruptcy, faced record deficits, and was headed toward higher taxes or (at the worst) a state-run emergency financial manager.

We can NOT afford Lisa Manzella and her big spending plans for our township. 

Until next time...