Bob Hannah Makes a Point

[XLFD]

At the beginning of the public comment period of the last Ludington City Council meeting Ludington Firefighter Bob Hannah got up and spoke of what he thought was the most pressing public issue in Ludington.  I managed to make a transcript of his speech and translate it here with commentary and fact check.  His speech starts at about 2:15 into the meeting, my comments are in burnt orange.

"Once again I'm up here to try to figure out why Tom Rotta gets away with spending taxpayer's money on a FOIA request.  I guess I haven't figured it out. {Not too surprising.  Perhaps, because  a person has a right to inspect, copy, or receive copies of any requested public record of any public body under a set fee structure.  Part of the public body's duties are to provide these records according to FOIA, not in a manner inconsistent with it, as the City of Ludington often does.}

I have come up with one thing, maybe because its because he is not a homeowner in Ludington and he doesn't pay taxes here {first Councilor Kaye calls me indigent, now I can't expect a FOIA request to be fulfilled because I don't own a home?  People who rent have the cost of taxes thrown into the mix when their rent is determined, so let's get rid of this prejudice against them.  Are renters second class citizens Bob?}.  So it doesn't hurt him in any way {I have paid my own money for all FOIA requests I have received, including $57 for 24 water tower records, showing oddly enough that the City Manager wasted $1.2 million of the taxpayer's money}.

I'd like to clarify some things up {government-speak for "I'm now going to cloud the real issue"}.  He had on his twisted {warped according to Councilor Holman} web site he's got that I evidently got a crystal ball and I'm predicting that you (looks at me) will win this lawsuit coming up {on this thread}.  Tom, that's not what I said, I said it was going to cost the taxpayers $50-$100,000 in just lawyer fees alone {this is a lie, he never said that (see 3:05 into video)}, it's not what they're going to pay you {I hope not, the minimal right now being asked is $150,000}; God help us, they don't pay you nothing {I could see them stiffing me on their payments, with their track record}

And another thing else is, he said I am in cohorts {cahoots?} with everybody who is on the city council because I am on the fire department {I said he was a "City of Ludington loyalist", a bit of a difference.  He shows at least that in his speech.  First he falsely reports his own words then mine.  Sign him up COLDNews.} .  Yes, I am on the fire department, but you're wrong about one thing, Tom, I didn't get on there because you lost your job {I resigned willingly, due to the direction the LFD was heading, if the LFD is telling you a different story, FOIA my resignation letter}.  Two people got hired before I did, so one of them must have got your job.  [Mayor interrupts:  "Keep your focus on the chair please."]  { LFD Roster, Join Times shows that after I resigned in 10-2008, two members joined before the year's end.  To my knowledge, Michael Bledsoe was already going through the process since we were down at least one, therefore Bob was the second one added at the very end of that year.}

And another thing is, he also said on his website that I said he had to pay John Shay for the lawsuit that he lost; what I said was that he had to pay the City with John Shay's lawsuit that you had against John Shay and you lost it {Confusing.  My only lawsuit against John Shay is the federal one; the FOIA appeal, which turned into a lawsuit against my wishes, was against the City, and I just received the judgment today from our court one month thereafter.}.  Has he paid his debt?  {there is no debt yet, Bob, nor will that judgment likely stand on appeal}  He says he does.  You know I'm not going to stoop any lower and come down {the actual direction is 'up'} to Tom Rotta's level {c'mon let's play handball on the curb, Bob}, and this is probably the last time that you're going to hear from me {good, because frankly you don't make much sense, and you're making some odd arguments withquestionable accuracy}, but I'm proud to be a Ludington firefighter, I'm proud to work with Mayor Henderson, Councilor Tykoski; they're both great firefighters {I will attest to that, but their other public service is tainted by corrupt behavior and the tolerance of the same}, they've taught me a lot {including how to write this speech}, we save lives together, I deserve to wear this shirt, not Tom Rotta.  Thank you."

In looking back at Bob Hannah wearing his shirt, making what appears on its face as a directed personal attack on a former LFD firefighter out to clean up the corruption in his city, he makes an excellent argument as to why I should not wear my Ludington Fire Department shirts anymore to the City Council meetings.  Why would I want to be associated with a group that includes crony-centric Mayor Henderson, corrupt Councilor Tykoski, and low-stooping newbie Bob Hannah?

I put two questions to the members of this site:  Should I continue to wear the LFD shirt to these meetings, reflecting my eight years of service to the community, or dissociate myself further from that group and change my apparel accordingly?  And do you think it is seemly for a city employee to use the public comment section of a City Council meeting to launch a personal attack against a private citizen?

[Jane]

hould I continue to wear the LFD shirt to these meetings, reflecting my eight years of service to the community, or dissociate myself further from that group and change my apparel accordingly?  I would get a shirt that says 

  L'FOIA'D (front)

Ludington

Freedom Of

Information

Department

(on the back)

I think you might just be a tall enough guy to pull of that much text.

And do you think it is seemly for a city employee to use the public comment section of a City Council meeting to launch a personal attack against a private citizen? Of course, where else could he do it without the attackee having a time to reply.

[XLFD]

I like your idea, but they charge for letters on shirts.  Making it less wordy, I could just make "Fire" into "FOIA" kind of a nasally, Bostonian sounding version of "Fire", so the back says "Ludington FOIA Department", and a too-true answer to the latter question posed.  You're wise beyond your years, Jane.  

[masonco]

You can get iron on letters. I have created designs on the computer and you can go to Staples to get the "paper" to print your design which you then iron on.

plain t-shirts are cheap or you can get them from goodwill. Put ex fire fighter by choice with a fireman picture and an x on it. You could make points without saying a word.

[XLFD]

I remember seeing such kits at Wal-mart too for making your own iron-ons via the computer.  I would like to make a line of shirts for the Ludington Torch eventually.  I think I have next meetings shirt , but I will consider this alternative for the future.

[Willy]

X

That shirt represents your service to the community. You should continue to wear the shirt because it represents more than your freedom to do so. Not only have you earned the privilege but by you displaying it your standing up for your first amendment rights to do so. Does anyone complain when people who do not live in ludington or even live in the state wear a "Ludington shirt". Does anyone complain when someone wears a ''Ludington Orioles" shirt but they do not attend Ludington High School. Or does anyone complain when someone wears a "Detroit Tigers" shirt who is not part of the team? In New York City anyone can purchase a NYPD or NYFD shirts and those organizations are proud to have people wearing them. Only in Ludington would someone be harassed for doing the same thing.

This entire situation about chastising  someone for wearing a T shirt because they do not  belong to the organization it represents is completely Unamerican and anti Constitutional. The idea goes against the freedoms and rights we hold dear and  fought for over the centuries. The display of disgust by the Chief, Hannah and Cain over your choice of apparel is  nothing less then boorish and childish behavior. The supporters of the Council, Mayor and Shay cannot defend their behavior so they attack and nitpick at you to focus the attention away from those that are abusing the power granted to them by the citizens of Ludington. I know it's tempting but don't give in. As I suggested tho, I would take the LFD shirt off the scarecrow.

[AQUAMAN]

So right Willy, another great post. So, does Bob Hannah, born and raised where? here, or another implant? get his crony written statement?, it's surely not from his mind and heart, but appears rehearsed and programmed in advance for him. Maybe the t-shirt should also include the following: (LFD= real firefighters, or real political firefighters?) Besides, the apparel gives that Gerry Funk guy some much needed exercise to move around a bit, instead of feeding at the trough, the food one, as well as the tainted well of deceit trough too. Does joining the LFD here make it mandatory to agree with all political aspects of the town, state, and federal government too? Without any independent thinking allowed? Without any voice in asking for information? If indeed that is what is required, then why don't ALL the LFD members come forward and say so, afterall, we all need to know what kind of people these are, they are on our payroll afterall, right? Where is their loyalties at the LFD, to crony politics, or to the safety of their fellow citizens and their families? C'mon Bob Hanna, are you so gullible and deceiptful to be led around by the nose of those with some future favors for you?, or can you think and act like an independent man, capable of thinking on your own?! To me, you are part of the problem, not the solution, a perfect example of another "sheeple", and you need to be ashamed of yourself. Piety, and condescending others views, making judgements on them, and using your position for a bully pulpit, makes you worse than anything you have accused X of by a looooong shot! Creepy, and fitting for the coming Halloween season too.

[XLFD]

An ironic point to all this talk of Bob Hannah's, is that he is not a homeowner in Ludington! 

After reading Aquaman's post, I checked the City's assessing information, and could not find Bob Hannah's name anywhere.  Not giving up I checked the Mason County property search-- not there either.  I noticed the address he gave and looked that up, and here's what I found.   710 E Foster  a home that someone other than Bob Hannah owns and pays taxes on, and according to this record, they also live there.  From the size of the house (3172 sq. ft.) and this sketch, I would say that Bob Hannah is renting from the homeowner, as he is registered to vote at that address.  (uh, oh, I used the City's publicly available website to look up and post info on a public servant, expect another letter of trespass for yours truly) 

Using Bob's logic, he should have no problem with me "wasting taxpayer's money" because "he doesn't pay taxes himself".  Unlike me, however, he does get over $3000 paid to him with that taxpayer money for his service to the community.  For my service to the community, I have to pay out a lot of money and time, and receive no money from the taxpayers, just threats and intimidation from City of Ludington officials and employees.

Tip of the hat to you, Aquaman, for nudging my gray matter, and to Willy for his always insightful (inciteful, according to Heather) ideas.

[Willy]

He could be purchasing the house on a land contract.

[XLFD]

If the owner is selling via a land contract, he typically does not live at the house too.  His address would show up as where they actually live in these assessor records.  If Bob was paying the taxes, as per an unpaid-off land contract arrangement, his name should appear as the addressee in the 'taxpayer info' .

[Willy]

If Hannah is buying on a land contract and has not recorded it yet then the record would still show somone else as living at that residence. Many contract holders include taxes and insurance payment in the monthly tab and will pay them out of those monthly installments so Hannah would not show up as the taxpayer.

[XLFD]

Land contracts can have just about any terms a seller and buyer can agree to, so almost anything is possible under them.  If Bob does have a land contract with the owners and he is not paid-off yet, then he is not officially a taxpayer using the definition he supplied at the meeting:  "he is not a homeowner in Ludington and he doesn't pay taxes here."

Which is a fallacy anyhow.

[Willy]

Aquaman, well said. I couldn't agree more.

Jane. That's not a bad idea. If I were X I wouldn't give up wearing the LFD shirt but alternating that with a FOIA shirt would tickle the critics brains. Before they could huff and puff they would have to take a close look and see what X was wearing.