Don't Believe What You Read in the Ludington Paper

[XLFD]

When you run counter to the City Hall, you don't make friends with the Ludington Daily News.  This isn't how newspapers are supposed to work, but the LDN is still getting awards, so it must work for them.  But do the ones who work there that consider themselves journalist really think they're doing the public a favor by being the hitmen for the City to knock down the voice of dissent?

 

Here's a case in point; on Friday's front page, the LDN had a blurb about a candidate forum next Monday.  I would love to attend, but the problem is that it is being held at the City Hall, and I can't go there or anywhere in the Police Station legally without express written permission.  Three inches of this five inch blurb was about a candidates non-attendance at the event: 

 

All candidates except one have said they will participate.  Tom Rotta, an at-large candidate has declined the LDN invitation, in part because he believes he is wrongly barred from city hall (the LDN has been assured a no trespass order affecting his entry into certain areas of city hall does not preclude him from attending this forum or other public events) and in part because he sees the site as not being neutral.  

 

Damning if true.  If you're a regular reader on the Shay-nanigans, you know the Letter of Trespass bars me from all areas of City Hall, and says absolutely nothing in it about allowing me to go to any public events there, without express written permission.  Get used to that phrase.  The site is not neutral, because of that, he got that right. 

But I never declined.   To show the sheer idiocy of the banter between me, Kevin, and Steve Baloney, an editor of the LDN (me supplying at least 33% of that idiocy), I feel I need to show my E-mails in full to show what a fantasy world Kevin lives in.  See if you can find my declining of this forum.  It starts off with me replying to a request for an interview by Kevin Brainiac:

If you see any declining of the invitation, please let me know.  Also note, that the one E-mail from Shay was not express written permission-- I was CC-ed, and the he said something that was false.  Before the Workplace Safety Policy, anyone could attend a meeting-- the WSP saw to it that that isn't the case anymore.  One of the many reasons it is illegal and needs to be removed.

[AQUAMAN]

I just hope Wednesday we will hear about how Kaye actually votes, not talks. Talk is cheap, and her votes have been very expensive for Ludington locals these last 8 years. I would also ask why she is running for so many terms? What does she hope to accomplish now that couldn't have been done in 8 years? Why does she continue to defend the North James St. plaza as good? An expensive $35K gazebo is what she voted for, and it now sits in the Cartier Park abandoned, another true waste of money for the locals. And why hasn't she voted for more moneys to be spent on local infrastructure and projects that benefit the year-around taxpayer that pays all the bills? Why does she continue to vote for higher taxation and fees? All these and more need to be answered by her, and questioned by her cogent opponent on air and in the press or flyers. Locals need to know the truth, and why she is in the clique all the time, instead of for the Entire City Folk, the Working Men and Women that need tax breaks and money working in their favor, not  the tourists favor.

[snide]

Here is why the LDN NEVER will dig too far into a issue........ THE LDN IS A SLAVE TO THE ADVERTISERS.  ----- Case and point. Should the LDN take a side against the proposed House Of Flavor silos, the House of Flavors will pull their advertising. and quite frankly the LDN cannot afford to lose the revenue......Don't be surprised that within two to three years they cease being a daily paper.......

[snide]

That being said watch what way this vote on the silos goes tonight.....

[XLFD]

Snide,

Good point.  And I would bet that sometimes they have to not displease some of the allies of these advertisers, whether they are businesses, officials, or both. 

[Willy]

Exactly right Snide and X's statement about allies is also on the money. A controversial newspaper will never survive in a small community. They have to walk a fine line. Advertising is the life blood of small town newspapers not their reporting abilities. Take a close look at any LDN paper and see just how much of the pages are covered in advertising.

[cheeseburger]

It's like this little circle of displeasure avoidance......the businesses owners are the advertisers......are the officials.....etc., etc.

[Angela Brimmer]

I lost interest in reading copies of these emails after i read the comment, "my good name..." After that i knew i would be wasting my time. I can't believe you are holding gruges against all these city officials just because you don't know how to ride a bike. Guilty by association- It seems as if you have a gruge against everyone that whispers the words "city of Ludington", "John Shay", or "John Henderson". The chances of you getting elected are awfully slim, but if hell freezes over next tuesday then i hope every person from your ward is just as critical towards you and your actions during your time on the council as you have been to the mayor, the city manager, or anyone associated with the city of Ludington.

[XLFD]

Sorry to waste your time, Angela.  I'm sure I'll have my critics if I get on the council, because I am going to be stepping on some toes of those at the public trough.  I just wish I knew what this "gruge" you are talking about refers to.

[Sweater Cows!]

She is saying that if you had not got that ticket the city would never have been involved in all the dirty dealings. See, the LDN has convinced some people that the City of Lud. was a spotless clean as a whistle town and only started these no-bid contracts, WSP ran by an out of town lawyer, illegal pay raises and other unethical and often illegal things  because you got & fought the ticket.

 

How could anyone ever imagine the city would have done all this stuff if you had not got/fought the ticket. You caused them to START doing this stuff, they NEVER did it before!!

 

Ya, know X, it's your fault they did all the stuff you document here, if you had not got and fought that ticket the City would never have done(oops i mean got caught doing) all those things. But since you found out about them it must be your fault  that they did them!!! Seems some would rather shoot the messenger than to actually realize their false utopia is not real.

[XLFD]

Even before I had rolled through a stop sign and our police chief broke the Whistleblower Protector's Act, the Ludington DDA had chosen to bypass the rules they needed to follow to pass a TIF plan that would have them eventually taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the coffers of the County, the City, and other local taxing jurisdictions, as noted here.  And of course there was Jack Byers, a principled Building Inspector that City Hall could not corrupt.

But that's ancient history from 2008.  I invite anyone to join the Torch and defend the City of Ludington, but to do so with more than just attacks on my character, or blind faith in their public leaders.  No one has yet to pick up that gauntlet effectively.

[Willy]

Angela

It would be in your best interest to find out what is going on at City Hall. Sticking your head in the ground is not the way to do it. Just read what X has presented here on this forum and look at the information in a impartial way. This may have started with a bike citation but because of the unconstitutional  methods employed by local officials in handling that bike citation and the completely ruthless way they have dealt with him while he was seeking information about their questionable activities, should make you sit up and take notice as to how your rights are being eroded.

[Sweater Cows!]

So, Angela, would you have Rosa Parks go to the back of the bus because she was told to do so?

 

There comes a time when you stop being bullied, taken advantage of and stand up for your own rights. Again Should Rosa just have done what she was told with out question?