Illegal and totally insensitive rental inspection tax on the poorest in Ludington

[Barry R. Schrader]

My most recent letter to the editor,

First I want to thank the editor and the Ludington daily News for allowing me to speak my piece. At least this paper and it's employees can say they did not promote homelessness in this county. I also can understand why the citizens of Ludington might not want to call attention to themselves in this matter. The true story of Tom Rotta might give us all a moment to pause. I mean the powers of this town have at their beckon call the city inspectors, the city workers, the city police department and the city commissioners. Unlike us the powers of this town can present their way of seeing things to each of those units of our city government at any time and they do. We on the other hand, were we to stand up and say anything not to the liking of powers of this town, become another Tom Rotta to be bad mouthed and harassed at every turn. No one needs or wants to have that happen to them. I guess were Tom to do us the honor of running for city commissioner we could sneak into the voting booth and vote for him. That way no one would know and the harassment would not start for us. We could be sure that Tom would continue to do his civic duty (That we are all afraid to do ourselves) and call the city commissioners to task when they again felt they were above the law and owned this town and it's money to do with as they pleased. I know the commissioners would do most anything to keep Tom off the city commission. I mean they had the two commissioners who represent Ludington from the two areas Tom Rotta is able to be elected from vote “against” the rental inspection fiasco so that we would all think they at least had some sense. We couldn't get rid of those two because they voted the way we wanted the rest to vote. As clever as that was it, in fact, shows how bad the commissioners do not what Rotta to run. I also know that the commissioners would continue to have their closed meetings and have them when Tom was unavailable if he were to be elected, but that is the way of it. At least Tom might catch wind of the next plan before it is locked in to the city's plans. I personally have no idea how Tom can continue to stand up to the city (as we all should be doing) but it has been my honor to be able to work with him on this insensitive and illegal rental unit inspection program that allows more homeless in this town. He needs to be thanked by each and every resident of this town for his courage and commitment, but sadly he won't be.

[XLFD]

Thanks very much for the kind words and sentiments, Barry; I honestly don't deserve such fine praise. 

There will be five spots on the city council up for grabs, at least one will not have an incumbent running.  I encourage all good people to either run for office or work to help someone you know who will not fall into cadence with the current city hall mindset, which Barry adequately explained.  We need fresh perspectives and as many people as possible that cares about honest, open, and sound local government.

The newspaper probably won't run with it, however.

[Barry R. Schrader]

I am an excellent judge of each person I meet.  You deserve that praise and so much more.  I think each person on this site will agree so please run for commissioner.

[XLFD]

It's sad when something as polarizing as the rental inspection ordinance, and the other actions taken by the council over the last several years to suppress the people's rights and take more of our money, cannot galvanize enough people to action, for fear of what our local machine might do to them. 

We could learn a lesson from Knoxville, IA.  A person upset with a war memorial featuring a cross in a city park and threatening to sue the city, led the council to vote to take it down, winning by a 3-2 margin this November.  The vote came after thousands of white crosses went up all over town on lawns in support of keeping the monument, and just before an election.  None of the three councilors voting for the removal won, the two that did run received less than 15% of the vote, mainly in part of their gutless vote.  Read more here

Rental inspections involving a large outlay of city resources has came at a time when the City of Ludington is going over $30 million in debt to finally maintain 40 year old water and water treatment plants that have been neglected throughout John Shay's tenure.  Shay devoted $1.5 million in painting 2 water towers and a tank when it could have been done for over a million less-- but they really didn't need painting.  We could have really used that money now, but he's still dreaming of spending more millions on needless West End improvements.  And the council follows blithely along, deaf to the words of the people and bereft of anything remotely resembling a conscience.

[dowland]

Amen Barry. I have always said Tom is are modern day Paul Revere. Frankly I don't know how he does meeting after meeting.  Fine write up Barry.

[XLFD]

As Paul Revere may have noted in his occupation as a silversmith:  The anvil is never afraid of the hammer.  But since I am a former firefighter I offer an elemental reference that may explain a philosophy that gets me up to the podium at almost every meeting voicing concerns:  Continually flowing water can wear down and break the hardest rocks over time.  And I'll be dammed before I quit flowing!

[AQUAMAN]

I too want to thank Barry for his courage and dedication to the Torch principles of fair governance in Mason County. Keep flowing and following X, your work is not in vain, at least as far as the public is concerned. As far as the City Council and Shay, they have proven their unwillingness to be fair and ethical to the voters and taxpayers, esp. in the last few years. The gauntlet of justice is awaiting them soon.

[Willy]

Just think what Ludington would be like if X wasn't keeping their feet to the fire.

[XLFD]

I had a vision of that the other night after I crashed the car.  Ludington had been renamed Shayville filled with cocktail bars, gentleman's clubs, and public marinas.  My mother was running a boarding house, Uncle Billy was institutionalized after the stock market crash. In the cemetery I discovered the grave of my brother, who drowned without my intervention, and Mary was a spinster working at the library. 

Oh, nevermind, I dozed off during It's a Wonderful Life.

[stump]

I want to thank XLFD talking about the flowing water, I completely forgot that I had the sump pump draining the hot tub.

[XLFD]

And I just thought it was philosophical nonsense; it actually served a utilitarian purpose.