Law and Order Mayor Candidates Violate Law and Order

[XLFD]

Back in 2011 when I was running for City Councilor, while at the same time being banned from the City Hall without first getting the City Manager's permission (which he failed to give several times, including during two elections), I had a large amount of signs taken down by city officials, I even caught them in the direct act of doing so, and doing it only for my campaign signs, as was pointed out here:  breaking-news-nazis-on-the-march

 

Even though the City's zoning law seems to allow temporary campaign signs in your property's right of way as long as they do not present a traffic hazard, my signs were taken by the City and I was told I had to come get them, even though I needed special written permission by the City Manager to do so.  Meanwhile, my opponent Kaye Holman maintained several campaign signs of hers in the right of way that were unmolested by the City Code Enforcers.  Ironic, since one of her major pet peeves happens to be signs in the right-of-way. 

 

In 2012, there were hundreds of signs in the City's right of ways, dozens of both sheriff's candidates, several of the county commissioner candidates for district one and two, millage proposals and of course the City proposal to extend mayor term limits.  These stood proud in the City's right-of-way, even though Code Enforcer Jerry Welton and City Clerk Deb Luskin told me straight up that election signs could not:  what-a-difference

 

Now it's 2013, and a quick look at the ballot shows that a particular malcontent is not running for office, so the rules go back to anything goes in the right of way.  For two former police officers running for mayor this year with 16 years of City Council experience between them, are showing that Welton and Luskin had their rules for only one particular person, one person who was denied the right to run a campaign where he could fairly enter public facilities, and go on equal footing with campaign signs, and even be allowed to participate in debates put on by the City of Ludington Daily News.

 

This year, I found a few signs up in the northern section of town earlier today.  Many were close enough to being outside of the right-of-way, but there were about a half dozen I saw that were not.  The first example has Pete Engblade being awfully close to the road near the corner of Staffon and Lawndale.  Pete Engblade was on the City Council, voted for the Workplace Safety Policy, and saw nothing wrong with my campaign signs being stolen by the City when they were further from the street side than this. 

The next example is courtesy of Wally Taranko, former Ludington Police Department Chief, who also voted for the Workplace Safety Policy, saw nothing wrong with keeping a citizen candidate away from a candidate's forum at City Hall, saw nothing wrong with denying that same citizen the right to vote, or to fairly display his campaign signs.  Councilor Taranko thinks it's okay to put his own signs where he prohibits others to.

Not only that, Former Chief of Police Taranko, who also served as the Traffic Engineer for the City of Ludington during his tenure of that office, planted his campaign sign at the corner just beyond Oriole Field on Gaylord Street, so that it would present a traffic hazard, in clear violation of the City's sign ordinances.  A sign in that position could block the sight lines of those turning north from Lowell Street, or for those turning west from Gaylord. 

 

Need we mention that both Taranko and Engblade were willing City Council participants in the violation of the Open Meetings Act by secretively deliberating and deciding outside of an open meeting a $95,000 contract with Hallack Contracting in 2011. 

 

 

If, or when, the other two mayoral candidates start putting out their signs, we will keep an eye on whether the City reacts as they did in 2011, and selectively interpret and enforce the laws for them.  Both currently have the status as 'outsider candidates' even though neither is a radical departure from the current status quo.

[Willy]

I wondered about those signs. It seems these two candidates are cut from the same cloth as the current mess that represents Ludingtons citizens. Hypocricy is a mainstay for current and some future politicians.

[XLFD]

Tonight, Monday, I was taken aside before the meeting and informed by Mayor candidate Wally Taranko, that he had or was in the process of correcting the sign placements, particularly the one on the corner of Lowell and Gaylord.  One was placed by the recipient, another was placed by a campaign aid, and hopefully, it will be corrected in the future.  He wanted to be sure that it's known that he does not condone where those signs were placed.  Except, for the one on the corner, he was fine if we go by the actual City temporary sign policy.

Unfortunately, he had nothing to say acknowledging the wrongness of the Workplace Safety Policy, the 2011 Open Meetings Act violation, the latest 2013 Open Meetings Act violation, etc. 

[XLFD]

Also at the meeting I was informed that I had not won the Federal Civil Case of Rotta v. Shay/City of Ludington by the man (Shay) himself, who then explained the rationale behind his assertion before going into a personal attack on this citizen at the end of the meeting, when that citizen could not defend himself against the mostly false allegations he launched into. 

Was he chided by these city councilors for such an act of spite?  Nope, they applauded, as did some of  the other toadies who want the Historic District and I came out strongly against.   These City guys are definitely out of control, and out of touch with reality. 

How do you not lose a civil case (which is determined by a cash award to the winner, generally) when my attorney and I became $15,000 richer, while the other side lost $15,000 + over $16,000 more in their own attorney fees?  I need to have it explained to me; I just don't get it.

[Willy]

For those of us who have followed your quest, it is no surprise that the sleaze balls on the City Council and their idiot henceman Shay still act like spoiled kids who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. These people are disgusting and it shows in the level of corruption that has infiltrated Ludingtons Government.