Mayor Candidate Taranko: FOIA Can be Abused, Infrastructure Not a Priority

[XLFD]

Candidate Cox Touts Transparency, Stresses Needs for Infrastructure Improvements

 

I have been asked why I didn't attend the "Meet the Candidates" forum that was held at City Hall last night.  I had thought to do so, but there were a couple of things that made me decide it was likely not worth the time. 

First, I had attended the original four-way mayor debate also hosted by the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) Publisher and the Chamber of Commerce President out at the Waterfront Park this summer and found it to be primarily a waste of time de to the banality of the questions they asked and the watered-down questions they allowed from the public.  It also established that the two remaining candidates, Ryan Cox and Wally Taranko had the same template.  The second reason I'll explain later.

 

That's why I was not surprised by the COLDNews headline "Candidates Agree, But Not on Everything." and figured the disagreement was probably based on how much they each loved Ludington.  In the first mayoral debate the "I love Ludington" and other similarly-meaningless phrases expressing the same meaningless concept was used so often that you would have been completely drunk if you fashioned a drinking game that had one drink when love and Ludington were used in the same sentence.

 

But the disagreements were on a couple of subjects that I believe are important to those that actually care about our city, and Cox  came out as having the more sensible stance, and being a lot less hypocritical.  The article with some underlines for reference: 

 

I have insinuated that the first term of a  Mayor Taranko would be equivalent of a fourth term of Mayor Henderson, and this proves it.  It's a far cry from the many issues Mayor Henderson ran on when he first campaigned for mayor back in 2001, most of which remain unattained and forgotten.  Wally Taranko has a lot fewer ambitions, with tried and tired ideas. 

 

Cox at least shows some promise by saying infrastructure and information are the City's most urgent problems (first green).  Taranko laughably says the city is transparent (first red).  How many FOIA appeals have you personally voted down in your four years, Wally? 

Wally Taranko, weren't you part of the City Council that was found in violation of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) by the local Circuit Court for a clandestine E-mail voting scheme just earlier this year?  Weren't you one of the councilors present when the City was notified they would be in violation of the OMA if they deliberated and decided issues at the beginning of a May 2013 meeting, and went ahead anyway?  Have you not voted for three revisions of the City's FOIA policy since 2010 making it more difficult for the public to get information? 

And how about all those closed sessions the City Council has had in the last few years, not to mention the secrecy behind the Workplace Safety Policy (WSP) you voted for that kept a citizen from coming to City Hall to inspect, pick up, and pay for FOIAed public records under penalty of a misdemeanor?   You know, the onerous policy that cost the City $15,000 to settle in a lawsuit after a closed session decided it wasn't worth fighting, plus more than that sum in your own attorney fees.

And weren't you a Ludington City Councilor that sat idly by in 2011, when I ran for city council and was kept out of that building by the City Manager you hired invoking that WSP so that I could not attend another COLDNews forum like this or vote in that election?  That's the second reason I deferred to earlier that kept me from going to this event, the psychic pain I experienced from this recollection of the policy Councilor Taranko put into play and unashamedly attacked my standing.

 

      Ludington's Danaher Water Tower before it was painted white, and 808 E Danaher, before it was seized by John Shay

 

As for infrastructure, the unnecessary water tower and water tank paintings that cost the City $1.5 million from its coffers, could have easily went for necessary street, sewer, and sidewalk repairs and improvements.  Including installing a sidewalk in front of your house and Councilor Holman's apartment complex, as the law mandates. 

You want to improve the west end of Ludington Avenue too when it's fine as it is?  That will take another (at least) $1.5 million of city money using figures from ten years ago.  Cox at least recognizes that there is opposition to the stated project.  But as I see it, there alone is $3 million in waste and potential waste that could be freed up. 

 

Wally Taranko then winds down on these topics by saying that "FOIA is not a bad tool, but it can be abused."  I would agree with him if he is speaking that the City has abused the Freedom of Information Act, which it has repeatedly.  "It is the public policy of this state that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and public employees, consistent with this act. The people shall be informed so that they may fully participate in the democratic process." 

So goes the introduction to the FOIA.  It is difficult for me to believe that a person who exercises their rights and asks for information from their public servants in accordance with this act can ever abuse this act, unless they fail to use it when they think their government is acting improperly.  But yet, I think Wally Taranko sincerely believes that a citizen can abuse FOIA by asking for too much information from their government. 

As one person who uses FOIA to make sure my government is working in the public interest and to get more information than is commonly provided, I can honestly state that each and every single one of my own FOIA requests to this city and the many other governing bodies I've contacted, have had a purpose, and often have uncovered interesting material kept from the general public, which is every public officials boss. 

The true abuse of FOIA has been the City's apathy for complying with it; the abuse comes from withholding material that need not be withheld, having a FOIA Coordinator fail to give you all the records while certifying he has, having charges that are rarely justified by the act, needing to appeal over and over again without success while city councilors like Taranko abuse their quasi-judicial power by not saying under what authority they are keeping the public's records secret from the public that spawned the likes of them.

[AQUAMAN]

Nowthen, I don't see where Taranko has ever voted nor supported more road/sewer infrastructure in the most needed parts of the COL. When? The "ONLY" parts of the infrastructure that he and others on the CC seem to care about is the ones most traveled by tourists. That of S. Rath Ave., West Loomis St., a Washington Ave. bridge for over $3Million that literally goes nowhere, now that the hospital and Dow are no longer, and a whole host of others anywhere you look. Talk about lack of transparency? Well, Wally has blocked that sort of information on countless votes to suppress, and block, with fixed FOIA appeals, with the help of a willing City Attorney and City Manager out for the same pound of meat. He's on a "power trip", not a real reasoned sense of purpose and direction for the progress and future of Ludington's locals. It's all just a power trip imho. The first was to carry a badge and gun, with a baton and handcuffs on the utility belt, now, in retirement, it's another power trip to assure more useless ordinances and agendas that only serve the few, and most importantly, not OUR LOCALS! What if anything, can Taranko claim as a valuable asset and vision for the locals since his last election?

[AQUAMAN]

I would ask voters here in earnest to look at facts, not fiction and broad brushed promises, and name recognition, like most politicians these days. Ask what if anything Wally has given back to the community in his short 3 year term as a councilor? What are his true accomplishments? On his own?  What are his sterling qualities as a government official? Has he personally done anything for the positive change or made great progress?  Or has he gone along with the sameo type cronyisms of the recent and distant past that we all abhor? Before you vote on a ballot, ask yourself, are you better off now, before the last 4 years, or not?

[XLFD]

I invite anyone to come on here and point to one accomplishment or even one vote Wally Taranko has made as a City Councilor in the last four years that has bettered the life of our area's residents.  I invite anyone to come on here and defend his record of transparency during that time.  I invite anyone to come on here and defend spending all that money on water tower painting and west end Ludington Avenue 'improvements' when they are optional, while the town's infrastructure crumbles underneath us. 

Wally can have a rosy outlook and a cheerful website that says he is listening to us, but there's nothing there but air-- as the elderly woman says after the bun is opened:  "Where's the beef???" 

[AQUAMAN]

You gotta vote for me, I just Wuv Wudington, ya know? eeek, how shallow is that? Indeed, where is the BEEF? I challenge anyone including Wally to show us just one project he supported or proposed that bettered Ludington's locals, (not tourists), in the last 4 years, just ONE! I wuved that commercial, it wus a favorite in it's day for sure.

[Willy]

I guess Wally didn't understand that the results of the last election was about crowning Henderson King for many more years. The people said "no". And that meant no more Henderson. So why would Wally state on his website that he wanted to "follow in the footsteps of John Henderson". People are tired of the same old crap but I guess Wally didn't get the message.

[XLFD]

These people are so out of touch, that they can justify that the proposal to extend term limits for mayor from 3 to 5 was voted down by a  2 to 1 margin because people think three terms is enough for anyone.  But anyone paying attention to reality and not to soulless propaganda know that he has been incredibly ineffective as mayor for awhile, and a tool (to use Taranko's term) of those people that Wally is listening to.  People are not saying they want their taxes controlled by the mayor or City Hall, they want them lowered, and used accountably.

[XLFD]

Signs of the times: ten days away from the city election and if you go down the street you see exactly three election signs on East Ludington Avenue, aka the Historical District fetus. 

Two for Taranko, one for 2nd Warder Winczeski.  But you see six signs of various realtors out on the lawns.  Looks like "For Sale" is going to win this election. 

[AQUAMAN]

Only certain candidate signs are going to pass muster, the rest will be removed in violation of some unknown rules that govern this. This is how election signs are handled in Ludville nowadays, ya know?

[XLFD]

Maybe the core of the Historical District aficionados among the Bed & Breakfast owners has created their own by-laws against campaign signs. 

Election signs are stolen by city officials if you are running against them, as 2011 shown.  Of course, they can also make rules like the Workplace Safety Policy to use their power to keep you away from voting and participating in COLDNews debates.