The Swan Song of the Ludington Charter Revision Commission

[XLFD]

Back in 2021 when city officials started talking about revising the charter the Ludington public was less than apathetic about it.  The drive to change the charter was totally driven by city officials, and this was evident when the only four people who filed petitions to be on a charter revision commission (CRC) were either close relatives of city officials or lifetime public sector employees (as seen in first draft choices). 

Five positions on that board were still open so I announced a write-in campaign this last spring, encouraging folks to vote for me, but vote against the revision question on the ballot, so that this planned revision would not be engineered by career politicians and their close relations (as seen in vote for, against).

Yet on the weekend before the May 3rd vote, I happened to look at the ballot and the underlying law of doing a charter revision in preparation for writing an election guide and found out that the city council failed to set the costs of the charter or the compensation of the commissioners and that it was likely that if the vote for a revision passed, it could be voided by anybody like myself that asserted the deficiencies were material as it left voters ignorant of a couple of things (as seen in May 1st election guide).

The ballot question would pass, and I would initially get a seat on the commission as a write-in candidate, yet the latter was overturned by a questionable recount process.  Either way, I was going to challenge the legitimacy of an election where the voters were kept in the dark about costs and compensations (as seen in the stolen election).  It was explained further in detail in hidden costs. 

I would then go to the first meeting of the CRC, ask whether any of them knew their compensation or how much the revision process would cost (nobody knew) I would also tell them the issues and that I would be challenging their legitimacy as a board.  They were about as responsive as the public has been to the revision (as seen in the CRC meets).

I filed a writ of quo warranto lawsuit, stating that material error led to material fraud on the voting public who were led to believe the charter revision would cost nothing and that the board would be unpaid volunteers, both were far from the truth (as seen in qw lawsuit filed).

I would go to the next CRC meeting and reiterate the points I made at the first meeting, hoping that some of the career politicians would realize their current seat was unlawful and that the lawsuit would determine that it was.  Rather than consider that the record clearly showed that the city council failed to fix costs and compensation leading to a spoiled vote they owned it without any shame (as seen in the bastard board).

Finally, after Judge Mark Wickens in one of the last decisions of his career before retiring decided that a material error had occurred and that the only alternatives left to the city were to either appeal his decision that the Writ of Quo Warranto should issue or hold another election where the Ludington City Council does all of its duties first so that it doesn't get voided again (as seen in revisionist history).

Throughout this whole process, I have followed the law and have tried to get the City of Ludington to follow the law so that I wouldn't have to take them to court to see that they wouldn't ignore the law-- on the way to re-inventing the laws for Ludington by rewriting the charter to allow them more leeway and provide the public with less accountability.  The discussions over the first 7 months of this bogus body indicate that was the way they were going.  In the few times I was there, the charter changes considered were always debated as if each CRC member was a career public officer insulated far away from the people who the charter is supposed to be serving.

If you look at the 13 meeting minutes of the CRC, you will find that besides me berating their illegitimacy, no member of the public ever spoke at these meetings.  In the way to constructing the "people's charter", they have never encouraged the public to attend and offer their viewpoint.  This whole exercise was initiated by city officials to weaken the charter and grow the power of city hall.  

Yet a morbid curiosity was behind me deciding to go to the CRC's first meeting of 2023 on Thursday, January 5th.  The court had yet to enter an order so the topic for this meeting was to reevaluate their status rather than to look at charter changes.  An open spot vacated by Mark Barnett's ascension to the mayor spot had three applicants to the board, but all the remaining board present, decided that they would adjourn their meetings and any decision on a replacement until a clearer picture of their board's future (or lack thereof) arrived.

I held off on any comment in the two periods given to the public, choosing to be more of a fly on the wall rather than one immersed in the fresh poop, for I figured that I may hear something more interesting if I didn't poke the dying.  And then I was surprised and a little concerned because one of the commissioners, Karen Nielsen (above), had an impassioned speech, a rare enough event for a city official:

She never mentioned anybody by name, but by the way she glared at me a couple of times during her delivery, I got the impression it wasn't Mitch Foster she was talking about.  The full delivery had more menace than the summarization in the minutes, but here was the impression I got from it.

For following the rule of law to its conclusion that the May 3rd vote was improper because the city council of Ludington failed to perform its lawful duties, thereby disenfranchising the voters who deserved by law to know how much a charter revision would cost them, I was effectively called a hostage taker.  She then threatened me, saying that the City of Ludington should use their power, authority, and their taxpayer's money to do what needs to be done in preventing me from holding her peers accountable to the law.  

Normally, bitter words from an embittered city official are sweet music to my ears, but between all the spurious name-calling were couched some threats which seemed more than implied.  Would the city continue to target me as they did this last summer when the LPD impounded my vehicle after a traffic stop for a minor civil infraction?  Ms. Nielsen showed truly that she is a 'Karen', and every single one of her peers allowed her harangue to stand unchallenged, which shows what an unprincipled bunch they truly are when it comes to working for the public. 

She said the quiet part out loud.  This was the primal death scream of a public body that shows its true feelings towards the only member of the public that comes to their meetings, and by extension their true feelings towards the rest of us.

[Freedom Seeker]

Yeah, that's scary. Devoid of knowledge of the law ... Karen Nielsen. And ignorant ganging up. Seen this before. Maybe she is setting herself up to take the Mark Barnett vacancy. Heaven help Ludington ... with mentality like hers but it sounds just like what the city would want to give themselves more power and less for the citizens.

[XLFD]

Our loyal readers may recognize Karen Nielsen's name.  Back in early 2021, there was a problem she had with Mayor Miller and she suggested strongly at the time that he had failed to honor his word.  Later that year, Dave Bourgette resigned and Nielsen was one of the four applicants for his position and the earlier spat with Miller seems to have negatively affected her candidacy-- but apparently not her candidness as seen in this CRC meeting.  

Is this going to be the norm under Mayor Mark Barnett?  We'll see what happens tomorrow.  I have asked for an apology, but I'm sure I'll only get grief.

[Willy]

It's to bad there are so many numbskulls trying their best to ruin Ludington.

[Freedom Seeker]

Love that Willy! Ha ha ... X you should be sure to turn around and flex your pects and gluts for Ms. Nielsen next time you stand at her podium. Need a new arrow on the back of a shirt?

[XLFD]

So what you guys are saying is that she wants me to quit paying so much attention to the city and pay more attention her way and do what needs to be done?  In that situation, my glutes will be flexing quickly in the opposite direction.

[Freedom Seeker]

Yeah! Sorry about the misplaced muscle message. I was writing quite early in the morning. Flex 'em all ... and wear a tight shirt with the arrow and spin a 360.