Comment

Comment by Jefferson F. Henry on July 6, 2015 at 9:03pm

Transparency does point to a solution there has been a test placed before the Governor and it came sputtering back through General Schuettte with more...guess what? Advice. However to say this is a dead fish floating in the water would be inaccurate. Ron Olsen tried to ride the slippery slope with the mention of "public purpose". There are elements that need to be left for surprise but on it's on the public purpose doctrine from Olson's own lips. He incorrectly states these marinas were built for the public's purpose, which can only be recreational. We've given the law in Transparency III. If this were the only problem that needs addressed then all could quickly swipe the dust from their hands and pull the dead fish out of the water and put it on top of the heap in the City's lagoons to move on. 

Comment by AQUAMAN on July 6, 2015 at 11:43am

Willy, that special trial-run of charterboats at the City Marina started around 1999. It was a 2 year trial program that never got any input from private marina owners, a total surprise to everyone, except the COL. The program was to be overseen and reviewed, and never did. Big Brother is trying and succeeding in pushing the small independent marina owners out. The COL knows all too well that they are wrong, but refuse to admit it, more narcissism at it's finest.  

Comment by XLFD on July 6, 2015 at 10:16am

Jefferson may be more apt to answer this question, but consider that the city marina was created via state and federal funds back around 35 years ago with the stipulation that it would be for recreational boating, and to be used as a harbor of refuge.  Contracts were signed then and since with clause in them that prevents commercial operations being ran out of the marina, yet charter boats were part of the landscape early on.  The State Waterways Commission has addressed the issue in the past, however, it should be noted they are set up as strictly an advisory board with no power to represent the state in making a formal decision of any type. 

Some clauses in contracts have stated that commercial operations are permissible if both the state and city allows them explicitly in writing.  Such formal permission, can only come from the governing bodies of both entities, the Ludington City Council and the Michigan Congress. 

The Michigan congress has never granted such permission, and the Ludington City Council gave one sided permission last year to 'reduce' the amount of charter boats in the marina for the first time in over 30 years after charter boats were well-established in the city marina. 

The Waterways Commission approval or disapproval of charter boats in Ludington actually means nothing as far as official state approval, since they are solely an advisory committee with no such power.  They should be held accountable for thinking that they actually do.

As it is, even though it is illegal, even though it goes against the original covenant and almost every contract drawn up between the city and state since the city marina's founding for the multi-million dollars of improvements and services they have received courtesy of the state, the charter boats will continue to operate from the city marina and HVM because nobody wants to follow the rules in our corrupted governments.

Comment by Willy on July 6, 2015 at 9:35am

Is there a written agreement between the City and State to allow charter boats because obviously the City thinks there is. The City erected a sign that lists all the charter boats in the marina so somebody assumes it's OK. 

Comment by AQUAMAN on July 6, 2015 at 1:19am

I think it's of utmost importance in this video to note that the City of Ludington, through and by it's elected and appointed officials, has repeatedly broken all the charter rules in governing their very own existence. Beyond that, they have also broken the rules of renting slips to commercial fishing vessels, aka charterboats. While Ron Olson's letter from the DNR has pointed out these serious infractions of 2 years ago, nothing at the local nor state level has changed to reverse these trends. Fact of the matter is, now Harbor View Marina, also a state funded marina, has also seen fit to break their charter by allowing even more charterboats into their program. This is all wrong, and should have never even happened to begin with. Now that the cat is out of the bag, and everyone is being reminded and aware of it, nothing changes to offset the broken laws. Thanks Mr. Henry for bringing us and the public even more information and proofs of the distortions and lies that work again private industry in the marina trade here in Ludington, and around Michigan. 

Comment by Jefferson F. Henry on July 4, 2015 at 1:03am

No problem, thought just the links were in old posts. I'll make a past so people know tio go to the archives. I don't know if I can remove them so I'll leave that to you. Thanks. 

Comment by XLFD on July 4, 2015 at 12:24am

Jeff, FYI, Transparency part 1 and 2 are already in our video archives.  Not even I put in duplicates of my own articles even when they're super-clever, LOL.  Consider keeping one of the videos of each and edit the video by putting in links to the other parts of the series, and re-edit when new ones come out.  Keep up the good fight and the videography.