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[Remington Ashby]

This site only berates individuals in the town attempting to do their jobs, with some other focuses on events unrelated to Ludington.  Was the "torch" selected because you, Tom Rotta, just want to burn down the town's reputation due to some childish grudge you hold for events in the past?  Or, do you just like to stir up drama and criticize public officials for doing their jobs?  The world needs positive members of society now more than ever, and not your semi-incoherent rants on matters that don't concern you and only degrade the validity of this website.  Try disconnecting your Internet, go outside, and actually do something positive for the community instead of just bitching all the time.  

[XLFD]

You didn't say that 'Aquaman' was AJ and 'Willy' was Steve Miller, so there was no violation on your part.

I'd be embarrassed to actually divulge how many hours and dollars I've put in voluntarily trying to better the city and bring awareness to the harm that our current cabal of corruption at the head of our community is doing.  It's often thankless work, trying to clean something up which refuses to stay clean, but it's priceless when others recognize and support your efforts.

I apologize to the membership that we will likely be buffeted with poorly disguised and/or uninformed trolls due to this website's continuing efforts to shed light on what's right.  

[XLFD]

IHAN,

It's always an inevitability when the sheriff, police chief, or city hall launches an attack at this website, its members or its bull goose administrator:  we have to fend off the courageous publicly-paid-but-anonymous 'trolls' that come on and try to paint our alternate media platform as something it ain't using disinformation and other crude tactics-- kind of what you see at the end of Ludington City Hall meetings.  Fortunately, here we and the truth can have the last word.

It sometimes gets silly, it might make some members sick or question the verifiable truth (which is part of the strategy of why they come here), but it's something we either do or lose the truth to the 'official line' of our obfuscating visitors.  Those holes in the sidewalk get fixed here, not like your typical sidewalk in Ludington, before we step over them.  Thanks for your participation and your support.

[Rupert Pubkin]

Everyone knows X's name....he speaks at every city council meeting where he states his full name and has mentioned the Torch and claimed it as his website.

[AQUAMAN]

Pretty easy to see how upset and degrading some new members/trolls can be now isn't it? Esp. if they disagree with transparency and truth!!! And disagree with a free society being able to have their own opinions and exchanges of them respectfully. But, most all the members here are doing that in spite of the trolls that are usually being paid to spy on this group routinely with taxpayers monies. As for X's education, he's got an MSU Masters Degree in Math, plus a PHD in Investigative Research and Law as far as I'm concerned nowadays. As far as burning down this town of Ludington's reputation, far be it from this website or members. It's the transplants/warped local people of greed and fixed agendas at city hall that own and carry that burden, and luckily, it's only mostly the city mgr., mayor, and most council members in reference, not the city hall working crew that are diligent about their duties to us all. "The world doesn't need incoherent rants in matters that don't concern you"? How and why does a "Remington type" judge what concerns who? Whom put you in charge of this town? Of this website? Methinks all you say and rant in this thread are a direct reflection in the mirror of yourself, not X.

[XLFD]

I'll have to visit you and pick up my honorary PHD in investigative research and law from Atlantis University. Aquaman,

I invite anybody to look at the videos and minutes, of our Ludington City Council meetings and see which side (the city council or myself) speaks meaningfully of transparency, government ethics, public safety, lead poisoning in our water system, following the law, spending public money wisely and appropriately, getting the people's approval rather than 4 councilor votes, etc. and which side ignores or eschews the above.  

You may be surprised when you do, if you haven't been paying attention.  They focus on getting more and more of your money to work on unpopular, insane and unnecessary projects (West End, Legacy Park, etc.) that the majority of folks laugh at.  Meanwhile, they silently go $30 million in debt just to minimally maintain their failing WWTP, WTP and sewer infrastructure, and send you the bill by doubling your rates in a handful of years.

[John Doe Jr]

But, they mostly have heard his name from being slandered in the news by the PIGS we pay to protect us.....

[Pitt Viper]

Thank the 1st Amendment ( and XLFD) there is a site in this neck of the woods that allows for public examination and discourse on area news, events and public servant's performance.

I am publicly thanking the host of this site for allowing all who wish to participate and articulate one's opinions and ideas to do so without fear of government retaliation or censorship, or societal sanction.

This is what makes this country great.

The truth is

It needs no defense

The truth is not what you tweet it is.

[XLFD]

We're dedicated to the rights (and attendant duties) the First Amendment guarantees, and whereas it may not be easy to allow Sheriff 'Burly' Kim Cole his First Amendment right to vilify this website and any of its members, he has the right to distort the facts and use whatever rhetorical tactics he decides to use to achieve that end.  It does seem to interfere with his duties as the top law enforcement officer in this county to act in a professional and honest manner in performance of his responsibilities in that office.

Listened to him on WMOM this morning trying to defend his keeping the public uninformed when we still do not know what happened to a long-time convicted drug dealer/user found dead on public school land.  The cover-up of information (even long after Burly Kim notified the family) by the sheriff was the biggest red flag I noticed.  He has no power to cover-up the name of the deceased at that point; he knows that, that's why he's lashing out at those who point his failure out. 

He has since tried to use an 'Adam Johnson incident' to justify his violation of his public duties as sheriff to keep the public informed and safe.  It doesn't.  I'll hopefully be explaining that on WMOM tomorrow morning.