The Place Where Ludington Talks

The Tale of Two Cities. Discipline & Motivation

Two things;

First off for Lent.

I said I would say nothing bad about John Shay during the Lenten season.

It will be difficult but not impossible I thought. After all what could happen in so short amount of time.

Then this happened.

The Lord is challenging me in ways that I could never imagine.

Second

The Unfunded Pension Situation.

Ludington has an $11,000,000 unfunded pension debt

Holland has an $111,000,000 surplus.

Ludington's per capita pension DEBT equals $1,399.

Holland per capita pension SURPLUS is $3,318.

For a comparison Detroit's per capita pension debt is $1,965 compared to Ludington's $1,399.

We are all much closer to Detroit problems than we are to Hollands, and we are all are aware of the Governor appointing a Emergency City Manager for Detroit. City Employees beware.

Let's not forget, $30,000,000+ debt for infrastructure improvements, the $3,000,000+ debt for the West End Scheme, the Splash Pad, Legacy Park, the PM Bayou mess, what am I forgetting, the cronyism, the Kayak Trail, the declining incomes and population, the shady Bowling Alley Block deal, the premature water tower painting, overpaying the City Attorney's firm, no bid contracts... and $11,000,000 in unfunded pension liability.

You have to admit that is quite a body of work.

Is it any wonder that he seeks employment not only elsewhere but somewhere more financially stable.

Something about rats and sinking ships.

https://www.opendatanetwork.com/entity/1600000US2622000-1600000US26...

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Permalink Reply by XLFD on February 14, 2018 at 10:43pm

Shinblind, please do not read the powderpuff piece on John Shay in today's COLDNews, it may be too much of a challenge for your pledge.

Thanks for looking up and comparing the pension liabilities of the two communities (and Detroit). I don't report enough on that other issue, our city's pensions have been eating away our future as if it was Fat Tuesday for awhile. John Shay will let it be his successor's problem, and all of the rest of ours.

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Permalink Reply by shinblind on February 15, 2018 at 10:43am

That is strictly from the unfunded pension debt. It currently stands aaround $11,000,000.

About $35,000,000 will be additional.

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Permalink Reply by Willy on February 15, 2018 at 12:22pm

Shay was appointed by the City Council who were voted in by the citizens. So who's to blame?

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Permalink Reply by shinblind on February 15, 2018 at 12:57pm

Local media who trade and tolerate bad government for their paycheck.

City Council members who hide and distort information from the public.

City manager who has overstayed his welcome.

In that order.

Unfortunately to effect a change you have to reverse the order.

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Permalink Reply by Willy on February 15, 2018 at 1:36pm

To effect change voters must get off their rears, get involved, do their homework and vote people into office who will work for the public good, then keep tabs on what is taking place inside their communities. It all starts with the voters. All the above are symptoms of a public that keeps the political system at arms length while burying themselves in the comfort of their couches.

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Permalink Reply by shinblind on February 15, 2018 at 2:04pm

Be realistic

Voters are apathetic

They are indolent

(haiku)

Without media clamoring for change nothing will happen.

As long as media gets their paycheck and fills their empty columns and airtime with Government Propaganda nothing will change.

Most voters do not want to be disturbed or reminded that they voted for these fools.

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Permalink Reply by Willy on February 15, 2018 at 2:36pm

You just made my point shinbllind and your right about the media. They are now the enemy of the people even more than the liberal progressive marxist movement. The problem is that the main stream media is owned and operated by people who embrace the modern American Marxists movement.