Don't Believe What You Read in the Ludington Paper

[XLFD]

When you run counter to the City Hall, you don't make friends with the Ludington Daily News.  This isn't how newspapers are supposed to work, but the LDN is still getting awards, so it must work for them.  But do the ones who work there that consider themselves journalist really think they're doing the public a favor by being the hitmen for the City to knock down the voice of dissent?

 

Here's a case in point; on Friday's front page, the LDN had a blurb about a candidate forum next Monday.  I would love to attend, but the problem is that it is being held at the City Hall, and I can't go there or anywhere in the Police Station legally without express written permission.  Three inches of this five inch blurb was about a candidates non-attendance at the event: 

 

All candidates except one have said they will participate.  Tom Rotta, an at-large candidate has declined the LDN invitation, in part because he believes he is wrongly barred from city hall (the LDN has been assured a no trespass order affecting his entry into certain areas of city hall does not preclude him from attending this forum or other public events) and in part because he sees the site as not being neutral.  

 

Damning if true.  If you're a regular reader on the Shay-nanigans, you know the Letter of Trespass bars me from all areas of City Hall, and says absolutely nothing in it about allowing me to go to any public events there, without express written permission.  Get used to that phrase.  The site is not neutral, because of that, he got that right. 

But I never declined.   To show the sheer idiocy of the banter between me, Kevin, and Steve Baloney, an editor of the LDN (me supplying at least 33% of that idiocy), I feel I need to show my E-mails in full to show what a fantasy world Kevin lives in.  See if you can find my declining of this forum.  It starts off with me replying to a request for an interview by Kevin Brainiac:

If you see any declining of the invitation, please let me know.  Also note, that the one E-mail from Shay was not express written permission-- I was CC-ed, and the he said something that was false.  Before the Workplace Safety Policy, anyone could attend a meeting-- the WSP saw to it that that isn't the case anymore.  One of the many reasons it is illegal and needs to be removed.

[XLFD]

I left out most of Steve's and Kevin's statements, I was always replying to one or the other.  Lost in their invitations and questions were any concern about the ethical and legal issues of the WSP or Letter of Trespass, or the lack of fairness in the City Manager declining to issue 'express written permission'.  I don't make these laws up, but I will follow them to the point of their absurdity. 

Consider, John Shay is City manager, a main duty of that office (section 10.1 of the Charter): 

(4)  See that all laws, provisions of this charter and acts of the City Council, subject to enforcement by the City Manager or by officers subject to the Manager's direction and supervision, are faithfully executed.

 

He helps create and pass a law that says only "express written permission" of his office will allow someone with a public "Letter of Trespass" to enter a certain facility; yet even though he gave me this once before, after numerous pleadings, he declines (if I may borrow that term) to give me that in this instance. 

 

Pete Engblade, who is a retired police officer, assures me over and over that his word is good enough for me to enter City Hall, even though he voted for the WSP and the stipulation about "express written permission", and the lack of any City Council control over any part of it. 

 

Gentlemen, you made this law and passed it, live by the consequences of it!

[Edie Lindsey]

Shameful.  But don't take a look in today's LDN at the top left.  Exact same thing.  I tuned into the Torch to get the real scoop.  Thanks, X. 

Get used to it if you get the job.  This is why even if Tom gets elected, it will still be uphill to do anything.

[XLFD]

Sure will be.  I can't even get express written permission to enter City Hall, or have the City admit private property is actually private property when the laws are clear to me in what they say.

 

[Willy]

What I find troublesome is that this is an important story regarding the election of a public official and the LDN seems to be taking a ho hum attitude. What if you were running for mayor? Even if LDN were to dig into this situation it would appear that any information they gathered would be skewed in their reporting. Integrity is the name of the game here and I'm afraid LDN is showing a lack of it.

[Eve Alone]

XLFD has been very sick since Saturday night.  Perhaps the LDN's unexplained smears over the last two days on the front page is working.  The paper's editors and the City are at their wit's end trying to spin this their way, but they have a delicate path to cross.  I think they should have thought of the ramifications of this when they created that law.  Once its been around for 8 months its a little too late to say "Oh, the Open Meetings Act has a provision that this WSP doesn't trump." 

The OMA, the State's Constitution and the US Constitution is steamrolled by the WSP and the revised Letter of Trespass, and to say otherwise is naive.  Candidate Rotta's view is that if he cannot attend this forum on an equal footing with someone like Kaye Holman who has accepted 72 times her lawful salary the last 8 years, without the approval of someone who has been convincingly accused of two misdemeanors (City Manager John Shay), who also invoked this policy on someone for using the City's public records for the public's knowledge, there is something inherently wrong with the City and all of its leadership.  

[Eve Alone]

But here is the good news.  X got a call from WMOM this morning and he will be featured at 9 AM on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 on WMOM FM 102.7.  Pending Ms. Holman's approval there will be a candidates forum that will be truly open and it will be live.  Mark your calendar, even if Kaye isn't able to make it.   Good job, WMOM news editor, Mike Tanis.

[XLFD]

I have currently had the LDN say I've been banned from City Hall on three different occasions (and counting), without further clarifications, so I welcome the medium of local radio and WMOM irregardless of demographics and polling numbers, political science concepts which I don't really find too applicable in a town of a few thousand on an off year election. 

As for sitting  & chatting, would you invite someone like me into your house if you heard only of my past via the LDN?

Ms. Holman has also agree to the arrangement, so tune in on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. 

FM 102.7, always listen to your MOM. 

 

[cheeseburger]

Personally, I'm very excited that X will be on WMOM. Patrick, the owner of the station, has integrity and is a true journalist. This exposure can only be positive.

Also...Patrick is well aware of the "good ole boys" club that operates in this town. And, yes...Kay Holman is fully a part of that club.

[Willy]

XLFD

I read yesterdays LDN and saw your name on the front page. Congratulations, you have arrived. I have to say I'm impressed by your credentials. Having a Masters in mathimatics is a step above the average City Manager. It may be difficult to beat an imcumbent grandma who has "no agenda". Really? No agenda. She says being a cc is a great job. I guess she hasn't worked much. I believe she is part of the problem with City Hall. She goes along with the flow, not questioning how her decision are affecting the citizens she represents.

[XLFD]

I've looked at Ms. Holman's circular, read her write up in yesterday's paper.  Partnerships, doing what's best,  representing your needs, etc.  She sounds like a perfect candidate, and I think she has no agenda-- at least, that she wants to speak of. 

[XLFD]

You gotta love the Ludington Daily News.  They had coverage of the big candidate forum, and once again overlooked the snub to Tom Rotta by claiming under a picture of me with a gag and a cell phone: 

 

"Tom Rotta, a candidate for at-large councilor chose not to participate in the forum at City Hall because he said he believes he is banned from City Hall.  Instead he walked on the sidewalk with a sign that stated "Rotta for City Council:  Take Back City Hall".  He had his mouth duct taped and here was talking on a cell phone.  The Ludington Daily News invited him to participate prior to the forum and again as he marched, but both times he declined."

 

They forgot to mention the gag said "Freedom of Speech   Ludington-Style"  The one time I got a call the paparazzi came out.  Steve Baloney, if the reiteration over and over again in the thread head above about me being unable to come into City Hall because of the decree of a corrupted city council led by a madman with a vengeance laid this heavy burden on me on March 1.   This document is very explicit in what I can do at City Hall, and it is still part of an active policy, so the City Manager can create one for you if he doesn't like the intent of your FOIA requests, or whether you called him a bad name under your breath. 

 

[Sweater Cows!]

disgusting, simple research on the LDN's part and accurate reporting of facts not opinions would be a true amazing breakthrough in the "journalists' of this era(ldn or otherwise).