Did They Understand the Civics Lesson? Banned Man Speaks at City Hall

[XLFD]

The first City Council meeting happened on Monday wherein a man was allowed to freely enter the Ludington City Hall without permission of City manager John Shay and the onerous burden of an active letter of trespass placed on that person under the authority of the Ludington City Council, who voted for the policy last year that allowed Shay to place it on him the very next day. 

Just one week prior, he got a letter in his mailbox confirming that the Letter had been revoked, with the reassurance that it might be reinstated at any time, for any reason the capricious whims of the City Manager and Community Development Director decide to invoke. 

He had been intimidated and threatened by this City Hall and their wives named Penny, over the last year and a half, just for displaying public records and exercising his freedom of speech in what he felt had been a responsible manner, and so he was thankful that he had a cushion of about 100 third graders from Foster School at his back (and both sides) after Mayor John Henderson asked for public comments and this nervous man in a blue "Ludington Fire Department" sweatshirt waded through the mass of 9 year olds to the podium.  Unfolding his quartered paper, he began his presentation, for the first time he ever has spoken to the Ludington City Council, a body which has been at odds with him since 2009. 

 

 

Good afternoon, honorable Students, bright-eyed city councilors

My name is Tom Rotta, I live at 137 E. Dowland. I would like to express my appreciation to the City government for the work on my street that is taking place as I speak... Not so appreciative about the early morning rumblings outside ...but it will pass. I stand before you today not so much as to address the City Council but to address the future leaders of our communities currently sitting on the carpeting, but one day maybe sitting behind that dais in front of us. I also expect the assembled councilors to listen as well, because they may be tested on what I cover here at a future date.

Foster students, today you will learn a bit from your teachers and from the Mayor and the rest of the dignitaries in front of us about the workings of City government. But what you will hear will be the ideal case of a healthy government.  A healthy government respects the rights... and the property of the people they serve.  A healthy government makes sure each penny they spend is spent for the good of all the people they serve; a healthy government openly conducts its business in full view, and allows its records to be available to everyone.

An unhealthy government does not respect the rights of the people, nor their property. An unhealthy government uses public money for select individuals and projects not in the public's interest. An unhealthy government conducts most of its business in backrooms, and keeps its records unavailable.

When the list of laws a government passes over a short time consists of regularly raising taxes and fees on the people, raising their own rates of pay, making unneeded rules for the local parks, restricting the feeding of cats and seagulls, allowing a city official to keep anyone from entering a public place without any definable reason needed and without any due process... you have the makings of an unhealthy government.

Today, students, you will hear the City Council more than likely pass a law (the Medical Marijuana Ordinance). Back when you were in Kindergarten, the citizens of this state passed an initiated law by a vote of 63% to 37% that allowed the people of this state certain rights under limited conditions.  Today, the City Council will pass a law that makes that state law passed resoundingly back in 2008 effectively meaningless to the citizens of Ludington.

I voted against the law back then, and I am still not OK with it, but that's not how democracy works. The majority rules, votes count, and laws are laws. A local law cannot overrule a state law. That's what will happen today if this passes. That will be unhealthy.

My continuing challenge to you, the 3rd graders of Foster School, is to recognize what distinguishes a healthy system from an unhealthy system. I am sure I am probably at the limit of your attention span, I know I'm past that stage for some in front of us, but always exercise your rights and perform check-ups on your government, to keep it healthy.  Thank you.

 

The fool missed the opportunity to actually talk with the council about any issues and instead decided to give a civics lesson to the Third Graders of Foster School.  The idiot then left with the kids, several of which he knew fairly closely, and missed the vote that he told the kids about.  At least he had his health.

[Willy]

I wonder if any of the City officials caught your meaning when you addressed  the students as honorable and the councilors as bright eyed? It's to bad the kids won't really grasp what you said but I'm sure the Councilors got the message loud and clear. After the meeting I bet the Councilors consulted with Shay  and discussed your re banishment. I can just hear some of their comments to each other, "I told you this would happen", "I thought we had him beat", "I guess we weren't hard enough on him", "he just won't go away", "now what do we do, I know let's put sugar in his gas tank", "can we raise his taxes"?

[Polly Purewater]

With this statement one can clearly see which catagory our town falls into.....

 A healthy government respects the rights... and the property of the people they serve.  A healthy government makes sure each penny they spend is spent for the good of all the people they serve; a healthy government openly conducts its business in full view, and allows its records to be available to everyone.

An unhealthy government does not respect the rights of the people, nor their property. An unhealthy government uses public money for select individuals and projects not in the public's interest. An unhealthy government conducts most of its business in backrooms, and keeps its records unavailable.

[XLFD]

The Medical Marijuana ordinance passed 5-1, with no regard for State law, and not enough regard for the lawsuits filed against Michigan cities for the violation of the initiated law.  Congratulations to the City Attorney Manistee law firm (complete with Judge Cooper's son) who will be the only benefactors of this policy, when it gets tested and the Ludington taxpayer pays their special projects fees. 

Quite a coincidence that they oversaw the drafting of the MMO, along with two other people that never heard about Ludington until ten years ago (Barnett and Shay).

[XLFD]

I'll be looking out for Sergeant Schultz of the LPD and the Letter O' Trespass wagon.  And closely monitoring the City's expenses on sugar. 

I'm hoping, Willy, that this is like one of those cartoons that you enjoyed as a kid strictly for its entertainment value, and then when you look at it again when you grow up, you realize it was more about something on an adult-level of comprehension--and thereby appreciate it once again but for different reasons.  If this happens to some of these third graders later in life, when our government is likely to be even more intrusive, I'll be happy.

[masonco]

I looked to see if XLFD was on at all or not. At first I did not see any signs of XLFD so wondered if XLFD as been picked up by Barney Fife.

[XLFD]

Thanks for your concern, Masonco!  Still haven't been picked up, but the weeks not over.

[masonco]

Send a mayday if you see them circling your  house wearing warpaint...

[Willy]

XLFD

I have to congratulate you on your courage to step up to the plate and challenge the Council even before the cyber ink on  post banishment paperwork has cyber dried.

[XLFD]

In just a week's period, I visited the City Hall on three separate occasions after being kept out for over 420 days.  Last Tuesday, to look at a FOIA request, this Monday to go to a council meeting to explain things to third graders about what healthy governments do (that's how the LDN summarized it), and this Tuesday to vote on the LASD vote for technology money. 

And remember Willy, I didn't challenge the council, I just talked to a bunch of third graders and their teachers about government and stuff. 

[XLFD]

Here is the latest City Council meeting as posted at the Mason County Library website.  Of special note is 2:00 in to 6:00, where XLFD addresses the group, and the last 15 minutes, where the mayor has a Q&A with the students; and at 54:00 in, you hear the amusing/embarassing story about a barbecue fire that happened at John Shay's house which required mobilization of City police and fire forces.  This was brought up by Shay's third grade daughter.  An anecdote that has came up before at the City Council.  Does it show that even his grill is too greasy for its own good?

The other reports on assessing, auditing, and the DPW that came up in the area in-between were... dry.

 

 

[Willy]

Well done X. Words always have more meaning when heard out loud. I didn't completely grasp the meaning of the following statement until I heard it spoken in the video "I also expect the assembled councilors to listen as well, because they may be tested on what I cover here at a future date." I bet this statement just blew over their heads. Again, nice comments.

[XLFD]

Could that have been some foreshadowing of things to come? 

The Ludington Torch brain trust should have an interesting summer.  We are hopefully in for some favorable court judgments to be finalized shortly, playfully have some civil disobedience activities in the planning stage, dutifully initiate our 'letter of trespass' litigation (finally), hopefully petition some criminal litigation  for some public servants gone bad, and helpfully assist other folks who are getting ignored or downtrodden by their City or County governments.