Jari-Karie or How to Kill Your Own Political Career in Pere Marquette Township

[XLFD]

You may have heard of the Japanese term "Hari-kari", which was a ritual suicide involving disembowelment performed primarily by samurai in order to die with honor rather than continue living in dishonor.  

This last week, Pere Marquette Charter Township (PMCT) Supervisor Jerry Bleau and his wife, PMCT Treasurer Karie Bleau, invented their own variation of this ancient practice, engaging in courses of conduct that effectively disemboweled their political futures and resulted in what many think will be career suicide.  Have they chosen a career path to die with dishonor rather than live with honor, creating a new ceremony that we can dub "Jari-karie"?  Will they be successful enough in this dishonor killing to cut through the vitality of the foundations of the township in the process?  

                   PMCT Supervisor Jerry and Treasurer Karie Bleau with their weapon of choice (pens) for committing Jari-karie

This all actually started before last week's Tuesday meeting with two basic actions taken by the Bleaus leading up to it, but only on that day did it manifest itself to the general public.  The agenda packet for that meeting was fairly cryptic, in that the township clerk was claiming a conflict of interest resulted from another township official asking for three years of her email communications sent and received, and for that same time period, the text messages of an unidentified employee of PMCT.

I would later find out the identity of the FOIA requester and the employee targeted, but I had heard from a fairly credible source that the request came from the top, and so that's what I went with in my first comment at the meeting, since it fit a pattern:  

XLFD:  "Rumor has it that tonight's action item to consider a new conflict of interest policy from Secretary Enbody originated from a couple of requests made by the township supervisor, one for emails sent to or from the secretary's email and one for the text messages of a township employee.  I try not to deal with rumors, so I am formally submitting tonight my own FOIA request to get the origin of these FOIA requests and my own electronic copies of the response to the request or requests.  

Presuming at this point that the rumor is true, and with recognition that a FOIA requester does not have any duty to explain why they made a FOIA request in the first place, I am hopeful that the supervisor will grant the courtesy of telling the people of PM Charter Township the reasons behind his requests, requests that will likely be very costly to the township's resources if legal counsel does the work."

Other than Deputy Dave Barnett introducing himself as the Ludington Elementary SRO, I was the only one to speak during that first comment period.   But even before this comment occurred, Trustee Ron Soberalski had added an item of new business to the agenda to discuss cease and desist letters sent to him, Clerk Enbody, and several other PM citizens including at the least Tim Iteen, Jamie Healy and Connie Anderson who would all talk about it later in the second comment period. 

These letters, effectively a warning from the Bleau's through their attorney Jason M. Gerber of the Carlos Alvarado law firm, were drafted to tell the sender that the Bleaus had took their past words at meetings, social media, and regular media as defamatory, and that they needed to stop such slander in the future or risk being sued.  The portion below, from Tim Iteen's letter explains:

I had experienced seeing a similar letter in the past sent to my co-plaintiff from the rather aggressive attorney representing the City of Ludington's risk management team.  She had been engaging in reasonable activity allowed to citizens that the attorney thought was undermining the City's position and potentially the project that was being contested.  She was threatened with costly lawsuits if she continued her conduct.  What happened was she felt very threatened and brought it to Judge Peter Wadel's attention, who roundly chastised the attorney for using the threat of a Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) lawsuit to quell my partner's First Amendment rights.  

If the Bleaus were trying to gain public sympathy and empathy from voters for the November recall elections they are part of, this wasn't the way to do it, but this doesn't appear to be their tactic as they would highlight by the odd FOIA request made.  After a lackluster presentation of PMCT's 2022 audit, perhaps dulled somewhat by their earlier forensic audit, they passed a couple of 'routine' resolutions to pay Board of Review members for training and to sell Lot 11 in the First Street Business Park, before the truth was learned about the FOIA request.

For the rumor I heard was wrong, but not by much; it was the broad who made the very broad FOIA request, Treasurer Karie Bleau.  When this topic was discussed the estimated cost for township for the FOIA request was around $90,000 if they were to use their attorney to do the work and it would cost Karie about $30,000 to receive the full response. 

These are significant numbers and while other trustees were discussing the time, cost, and procedure for the response effort, the Bleaus were sitting quiet and smiling for the most part, with Karie chiming in at a point that it was only numbers.  She should recall that messing up numbers was what led to her having to defend her seat in an election this year.  A moment of levity had Trustee Jim Nordlund suggesting they use Tom Rotta for the response due to his knowledge of FOIA.  I work a lot cheaper than an attorney too, but I would much rather sift through two other sets of emails.  

In the end of this discussion, a close 4-3 vote (with the Bleaus and Soberalski (the latter concerned about the cost) voting against) let the township attorney handle the FOIA request rather than Enbody, the normal FOIA Coordinator.  Once again, the Bleaus' weird actions are going to cost the township unnecessary expenses they wouldn't otherwise incur in what is at best a fishing expedition and at worst, an action set in motion to distract the clerk from doing the other duties her job requires before the recall elections.  

The three other trustees (Nordlund, Kmetz and Rasmussen) mostly let the other four discuss as they voted to allow the clerk to bow out to a conflict of interest, and they would mostly stay out of the next quagmire involving the cease and desist letters, two of which were served on their peers.  Soberalski's letter was somewhat vague as to the libels he had done:

"[Soberalski] may have made, and may continue to be making, defamatory statements in person and/or in writing... Your statements include deceptively inaccurate statements on social media concerning Mr. and Mrs. Bleau … during 2022 and 2023,”

Soberalski claimed to be confused and concerned about making any kind of statement anywhere that could be considered defamatory towards his fellow trustees.  He asked the rest of the board whether they knew of anything that may be construed that way, and not even the Bleaus could dredge one up.  Enbody was similarly confused about the letter but let Soberalski take the point.  

“With myself being a board member, if your actions are able to stifle me in any way in my comments or concerns, you’re controlling the board.  That’s undermining our form of government and that’s concerning to me. … I’m not happy with it.”

                           Trustee Ron Soberalski facing two other horse's arses in a recent Freedom Festival Parade 

Kmetz could empathize with how he felt but believed it should be something worked out between the parties rather than involve the whole board.  Karie Bleau would indicate that the letter had nothing to do with his actions on the board, but his actions as a resident of PMCT.  This was not very convincing as the letter referenced his behavior at board meetings, and she was reminded of that by Soberalski who added:

“This letter, in itself, I think is aiming at discrediting me. And not only that, it’s discrediting me with malice, meaning that you’re doing it with an intention to damage me, and that is wrong.”

The Bleaus would say nothing more about it and the meeting went to a committee of the whole to discuss the status of the PMCT's Brownfield Authority, and eventually took a vote to disband the group they had originally created last year with Scottville and Ludington on board, jumped off of that board, and then five of the trustees (all but the two Bleaus) dissolved it and will from now on use the county's Brownfield Authority rather than their own.  

The meeting went to extended public comment and Tim Iteen would showcase his letter and admit his own confusion.  Connie Anderson, former township treasurer, also received a letter but concentrated primarily on how the township procedures in the past did not have the luxury of computers and software taken for granted in politely chiding the current treasurer for complaining about procedures that used to take a lot longer to do.  

Then it was my turn, and I don't know why I didn't get a letter, and I'm still astounded that I haven't gotten a letter one week later after the meeting, But I let my 'frustration' be known:

XLFD:  I was concerned that I didn't get a cease-and-desist letter-- it means that I just have to try harder.

The November election in PM Township is fast approaching, but I want to look back at what happened about 4 years ago for purposes of this comment.  On August 13, 2019 Former Township Supervisor Keson announced he would be resigning effectively on September 27th.  At that August 13 meeting they approved advertising for the supervisor position indicating letters of interest needed to be submitted by September 6.  One statutory qualification for the supervisor position was that the person must be a township resident for at least 30 days prior to appointment.  

Jerry Bleau at the time was regularly coming to meetings as the Building/Zoning Administrator, he presented his report at that meeting.  He had a hankering for the supervisor job, but he had a problem, he lived with his wife about two miles outside of PM Township in Hamlin Township according to records.  According to a FOIA request I made back in early 2020, Jerry Bleau would only get on the PM voter rolls on August 29, 2019, two weeks after he heard the news of the supervisor position opening. His wife Karie Bleau was not on those rolls until much later, a seemingly odd circumstance.

For reasons not clear in the record, the township board extended the deadline for a letter of interest to October 1st at the September 10th meeting.  On October 8, a closed session was held because one of the six candidates desired his name to remain confidential.  Candidates Piper, Tresnak, Collins, Gaylord, Smith, and this confidential candidate would be interviewed at a special meeting on October 17, 2019.  Jerry Bleau's name was finally revealed at that meeting, where interviews were conducted, but no decision was made.  Three days later on October 20, Jerry Bleau was appointed supervisor by the board over the other five choices.  

That's the timeline, and pardon me for dredging up some old issues, but I think they are relevant issues for when township voters make decisions this fall.  Changing addresses in Michigan is pretty much done on the honor system, you don't need to prove that you actually live at the address, but you do swear under penalty of perjury that you do.  I cannot prove one way or the other whether Jerry Bleau lived at his voter roll address in August through October of 2019, but he sure wasn't living there a few months later than that due to my own investigations.  

Was it coincidental that he remained the only confidential candidate when the question of his residency might be challenged by his neighbors in Hamlin Township?  Or by the neighbors of his voter roll address who might insist the house was vacant if the address came out in the media?  

We have a very suspicious course of conduct that happened in 2019, which culminated in a Michigan State Police investigation in 2020 that seems to turn up foul play by Jerry Bleau consistent with our reasonable suspicions and timelines that don't add up in his favor.  I've asked him twice in the past at these open meetings about whether he could confirm that he lived in PM Township for 30 days when he was initially selected for his position.  If anybody here was challenged about their residency in PM Township with the stakes this high, would you not show how the state police got it wrong and disprove it so that it becomes a dead issue.  That is, if you actually had lived in PM Township at the relevant times.  

Did you cheat and commit perjury to get your job, Mr. Bleau?  I will continue to ask this question until you either answer it, or you get defeated in November. [END Comment]

The Bleaus have made a prior statement saying they will no longer address comments and complaints dealing with their past and current actions, making them effectively derelict of their duties to the PMCT electorate.  It is not lost on me that any elected official who fails to answer relevant questions posed to them in a public forum look awfully bad when they remain silent, so guess who will be continuing to ask them.   If anybody achieves an elective office then decides to not answer any questions regarding their conduct as officials, recall is the best option to get someone into that office who will be accountable for their actions and do an important part of their job.  

Shelby Soberalski spoke next and defended her father in a very reasonable way, showing that she had more political tact and wisdom than some on the board.  Jamie Healy, wife of PMCT employee Dan Healy, gave a similar short defense of her husband, his training and his status.  She also received a letter.  

It was good to see five of those people with letters telling them to stop speaking up go to this meeting and speak up.  I have talked with officials from some other jurisdictions who have told me that when they have recently gone to the PMCT administrative office, that it is the proverbial toxic working environment.  That isn't good for any town or city hall, but thanks to Tim Iteen's efforts, the citizens of PMCT can correct the problem, or find that it isn't that big of a problem if they reelect the Bleaus. 

Speaking of recall, Karie Bleau wasn't done on Tuesday.  I went to the court late Thursday afternoon and ran into her on her way to the county clerk.  She had an uncharacteristically crazy-wide grin on her face when she noticed me, and I soon found out why.  She had just filed two recall petitions against Clerk Enbody and Trustee Soberalski, mirroring almost the same language filed against her and her husband earlier this year.  Soberalski's petition says:

“On or about June 27, 2022 and Aug. 2022, Trustee Soberalski received information from the auditor that a water and/or sewer billing error was discovered during the auditing process. Trustee Soberlaski failed to bring a corrective action plan to the board to resolve the billing error which is his fiduciary responsibility as a trustee.”

Creating a 'corrective action plan' is more of an administrative task one would think would be more appropo for the supervisor, treasurer, or their assistants to perform.  Rachelle Enbody's came in two parts:

“Rachelle Enbody has repeatedly created a volatile, hostile and toxic work environment for past and current township staff.” and 

”On or about June 27, 2022 and August 8, 2022 Clerk Rachelle Enbody received information from the auditor that a water and/or sewer billing error was discovered during the auditing process. MCL (Michigan Compiled Laws) 41.65 requires the clerk to keep accurate accounting records. Clerk Enbody failed to present the board with a corrective action plan to resolve this issue to ensure accurate accounting records are kept.”

It appears to this reporter that Treasurer Bleau is trying to foist her billing mistakes onto others who weren't directly involved and in Soberalski's case, wouldn't be directly involved in making a corrective action plan.  The plan would be quite simple here in any case and should have been in the purview of the treasurer with either the clerk or supervisor assistance or oversight.  

The recall petitions filed by Treasurer Bleau appear to be more of a sideshow, perhaps to take the PMCT citizen's eyes off of the two Bleaus by putting more meat on the November ballot.  I don't see the Bleaus getting enough people to sign their petitions even if these should pass muster, and they likely won't as it appears that Karie is projecting her and her husband's own shortcomings on others.  A common trait of scoundrels is that they cannot take the blame for their own mistakes but must place it squarely on others who are nearby.  

Thus, we see the steps in the ritual political career suicide process known as Jari-Karie.  First, get yourself in a bind by being an elected official who has done enough to warrant a recall election where you still have a fair shot of winning simply because most of the electorate is not paying attention.  Then:

* Make it known by primal screaming that you will no longer answer questions relating to you or your spouse official's actions ever again.

** Draw your weapon (your pen) and send out cease and desist letters for defamation to fellow officials and leading citizens, when there doesn't appear to be any actionable slander going on.

*** Do some crazy gesturing with your weapon, whipping it out to send a FOIA request that will cost the township about four times more than the original underbilling you are being recalled for. 

**** Go for the disembowelment of any political future by filing recall petitions on your fellow trustees blaming them for your own errors and not making corrective action plans to make sure you don't err again in the future.

To find out whether your Jari-Karie dishonor killing is successful, check out the results after the first Tuesday in November. 

[Willy]

Is there no place in Mason County where normal people are involved with politics? This is a very thorough presentation regarding the Bleaus, X. Well done. The Bleaus could be singing the blues after the next election cycle. Love the Jari Kari comments. One might say that Jerry and Karie, Bleau up, their political futures but after watching the voters of Mason County for so many years  It's possible they may survive this.

[XLFD]

I give either recall a fair chance of success, but there definitely is no guarantee.  Since this will be an odd year election, it will all count on turnout of motivated voters.  What I see right now is a lot of motivated voters on the recalling side, and very little on the "Save the King and Queen" side.  I see desperation actions by the Bleaus that only look like they will hinder their chances further.  People are noticing, and they are also noticing that the work of PMCT is not getting done very well.

I have a sneaking suspicion that one reason of many that they took out a recall petition on the township clerk is part of a scheme to install somebody else to oversee the election who may not be very scrupulous.  PM politics with the Bleaus is like Machiavelli on steroids.