Ludington City Council 1-7-2013: Collectively, Positively Moving Forward With Mayor Henderson

[XLFD]

 

Ludington Mayor John Henderson had a lesson for local citizen activist Tom Rotta.  He started talking at the 33:15 point in the above video about the New Year's Eve Ball Drop event and how a whole bunch of City Officials and employees worked together with a positive spirit of cooperation to make the event a big success.  He continued on this same topic for more than nine minutes (isn't there some sort of 5 minute rule?). 

 

I may be hard headed or something because all I got out of his oratory was that he apparently wanted to talk this event up in his last year as the Mayor of Ludington so that this brainchild of his would continue on for future years with City of Ludington subsidization through the Downtown Ludington Board (DLB).  He had talked with the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) earlier and said the local convention and visitors bureau (CVB) had $25,000 invested in the NYE Ball Drop marketing(earmarked by the CVB's Marketing director, the Mayor's ravishing daughter, Brandy). 

 

Combined with the DLB's $20,000 for supplies alone (p.55 of this budget) and figure in about $5000 in incidentals that aren't supplies or marketing, the event takes around $50,000 in taxes to put on (the CVB's share comes from a 5% room tax charged throughout the county).  It seems rather steep for an event that occurs one night for a couple of hours, and that didn't earn the DLB or City a single dime in its first two years (according to the DLB's own records.)

 

If we consider the generous estimate of 5000 people attending the event, that means our taxes are paying $10 per person who attended this event. Hopefully, our city officials sold enough alcohol and light-up glasses to recoup some of that. 

 

But this long self-congratulatory monolog by Hizzoner didn't stop there, he had set the table for one more roast of his former co-worker, Tom Rotta.  Here is the two plus minutes of that, with annotations.  This started in at about the 42:35 mark, when the mayor went to miscellaneous business. 

 

 

Henderson:  Early on we had in the public comment from an individual that continues to really degrade some of the folks here at the City, and it is so wrong [I agree, the behaviors I enumerated that very night were very wrong: no-bid contracts, no oaths of office, blocking a citizen from voting, blocking public records from the public, attorney and judicial misconduct, perjury, cronyism, botching investigations, passing laws without a quorum.]  I mean I don't want to get in one of these long debates [the rules of the city council meetings effectively prohibit debates]. 

It's simply right, the facts he's giving at this podium across from me is not correct [John, 'facts' are by definition correct], most of it is inaccurate [state which parts and explain, please], the individual even knows it [he gives me too much credit for common sense], and he likes to continue to do it [I feel it is my civic duty, I really get no pleasure from it, but it must be done].  To continue to challenge our staff here is wrong [They're already challenged enough].  To continue to challenge their integrity and what they stand for and what they do [their actions and words speak for themselves, I need say nothing, though it would not be talked about openly then]-- I'll tell you what, why don't you do what they're trying to do and make Ludington a better place, instead of trying to pull it down and dig these holes where they don't exist [I don't get the reference, but there are plenty of holes in the streets because of the general neglect of the infrastructure over the last few years]. 

We're wasting a lot of money and effort [I'll say.  Them water towers and transient docks...].  We got a good council; we got a good city attorney-- councilors-- and a police force-- they don't do great?  C'mon, seriously they do a wonderful job [I disagree, due to their leadership, they're more of a police farce]  They're second to none in this nation [when they act as your own private security team you would probably think so, John]  So we'll stand up any day to that.  Maybe take some time to focus on what we are trying to get done here [that's what I've been doing the last four years, LOL]  Collectively [progressive-talk starts here], together, to make this a better place. 

None of us are trying to fight the system [because, Johnny, the system as it is, works for your benefit.], what we are trying to do is make this a better place.  So I would challenge you, Tom, to step forward and say "How can I make this a better place?" [And get thrown out of the meeting!?  But seriously, that's why I get up everyday and run this website to do just that]  "Am I really trying to be positive to make this a better place?" [I am the eternal optimist] or tear this thing down and continue [like our founding fathers when they saw tyranny at the helm].

No one has any problem with you being critical.  Critical and good discussion is good for our society [but not for council meetings, I get five minutes, you are well over ten minutes now, and I can't ever talk again until after the meeting].  I believe in that and believe the council believes in that [...that's why we never discuss things with you or act on what you say, LOL]   We definitely have our debates and differences [... but not at our public meetings].  But we look at trying to work with what's successful, how do we move forward, how do you make it a better place. And we're not always going to agree, that's just human nature.  But to continue to go after John and all these stuff [who is going after John (Shay)?   I think the records say the reverse.  And exactly what unethical and illegal stuff is off-limits?] and I'm not going to get into the tit for tat stuff because I frankly don't care [tit for tat means something like a quid pro quo.  Is he perhaps getting into some of the unethical things going on behind the scenes with the cronyism and nepotism?]

But what I do care about is how much time and effort you could be spending on trying to make this a better place [ain't I spending enough time on it here?  I have to do more?]  And helping us solve some of the issues that are critical to moving us forward [tried that, but it's in the courts now], instead of just constantly caught in this churn [colonial reference which I have no idea what he means].  So I would just challenge Mr. Rotta to make this a better place [you guys could help a little by acting ethically]  And with that any comments, questions [...not from you, Rotta!]  Is there a motion to adjourn? 

CC Kaye Holman:  That was well said, John.  [...and now that the meeting is over, you two can find a private room, LOL].

 

I'm sure Mayor Henderson meant to convey something here, but I just saw it as a vindication of my job as a community activist being relatively successful.  None of his 'pep talk' made it to the local press, nor did any of the concerns I brought forth, many I have brought up repeatedly, find their way to print.  But they are out there, and the pink elephant is getting bigger. 

You will note that in the dozen minutes he talked, no mention of any of the problems I brought up from the first half of last year were even addressed.  But he kept it positive and moving forward in that patronizing way of the patrician.  Completely oblivious to how out of touch he actually is.

[Marty Redman]

What your mayor doesn't get or maybe he does get is that you are commenting on facts.  Maybe he does get it but wants to fog the issue.  That 10 minutes of blowing the Citys horn was just as interesting as someone blowing badly on a horn for 10 minutes.  I don't get how come he just continues to rag on you for pointing out things rather than rag on you over the issues you brought out at the start of this and other meetings.  Talk issues Mayor, not further rag on XLFD's personality, we all know hes a reprobate, but at least hes an honest, earnest reprobate unlike your honorable- cough- self. 

Isn't the city of Ludington being sued for going after this same person very publicly and very dishonestly???  Is this a good move, to continue that line???

[XLFD]

It hasn't gone unnoticed, and as you say, if the City is looking for some favorable settlement in any of the pending lawsuits they may want to consider a more logical tact than to continue to wage a war of negativity on the person, to borrow a phrase, who is looking to make this a better place. 

[Willy]

X. One of the things that insults the intelligence of those who  are paying attention is the fact that these Council members make personal statements about you during a public meeting to which you are not allowed to reply. That alone shows how contemptible  they are. They think they are being nice and doing what's right but in their own ignorance and arrogance they are side stepping the rules and regulations that make an elected form of Government work for the people. These elected officials need to look at how they are governing but the attitude they have of being above the law seems to be pervasive in most of their decisions. Add to that the complicit involvement of the Ludington Daily News and there exist a closed form of "good ol boy" power that controls Ludingtons political life.

[XLFD]

Thanks for paying attention, Willy, because it's not always easy sitting still when these guys distort the record at the end of the meeting with a bunch of meaningless generalities and thinly veiled personal attacks.  Mayor Henderson should listen a little better to the outcome of the last election, and to whether the words he speaks  about his detractors are more appropo to the man in the mirror.  

It seems that at least once a month, one of the councilors or the mayor have to make a comment at the end of the meeting to remind us all that they are all part of some mutual support group having to endure the ill manners of that person who gets up at the meeting and reminds them of what laws, ethics, and economics dictate they should be doing in their public capacity.   

[AQUAMAN]

For the "betterment of Ludington"? Isn't betterment by definition a term used to show a greater degree of excellence, improvement, superior manner, more prosperous circumstances, and so forth? Isn't the FOIA process in and of itself a motion for more clarification and transparency of information that the public is lawfully entitled to? For the exact purpose of achieving a higher degree of excellence, improvements, and superior manner of ethics? And so, if that FOIA director of information falls into the lap of the City Manager, is it an imposition to him to make lawful answers for such information? Does it impose such a nuisance situation to him that he has to continue to lie and hide information that is supposed to be public property? If so, then why doesn't John Shay retire as FOIA director and they assign this task to another person? One whom can effectually operate in transparency and get the job done without personal attacks on the person requesting the information? Years ago when asking why, when, how much, and who on numerous occasions by phone to various city council members, I was told to attend the meetings and get your answers there. That participation in city affairs was encouraged and appreciated at all levels, and certainly would be addressed to my satisfaction anytime. NOW, someone that does attend meetings and is courteous, but in the least bit not praising and bowing down, is a nuisance and not acting for the betterment of the city. That is nothing short of a cop-out! It's this degrading of any individual that asks questions that makes any intelligent person ask why act like this? Why not give the FOIA information in total and speedily to avoid more questions and more FOIA's? Betterment in the eyes of City Officials would appear to be sit down, shut up, mind your own business, and don't look over our shoulders. Again, singling out any one particular person for being a curious and competent investigative citizen is only showing again the arrogance and hostile mentality of elected officials that DO have something to hide. SHAME on you HENDERSON! You display all that is wrong with officials that look down on the electorate and common citizens that you are supposed to be serving equally, and without bias and contempt.

[XLFD]

I take up Mayor Henderson's challenge by issuing my own in The true costs.  I offer also another challenge to any of those up at City Hall: offer any refutation you wish of what I say at the City Council, but stick to the issue, and not me personally.  You may offer it at the council meetings, right here on these pages, or anywhere else that you decide may be sympathetic to your side.

I was branded as a bad person by the City in February of 2011 just for unintentionally inciting a mob mentality (LOL) on these pages by showing current Councilor Mr. Tykoski and current CDD Mrs. Tykoski had more than an appearance of impropriety in putting a bunch of navigationally-useless gold-plated signs in the downtown area and benefitting financially thereof, among other wastes of taxpayer dimes.  These people want slaps on their backs and handshakes like they get from their favored corporate friends, not critiques from a spokesman for the people they are not serving. 

[AQUAMAN]

Speaking of that supposedly favored employee: see COL property #051-210-035-00 wherein taxable values have changed drastically since bought in 2010, from $128K down now to $84K, decreasing the new owners' annual tax burden from $5700 to $3200, a reduction of about $2500 per year. IS THAT FAIR? I'm sure most all of us have NOT seen our assessments go down, or at least NOT that MUCH! Coincidence? Or more CORRUPTION? You decide! With those type of favors, it's easy to volunteer your time for the ball drop in exchange.