Ludington City Council 7-22-2013: Cheap Theatrics

[XLFD]

The agenda didn't have a lot of meat on it, but there was still a lot of calories in what little there was.  The City approved the standard sign variances for an event (with Kaye Holman's dissent), approved a sewer cooperative agreement with Pentwater (of which I'd like to know more about), and emphatically agreed to allow a portable veteran's wall to appear in Ludington in 2014.  They agreed on a liquor license for a FNL garden party, even though they did not fill out the application properly. 

 

They also brought out more details of their proposed purchase of 808 E Danaher, which was approved unanimously even without any real public use being noted for doing so.  This will be further touched on in another thread, as there is some serious taint I see by the County and City when I read the laws on such privileged purchases. 

 

But a couple of things I was involved in needs special notice.  I had a FOIA appeal, which once again was decided on without any public input by the appealer.  The City has made this a new policy, so as to limit the airtime of dissenting opinions from their favorite concerned citizen.  The FOIA appeal involved the interrogation tapes of Ariel Courtland taken by law enforcement on the day Baby Kate went missing.  This will be further explored in the group, "The Trail of Baby Kate".

 

The interesting parts of the meeting could only be called 'cheap theatrics'-- at least by those who have an opposing viewpoint to the appropriate speaker.  I started out by using some props, that were fairly cheap.  I brought two poster boards at the Dollar Tree for $1 total, cut them in half and made four fake and oversized checks that corresponded to three settled cases and one case being discussed in closed session that very night by the attorney who helped bring resolution for the City Hallers in the prior lawsuits.  My presentation starts about 2:40 into the video, is transcribed below the video and is five minutes long. 

 

Mayor Henderson, who figured he could do better than John Shay and Attorney Wilson at the previous two meetings, did rather worse.  But his theatrics beat me to the cheap, he did not spend a dollar on posterboard.  I have transcribed and annotated his remarks with brackets, immediately after my words, because I am if anything a stickler for accuracy and fairness.  In the video, his remarks start at the 30:00 mark.

 

 

 

"At the end of the last two meetings, I have been personally slandered by the City Manager in this public forum and then cruelly perplexed by City Attorney Wilson who went to great length and subterfuge to try and prove that the City did not lose a federal court case whereupon I received a fair-sized lump of money. 

 

Now I hate to be a killjoy for the mutual admiration society of people that I see before me now, but this City Government is a tainted entity when you look at how it has been conducting itself at the expense of its citizens.  I can perhaps illustrate this best for those who are not privy to all the behind-the-scenes news with some visual aids that show what has been happening just this year as far as the City settling issues with resources provided by the taxpayers that pertain to our City Officials acting badly. 

 

Starting in February, the City admitted that yes they did deliberate and make decisions outside of an Open Meeting concerning a no-bid contract worth nearly $100,000.  This was impossible to deny, because of the E-mail trail received by an intrepid citizen through a FOIA request.  Naturally, the City claimed it was an emergency situation, even though the work began five weeks after the E-mail vote.  This concerted scheme perpetrated by the council of 2011 and our administrators, netted me {Check} this check for $4650, $4500 of which went to my attorney, the other $150 used to pay for court costs.  

 

In April, it was learned that the City had settled once again in a lawsuit directed against them by Shelly Jo Burns who was allegedly pushed to the ground hard, by LPD's Aaron Sailor, a repeat police brutality offender back when he was on the Pontiac Police Department, Chief Barnett's old bailiwick.  Sailor had apparently entered Burns' sister's house without showing a warrant and found her in the way, even though her back was to him.  The City wisely sidestepped this going to trial by settling for an undisclosed amount of money to the plaintiff.  {check} As there were medical bills and constitutional violations I put the amount of $50,000 on this paycheck, and welcome anybody on the City or our visiting attorney to supply the correct amount if they would be so transparent. 

 

In June, I once again became the beneficiary of some money due to the City' improper actions.  In 2011, the City adopted a policy (it should have been at least an ordinance, but then it would have to be publicly published) that gave certain officials, the City Manager and Attorney,  new powers to greatly diminish the rights of any citizen, and used that policy against me.  I suffered much harm due to this policy, and went to federal court to seek justice.  And the City chose a good bargain when they settled with me for $15,000 {check} because my point wasn't to make tons of money, but to win.  And if I didn't win, would I be having one of these oversized fake checks to display, while the City has only their slander and hare-brained excuses?

 

In a month or two, the City will once again be tempted to settle another federal suit involving police brutality by one of their own.  I have read all of the relevant deposition transcripts in this case, and it appears that one of our officers, now a county deputy, and two other county deputies tackled and repeatedly tasered a Ludington citizen down at the beach, when the citizen had done nothing to deserve such treatment.  He was then taken to a hospital where he was further tasered while being generally cooperative and chained to a hospital bed.  Fearing repercussions, the county maliciously prosecuted the citizen, just like the Pontiac Police Department did during one of Aaron Sailor's police brutality cases.  

 

The City will be going into closed session with their risk management attorney to decide how best to settle the mess, but I challenge any member of this city council and all city officials to look at the record, and stand up for the citizen who could have been killed by the goonish behavior of three rogue cops, instead of trying to figure how they can best sweep the incident under the rug, and allow these ruffians to continue patrolling our county with a license to hurt.  {check}  I estimated the cost of this lawsuit at $75,000+, but the County will help pay this one.

 

There are other actions being considered to address the untamed corruption our City leaders are involved in, some of which may be settled by the year's end..."

 

Mayor Henderson:  "Mr. Rotta commented earlier that basically, in my opinion, he is calling out our law enforcement officers, both here and in the county, 'thug' is a comment I believe he had used [No call outs, and I never used 'thug', but I like the way you think here, John] .  I cannot strongly disagree with that comment [A double negative, meaning "I can strongly agree with that comment"], we have great officers who recently put their life in danger to defend our community [Yes, and we also have bad officers who do not follow their oath of office in their duties].  They're stand up individuals and I'll challenge those who say they are not [which is what you're doing, but you're ignoring the rights of your constituents and the law in doing so].

 

Mr. Rotta you have FOIAed enough of these things [and been groundlessly denied such data], you understand but you continue to want to leave half-truths [supply the other half then instead of demagoguing and attacking a citizen intent on the full truth], we've discussed this in the past [but not with the public] of what went on, and all these checks you presented.  Aaron Sawyer [Sailor] had every right to do what he did [unknowingly, the mayor confuses rights and powers.  No one has the right to force themselves into your house and push you to the ground and injure you and keep away medical care from you], what happened there unfortunately it was an argumentative case, the City had to look at it and deal with it according what it was going to be sued and how we settled those things [This is drivel.  They would fight it if they had any chance in front of a jury] . 

 

To say that these guys are openly breaking the law or challenging or running above those laws is so wrong, and to make those [The allegations of Burns and McAdam seem to be corroborated by fact and depositional evidence, in my two suits the facts and laws are practically incontrovertible] ... you really got to apologize to each and every one of those officers [if the allegations are ever shown to be false, I will, but I don't think they will.].  They're out there day in and day out, Tom, you need to figure that out [so is everyone else in this world, John].  They are there to protect you, even though you may be ragging on them they will be there for when you call if you ever need them so you need to think about that [accountability is important for the officers and your own conduct, so why am I and other citizens scared of these so-called protectors that go bad and public servants serving as heartless masters]. 

 

As far as the lawsuits, we continue to have to battle to settling these cases, because simply, it isn't fair as I said the last time these lawyer fees run these way past the settlement amounts [bullcrap, if they're nuisance suits, they cost you nothing when you prevail], we're going to talk about that again today [again, in closed session away from the public], it depends on what action Allen [Vander Laan] is going to move forward.  Unfortunately we'd like to argue these because we believe we would win [argue away then at these meetings and let the public decide].  But winning doesn't necessarily get you, is the best business decision because guess what, you'll just sue us again the very next day.  It's not like this game is over it just happens again and again, so you gotta look at what's best when you have these cases, is to keep the cost under hand [if you'd stop breaking the law and respect the rights of individuals there would be no suit period]. 

 

And that's what we're doing, we're not trying to pick winners and losers, we try to manage the costs [I bet that even Attorney Vander Laan was groaning behind me with all these lame defenses].  I'm glad that you think it's funny, you got a windfall [I laughed to myself nervously at this point because he kept repeating his cost management rationale and it never made any sense].  The rest of us don't think it's funny, this community doesn't think it's funny [police brutality, slander and infringing rights are not amusing], but these guys [the veteran wall representatives] are gonna go get this wall give you the right to stand up here every meeting for five minutes [I bet they'd give me more time, and I believe, given the facts, they would agree with me more than your corrupt City Hall] and say your piece.  You ought to turn around and thank those guys [I did, before I left.  It was Henderson's only good idea I heard].  Those are the guys that stood in front, and those guys on the wall lost their lives for you to be able to do that [I admire them greatly, but I would still confront tyranny even without their sacrifice.  It is after all what they fought for, not your cheap theatrics.].  So you think of that.  With that we move on, B. 

 

And so saying they went into closed session, where they decided on binding arbitration for the McAdams lawsuit.

[XLFD]

"The money did not appear out of thin air.  Somebody else paid for it." 

The same could be said about the infamous and unnecessary water tower painting of 2010.  Over $1.2 Million, all local money-- not insurance money-- paid out to cover our two water towers with paint inside and out 10-20 years before such action needed to be considered. 

Your polled subjects need to change their priorities and their perspective.  There are countless more things, though not as dramatic, that cost the local taxpayers a lot more than my lawsuit (which effectively cost them nothing but the future possibility of higher municipal insurance premiums, but blame the voracious violators rather than the violated victim for that, please).  My lawsuit has at least nullified a policy that should have never been passed by an American city council. 

[AQUAMAN]

EyE, just fyi, you are a sheeple, not a thinker for yourself. You don't quantify nor digest information the way an objective individual does, you follow what's popular, and what others put into your head, simple as that. When you start to think for yourself, not for popularity sakes, you may really find some brain matter that is now dormant, for all intents and purposes. Gosh, that might hurt, to actually think on your own for a change, but, I expect, since you got this far already like you are, you will continue it into the future. Why strain yourself, right? Btw, your repeated insult about my "shortcomings", well, it's just that, very insulting, and off the subject matter entirely. I again, challenge you to meet in person to address these repeated threats and sort it out. And like some others, you are welcome to have any LPD assistance you feel may help you be safe, and feel cozy with, anytime, anywhere.

[AQUAMAN]

EyE, don't start something you obviously can't finish. Come to think about it, you sound more like an immature teenage female everytime you are challenged, now, so does your so called attorney, lol. Go back to school and try to learn something this time around.

[XLFD]

I can just feel the sexual tension between you two, LOL.

[masonco]

Willy they get it...They don't like being called out of the closet

[XLFD]

As Eminem might help me say:  "I'm sorry Mayor... I never meant to hurt you... I never meant to make you cry, but tonight I'm cleaning out the closet".  Edited for our more sensitive viewers.

 

[AQUAMAN]

EyE, stick to the thread materials, not your sexual preferences. Post without the criticisms constantly within you. Your immaturity is showing badly again.