Ludington Historian Explains Why Ludington's City Council Appears Out of Control

[XLFD]

After this Monday's Ludington City Council meeting I had an unusual experience:  a pleasurable read in the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) newspaper.  That day's edition had a memorable entry on the editorial page.  Of course it wasn't an editorial-- I said 'pleasurable', not mirthful or confusing.  Instead it was an entry in "My Turn" where a regular person's letter is wrote to the editor. 

Lately, these letters have been mostly reflective of the COLDNews editorial bend, which is fairly progressive, a far cry from the old days when the editors were home-grown and moderately conservative.  But the writer on this day was a man named James L. Cabot and his topic was focused on the recent actions of the Ludington City Council, in which he was fairly critical. 

The name sounded familiar, but not too familiar, and a search of his name turned up that he was the author of a book I've had the pleasure of looking at a couple of times while waiting on a friend at a local eye-doctors waiting room and while visiting one of our local bed and breakfast establishments.  It was a mostly photographic history of the Ludington area between 1830 and 1930. 

James L. Cabot even has his own web page, depicting his genealogy, life, and politics.  In it we note that he wrote a historical column in the Ludington Daily News between 1980 and 2004.  This pedigree probably helped him get his views printed in the paper on this day.  He self-admittedly bucked the trend of his ancestors and "embraced conservatism as being more compatible with America's interests and traditions". 

His conservative values shine through along with his common sense in his letter to the editor.  In it, he explains his opposition to the rental inspection ordinance and the West End Project.  He further expresses anxiety over other statements made and actions taken by the city council members and the city manager and finishes with a flourish about our near-serfdom in a police state designed by our city leaders. 

Mr. Cabot should be commended, for he does not own any real property in Ludington, but takes up causes like the oppressive rental inspection ordinance because of his heartfelt belief that our leader's actions are contrary to the law, the Constitution, and 'the plurality of those who live here'. 

Our current leaders are as blind and tone-deaf as he suggests, and the logical thing to do is get them out of power so as to preserve historical Ludington we all know and love.  Thanks for courageously expressing your opinion in what you must surely know is a Daily News much different than the one you worked for, James.

[Willy]

What a shock that the LDN actually printed his letter. The LDN bosses must have been off that day and an underling made the mistake of passing this on to the printer. It's funny that the LDN has never given X this kind of attention or opportunity to print his concerns. Kudos to Mr. Cabot for his comments and here's hoping it will have some affect on City Officials, which of course is wishful thinking.

[XLFD]

Back in 2011, when I was running half-heartedly for city council, I was provided the opportunity to answer some written questions concerning my platform by Steve Begnoche, because I refused to be interviewed by the city hack writer Kevin Brasiczewski, who wrote the original and highly prejudicial one-sided article on the city giving me a letter of trespass. 

I answered the questions in written form, sent them to him and it was published in the newspaper, but it was drastically different than what I had put down.  He could have done a simple copy and paste, but he decided what to cut off.  There was no good journalistic reason for doing it, other than saving his buddies at city hall any embarrassment, and trying to make me look worse. 

I believe the paper extended Mr. Cabot some professional courtesy, as he was a former long-standing member of that organization.  Let's hope he provides us more of his wisdom in the future.

[dowland]

Good job James. You hit all the players, the corruption and are favorite power couple and of course the constitution.

[AQUAMAN]

Yup, James Cabot said quite a bit here, and his observations are right on truth. Now his name will be added to the list of people in the future that won't get a by-line like this again. I'm in that group along with XLFD and a gang of others that want our town back without the big city ideas and changes. City Council officials have gone over the top and wild, and aren't seeing the picture at all nowadays, mostly due to laziness, and the pushing of CM Shay, who needs firing long time ago.