One Man's Dream, One City Council's Nightmare

[XLFD]

Before I even knew conclusively that the City Councilors would vote to accept the Stipulated Judgment, I had a speech to say during their meeting that steered clear of that subject, but addressed the man whom I have grown to respect over the last few years, Martin Luther King, whose day it was according to my calendar.  I have put up threads about Mr. King during this time (2010) (2011) (2012), because I believe his travails back then, being oppressed by racism in society, mirror a lot of our travails now, but the main oppressors are the unrestrained tyrants using their government power to strip all people of their rights.

It is not only my struggle with what I have concluded is a corrupted city government, and a county government which isn't any better, just bigger, but also the struggle of many oppressed by all levels of government officials and overreaching policies.  Dr. King has a lot to teach Tea Partiers, Libertarians, Conservatives, and all others who listen to the wise revolutionaries who set our government up, because we can't really understand the thoughts of our forefathers except through some of their written words which still exist concerning life 250 years ago when conditions were much different.  But we can look at and channel the thoughts and ideas of Martin Luther King a lot better.  I tried my best at Monday's Ludington City Council to do so, starting my five minutes at about the 2:00 mark.

Tom Rotta, 137 E Dowland.

Today is Martin Luther King Day; he is best known for his role in seeking fairness and justice using nonviolent methods.  I look to Dr. King as a role model, much as he looked to Mahatma Gandhi as such, and I dedicate today's public comment to his memory.

Dr. King said that "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."  There have been evils committed by those in these halls, some I have commented on, some I have not, but as Dr. King said:  "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

And I will not remain silent about the things that matter to me.  Mayor Henderson issued a direct challenge to me at the last meeting to try to make this town a better place.  Mayor Henderson in his role as Mayor appoints and oversees the Marina Board, which hires about a dozen workers each summer.  In the spring of 2011, there were no postings for these jobs in local schools, on the city web sites, anywhere I looked, in early May I even sent two people to the marina to ask for jobs, of which there weren't any available.

This troubled me because payroll records showed that two daughters of the mayor worked there the previous summer, the assistant City Manager's daughter was working there, and several other kids who were the sons and daughters of city officials/employees worked there.  Is this just and fair to the sons and daughters of our unconnected Ludington citizens who are trying to find jobs like these?  The Marina's hiring practices remain a secret, as they have no such records detailing the same available through FOIA.

So-- is keeping an unlevel playing field making Ludington a better place?  I surely don't think so, but I do not have the viewpoint of being in a position of power and prestige.  As Dr. King said:  "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."  I know in my own mind that I stand in the right place, how about you, Mr. Mayor?   Dr. King said that "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" I challenge you to work for the people.

Today, the City Council will go forth for the second time in 25 months in changing its FOIA policy once again so that it will be harder and more costly to get the public records that belong to us, the people.  I recently asked for records showing any extra hours or overtime incurred by the City for responding to my less than once a week FOIA requests, and no such record existed, meaning that when they get up on their soapbox and say that tens of thousands of dollars of expense has been incurred due to my requests, they are deceiving you once again. 

I will end my tribute today by being creatively maladjusted, like Dr. King, and adapt his most famous speech so as to apply to modern day Ludington:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this city will rise up and live out the true meaning of its charter's preamble: "We, the people of the City of Ludington, grateful to God for the blessings of freedom, peace, and justice, in order to secure the benefits of efficient self-government and to promote our common welfare, do ordain and establish this Charter."

I have a dream that one day on the sandy shores of Ludington the sons of citizens and the sons of city officials will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood, and have equal opportunity for City jobs.

I have a dream that one day even the County of Mason, a County sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that the children of Ludington will one day live in a city where they will not be judged by their lack of government connections but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, here in Ludington, with its unaccountable officials, with its City Manager having his lips dripping with the words of non-transparency and perjury; one day right there in Mason County, citizens of all types will be able to ask questions and critique their leadership without getting personally attacked and sanctioned by their government.

I have a dream today. (At this point, the Mayor's stopwatch went off, and he told me my time was up.  I knew with the topics concerned it was pointless to ask for more time, as I had a couple more lines, but I finished with:)

"I Have a dream that one day I'll be able to speak for more than five minutes."

After having channelled Dr. Martin Luther King as I tweaked his speech, the City Council for the rest of the meeting channelled the Birmingham Police Department in responding to the pressing issues of the City using high-pressure water jets and police dogs against those who would use FOIA or whistleblow the City's illegal acts.

[Marty Redman]

I looked at this yesterday.  Good speech.  But the councils later reply is priceless.  How can they treat someone even someone who actually is paying attention like that when they are found guilty of violating statutes.  These people are like hardened convicts who blame the girl for wearing a provokative dress for their raping, blames the wealthy appearance of their robbery victim, blames there works accounting process for their embezzlement.

[XLFD]

That was my impression too, Marty, it would be tantamount to Hart City Councilor Tim Shannon (whom police have said admitted to holding his wife's head under the water in the bathtub to kill her) saying "While 'technically' some could say I murdered her, she actually died, not from anything I inflicted on her, but from drowning in the tub's water.  It was an emergency situation and action had to be taken immediately.  The house's plumbing wasn't too good, and I was concerned about raw sewage backing up in the basement."

[Hulk]

Marty, comparing the City Council to "hard convicts" who act out and rape innocent females is a joke and straight up rude.  

I do in somewhat agree with the counselor saying that it was a waste of tax payers’ money and the only one who benefits is Mr. Rottas attorney and the ones who are hurt are the tax payers.  Why not present the problem to the city council at their next meeting and go from there, but why file a silly law suit over an emergency that didn't negatively affect anyone?  So you would have rather have them wait till the next City Council meeting and vote on it there?  Just seems silly to complain about something like this.  What if the sewage break was on Dowland Street and was baking up into your house?  You would be alright with them waiting till their next meeting?  This comes off a little childish.

[Hulk]

Well Rotta won, $5,600 that covers his attorney fees   So that his how his attorney gets over $5,000. He had to pay the attorney to work on the case to file the lawsuit.  What is it about this you don't understand?

[Willy]

How do we know if the sewer repair was needed? How do we know what the actual cost should have been? How do we know the sewer was even repaired? None of these questions can be answered unless the Citizens  know what their elected officials are doing. So there is a law that requires officials to answer these questions at a public meeting. When the City spends over $90,000 the people who pay for that need to be informed of what, where, how and when their money is being spent. The City officials don't think they need to follow the law regarding the OMA as their comments after the lawsuit has revealed. The arrogance of the Council is what's costing the taxpayers not the person bringing their misdeeds to light.

[AQUAMAN]

Nice comment speech, one that appeared to have NOT been appreciated by the Mayor/CC, or had gone way over their condescending heads, as usual. Hulk & EyE, you guys ever hear of spell check on your operating system? Gets rather annoying at times to understand your posts, but the message is still clear, "get Rotta". Big Whoop! Going forward, I again noticed the condescending attitude portrayed by his Honor Jonnie is getting worse. This time he not only tells X his time is up, but to "sit down" in a rude manner. That sound like a reasonable and unbiased man? One of leadership quality? Well, NOT TO ME! I also noticed the councilman next to Shay has caught his disease too, the "psycho stare" by Taranko on X. It reappeared several times during the FOIA amendment proposals. Speaking of FOIA's, now X has to prove his indigent status 4 times per year. That sound overbearing and useless, unless it's known someone got a great new job or won the lotto? More red tape and hoops to jump through for every taxpayer now that Shay has his way again for vengeance and ego boosting. Since Shay hates being FOIA Coordinator, why then is he also being appointed Streets Coordinator/Mgr.?  Then we have our famous Councilman Castonia and Holman, throwing more insults and jabs again at X, instead of being mature adults that can carry the load of the job on their flimsy limp shoulders, they again instead waste useful council time to attack a citizen in the audience. Inept, and quite childish, but with such low IQ's and lacking in education, I guess we can't expect better of their behavior. Just more "cronies" that need to be on council for the benefit of their ayes in votes. Btw, did anyone notice Taranko abstaining from voting on the Police pension, then immediately afterwards vote Aye anyhow, he did, and even shook his head afterwards, knowing he did have a conflict of interest, yet he seems to ignore that, or else he is so "programmed for vote Aye" that he just couldn't help himself. Finally, I figure Henderson's daughters have been on the Marina and other projects/committees at the COL for way too many years now, and should make room for new blood. I don't see Jonnie doing anything to change that, just deny it exists, when in fact the Marina payroll would say otherwise, easy to prove he's a liar again. When you don't even seek new employees by posts, and Jonnie says he doesn't need to post these, how are the citizens supposed to know any jobs exist? They can't. And for the record, I had a younger nephew that once also tried to get a job at the Marina, early in April one year, and were also told the same thing, that all jobs were already taken. Fixed Nepotism in all our faces, and they can't even gingerly step around the issue, just continue to LIE and claim it aint so, now that is what is Ridiculous Holman, get your head out of your Axx!

[XLFD]

The arrogance, at least to me, came through loud and clear at this last meeting.  I think the public should be more likely to forgive a contrite performance where the people involved (note:  Councilors Tykoski and Rathsack were not councilors at that time) are apologetic as to their course of action.  Neither of the two councilors who spoke were contrite at all, expending their energy to attack a citizen who just won a lawsuit where he only stood to lose money, even if he won.  They don't seem to understand that kind of devotion to the laws of the land; they think it's ridiculous (Holman) and dream of petty revenge (Castonia).

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Damn Hulk what is it you dont understand about it being your( Taxpayers) money for a case the city should have known they were going to lose?

[XLFD]

Hulk,

It's well reported that the fees were $4650, $4500 to my attorney and $150 for the filing cost.  Even though I will get back the $150, I still spent money on printing and postage, and therefore was one of the monetary losers on this lawsuit.  I am part of the tax base, use City services, and so like the rest of the taxpayers in this City I will help pay some of this, as well. 

John Shay, the City Council, the Mayor, the Asst. City Manager-- all involved with breaking the OMA-- will pay nothing beyond their small share.  The City's Law Firm (who were also contacted in these E-mail decisions and hence should have known something was rotten) will be paid $185/hour that they worked on this, the City's Risk Management Law Firm will also be compensated at a good rate for the use of their attorney. 

The City Hallers break the law, and only prospers thereof; this is why the citizens need to DEMAND that they pay for violating the people's  rights to have their public officials do their business in an open meeting. 

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

That I am sure is why it never went to trial. Someone told someone else they were going to lose so asked if it was worth it just because they were personally annoyed by a citizen of the town they rule.... err I mean administrate. They were willing to spend monies just hoping they could intimidate XL into going away.     I am glad I no longer live in Ludington as I really am building a disdain for the city.

[AQUAMAN]

Guido, that Disdain or sour taste in your mouth, is just now coming to light for many citizens previously unaware, or apathetic to the news. Unless or until you have a personal encounter with some of these Bozo's in charge, whether it be your residence, or business, you don't know how things truly operate at high levels of governing in Ludington. CM Shay hasn't the time nor courtesy to offset these lawsuits by simply being a friendly and honest city official. The main reasons being: 1) he's not a local townie, born and raised here, and could care less about the locals, and 2) it's what he was mainly hired to do, be as obnoxious and rude to anyone asking too many questions about areas of secrecy in contracts, ordinances, nepotism, and anything else that the public has no need to know about. Yes Castonia, Holman, and Henderson are very supportive of this attitude and actions, so what does that tell us about they themselves colluding to make him seem good and just? Simply stated, they fully endorse a local government that rules with an iron fist, is above the law, and is without any human faults, exercising it's "fixed agenda" at will without regard to anyone! And if you don't like it, sue us, we'll win any which way and without blame, we'll see to it you're the one that looks like the bad guy, not us, not ever!

[Hulk]

Glad TR stepped up to waste our money, that is what you guys don't understand!  He could have confronted Shay and the CC at the next meeting, but he didn't.  Instead he had to go childish and file a lawsuit, that he won, and costed all of us.  What don't you guys get about this?   A lawsuit didn't need to be filed to have this resolved.