Basic HTML Version
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
May 17, 2012
OK, so maybe I shouldn't have
calledhimGrumpilstiltskin.
And it is entirely possible that
my remarks about his wrinkly old
butt were inappropriate. For sure, I
shouldn't have threatened to run
his aging, senile ass over, but you
have to understand. I had been
pushedway, way too far.
OK, before I start ranting, here,
please don't send me any letters
telling me what an unfeeling, low-
life selfish creature I am.
I'm self-absorbed enough to
know all that already but I'm still
mad.
Last week, during the Green
Street Fair in downtown Plymouth,
I was trying to get to work. Seems
simple enough since I live about a
halfmile away, right?
Yeah, unless of course there is a
cranky man from one of the local
civic organizations at a barricade
made out of old plastic milk jugs
across the driveway to the parking
lot behindmy office. He had his lit-
tle lawn chair, his bucket and his
makeshift barricade across all the
entries to the lot, and he was less
than shy about approaching every
car that attempted to use the drive-
way.
“That'll be $5,” Captain
Crankaroo said as he swaggered
over tomy car.
“Um, look, I'm just trying to get
to work, I'm not going to the festi-
val,” I said in my usual kind sweet
and gentle manner. (OK, so I was
my usual “assertive” self, but still.)
“How'd I know that? Where d'ya
work, honey?” he said in a really
unkind tone. “Everybody pays $5.
It's for charity. Let's go. People are
behind ya,” he said in a tone most
often used by prison guards or
Army drill sergeants.
“Look, I'm just trying to get to
work, I don't even have time for the
festival today,” Iwhined.
“You don't get through without
paying the $5,” he said. “I tole ya,
honey, it's for charity,” he said
pointing to one of his professionally
printed signs.
Now, that was his mistake.
There are obscenities that do not
offend me as much as being called
Honey in that patronizing, nasty
way.
I admit it. My temper went from
zero to about 85
on the hell-has-
no-furymeter in
a heartbeat.
“Well, charity this, Norman
Vincent Steal. Move your wrinkled
butt or I will run you and your wob-
bly chair over. I'mlate and I have to
make several calls on stories and
I'm on deadline, I have a headache,
I'm hungry and my shoes are too
tight. Do not mess with me,” I said
as I put the car indrive.
So, maybe in hindsight, I didn't
handle this as well as I could have,
but I had just had enough. Enough.
And I just grazed the old codger
anyhow. I mean the fender just
barely touched him. For an older
dude, this guy could move. All that
yelling and falling down was just
for show. Even the ambulance guys
I called after escaping to my office
said he wasn't hurt too badly, and
An outdated and cumbersome federal law cost residents
of PlymouthTownship a great opportunity last week.
John Werth, a Plymouth Township resident, and the cur-
rent director of public safety inNorthville, had submitted his
nominating petitions andwas ready to officially announce his
candidacy for the office of supervisor of the township when
he was derailed by a 1939 law called the Hatch Act. The fed-
eral law prohibits a police officer, an elected official or any
employee who manages any programs funded with federal
money from seeking office in another municipality in a parti-
san election. It prohibits and regulates fundraising andmany
other activities, too, but the issue herewas that Werth, as part
of his job, manages a program in which some officers are
paidwith a federal grant receivedbyNorthvilleTownship.
So Werth, the paragon of a law-abiding citizen, was forced
to cancel his planned campaignwhen he discovered the anti-
quated and outdated provisions in the law. He initially inter-
preted the law, as most people do, as a control mechanism to
prevent inappropriate fundraising, and was confident he
hadn't even come close to violating any such provisions. But
the rather arcane other provisions were used as a political
weapon by those who opposed his candidacy, a rather obvi-
ous effort to ensure that a candidate as qualified and valu-
able as Werth wasn't available to voters. The losers here are
obviously those who had hoped that a viable candidate like
Werth would provide them an alternative on the ballot and
the opportunity to vote for a new attitude in Plymouth
TownshipHall.
That won't happennow.
Werth's most serious concern when he learned from his
inquiries at the U.S. Attorney's office about this law that has
not yet been updated despite the ongoing efforts of at least
four legislators, was his reputation and his credibility. He
worried that there might be some who would claim he was
attempting to circumvent or violate the lawwithhis proposed
campaign when, in fact, that conduct is contrary to his very
nature. He took immediate action when he heard that there
might be any question about the viability of his campaign and
put a halt to all his plans until he received an answer from
the federal experts.
Werth, we believe, really had a sincere desire to serve the
best interests of the community and the township residents.
Unlike many other candidates we have seen over the years,
we sensed no self-aggrandizement or chicanery in his cam-
paign. We were impressed with his sincerity, his experience
and his effortless but direct and compelling management
style, something he obviously honedwith his decades of man-
aging public safety officers, departments, budgets and work-
ingwith elected officials.
Werth had been very vocal about his concerns in his home
town and critical of the current administration. He had pub-
licly stated that some of the recent board decisions had left
him concerned for the safety of his family, and his neighbors,
in the township.
We think that concern was genuine, as was his disappoint-
ment to learn that some current officials assess the number
of votes impacted before making a decision rather than put-
ting the best interest of the community at hand.
We were also surprised that after all these decades and
elections, we could still be impressed with a potential candi-
One man
can make
a change
”
Residents are already losers in campaign
So Werth, the paragon of a law-abiding citizen,
was forced to cancel his planned
campaign when he discovered the antiquated
and outdated provisions in the law.
It reminds us a bit of the story of
TheEmperor'sNewClothes.
While the rest of the city admin-
istration and most residents are
simply accepting the current antics
in the City of Wayne, one individual
has actually taken action.
We are referring, of course, to
the police report filed by
Christopher Sanders last week
alleging that Councilman John P.
Rhaesa and the city are violating
the city charter. While most resi-
dents either accepted the egregious
violations as business as usual in
Wayne or figured the adage about
the futility of fighting city hall was
accurate, Sanders did something
about it.
Supporters of city officials, and
Rhaesa, are quick to call Sanders'
actions and motives into question.
They tout his failed election bid last
year and his semi-public disputes
with Rhaesa as motives for his
action. If not that, they embroider
Sanders' own past legal problems
with the city, and elsewhere, paint-
ing him in the worst possible light
and discounting his actions as those
of one whose own hands are less
than clean.
While well aware of all his past
missteps, we suspect his motives
are as stated in this case and
believe he really is motivated by a
sense of fair play and an expecta-
tion of respect for the law from
community leaders and officials.
The city asked for, and received,
a legal opinion from the municipal
attorney about the legality of con-
tinuing to do business with a
Rhaesa, a serving councilman,
despite the very clear prohibition
in the city charter, which they all
swore to uphold when they took
office. The legal opinion they
received was that a state law
superceded the charter and they
could continue allowing Rheasa to
be paid generously for jobs he does
for the city, according to the city
manager. The city is banking, and
we mean that literally, on that legal
opinion.
Sanders didn't agree with what
he was told, however, and did his
own research. His findings indicat-
ed that the opinion of the city attor-
ney was remiss, and at least two
other attorneys agreed with him.
They all say that the city has the
right to do business with whomever
they choose, sitting councilman or
not, but to override the charter, they
need to simply pass a resolution
stating that is what they are doing.
Simple, they all say, but until then,
the city officials and Rhaesa are all
in violation of the charter.
And while there are certainly
many other ethical questions about
what is going on, the legal question
seems pretty clearly defined in the
lawand the charter.
See
Parking
page 7
Now, that was his mistake.
There are obscenities that do not offend me
as much as being called
Honey in that patronizing, nasty way.
See
Werth,
page 7
See
Sanders,
page 7
”
‘Free’ doesn’t mean a $5 parking charge
Letters
Legislator blasts county treasurer
To the editor:
Generally, severance pay is
intended to ease the economic
impact on terminated or retiring
employees. When it is used appro-
priately, it serves a rightful and
even noble purpose. Also, bonuses
are intended to reward employees
for exceptional work and for going
above and beyond the call of duty.
But the recent reports of wasteful
spending of severance payouts and
bonuses on Wayne County govern-
ment officials have uncovered a
culture of entitlement and flat-out
greed-all on the dime of taxpaying
citizens.
For months, we have been satu-
rated with story after story about
the severance payout scandal in
Wayne County. Wayne County
Circuit Judge Michael Sapala
recently ruled that the Wayne
County Executive's Office must
honor lucrative payments of up to
24 weeks' pay and enhanced pen-
sions for 15 county political
appointees. These severance pay-
outs will put taxpayers on the hook
for a grand total of almost $1 mil-
lion.
Regardless of this ruling, it does-
n't take a law degree to see that
these payments never should have
been agreed to in the first place.
Apparently, these generous benefits
were offered tomore than 100 polit-
ical appointees to encourage them
See
Letters,
page 7