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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
4
May 23, 2013
Maybe they just didn't think it
was important.
Perhaps it was an especially busy
day and they didn't have the time.
Or maybe the failure of any
Plymouth Township elected offi-
cials to appear for the groundbreak-
ing ceremony at the plannedmemo-
rial for fallen first responders last
week was a political statement.
Maybe this staunch crew of
Republicans just didn't want to be
associated with Democratic Wayne
County Executive Robert Ficano,
who spoke at the event.
Believe it or not, we really hope
one of the above reasons prompted
their failure to appear, because the
alternative is that they took this
groundbreaking as another oppor-
tunity to demonstrate the disdain
and lack of respect they evidence
for those charged with the protec-
tion of the public every day. In light
of the outpouring of emotion and
community empathy that surround-
ed the death of Westland firefighter
Brian Woehlke last week, this overt
snub by Plymouth Township offi-
cials was especially revealing and
insulting.
For years, officials in the town-
ship, led by Treasurer Ron
Edwards, have been determined to
obliterate the full-time fire depart-
ment. They claim their decisions
are financially prudent and in the
best interest of the taxpayers. Other
observers say that Edwards vowed
to demolish the department and get
rid of all the firefighters in retalia-
tion for a political ad of his oppo-
nent in an election several years
ago. There are those who claim that
he made the statement vowing to
“get rid of them” publicly because
they had the audacity to support
another candidate in the election.
If that's true, he's doing a fine job,
and he has enlisted or bullied the
remainder of the board members
into accepting whatever balderdash
he spews as justification for jeop-
ardizing the safety of every town-
ship resident.
That political vengeance, howev-
er, has cost the residents of
Plymouth Township any real sense
of security and safety. While many
remain apathetic and do not realize,
or even care, what has been done to
their community, others live in fear
that they might have a medical
emergency or a fire and need help
which simply is no longer available.
We suspect that many may start
to pay attention as new municipal
risk ratings by legitimate agencies
go into effect and residents see the
cost of home insurance increase
markedly.
Other communities, too, did not
have representatives present at this
event, which was, we felt less than
respectful and inappropriate, but
the memorial is not located in their
community.
This groundbreaking for a trib-
ute to men and women who have
lost their lives attempting to protect
others saw not one single Plymouth
Township elected official in atten-
dance, even though the structure
will be located in their community.
Those actions, we feel, speak
louder than anywords.
I'm not sure, but I think I may
owe Westland Police Chief Jeff
Jedrusik an apology.
Last week, working on a very,
very limited schedule, I was
attempting to meet the production
department demands and the
printer's screaming threats and
finish up my last story about the
Westland “bomber.”
To do that, I needed to find out
where the guy was…did they haul
his butt to the Wayne County Jail
or keep him in Westland? Who
would know better than the chief
or the detectives in Westland who
arrestedhim, right?
Yep, that's what I figured, too.
And that's where the trouble start-
ed.
See, I hate automated phone
systems, always have. I find them
arrogant and insulting, as if the
person I am calling thinks their
time is far more valuable than
mine. I find them particularly
offensive at local governmental
offices. But they are everywhere
and I do try to cope with them,
even when my nerves are frayed
into shreds andmy time is growing
shorter by the second. Here's what
happened:
Ring…ring…ring…ring…
Hello, you have reached the
Westland Police Department. If you
need immediate assistance, hang up
and dial 911. If you need informa-
tion about a police report your have
already filed, press one. If you need
an officer sent to your home, press
two. If youneed to speak to someone
about a traffic violation or fine, press
four. If you need anything other
than the detective bureau which is
what I needed)….etc. etc. etc.
I slammed the phone down,
none too gently.
OK, it's me, I called the wrong
number, there has to be a way to
get to one of the detectives. I'll just
look this up again and redial.
Ring…ring…ring…ring.
Hello, you have reached the
Westland Police Department. If you
need immediate assistance, hang up
and dial 911. If youneed…
I slammed the phone down,
again. Harder this time.
OK, somewhere around here I
have the number for the chief's
office and the detective bureau.
Where are they? This only hap-
pens when I'm on deadline and
everybody is screaming for this
last story. I know I have
it…AHAH!!!'
Ring…ring…ring…ring…
Hello, you have reached the
Westland Police Department. If you
need immediate assis…
YES, YES, you stupid machine I
need immediate assistance but not
from a plastic box of Fisher-Price
parts like you.
I need a real person
who can give me the information I
need for this story. SLAM! There
were, at this point, some ugly
screaming expletives, too, par for
the course in the newspaper busi-
ness. Professional journalists call
it deadline speak.
I took a deep breath. OK, there
has to be a way to do this. I just
need to calm down, control my
frustration and bad temper and
think this through. I know, I know,
I'll call the mayor's office. Mayor
Bill Wild has two of the nicest sec-
retaries in the universe who
always help me. I'll just call
them….
Ring…ring…ring.
Mayor Wild's office. This is Lorrie
speaking. Howmay I help you?
Lorrie, it's Susan at the Eagle. I
am desperately trying to get ahold
of the chief to
find out the
charges filed
against the
bomber. I can't get through. Do you
have a number I can call?
Wait just a minute and let me
connect you to his secretary…
Ring….ring….ring….
You have reached the Westland
Police Department. If you need
immediate assistance……..
SLAM!
Ring….ring….ring…
Mayor Wild's office. This is Lorrie
speaking. Howcan I help you?
Lorrie…it's Susan again. The
call didn't go through and I got
bouncedback to themachine.
Oh, I'msorry. Letme try again.
Ring…ring….ring…
You have reached the office of
Westland Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik.
We are unable to take your call now,
but if you leave a message, we will
return your call as soonas possible.
YEEEEEEEEK. SLAM.
REALLY, REALLY loud dead-
line speak.
This is the same damnmachine
that has been making my life mis-
erable. I know it is. I surrender. I
give up. Themachinewins. I'll just
talk to the stupid thing, although it
feels like someone is running
sandpaper down my very last
nerve. I left a pitifulmessage.
So that's how my telephone
ended up “falling” through my
office window into the parking lot
last week.
And two hours later, the very
helpful, professional and forth-
coming Chief Jedrusik returned
my call and tried to help me.
Unfortunately, by then I had for-
gotten the questions and could
barely speak after cracking two
molars gritting my teeth in frustra-
tion. I really do owe him an apolo-
gy.
I mean, returning my call was a
waste of his pretty valuable time.
Don't ever let anybody tell you
my job is easy.
With the filing deadline last Tuesday, many races for elect-
ed office are officially underway.
There is always the potential for campaigns to become
overly personal and overly negative, when the issues will be
obfuscated by name-calling and allegations of impropriety,
general insults and outlandish conspiracy theories.
Take the City of Romulus, for example, where themayor is
under investigation and members of the city council, hoping
to continue a congenial working relationship with the admin-
istration, have wasted little time in jumping into the race to
unseat him. There is already an issue rising against one can-
didate that prompted the comment: "It's all over Facebook,
anyway. Everyone knows."
What a strange time to be running for office, or to be
observing the actions of those who claim to want to represent
us to the best of their ability.
For those and others in the public arena, we'd like to offer
a few simple reminders. We understand that you want to get
your message out to the public and public comments may
seem like the best venue for that. Keep in mind, though, that
the freedom of speech does not give you the right to stand at
the podium and hurl insults at elected officials, nor to suggest
they are corrupt or have engaged in outright criminal behav-
ior. In Romulus alone, members of the council have been
called everything from jokes to Bobbleheads to blatantly cor-
rupt; their competence, intelligence, morals, ethics, con-
science have all been questioned in a rather cringe-inducing
fashion. (Of course, they were also accused of being secretive
for not publicly announcing during a council meeting that the
mayor's house was being searched by the Michigan State
Police, too, whichmakes us wonder if the council critics know
what the role of city government is.) It's a wonder that they sit
there and take it, or that anyone would want to subject them-
selves to such ridicule.
Remember, these are people, too. Neighbors. If that doesn't
help, imagine what it would be like if the situation were
reversed, and they were the ones hurling insults and allega-
tions of impropriety. If additional perspective is needed, ask
yourself this: if you are elected to office, how are you going to
work side-by-side with a group of people you've spent the past
severalmonths publicly insulting?
It would be a far more productive use of time to talk about
positive things: ideas to solve issues, a betterway of approach-
ing a challenge-anything like that. There are enough things to
talk about. If you feel the need to attack, go after the decisions,
not the people. It's possible to disagree with someone with
humiliating them publicly and daring them to respond. We've
seen it done.
...their competence, intelligence, morals,
ethics, conscience have all been questioned
in a rather cringe-inducing fashion
”
Politics no excuse for display of rudeness
A loud
silence
YES, YES, you stupid machine
I need immediate assistance but not
from a plastic box of Fisher-Price parts like you.
”
If you know your party’s extension, dial 1