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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
August 29, 2013
Last week, Ellen Craig-Bragg
made her hopes for a better voter
turnout at the Romulus polls Nov.
5 public.
Craig-Bragg, the Romulus City
Clerk, expressed her appreciation
to those who did take the time to
vote in the primary election, but
noted that only 18 percent of regis-
tered voters made the decision
about who would be on the
November ballot. This 18 percent
decided who the rest of the city
would have as a choice for mayor,
clerk, treasurer and seven council
seats.
Craig-Bragg's concerns are not
unique. We hear this comment
from every municipal clerk at
every election. Even during
Presidential Elections, when
voter turnout is usually at the
highest, it is a small percentage of
voters who make the choices for
themajority of other residents.
While we may be somewhat
premature, in these volatile eco-
nomic times, there cannot be too
many reminders to get out and
vote. The election will be Nov. 5.
It's a Tuesday, just like it always is,
so try to make plans to have time
to get to the polls that day. Start
nowand keep the responsibility to
go vote as one of your priorities
for the day.
If you are not registered to vote,
find time to get to your local
municipal building and fill out the
paperwork, which takes about 30
seconds or so. We've been beating
the drumof civic responsibility for
so long, there is little left to say,
except to suggest that we as a
country might take a hint from a
government that does not tolerate
the lack of participation in the vot-
ing process.
In Australia, those who do not
vote, and who do not have an iron-
clad reason for not voting, are sub-
ject to fines and community serv-
ice. Not voting is treated as a mis-
demeanor might be in America
because in Australia participation
in the process is considered a
civic responsibility.
Of course, in Australia, there
are no 4 or 5 year campaigns,
either. The electoral process there
is limited to onemonth. Voters are
subjected to political speeches,
campaign visits, posters and com-
mercials for only about 30 days.
Funds candidates can spend on
campaigns are also strictly limit-
ed, and corporations are definite-
ly not considered as having the
same rights as individuals when it
comes to campaigndonations.
While we might not go quite
that far, because there are strong
arguments against this system, we
do think the argument that voting
is a civic responsibility which
should be exercised is viable. We
wouldn't mind seeing some major
effort on the part of current offi-
cials to entice voters to the polls or
punish thosewho find it too incon-
venient.
The current status leaves the
choice to vote, like the choice of
candidates, up to those who will
take the time, accept the responsi-
bility and go to the polls.
We, like Craig-Bragg, just wish
more people would understand
the importance and the privilege
of entering a voting booth.
Somebody owes me a box of
Kleenex and I intend to collect
from Eric Joy and the Plymouth
Fall Festival Board of Directors.
Seriously.
My office floor looks like it did
when my cat died. There are used
tissues all over the carpet because
my eyes are so teary, I can't see to
get them into the wastebasket.
Enough is enough, guys. This just
has to stop. I literally cannot take
anymore.
I cannot call one more of these
civic group presidents or event
chairmen to find out what they are
doing for the Plymouth Fall
Festival this year.
I can't take it. Hell, Idi Amin
would be in the same shape I am if
he had to listen to what I've
endured for the past couple of
days. Just try listening to these peo-
ple from the various civic groups
who will be at the Plymouth Fall
Festival talk about their goals and
what they do with the money they
collect. Just try it. No matter how
tough you are, these guys will get to
you. Guaranteed.
The first couple I handled well.
I mean, I admit, even my black-
ened heart was touched by what
they told me about their projects
and what they do with the money,
but hey, there are a lot of people
out there who do good work and
donate to help others. I've heard it
all before, no big deal.
It was about the third one when
I began to have a lump in my
throat and my “allergies” began to
make my eyes water. By the fifth
one, I was literally sobbing when
one of the nicest folks in the world
told me about the donations to the
Penrickton Center for the Blind
and the school for autistic children
his club provides. When he got to
the food baskets for the homeless
and the gifts for kids in foster care,
along with some of the stories of
the effects those gifts have on peo-
ple, I lost it.
These people are doing work
that would make Mother Teresa
feel like a slacker. Seriously, I con-
sider myself a pretty tough cookie
when it comes to this stuff, but
after I finished with one of these
club presidents, our office neigh-
bor Jill Andra Young, came
upstairs to find me literally in
tears, I was so moved by so much
charity and goodwork.
She, of course, now believes
that I am some kind of soft-hearted
easy touch, but she didn't listen to
the causes these clubs support
with their charity work. I maybe
could have handled one or two of
them in one day, but it just went on
and on and on.
See, here's the thing. Not one of
these people had a trace of self
aggrandizement or ego in anything
they had to say to me. Not one.
Each and every one I talked to was
as genuine, kind and altruistic as
they should be when doing this
kind of volunteer work. Look, not
to criticize anybody, but during the
past few decades of writing stories
like this, I've dealt with some pretty
extreme characters farmore intent
on their own self involvement than
on the goodwork the club they rep-
resentedwas trying to do.
Not this time.
Each and every one of these
people was sincere in their desire
to do some good and help others,
especially, it would appear, chil-
dren and young people facing
some pretty difficult circum-
stances. The stories about the
hardships faced by some of our
neighbors are moving and eye-
opening. Honestly, any one of them
could enlist me to do just about
anything they
needed to help
their efforts
after listening
to what they do with the funds they
collect.
Anyone who visits the Plymouth
Fall Festival this year should be
happy to spend any amount they
can for anything that is on sale or
available. What these folks are
doing with the funds they collect
with their countless hours of volun-
teer work is simply astounding. It
is moving and touching and the
causes they support are heart-
wrenching, deserving and amaz-
ing.
And I'm going to stop yapping
about the price of the rides at the
carnival, too, since I found out that
it's that carnival that pays most of
the city bills for the entire event.
Personally, I plan to spend my
entireweekendSept. 6, 7 and 8 eat-
ing my way through downtown
Plymouth. I'm going to start at the
Civitans Taste Fest over at Station
885 on Friday evening, hit the
Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
Saturday morning before the
Optimist Pet Show, fill my face
with spaghetti at the AM Rotary
Club Spaghetti Dinner Saturday
and gorge on the best chicken ever
cooked on Sunday. In between, I'm
Plymouth Township officials are borrowing $1.9 million
to construct a park pavilion, an amphitheater, improve
parking lots, build a footbridge and path and make other
improvements to recreation structures in the township.
The taxpayers will pay the bill, despite the claims that
grants and donations will offset $524,000 of the costs. The
fact remains that the burden to pay for these projects will
come right from the checkbooks of taxpayers in the town-
ship.
We agree with Township Treasurer Ron Edwards when
he extols the quality and high level of construction
planned for these improvements. We have no doubt that
he, and those helping with this plan, have researched and
chosen well in their plans to find the best people to design
and construct the new amenities in the park. We believe
his prideful claims that the buildings will be superior to
anything around and “look better thanCanton.”
We believeEdwardswhenhe says, “We are trying to cre-
ate a great image in this town,” and understand the pride
he is obviously taking in the streetscape extension of land-
scaping along Ann Arbor Road and this new recreational
paean in theworks.
We just think that his priorities are askew. We think his
plans are very close to those of the captain rearranging the
deck chairs on theTitanic.
Edwards claims he wants to improve the image of the
community with these recreational and outdoor projects
he has planned, includingmore spending on themunicipal
golf course that costmore than $90,000 last year in losses.
Edwards says that people talk about how good the
course looks after the last round of improvements to it. We
couldn't disagree, it looks good, but it doesn't make money
or even sustain the operating expenses which have to sub-
We are trying to create
a great image in this town.
”
Fiscal conservatism forgotten in Plymouth
Plan now
for Nov. 5
These people are doing work
that would make Mother Teresa
feel like a slacker.
”
Confessions of a Fall Festival food booth junkie
See
Festival
, page 7
See
Plan,
page 7
Letters
Resident regrets board support
To the editor;
I want to apologize and admit
my mistake for asking you to sup-
port several individuals for the
Plymouth Township board. With
your support we elected them
because thought they were out-
standing people we could trust. I
made a terrible mistake our grand-
children will have to pay for many
years to come.
In the last few months we have
seenmisplaced spending on an idi-
otic amphitheater that no one will
come to, a $625,000 pavilion,
$784,000 treescape, $350,00 into the
losing golf course and many more
items including big raises that
would be unheard of in the private
sector. We have no answers as to
why this is being done, it just make
no sense at all.
There was no public input into
these projects and no discussion
among the board members.
Edwards and Reaume give the
orders, Conzelman and my friend,
Kay Arnold, salute them and vote
yeswithoutmuch thought.
I am particularly disappointed
in Nancy Conzelman. We joined
together in believing she was a
intelligent individual and would be
an independent thinker, but in
reality she votes however she's told
to vote and has rubber stamped
these projects fromthe start.
There is a lack of customer
See
Letters
, page 7