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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
October 3, 2013
The frustration level at the
Wayne County Commission regard-
ing the costs of the new jail complex
is understandable.
Late, but understandable.
For thosewho are unaware of the
massive cost overruns at the con-
struction, which every taxpayer will
fund, this boondoggle went $90 mil-
lion over the $300 million projected
budget before anybody noticed and
the structure remains only about
half constructed.
The change orders approving the
additional costs never went to the
members of the Wayne County
Commission, whichwas supposed to
oversee this grand plan. The county
building authority members appar-
ently continued to rubber stamp
changes and additions to the costs
until someone finally noticed that
$90 million was being spent without
any authorization.
The project has now been aban-
doned and the grand plan to save
money by combining the Wayne
County Jail with other facilities is
apparently in limbo unless, of
course, the powers that be decide to
spend even more of taxpayers'
money and start all over again at a
different location.
Following an audit of the project,
turned over to Wayne County
Prosecutor Kym Worthy, people
began to really pay attention to this
financial mess. Worthy was granted
a one-person grand jury by Judge
Timothy Kenny last month and
apparently Kenny will now deter-
mine if there was any criminal
wrongdoing or fiduciary malfea-
sance in office by anyone concerned.
Worthy won't release the audit to
the commissioners and her position
is solidly backed by Kenny, who has
ruled that the audit is now evidence
in the ongoing investigation into the
matter.
It's another mess. Another mess
at the county level that will be paid
for by local taxpayers who deserve
much better. Like the reported 'gold-
en parachutes' and exceptionally
generous pension plans that taxes
will have to fund, this would appear
to be another instance of spending
without oversight or accountability.
Who should have beenwatching this
project and keeping costs in line?
Who should have reported to the
commission when costs went so far
over budget? Where does the
responsibility lie for this incredible
example of poormanagement?
We don't have those answers but
we know that the people of Wayne
County, the ones who will have to
pay for the $390 million in bonds
sold to pay for this failed project,
deserve the answer.
We hope that the lone grand juror
and Worthy determine what went
wrong and then choose the best
course of action to see that this kind
of irresponsible spending and poor
management never happens again.
Wayne County taxpayers deserve
prompt, accurate answers and cor-
rective action.
This is just a note of thanks to all
my 'friends' on the internet who
continue to look out for my well-
being by sending me all kinds of
valuable information to keep me
safe.
Thanks to them I can no longer
open a bathroom door without
using a paper towel, nor let the
waitress put lemon slices in my ice
water without worrying about the
bacteria on the lemonpeel.
I can't sit down on a hotel bed-
spread because I can only imagine
what has happened on it since it
was last washed.
I have trouble shaking hands
with someone who has been driv-
ing because the number one pas-
time while driving alone is picking
one's nose.
Eating a little snack sendsme on
a guilt trip because I can only imag-
ine howmany gallons of trans fats I
have consumed over the years.
I can't touch any woman's hand-
bag for fear she has placed it on the
floor of a public toilet.
I must send my special thanks
for the email about rat poop in the
glue on envelopes because I now
have to use a wet sponge with
every envelope that needs sealing.
Now I have to scrub the top of
every can I open for the same rea-
son.
I can't have a drink in a bar
because I fear I'll wake up in a
bathtub full of ice with my kidneys
gone.
I can't eat at KFC because their
chickens are actually horrible
mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or
feathers, or so you and your
sources claim.
I can't use cancer-causing
deodorants even though I smell
like awater buffalo on ahot day.
Thanks to you I have learned
that my prayers only get answered
if I forward an e-mail to seven of
my friends and make a wish within
fiveminutes.
Because of your concern, I no
longer drink Coca Cola because it
can remove toilet stains.
I no longer buy fuel without tak-
ing someone along to watch the car,
so a serial killer doesn't crawl inmy
back seat when I'mfilling up.
I no longer use cling wrap or
plastic dishes in the microwave
because that causes seven different
types of cancer.
And thanks for letting me know
that if I boil a cup of water in the
microwave it will blow up in my
face, disfiguringme for life.
I no longer go to the movies
because I could
be pricked with
a needle infect-
ed with AIDS
when I sit down.
I no longer go to shopping cen-
ters because someone will drug me
witha perfume sample and robme.
And I no longer answer the
phone because someone will ask
me to dial a number for which I
will get a huge phone bill with calls
to Jamaica , Uganda, Singapore
andUzbekistan.
Thanks to my ever alert friends,
I can't use anyone's toilet but mine
because a big black snake could be
lurking under the seat and cause
me instant death when it bites my
butt.
And thanks to their great advice
I can't ever pick up a dime dropped
in the car park because it was prob-
ably placed there by a sex molester
waiting to grabme as I bend over.
I can't do any gardening because
I'mafraid I'll get bitten by theViolin
Spider andmy handwill fall off.
I just want to say thanks for all
those valuable life lessons.
Oh, and I amever so careful now
to keep my toothbrush in the living
roombecause according to scientif-
ic studies, fecal particulates spray 6
feet into the bathroom and will
infect me with the black plague. I
know, I know, you claim it is true
because it actually happened to a
friend of your next door neighbor's
ex-mother-in-law's second hus-
band's cousin's best friend's beauti-
cian! So you know, like, that's first
hand information.
Thanks again, friends. What
would I ever dowithout you?
Once again, officials inPlymouthTownshipHall have con-
founded us with their arrogance, pettiness and childish
behavior.
During the past two weeks, emails were flying between
Trustee Bob Doroshewitz and Clerk Nancy Conzelman,
Supervisor Richard Reaume and Treasurer Ron Edwards.
TrusteeMikeKelly got in on the emailing, too.
None of themwere beenpretty.
It seems that a visitor took photos of some large promo-
tional displays in Plymouth Township Hall touting the pro-
posed amphitheater, pavilion, footbridge and the rest of the
$1.9million in “improvements” the township boardmembers
plan to make in the community. Well, four of the board mem-
bers, anyway. Each of the displays featured a color rendering
of one of the planned improvements with the line “We're
Making Plymouth Township Even Better” and photos of the
four officials, Conzelman, Reaume, Edwards and Trustee
KayArnold, who voted for the bond sale.
The displays, which we understand have now been taken
down, did not include photos of the other three board mem-
bers. Only those who voted for the bond sale were pictured,
whichapparently provoked the other three.
Here'swhat we don't understand.
How could these displays tout these “proposed” improve-
ments when they have yet to be approved by a vote of the
board members? According to state law, each of these proj-
ects must be approved by a vote of a majority of the board
members. There has beenno such vote. The sale of the bonds
was approved by a 4-3 vote, but the individual projects have
not yet been considered.
It is obvious that whoever is responsible for the display
was confident that each of the projects would be approved by
the four officials pictured even though no vote has taken
place. Disregarding the arrogance of omitting the other
trustees from the displays and the petty and vindictive
nature such a juvenile and immature antic reveals, we are
aghast and disgusted by the blatant disregard for procedure
and accountability this horrible display of ego represents.
It is distressingly obvious that the person responsible for
this gloating showcase of power is the same individual or
individuals who spent a fortune of the taxpayers' money on
legal fees to be sure that these same citizens were denied
their right to vote on having a fire department in the commu-
nity. These officials arbitrarily and maliciously sought to
derail the right of the public to vote on funding a fire depart-
ment but are now capriciously and willfully spending nearly
$2 million for recreation improvements in the township. The
only vote on that came from threemembers of the boardwho
do not have the intelligence or common sense to understand
their support enables a stubborn, vindictive, out-of-control
despot whowas, and obviouslywill be, the fourth vote.
Whoever put up the display is sure of these four votes for
each of the projects. We're sure there was no violation of the
Open Meetings Act to determine how the votes would go,
however. There probably wasn't even any need for a round-
robin informal discussion, because the official driving this
project is supremely confident of his ability to control the
other threemarionettes on the board.
The only possibleway the publicwill have any representa-
tion or input into the spending of another $1.9million of their
tax money on this project is if, somehow, the strings break on
thesewooded-headedpuppets.
We are aghast and disgusted by the blatant
disregard for procedure and accountability
this horrible display of ego represents.
”
Township hall signs show lack of respect
Who’s in
charge?
I can't use cancer-causing
deodorants even though I smell
like a water buffalo on a hot day.
”
Way, way too much help from my ‘friends’