If California goes bankrupt, will the rest of the nation go down with it? Midnight deadline is approaching July1st. 2009
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY: California on the brink
Throw these criminals in jail and melt the key. Corrupt politicians are despicable.
Congressman Conyers Connection
Dorr Township board does not care what the people think.
CLICK HERE FOR LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is township board thumbing its nose at us?
Sewer project in Dorr Township a disgrace to the rule of law and democracy of the people!
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY: Dorr residents concerned with sewer project
Wife of Rep. John Conyers is involved in bribes. Monica Conyers, councilwomen from Detroit. More corruption in local government!
CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY: Conyers took cash and jewelry, ex-aide says
Dorr Township board thinks they know better how to spend your money, then the people who will actually have to pay for this million dollar project!
Comments from the article:
“We, as a board, thought this was the best of both worlds,” said Township Supervisor Tammy VanHaitsma. “People who don’t want to hook in now will not have to. As a Township Board, we have to look to the future and do what we think is best. There is a road project that is going to be done. It will never be cheaper than now to have this sewer put in.”
Comments to the article:
The board has to look to the future? Well the board did look to the future the last time around when sewer district #4 was put in from 14th St. to Hillcrest Mall. Look at what has happened there in the last 5 years! Nothing accept for Dicks. You have an industrial park right off of 14th St. that has nothing, absolutely nothing in it! In fact I just drove through it, and the weeds are knee high growing through the pavement. Someone is even using it for a dump drop off. The development that was suppose to go in on Doug and Marsha Hallorans property, fell through as the developer went bankrupt and Hallorans got their property back and got taken in the process. The developer was going to put in hundreds of homes, and some condos or apartments, and there that land sits, vacant and empty, with absolutely no development. So just because a sewer is put in does not mean progress or development, especially when the economy is in a downturn. Just take a look at Spoons restaurant. They have sewer because they are in district #4, and even they are struggling just to survive, and who knows how long they will last. How many benefits will it take to keep them above water? Yes, we do need to be visionaries, but you also need some smarts too, and learn from past failures.
So why the BIG push to get this sewer put in after the people themselves rejected this twice in less than 18 months? Do you want this sewer put in because the sewage treatment plant is only at 40% capacity because those hundreds of homes never came to fruitition? Because your visionary ideas 5 years ago never brought about development? Because the sewage plant needs more revenues to operate, because it expanded to take care of those future homes you thought were going to be there, but never happened? There sure are lots of questions to this puzzle why you are pushing this $1.6 million dollar sewer project so hard after the people told you twice now…………….NO, take the sewer and stick it where the sun don’t shine!
The best of both worlds? How can this be the best of both worlds Tammy. You and the whole board want your pet sewer project, but yet, you could not muster enough signatures to do this under the requirements of the Public Improvement Act 188. You needed more than 50% of signatures from the land volume of the owners parcels who would be in the sewer district, which you could not get, even after 2 tries in less than 18 months. Who exactly are you in the tank for?
Those who said NO and do not want to pay these outrageous cost for this project, got enough signatures both times to stop it, legally. Then you and the townships high paid bond attorney, Roger Swets, (township residents pay his $250 per hr. fees), found a nice loophole in the law to go out and borrow the money from the DDA to do this over the peoples objections, because YOU think you know how to spend the peoples money better then they do. The people do have smarts Tammy, we just look at the last sewer project done 5 years ago from 14th st. to Hillcrest Mall, and see absolutely no progress at all, accept Dicks. All we see are businesses and a few homes who have not hooked up because they can not afford to, or those that have, see them struggling in this hard pressed economy, ie. Spoons restaurant. Im sure we will see more before this is over. People are visionaries too, they see this depressed economy and do not want to be burdened with more expenses when their septics are working fine and there is no evidence of any drinking water contamination. The people of Dorr are sure thankful we have someone of your calibur looking out for our interest. Thank you for being so much smarter than we are, so you can make all the right decisions for us that we are uncapable to do for ourselves, we really appreciate that! Especially when it comes to spending our money. I just wish you would spend your $10,200 you told us back in March or April that you and your husband were going to pay for 1 unit, but then you changed your mind the next meeting. Tammy’s famous double talk spin you around in circles dance. You sure are a good dancer Tammy.
The DDA gets their money from taxes recaptured that would have gone into the county from property taxes paid, so this money is already the peoples money to begin with. Not only are you going to borrow that money to use to pay for the sewer, which the people do not want to pay for to begin with, but you will force them to pay the DDA back for that loan, plus all the accrued interest. This in my mind is unethical. To take the peoples money they paid in for taxes already, to borrow it back, then to charge them accrued interest to boot, for something they have petitioned twice and said “NO”!
The people who live in the DDA district, whose increased value on their property taxes are captured for the DDA use, have said over and over again to use that money for the sewer, but they do not want to pay those taxes back the second time. Those of us who live in the DDA district have told you we do not want the DDA to be reimbursed for those captured taxes we already paid. That is why the DDA was established to begin with, to capture money’s and use for the development of the downtown. My gosh, those taxes were paid on their property once, and you got to keep those taxes instead of sending them off to the county, how much fricken money do you greedy people want?
The government takes and takes and takes, and loves to use it for mismangaged million dollar projects. Giving money and power to government, is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys!
I just read in the Penasse Globe today that the board said, “well Byron did a project this way!” Tammy, just because another township goes around the peoples back does not make it right. Personally, who really gives a rats behind what Byron does. We don’t live in Byron.
Tammy, you and the board are elected to represent the people in Dorr, and in my opinion, you are not upholding your oath to serve the people who elected you. We hear so much from the board about what Byron does, what MTA says, what the county says, etc. You represent the PEOPLE of Dorr! The people who had the legal signatures to STOP this project. The same people who will pay for the biggest share of this $1.6 million project.
That’s what is so great about living in this country, we can express our opinions and I just have.
Bernard Schumaker
Bob Wagner, the township planning commission chairman, who has been in that position for more than 44 years, owns many properties in the downtown area and will benefit greatly from this sewer project
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY AT Allegan News Online
Dorr sewer: where your rights go down the drain
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY AT Allegan News Online
Township board ‘changes the rules’ mid-game
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY AT Allegan News Online
Email I just received from Kevin Brummel, the township Clerks husband.
Dated: June 25th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Bernard, you are a sore loser, or maybe just a plain loser!!! Do you
consider your self a man, real men dont herass women like you do! I am
talking about they way you acted in the township office yesterday. I
dont know how anyone can repect you or what you think, You must think
you are perfect in every way.
My reply back to Kevin: at 11:33
Hi Kevin,
How do you even know what was said sir? You were not there. Harrass? I was not harassing anyone. I am a citizen asking our elected officials questions I want answers to.
Can you tell me specifically what it is I said that I was harassing them? I would really like to know.
This has nothing , absolutely nothing to do with losing. Why do you say that? Do you think I have the right to get answers to my questions when your wife, our Clerk tells me she don’t have all the answers? Are they not in office to find the answers for us?
I am totally confused by your email.
Sincerely,
Bernard Schumaker.
Personally I like your wife. I think she is a nice person. But nice people who are elected who can not give answers to questions that affect our lives, I really don’t have much confidence in.
I love it when there are always second hand stories past on from her to you. And I would expect you to side with her, after all she is your wife. But if you would give me some specifics, I will answer them for you, not like our elected officials who will not answer our questions.
I forgot to answer this for Kevin:
Hi again,
Oh btw. I never said I was perfect! Trust me, I am not. But I’m sure I don’t have to convince you of that either.
