The Rest of the Story

Definitive Answers to the Salem Recall

A group of citizens came to me and asked that I post the following information for them - I agreed, happily. I know you will find this well documented material useful on Tuesday November 2nd when you will be making decisions about Salem's future.

You can look at the entire Newsletter with links here  or review the links below.

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"What You Need to Know" by Your Salem Neighbors

Page 1

Story 4Introduction; Report Card (click image to read)

$23,000 spent on Treasurer Paul Uherek 2008 political campaign

$4,300 spent on Supervisor Robert Heyl 2008 political campagin  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories 4Past Board's Legacy-History of Salem; Accusations of Unjust Enrichment (click to read)

Photo of $2.1 million check received after successful litigation and recovery of attorneys fees from GRS http://courtseyofthestate.typepad.com/files/grs-check.doc

Salem Watch Dog flyers

 

 

 

 

Page 3

Stories 4 Accomplishments of Heyl,Uherek, Wallazy; Preservation of Rural Character (click image to read)

August 10, 2010 Motion to Evict Post Office http://www.minutesondemand.com/mod/index.html?client=salemtwpmi

Minutes of YUCA meeting were “Salem will go along” with whatever developer decides (see page 5)http://www.salemrecall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/YCUA-Minutes-06-22-101.pdf   

Robert Heyl’s letter to Superior Township, asking for access to YCUA http://www.salemrecall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/YCUA-Superior-Twp1.pdf

Letter from YCUA to Developer’s attorney’s stating that Salem is to be responsible for costs http://www.salemrecall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ycua-7.15.10-ltr-to-hubbell-roth1.pdf

 

 

Pages 4-5

Story 4 Fire Fighter's Answer to Controversy (click image to read)

Salem Township Minutes April 13, 2010  http://www.minutesondemand.com/data/salemtwpmi/files//boa-min-04132010_20100602115607.pdf.dir//April%2013,%202010%20Board%20Minutes~14713.pdf#search=%22april%22

Michigan State Police Report of Paul Uherek threatening MSP trooper Randy Phare for Phare “making suggestions” on how to resolve dangerous conditions at fire scenes – must read http://www.salemrecall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Police- Report-Uherek-Threats1.pdf

Michigan State law that ensures Fire Fighters the ability to secure a scene for safety of all present http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(xku1g455jtv4fkuelck4nr45))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-29-7a

Township Accounts investigated these same allegations (and cleared fire department) in 1996 - read it here Download Plante Moran Ltr 96 001

 

 

 

 

 

Page 6

Story 4 Legal Expenses; Salem Post Office (click image to read)

Legal expense 2005-06  

Legal Expense 2006-07

Legal expense 2007-08 

Jan - Sept 2010 - See how $1000 per day breaks down

 

 

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Story 4 Is Our Money Safe?

Salem Township Investment Policy (for some reason, not available on Salem Townshp website)  Download Investment Policy

Salem Township Audit by Plante Moran - see pages 37-38 in particular "Concentration of Credit Risk" http://salem-mi.org/docs/boa_pkt_09282010.pdf

Note: "Fannie Mae," "Freddie Mac" and "Ginnie Mae" are called by their "formal" names in this report and on Paul Uherek's "Treasurer's Report", which are respectivley, Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and Government National Mortgage Association in this report.

Flyer where Uherek's claims making 5% interest on township investments, and is backed by US gov't (bottom of page) http://www.salemwatchdog.com/Flier%201.htm

Senator Barney Frank 2003 testimony before Congress that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac aren't bailed out by the federal government http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2607234/posts.

Senator Barney Frank states he's ready to "say goodbye to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae" as soon as NEXT YEAR! http://dailycaller.com/2010/08/21/barney-frank-gets-it-but-does-obama/

Estimates for total Fannie/Freddie Bailout Top $1 TRILLION - feds ready to dump them, "major" overhall required http://www.cnbc.com/id/37982580/Fannie_Freddie_Bailout_Could_Cost_Taxpayers_1_Trillion

Congressional Budget Office suggests cutting off any further government bailouts for Freddie and Fannie to reduce continued drag on US economy: http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11745

GM Debt Recovery Paints a Scary Picture for Private Investors - this describes what happens to investors when a government "bailout" is taken - just like Freddie and Fannie Mae http://seekingalpha.com/article/134525-gm-debt-recovery-paints-a-scary-picture-for-private-investors 

Reuters article on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae stating they are "profoundly" poorly managed and are rift with conflicts of interest http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69D0Q620101014

Freddie Mac Needs more money, loses $8 BILLION first quarter - Reuters -http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64935O20100510

This says it all about Freddie/Fannie, Oct 22, 2010 - the cost, the waste, the facts and the fallacy, and worst for us, the cut off. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/No-more-bailouts-for-Fannie-or-Freddie-1302875-105556858.html

  Page 8

Story 4 Ballot Reminder

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When Politicians Make Decisions They're Not Qualified to

When politicians, rather than those that work for a living (or in the case of consumer issues, the marketplace), make decisions about things they know nothing about, it's a disaster.

How can I make a bold statement like that? Here's my latest evidence:

We all know about the so-called "Pay to Spray" incident in Tennessee, (briefly a man hadn't paid a $75 fee to the county government, so firefighters watched his home burn - read newstory here). EVERYONE is calling the fire-fighers every name they can think of, but what's been "overlooked" here (accidentally on purpose?) is that these guys were UNDER ORDERS from the pencil-pushing, no-nothing-about-fire-fighting-and-community POLITICANS who are probably now cowering under their desks hoping no one remembers that they were the cause of this tragedy. {see Google results with the search terms "Tennessee firefighters acting under orders"}

"Orders," by the way, isn't something that's negotiable. Had one of the firefighters put out the fire AGAINST orders, and let's say was injured, or injured someone else, or caused some harm while helping, they would not have medical or liability insurance, but would face the consequences on their own, because they were acting against orders.

So that's what happens when politicians with poltical agendas make desicions based on politics (like HEYL, UHEREK and WALLAZY), rather than a Fire Administrative Board of community representatives and retired professionals. Without much consideration for what they were doing, HEYL, UHEREK, and WALLAZY voted to disband FAB by uttering one little syllabyl "AYE."

If you'd like to do research on the sustained and proven inability of politicians to do anything but achieve the opposite effect of what they try to legislate based on what they know, consider doing your own research on the following topics: war on crime which caused a crime explosion when "politicians set agendas" in the 1960's; political attempts to improve "Access to Health Care" which caused rapid decline of doctor's and access to health care after Hillary and Bill Clinton polticized health care in the 80's and will now be in a greater freefall as ObamaCare kicks in. Look the list is endless, whenever politicians attempt to "fix" a problem which they aren't qualified or willing to understand, the result is always 1) higher taxes 2) less service 3) the "fix" results in making the "problem" 10x's worse. But PLEASE don't take my word for it, do your own research about paid on call fire departments versus full time fire departments, costs of providing advanced services to a small township versus its ability to stay rural, economic costs of full time safety depts on small communities versus quality of living; and for the most important one, look at your watch and count down 10 minutes. Time up? That's the very least amount of extra time it would take the first fire and medical equipped truck to reach your door. Is 10 more minutes worth arguing about where a fire truck is parked? Not in my book.

When the Fox is Guarding the Hen House....

Surprise (not really), another "citizen's" group has sprung up telling us all how to think. In case you don't know, each election cycle a new group pops up with the same people behind it.

This one's called Salem Residents for Truth with the website "Salem Watchdog," which makes me wonder what the "watchdog" is watching (and if he's had his shots), and if he's anything like the Fox that "guards" the henhouse. I found the site has lot's of what I'd call "interuptive truth" that was so popular during the last election - maybe I'll set the record straight about all that at some point in the future - but let's work on what's important to all of us today.

I think the most sensible way to start is being looking at facts, and seeing what we can agree on.

Now, the facts are these...if Salem has any chance of maintaining its rural character, it has to

1. Maintain a strong bank account by carefully monitoring and restraining current spending as well as avoiding the community crushing full-time services and subsequent retirement costs that virtually end a communities ability to govern itself (look at the Google results here). Detroit is crumbling and California is bankrupt for this reason alone.
2. Employ and wisely use good attorneys that care about the People of Salem more than they do about earning a fee and moving on.
3. Understand that "growing the tax base" is a one-way ticket to "palookaville" or in less colloquial language, a never ending spiral of increased services, increased taxes, increased "tax base," until Salem looks like Canton or Westland. IT'S A FACT, THE USDA REPORTS THAT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY REQUIRES $1.35 DOLLARS IN SERVICES FOR EVERY DOLLAR PAID IN TAXES, FARMLAND OR FORESTLAND REQUIRES 0.38 CENTS IN SERVICES FOR EVERY $1 PAID IN TAXES. Anyone think they can explain how you can "grow" a "tax base" without decimating a community? Well you can't explain it because it can't be done. 

Now it is equally true and incontrovertible that people that actually live in Salem Township (unlike some folks who don't, but always want to tell us what to do) agree that they:

A.) don't want urban sprawl,

B.) don't want to pay more taxes (unless it's for a really really good reason - see A above),

C.) value their quality of life, and

D.) would prefer that those that they elect to the public trust understood A, B, and C, and made they're decisions in support of A, B, and C, which means doing 1, 2, and 3.

[However, there is one thing that we are short on, and that's a way to build our strength and solidarity as a community. Five zip codes, 4 school districts, 2 area codes, and only one "watering hole" that I can think of, the Salem post office, doesn't make it easy to know your community or even know what's going on until it's too late.]

Agreed? Good.

Keep this in mind as we go through journey that I hope will make you feel confident in your knowledge of Salem, and your government.