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

 

 

                                                                        Page 7

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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Check if you're registered to vote in Salem

Register to vote if you're not

Ask for an absentee ballot

Is this a Campaign You Want Representing Salem?

Apparently "Team Heyl" is no longer proud of their vulgar and uninformative campaign material, and have removed the most insulting from their "Watch Dog" site. They may be gone, but not from here, where I intend to hold them accountable...since their supporters paid for and published it, let's learn what Supervisor Heyl, Treasurer Uherek, and Trustee Wallazy think is appropiate campaign material.

September 14th Flyer of Salem Watch Dog This work of art appeared mid-September and includes distorted photos of Fred Roperti, Linda Hamilton and Bonnie Cook along with name calling worthy of a kindergarten sandbox fight. View HEYL-UHEREK-WALLAZY Campaign material, p 1

IN this flyer, you'll learn about the "cockroaches" (aka Fred Roperti, Linda Hamilton, and "Puppet" Bonnie Cook). Ms. Cook, according to HEYL-UHEREK-WALLAZY, has "given shame a new meaning in Salem Township politics." Now remember, they are talking about a private citizen who has never run for anything (or been a Democrat as she's "accused") in her life. If there was a contest for bringing "shame to  Salem Township politics" this has got to be the hands down winner of the trophy. Let's not miss page two of the same flyer - where accusations are made, but no proof is offered. They end by saying, "Need anything more be said?" to which I reply YES - HOW 'BOUT THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH - FOR ONCE?

 

 

September 28th Flyer of Salem Watch Dog Another masterpiece of innuendo, misdirection, and a word that this board's behavior allows me to use often, sophistry. Let's take a look at how well the word "sophistry" fits this flyer: "subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation." Okay, maybe not so subtle, but certainly deceptive.

 Read Flyer 2, p1 here - This has what I believe is a picture of Trustee Brien Witkowski, however, I don't recall ever seeing his head appear so wide or yellowish, so I'm not really sure. It prints accusations about his company (Wise Solutions) being investigated in 2003, along with these "insightful" questions: "Ask him why his company was raided by the FBI? Ask him why he never mentioned it to anyone? Ask him why he left the company?" (let's not tell them that those are statements, not questions, okay?).

Anyhow, you can read what Brien says on his site, and I'll just add this: ask yourself this question, dear reader, if a person or corporation was accused of 903 counts of electronic espionage by a competitor (that used the FBI to investigate the claims), and that person didn't spend a day in jail, AND sold their company six months later for let's say, a very good price do you think that person or corporation did any of the things it was accused of? Salem Watch Dog asks if that's the "type of Trustee you want representing Salem Township?"

Are they asking if I want a self-made man, who started a company with his childhood friend, that employed 100 people world-wide with corporate headquarters in Plymouth, Michigan, along with offices at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington location, Washington, DC and the Hague, Netherlands - well, I guess my answer is YES, YES, YES, I do, and anyone who cares about Salem should too.

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.

 

 

 

Why Bother with the Truth when a Lie feels so much better? To some anyway.

UPDATE: all the lies involving me were removed from this site (and replaced with others). No response received from Jane Griffith or Mary Cowmeadow, therefore they obviously don't dispute anything that is written here. Great! Something else that we all can agree on.

Well, imagine my surprise when a new Salem website pops up with more lies and half-truths. This one alleges to be created by the Political Action Committee "Salem Citizens for Truth." However, there is no registration of such a PAC with the County or State (check here: State or County) and there's not one with the registration number listed (2020-004) either. Now there is one with a name that's close, but I promise you that this is not horseshoes, and close doesn't count when your using a PAC to promote an idea or candidate and not disclosing who you are.

And I'm not afraid of disclosing who I am, my background and what's at stake - and I don't give a hoot if you go and look at the misrepresentations either, and I don't really care if you are swayed by them. I do care that I know everything I said is truth, and that you are looking for the truth, not just going along with something someone who won't identify themselves says, and won't come clean about their motivations.

Below is my letter to this PAC, where I ask them to provide me with anything that they would like rebutted or removed, IF IT IS NOT TRUE. And of course I expect them to honor the same commitment. You may consider this page as an open invitation to ANYONE that has a beef with anything I've written. I'm only satisfied when the truth comes out, including the rest of the story, not the heavily redacted and rewritten fantasy version that we've been treated to, again and again by Heyl, Uherek, Wallazy and their sincere - sincerely deluded! - followers.

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August 31, 2010

To: Salem Citizens for Truth 8555 Six Mile Road Northville, MI 48168

I am writing to this unverified address because this appears on the website claiming to represent “Salem Citizens for Truth” and Jane Griffith.

Today at 3:30 pm I telephoned Jane Griffith whose name and phone number appear on the website www.salemwatchdog.com, and who purports herself to be the PAC owner of “Salem Citizens for Truth.” I informed Ms. Griffith of the lies on her site SalemWatchDog.com (as well as the many misspellings), and specifically told her about the lies she wrote about me, and requested that she remove them.

While I expected someone who represented herself as a “citizen” for “truth” to show concern about lies written under her name, instead she informed me that I lie “all the time,” and that was just “too bad” about the lies on her site. She then asked if a “Brian” was listening and taping her. I told her that I was speaking to her one on one, and asked her to clarify her statement that she justified her lies because she “feels” (not that there is) “lies” on my site. She refused to answer.

When I informed her that I’d be happy to remove any misinformation on my site (as a citizen who seeks and prints only the truth that seems the only thing to do), and that she should please send me a list of what she finds objectionable and I would be happy to resolve. I told her that I expected the same courtesy from her, to which she replied that it’s “not her website,” and she “has nothing to do with it.”  I asked her why her name was all over it, and she said because she told “them” that “they” could use her name. It apparently does not concern Ms. Griffith that if a “citizen” seeking “truth” from her website would not be able to learn who ran it, organized and stood behind her name. Further, there is no Political Action Committee registered with Washtenaw County or the State of Michigan which bear the name “Salem Citizens for Truth” nor is there any PAC with the registration number 2020-004 anywhere. Further lending to the mystery, the owner of the site is Mary Cowmeadow.

When I repeated to her that she should send me her list of my alleged “lies” and I would take care of them, and she should also take care of my concerns about her website’s lies about me, she hung up on me. Perhaps the “they” that she refers to should find a more eloquent front man to post their lies? I wonder if the Bureau of Elections approves of people filing recalls and PACs without having “any idea” about them?

Since Ms. Griffith seems unable to assist me, I am writing to the address posted on the website, purporting to represent Salem Citizens for Truth, to inform you that your claim to tell the truth is absurd in the face of making wild speculation about what other people think or do without first-hand knowledge, and that you must remove my name immediately from your website, as well as any of your sordid speculation about what I may or may not do or what I may or may not think. By doing so, you will bring yourself remotely closer to fulfilling your mission of being “for truth” and will find that you are much further lawful repercussions for your misdeeds.

Very Truly Yours,

Gina Roperti, 6820 Curtis Road, Plymouth, Michigan

 cc: Mary Cowmeadow, 9225 Joy Road, Plymouth, Michigan