Meet me in the parking lot for a “conversation”: Where do we draw the line on political debate in Shelby Township?

For those of you that missed the July 19th Shelby Township Board of Trustee’s meeting, it was yet another example of how far some special interests will go to maintain their stranglehold on our collective wallets.

By now, most Shelby Township taxpayers realize what the issues facing us are – and they are not unique to our community.  We are seeing it happen again-and-again all over the country; at the state, federal, and local level.  The party is over.  The balloons are all popped and we are out of cake & ice cream.   

We are in a recession.  Property values have plummeted, people are unemployed, and underemployed; on a level not heard of since the days of Jimmy Carter.   What does this mean?  It means lower revenues for all governments: Federal, State, and Local.  It means, like most of us have already done in the private sector, it’s time for government workers (and their special interest allies) to tighten their belts and to do without cake & ice cream for a while.

However much like the obnoxious party guest who refuses to leave at the end of the night, these folks think they are entitled to even more of a good time, all at taxpayer expense.  This attitude was perhaps most prominently displayed when a retired Shelby Township Police Officer approached the podium and directed his comments at Shelby Township Treasurer Paul Viar. 

As many Shelby residents know, Mr. Viar has been an outspoken critic of the unsustainable pension and benefit packages currently being funded by Township taxpayers.  He has also suggested that his failure to support these lavish (in many cases) payouts may be the primary reason for many of the recent recall efforts against him and other reform-minded board members (including myself).   Why would the township police union (85% of who’s membership live outside Shelby), and a disgruntled towing contractor care about a zoning issue?  Why would a trained police officer 3 times his size, and 25 years his junior need to have a “conversation” with Mr. Viar in the township parking lot?

Like most issues in politics, the real answer always comes back to money.  For government workers, it means finding a board who will vote to continue pay/benefit packages far-out-of-line with private sector equivalents; even if it means massive tax increases for you and me.  For the disgruntled contractor, it means finding a board who will never put their contract out for bid – or else!

What’s the “or else” you ask?  Quite simply, it’s intimidation, it’s recall threats, it’s mob rule. Why? Because it works.   Previous boards (and some members of this current board) have been perfectly willing to keep feeding taxpayers to the wolves, as long as they promise to eat them last.  That may be good for getting re-elected, but it’s bad for taxpayers – eventually you run out of taxpayers.

That’s what brings us back to today’s Shelby Township.  Reformers like myself and Mr. Viar will not be silenced by threats of recall, or other intimidation tactics.  Our job is to watch out for the taxpayers, not government unions or other special interests.   They work for us, not the other way around.  These are our tax dollars and the people of Shelby Township decide how that money is spent.  The taxpayers and their representatives deserve better than a choice between higher taxes or threats to “meet me in the parking lot”.

Michael Flynn

Trustee

Charter Township of Shelby