Saturday, August 15, 2009

Talking the Talk Without Walking the Walk

I attended most of the "Americans for Freedom"
meeting at Bates Township Hall this evening.
Unfortunately the arthritis in my neck flared
up (it has been doing that, I have a surgical
consult scheduled in September) and I was forced,
by pain, to leave before the Q&A period at the end.
I look forward to hearing what went on from someone
who stayed to the end.

That being said, I have a few comments to make.

The main speaker ended up being Dan Stafford,
former Iron River Township treasurer, addressing
many of the problems we, the citizens, are
presently experiencing with the political bunch
in Washington. He made a couple of comments that
hit home with anyone who was paying attention
to "how things really work."

Dan addressed his problem of having a really bad
upset stomach before the Township Board meetings
because he knew there was always going to be a
fight.

He went on to discuss how the politicians at the
federal level aren't looking out for citizens'
interests but have their own agenda.

I guess it was not obvious to Dan that the reason
why he was having all those fights at the Iron
River Township Board meetings was because he was
not doing what the electorate wanted him to do!

I stopped attending the meetings (I was attending
them when I first moved to Iron County) because I
considered the fights to be inane, and the board
was, in my opinion, unresponsive. I knew that
all that could and would happen was that I would
lose my temper to no avail.

One of Dan's points during his speech to the
assembled group was that we need a reduction in
the size and scope of the federal government.

Let's take a look at the Township Board's
performance during the period he was the
treasurer.

Here's the unreserved fund balance reported
for the period:

2004 $ 844,729
2005 862.478
2006 918,397
2007 1,015,357
2008 1,157,425

Stafford did not run for re-election in
the November 2008 election. But the fund
continues to grow.

June 30,2009 1,167,622

This is all with an increase in taxes of 2 mils
that the township has tried, in two elections,
to get renewed, with a threat that they would
continue to place this on every ballot till it
gets passed. AND along with this was a
significant increase in the water bill for all
who are being thus served.

And then the current board has the audacity to
refuse to make repairs to a Township owned
building, Beechwood Hall, asking the voters
to approve an additional tax to make needed
repairs. This is the sort of irresponsibility
that will lead to demolition of a perfectly
useful facility after it becomes a blight,
because of personal bias by board members
against the use of this building by west end
Beechwood residents.

In the end, it is apparent that Dan Stafford
preaches a different story from the one that
he himself lives. It is different from the
personal agenda he imposed on Township
residents while he held political office. He
talks the talk, but he does not walk the walk.

As they say in Brooklyn, "So what else is new?"

That's not to say that what Dan said didn't make
good sense, it did. I find it sad that even
while knowing what "should be," he was unable to
deliver it.

This, unfortunately, seems to be the general case
in politics today.

Bill Vajk

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