LPM OnlineJanuary 23, 2001 |
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TROY MI. Troy City Council Candidate, David Eisenbacher announced today that he has collected over twice the number of required signatures required to run for Council, and will file them with the City Clerk today. "I enjoyed the process of getting out and talking to my friends and neighbors so much," said Eisenbacher, "before I knew it, I had many more signatures than I needed." Eisenbacher will deliver all of the petitions to the clerk's office, "because everyone who signed should have their voices heard." This is Eisbacher's first run for City Council. Prompted by both term limits, and concern over the future of the city in light of uncertain economic times, Eisenbacher is determined to continue the trend of bringing new ideas, and new faces to the Troy City Council. "Troy is a great place to live and raise a family." He said. "I cannot control what happens in Washington. I cannot control what happens in Lansing. I am going to do my level best to make certain the City Council listens to the concerns of all of the people who live in Troy, and that we respect the fact that Troy is filled with families where both parents have to work to pay huge taxes and service fees. We need to do whatever we can to reduce that burden. In these uncertain economic times, I am committed to eliminate wasteful spending. I hope to restore trust and bring openness to the council. If there are tax breaks available, I want them to go to families, not just corporations. I understand that this position may cost me campaign contributions from the special interests. That's ok. I will raise what I need to get my message out from individuals. And when I take my seat on the council, I will be beholden to only the people of Troy."
Starting in April, the Libertarian Party of Michigan will begin its effort to collect upto 50,000 signatures to get on the Michigan Ballot. To help the Ballot Access Restoration Committee, BARC, make plans I requested that people contact me indicating the number of signatures they expect to collect.
Results to date: The responses have ranged from 0 to 1,000 signatures. The mode is 25, the median is 50, and the mean is 139. There are still more than 1,500 members who have not responded.
If you have not sent in an estimate, it is not too
late.
JOHN STOSSEL TAKES A SKEPTICAL LOOK AT GOVERNMENT IN
HIS NEW ABC NEWS SPECIAL
1/16/01 HAZEL PARK. The Libertarian Party of Oakland County (LPOC) voted over the weekend to give special recognition to Republican L. Brooks Patterson. They will present the Oakland County Executive with an "Oakie" -- their annual award to the individual who made the greatest contribution to building Libertarian Party membership in Oakland County in the preceding year. "Mr. Patterson's recent pronouncement that he wants to 'reign in the far right' in his own party" observed LPOC Chair Gary Bora, "may be the best news we've had since our excellent showing in the last election. The people that Mr. Patterson calls the 'far right,'" he continued, "are really just average citizens who know a pandering politician when they see one. It's no surprise to us that Republican support is eroding." The LPOC chair added that he already felt indebted to Patterson for having driven former Oakland County Republican Paul Champion out of the Republican Party and into the Libertarian Party in the summer of 1999. Champion joined the LP after receiving a letter from Patterson calling him "an asshole" for even suggesting that it was not proper for the Oakland County Executive to be attempting to derail legislation (then still before the legislature) making it easier for sane, law-abiding citizens to get concealed carry permits. "I've never understood why those of us who respect the U.S. Constitution -- including the 2nd Amendment -- are considered 'far right,' Champion said, "but, in any case, the Oakland County Executive considers us 'assholes' who are not welcome in his gun-controlling Republican Party." Champion, who ironically ended up becoming the LP candidate for Patterson's job in the 2000 election, noted, "the reason fewer and fewer people in Oakland County are voting Republican is obvious. Public officials like L. Brooks Patterson and John Engler are being held up as model Republicans. Voters who want genuinely smaller government and aren't yet aware of the Libertarian alternative, are simply staying home." The LPOC presents their annual "Oakie" award at their January general membership meeting, this year being held on January 24, 2001, 7:30 pm at Sila's restaurant in Berkley. County Executive Patterson has not yet announced whether he will attend in person to receive his award for having made the greatest contribution to building Libertarian Party membership in the preceding year.
1/22/01 EASTPOINTE. "If the consequences weren't so dangerous to both our wallets and our liberties," observed Macomb County Libertarian Party chair Diane Barnes, "we'd probably just laugh at the antics of our government officials." The Macomb Libertarians are particularly vexed with two local pols for recent attacks on both ice fishers and taxpayers. "First, U.S. Representative David Bonior (D-10th) gets a $100,000 appropriation of taxpayer's money to buy a special air boat -- so that authorities can more efficiently come to the aid of ice fishers in the rare instances when they become stranded," Barnes observed. "Then State representative William Callahan (D-St. Clair Shores) proposes legislation to fine anglers who have to be rescued using the expensive, new boat." Other local officials have joined in the paternalistic call to restrict the freedom of ice fishers for their own good. Harrison Township Fire Department Captain Robert Knapp said he supports legislation that gives local agencies authority to "order people off the lake" during unsafe conditions. "Obviously, for that circumstance to arise there would have to be a difference of opinion as to whether or not conditions are unsafe," added Macomb LP member and avid ice fisherman Mike Jablonski. "Knowing how government authorities think," he added, "we just might be permitted to enjoy our sport for about three days in the middle of February... when the ice is at least two feet thick." "I am not, myself, an ice fisher," added Barnes, "but I can certainly appreciate the frustration of adult citizens who are not permitted to use their own judgment about the relative hazards of their leisure time activities. "On the other hand," she concluded, "I am a taxpayer. And this situation is a perfect example of the ongoing assault on my wallet by do-gooder politicians. First, they spend a lot of tax money to prepare for highly unusual situations, then they restrict everyone's rights in order to prevent the very circumstance they claimed justified the expenditure." Although it is apparently too late to save the taxpayers' $100,000, the Macomb County Libertarian Party vowed to stand up for the rights of ice fishers not to be legally prohibited or fined for doing nothing more than engaging in their favorite pastime.
For Release January 12, 2001 Troy City Councilman Martin Howrylak today announced that he has sent a letter to Attorney General Jennifer Granholm requesting that she initiate a formal investigation into the legality of certain closed city council sessions. "I am concerned in that I have seen what I believe to be a violation of the Open Meetings Act (OMA)," said Mr. Howrylak. "When I became a city councilman, I promised to uphold the laws and constitution of the State of Michigan. It is thus my obligation to report perceived transgressions to the proper authorities. "The Open Meetings Act was designed to ensure that the public is able to participate in public policy formation and the general decision-making process. It is essentially a law that enables the public to be a check against possible governmental abuses. It should not be taken lightly, and it did not make me happy to have to send the letter. "While I believe that the OMA may have been violated, I leave the ultimate decision as to whether or not there was a violation to the Attorney General. After a thorough investigation, I believe that the Attorney General will find compelling reasons to intervene and compel compliance with the Open Meetings Act and to further enjoin non-compliance." The OMA permits closed sessions in ten circumstances. The dates and the claimed OMA exemptions of the meetings cited in Mr. Howrylak's letter are noted as follows:
--December 13, 1999 (Material exempt from disclosure by state or federal statute) --January 5, 2000 (Material exempt from disclosure by state or federal statute) --January 17, 2000 (Material exempt from disclosure by state or federal statute) --March 6, 2000 (purchase, sale or lease of land) --April 17, 2000 (purchase, sale or lease of land) --May 1, 2000 (Scott and Straub v. City of Troy; pending litigation) --October 2, 2000 (purchase, sale or lease of land) --October 16, 2000 (purchase, sale or lease of land) --October 23, 2000 (purchase, sale or lease of land) Mr. Howrylak does not agree with the exemptions cited by the city council. "Ultimately the discussions had nothing to do with the claimed allowances for closed sessions. " While Mr. Howrylak was present at all noted closed sessions from April 10, 2000 to the present, he voted against meetings that he feared would violate the OMA. Additionally, in May Mr. Howrylak was rebuffed in his request that the city council designate outside legal council to review closed session requests. As for why he wrote the letter to the Attorney General, Mr. Howrylak said that it is simply the right thing to do. "I was brought up to believe that it is important to do the right thing, even if it is unpopular. While the letter to the Attorney General may not win me any friends on the city council, I believe that there are many questions that need to be answered. The public has a right to know what happened in those closed sessions if they were improper. As a representative to the 85,000 residents of Troy, I have an obligation to protect their interests. Those interests include making sure that the OMA is followed and that they are able to participate in the decision-making process. |
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