Letter to the Editor: 'We Are All Tired of the Games Being Played'

Troy Patch accepts letters to the editor. Send yours to jen.anesi@patch.com; please include your full name and hometown. Letters may be edited for clarity. Note: The deadline to submit Letters to the Editor and blog posts relating to the Nov. 6 election was 5 p.m. Sunday; this is the last election-related letter/blog post that will be posted until after the election.

Dear Editor:

I recently received a mailer from the No Troy Recall group in support of Janice Daniels.  Once again, as in past elections, a mailer with unfounded information is sent to Troy voters to try to scare them into keeping her in office.

I am not surprised, since this group has done this before and usually the weekend before the election. They travel under numerous names: Troy Citizens United, Citizens for Troy, Taxpayers for Troy, Troy Voter Guide, etc.  Their tactics are always the same.  They try to confuse the voters, as they did when they put three phony proposals on the ballot for the library millage.  They try to “scare” the voters as this mailer is trying to do, and as they did during the 1.9 millage proposal.  Or, they misinform the voters, as they did during the “tax cap” inferring is was a “tax cut.”

What is enlightening about this campaign to recall Janice is that I have met so many citizens that are on to their tricks.  Many citizens are realizing that anything that comes from these groups cannot be trusted.  Would you trust a group whose candidate is going door to door to try to intimidate the citizens and businesses into voting to keep her in office?  Would you trust a group who intentionally lies in their literature?  Would you trust a group who supports candidates that will stoop to any level to get elected in order to push their ideologies down their constituents throats?  Would you trust a group that puts the needs of the city at the bottom of their list, after their political agenda is met?

What really disturbs me is the extent to which they will take these lies.  One example, “Drain Rainy Day Fund for Lavish Union Employee Pensions.”  Really?  This group doesn’t even understand the budget.  It was their members who called the General Fund a “Slush Fund” and wanted to use it to keep the library and other services open.  This would result in the loss of our AAA bond rating and put us in a precarious situation down the road.  It would be like having a savings account for your property taxes which are due at the end of the year.  You are invited to an event in the summer which you have always attended, but don’t have the money, so you take it from the savings.  Now you have gone to the event, but where is the money for your taxes?  By the way, one of the members of this group is a County Commissioner and is behind in his taxes. 

Another outright lie is “Liberal Council Members will Force a Huge Property Tax Hike on Homeowners.”  First, municipal elections are supposed to be non-partisan and used to be until this gang came to town.  I doubt anyone can prove that there is a Liberal Council Member on today’s council, regardless of the fact it shouldn’t matter.  Just another outrageous tactic to try and show that Troy citizens are fools and will believe anything they put out there.  It is also more humorous since they were the ones who had the “Tax Cap” approved.  Any increase in our tax rate has to be approved by a vote of the citizens. 

I won’t go through all of the garbage on this mailer, but tell you that the accomplishments they attribute to Janice were all in place before she was elected.  Ironically, they don’t mention any of the latest companies as can be found in the Troy Today publication.  Maybe she isn’t aware of them since she goes to more national events than city and probably doesn’t bother to read this.

Incidentally, did you know that the person helping run her defense of the recall is from Alpena?  She is with the Tea Party.  What is interesting is that the Troy Tea Party belongs to the Michigan Tea Party Alliance whose website states:

"The 1st Michigan Tea Party Alliance are a group of like minded Tea Party and 9/12 groups who cooperate and work together for common goals on statewide issues. We do not deal with local or regional issues."

If that is true, then why are they meddling in our recall?  If this individual from Alpena feels so strongly about Janice and her ability to be Mayor, then take Janice back to Alpena with you!  You can then put up with her ineptness and inappropriate behavior.

I know for a fact that the majority of the citizens of Troy are not fools.  They don’t take their quality of life for granted and they want responsible members on council.  They will not stand for the continuation of this gang of irresponsible, ill mannered, thoughtless, lying individuals trying to “fool” them into voting their way.  Those citizens make educated, informed choices and are on to the games that these groups play. 

We are all tired of the games being played, most recently in defense of Janice Daniels.  We will show Janice and her supporters that enough is enough.  Troy is comprised of a diverse group of individuals.  Each and every one of these citizens is just as important as another.  Our community was the world class destination before Janice was elected and will continue to be after she is recalled.  Troy citizens will unite on November 6th and VOTE YES to Recall Janice Daniels!

Linda Marie Kajma