Being right is often a double-edged sword

August 16, 2012  PLYMOUTH EAGLE.

Editorial By:  Susan Willett, Publisher, Associated Newspapers of Michigan.

While I predicted the win of the incumbents in Plymouth Township (Yeah, I’m still ranting about those fools), I really wanted to be wrong.

Geez, I love to be right.

I love it. Nothing does my faltering ego as much good as being right every so often. Now, what I was right about last week truly filled me with despair, in some cases, but joy in some others. Overall, my confidence in the wisdom of voters was bolstered. Well, everywhere but Plymouth Township that is. But, hey, Plymouth Township is a whole different political world where logic, common sense and some regard for the welfare of others is almost unknown.

I’m going to try and ignore my feelings of incredulity and disappointment in that community and try to maximize my arrogant predictions about the outcome of the election. Yep, even in that congenitally apathetic community, I predicted the outcome accurately. I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t wish that travesty of local “government” on any municipality, but I did call it accurately.

I was right about Westland and Romulus, too. I thought it was great that the folks in Westland approved the millage for the library and those in Romulus supported the funding to operate the schools. Those really were no-brainers, though, because even in these times of economic uncertainty, people in those communities value the library, which offers so much for so little to every- one, and who can doubt that every dime possible is needed by every school district.

I’d like to give all those yes voters a hug.

Canton Township voters, too, knew exactly what they were doing when they returned all the incumbents, and former supervisor Tom Yack, to the board of trustees. I’ve not been shy about my opinion of the job this group does for the community. My one concern is that some of the trustees may not realize what a treasure of historical and empirical knowledge Yack has to offer. I hope they won’t resent his former position as supervisor and treat him with anything less than the respect and courtesy he deserves when he tries to help solve problems or pro- poses ideas.

Northville Township voters did surprise me a little. I wasn’t as sure of that outcome as I was of others, at least in the supervisor’s race. I was also surprised to see Supervisor Paul White edged out in the race for Van Buren supervisor. I thought it might be close, but I didn’t think he’d get bounced from the November ballot.

Let’s face it folks, in many of these communities, the primary election is the real determination of who will be officially elected in November. In these communities voters go in, plunk down that Democrat or Republican lever and never read anything else, or even the names, of the local candidates they just helped sweep into office. So when these guys win their local primaries, they know that the partisan voters will sweep them into office in November.

While I predicted the win of the incumbents in Plymouth Township (Yeah, I’m still ranting about those fools), I really wanted to be wrong. I knew this Borg hive mind of incumbents would be swept back in, but I had hoped that the reports of their conduct and dangerous decisions would have influenced enough voters to overcome the apathy of some and the misinformation believed by others.

No such luck.

The votes have been cast, the primary is done and the majority has decided. Now, I guess I can just sit back and watch the good, the bad and the worst in local government in action.