IF YOU ASK ME
Mar. 25, 2015 PLYMOUTH VOICE.
Plymouth Michigan News
In an arrogant display of disrespect, members of the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees agreed to review letters of interest, resumes, backgrounds, experience and personally interview any and all candidates interested in filling the supervisor’s job at the meeting next Tuesday evening.
Seriously?
This blatant charade dispels any hope that there was any intent of making this appointment to the seat recently vacated by Richard Reaume a transparent process open to the public. Led by the stone-faced interim board president pro-tem Nancy Conzelman, the scheduling of this farcical passion play led by board members who currently face recall couldn’t be undone by arguments for legitimacy from two other trustees attempting to interject some reason into the proceedings.
Ironically, this all took place last week during Sunshine Week in Michigan when participants like news media, civic groups, schools, libraries and others attempt to enhance the public’s right to know by participating in a national initiative to promote discussion about open government and freedom of information. The event was started by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and this year marked the 10th anniversary.
These are apparently foreign concepts in Plymouth Township Hall, however. Even though an open and transparent government is fundamental to democracy, the only transparent factor obvious at the special meeting in Plymouth last week was the mockery of the system being perpetrated by members of the administration on Plymouth citizens.
There may have been audience members oblivious to the pre-arranged and pre-negotiated appointment of the new supervisor, but they were assuredly accompanied by professional caretakers or service animals.
The antics and performance of the “gang of four,” as the trustees facing recall have come to be known, left no room for the voice of reason from other board members or the audience. Treasurer Ron Edwards again made it very clear that no matter what the township charter may say, there will be no input from frustrated and disgruntled residents who may want a voice into who is the next chief township official.
Once again, the gang of four has ensured that the citizens will have no vote on this issue as they so effectively managed with the fire department millage and the $2 million recreational plan.
The new supervisor could be State Rep. Kurt Heise, but he has offended Edwards by actually listening to the plan for a joint recreation center with the City of Plymouth. Edwards has dictated that any cooperation of any kind with the city is a death-knoll for any political hopeful in the township and since Edwards has usurped the authority, responsibility and power from every department township hall, his disapproval may be fatal for Heise.
The other favored candidate is current Wayne County Commissioner Shannon Price, said to have cut a deal with Edwards weeks ago to ensure the appointment, even before Reaume resigned. Former police chief Carl Berry has declared his interest in the job to Republicans in the area, but he may be too late, as the deal has obviously already been made. The same can be said for the two veteran trustees, Bob Doroshewitz and Chuck Curmi, who might actually be both qualified and legitimate candidates. Unfortunately, they doomed any chance they might have had at the job by publicly disagreeing with Edwards and Conzelman.
Conzelman is now charged with reviewing the resumes and letters of interest accepted for a grand total of five working days. She has been charged with choosing the top candidates for interviews at the meeting Tuesday, May 31. If the process were legitimate, we would recommend packing a lunch or ordering a pizza, because it would be a long, long night.
As it is, we know exactly who will be on her “list” and you can bet Ron Edwards dictated it.
We expect to be home in time for NCIS.
Plymouth Voice.
