Asking the voters to consider removing an office holder before their term is up can be a daunting task. A recall campaign is nothing but negative, requires a high standard simply to get placed on a ballot, and sometimes can be more divisive than simple partisanship within a community. But there are times when the harshness is called for.. Indeed the following reasons could be found in your community.. this time its Gross Pointe Shores:
“Consider the following 10 strong other reasons to vote to recall the incumbents this May. Click the on blue hyperlinks for the facts:
- Financial mismanagement, deficit spending and lack of long term planning is driving our city toward bankruptcy. Unreserved general fund balance fund down from $410,000 in March 2007 to current value of negative $210,000. Review the article “Seeing Red”.
- Grosse Pointe Shores now one of 20 cities on the State of Michigan Fiscal Watch List – the only one of the Pointes so named.
- Shores officials burdened homeowners with over $30 million in long-term debt and interest.
- Charter promoted with promises of no tax increase – promptly followed by a $330K tax increase. See what the incumbents said in the papers.
- Another, larger, tax increase is already being considered for 2010 – with the new charter, they can go all they way up to 20 mils! See how the Shores cut of property taxes have climbed on a typical home during the last 5 years of the Cooper era.
- Promise that well revenue would fully fund marina upgrade was made contrary to advice from Shores own consultants. See the source document.
- Shores spent taxpayer dollars to prevent citizen access to public salary information before the council and charter election: See the FOIA request and Clark Hill legal bill.
- Shores employees serve on committees that approve unsustainable salaries & benefits. Look at the annual rise in pension costs during the Cooper tenure.
The incumbent’s hostile attitude toward newly elected council members and many residents: watch the Shores video clips and see for yourself. “
Dr Robert Lee, the sponsor of that recall has succeeded in garnering the votes needed, and has kept us informed through the RecallPosse.org site, as well as promoting his own http://shoresrecall.com/
Ultimately, the best way to put an office holder in or out of his or her job, is to elect and then un-elect when their term has expired. Recalls are certainly not the preferred method of firing for bad or incompetent performance. However, an occasional need arises and the hard work of a dedicated group of individuals can give a community a chance to end the pain of bad leadership a little earlier.
Sometimes they need help. Join the posse.
