More than
30 years ago, President Reagan said he felt the nine most terrifying words in
the English language were, “I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help”. Our
Inverness Township/City of Cheboygan/Meijer water line issue has become a story
worthy of Greek mythology. The residents
of Cheboygan County are now aware that our cults and rituals; multi-generational
township boards, nepotism, cronyism, and inaction rooted in apathy; cannot
serve the best interest of all.
None of
us sitting on the public side of the Inverness Board table really knows the
reason why that Board, and their legal counsel who seems to rule the roost,
said no to every option on the table or demanded more money for doing nothing.
Many seem oblivious
to the fact that special interest groups have created delays. Two is company,
but three is a crowd. The Inverness DDA, a third party comprised of Inverness
Board appointed volunteers, attempted to redraft agreements and influence negotiations.
Many existing Inverness business owners spent thousands of dollars running ads
trying to steer the rudderless Inverness Township Board to choose a 425
Agreement over a Utility Service Agreement. I understand their position and
none of us want to see existing businesses, all enjoying the lower than City of
Cheboygan township tax millages, impacted by the possibility of their taxes
increased to subsidize utility services for Meijer. One of those lobbying
businesses has enjoyed a 5-year property tax abatement, lowered property taxes
agreed to by Inverness Township, when they rebuilt and enlarged their auto
sales and service facility.
I am not aware that
Meijer has sought any tax breaks. Inverness did not openly embrace,
accommodate, or offer any tax breaks to a new Meijer store with a far larger
investment and 250 jobs. Meijer were in fact more than willing to be a
part of a 425 Agreement, paying taxes at the much higher city millage rate,
while giving Inverness a share of property taxes for providing absolutely no
services. The big box stores, Walmart in an existing 425 Agreement paying city
tax rates, and Meijers willingness to do the same shows the sites were chosen
for exposure, not merely for some lower property tax advantage.
Special interest
groups, not the people and not the majority, rule government at all levels. If
you organize your neighbors as an “association”, you have just leveraged your
influence with local lawmakers. Special interest groups’ needs always run
contrary to the best interest of the majority of the people. If the majority shared their interests, there
would be no need for a special interest group to exist. Special interest
lobbying efforts often succeed because they convince the lawmakers they have
more knowledge or represent the best position on a particular issue.
Environmental groups, Chambers of Commerce, Lakeshore Owners Associations and
other smaller groups of organized individuals disproportionately influence
county, city, and township elected officials and policies because their
adversaries; we, the majority; and the very officials they lobby are ignorant
or uneducated on the facts, apathetic, stupid, or all of the above. Those special
interest groups serve their own best interest because they work harder or are
smarter than our local lawmakers are.
Another Reagan quote,
“When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat” is an
effective tool. The appointed volunteers of the Tuscarora DDA spent $90,000 to
install the back-in parking pod in Indian River to show us how smart they were.
The people protested the unsafe design. We gathered petitions, wrote letters,
and the elected board members of the Cheboygan County Road Commission felt the
heat. The CCRC with jurisdiction over the road scheduled a well-attended Public
Hearing.
The majority spoke; more than a hundred opposed to the back-in parking
versus a handful of smart DDA supporters. That resulted in the Tuscarora DDA finally
paying for an independent safety study. The study, costing only $4,900 dollars,
identified multiple safety issues in the flawed design. The DDA had refused to
do a safety study in the design stage.
That foolish behavior seems to be a
product of the culture, or should I say cult, that exists here in Cheboygan
County. Local governments and their politically appointed DDA’s, boards,
committees, and commissions often exist to serve a sometimes secretive,
sometimes apparent, cult of cronyism, anti-growth, no-outsiders agenda, or the
belief they are smarter than the outside world. The status quo often serves
their masters well.
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