In my opinion: It’s human nature to form into groups, whether it’s a baseball team, church, or political party; what have you. This can be good from the standpoint of common interest, or healthy competition. It can also be bad, manifesting into things like ethnic prejudice, or incumbent protection. Examples of incumbent protection could be a prosecuting attorney not going after a criminal because a police officer is connected in the crime, or perhaps a judge making a ruling that hurts the citizens of a community while favoring a “good old boy” in his circle of influential friends. Loyalty to a group supercedes moral values in some cases.
The AuTrain Township Board has been practicing incumbent protection for years. Good people on the board have completely lost their moral bearings, surrendering good acts for the community to favor the personal wishes of fellow board members. Nepotism is rampant. Their selection of officials and council include violent people who exert more effort threatening and harassing AuTrain citizens, who protest this political incest, than providing healthy service to
our township. Indecent hand gestures, verbal insults and the threat of using a baseball bat on a citizen exemplify these vendetta driven thugs. Personality disorder can only partially explain such behavior. What does Trustee(??) Gramm have over this local government to make its members abandon integrity just to pave the path for his illegal hotel? It can’t be just the $1500+ per month of taxpayer’s money going into Mary and William Roger’s bank account.
Three minutes allowed at AuTrain Township Board meetings arranged by Clerk Rogers at the very end of the meeting and relentlessly enforced by Supervisor Atherton, then stricken from meeting minutes, thwart citizen input. I thank the Munising News for this necessary venue of free speech.
