http://www.statenews.com East Lansing residents who were petitioning for the right to vote on financing the public portion of the City Center II project through municipal bonds fell short of their goal by 98 percent, said Ted Staton, East Lansing city manager. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:01:22 -0500 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26826 Wow, 88 signatures. Even though so many people talk about how fed up with the city of East Lansing when it comes to poor development and bowing to developers needs… we see how much people in East Lansing really care about reigning in the city council. Great work citizens of EL. When the project turns out to be a bust and full of things no one needs, you only have yourself to blame. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:31:30 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26826 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26839 The majority of us collecting the signatures decided not to turn them in for fear of retribution by the city against those who signed. I alone have over 1200 in a folder sitting next to me and I’d say about 95% of people that I spoke with were in favor of our cause. It was disappointing to see the elected officials try and interfere with our efforts, but I guess they showed their true colors and proved they are afraid of giving people the right to vote on the largest project in EL history. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:27:19 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26839 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26868 There were more than enough signatures to force a vote; the petitions were never submitted to the City Clerk. Problematically, many of those who signed the petition expressed fear from retribution from government officials. Specifically, Mayor Loomis—in his State News column—used fear-mongering to intimidate people from signing the petition—by suggesting that the petition would somehow ruin future economic growth in East Lansing. Hans Larsen Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:29:11 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26868 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26878 City Manager Staton is not aware that there was a decision made to NOT SUBMIT the petitions with over 4,200 valid signatures, because many signers expressed fear of retribution and more attacks from City Government Officials. The petition simply would have given the citizens the right to vote on funding the City Center II Project with $30 Million Dollars of taxpayer-backed bonds. City Manager Staton called the project the largest development project in the history of East Lansing. Many citizens provided evidence that the City failed to perform the due diligence and that the citizens wanted the opportunity to vote on funding the project. Mayor Loomis in his State News column used fear-mongering to intimidate signers and discourage the democratic process: “signing a petition that could ultimately lead to unnecessary spending of taxpayer dollars and a freezing effect on future development and economic prosperity in our city.” Hans Larsen http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2008/10/future_city_plans_hurt_by_petitions Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:12:53 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26878 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26905 Since we are in the middle of a global financial crisis, it would have been prudent for City Council to let the citizens show their clear, informed support for the City Center II project. The citizens should have been allowed to vote on Election Day—to support the City Center II Project, by financing it with $30 Million Dollars of Taxpayer-backed bonds. It’s the largest development project in the history of East Lansing. City Council intentionally delayed the bond issue—too late for the General Election—forcing us to petition for a special election. City Council knew that the developer had not yet secured financing for the project. While City Council granted the developer a 3-month extension to secure financing, they forced the bond issue—public debt—on the already over-taxed citizens in East Lansing. The developer did not even show up at the City Council meeting—the deadline—when they were supposed to present the detailed financing of the project. City Council gave them an extension. That’s favoritism for the Big Developers and Corporate Welfare alive in East Lansing. It was no shock that Mayor Loomis—the self-described “commercial lender/developer/mayor” resorted to fear-mongering and intimidation, in an attempt to scare people from signing a petition, because the petition would ruin E.L.‘s economic future. An unresponsive government is already ruining East Lansing. Taxation without representation. Hans Larsen Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:36:05 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26905 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26920 Wow, it is even more saddening to hear that people are not willing to stand up against the officials they elect. Vic Loomis doesn’t have the power to ruin anyone, the voters have the power — he knows that if he does not get votes next time he is done. So do the rest of them. It is a sad day when people are afraid to turn in petitions to exercise their democratic rights. Imagine where we would be if the colonists had been to afraid to lay their lives on the lines to stand up to Britain. East Lansing citizens are afraid to stand up to their own elected officials… how sad. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:50:27 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26920 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26935 I like the tight fisted stalinesque operation that Vic Loomis and others have going on to crush the dissent. He is like a well seasoned surgeon removing the cancer of democracy that plagues this great city of ours. We must blindly follow, and finally put to rest this “archaic” sense of democratic input we as citizens believe we have. Premier Loomis must spill the blood of the detractors and place the severed heads of the treasoness diabolical unpatriotic spawns of satan at the entrances of the city limits to warn others that his authority will not be questioned, and to further entrench his stronghold as the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and without judgment supreme leader of all living and non living beings on this or any planet. eh comrades? :sarcasm off: Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:38:08 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26935 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26944 We are not afraid to stand up to East Lansing government; many signers were legitimately concerned about retribution from City Officials for signing the petition. The City Attorney made it perfectly clear that he would fight the petition—using taxpayer money to fight the voice of the people—to find any way possible to invalidate a basic petition. Ironically, his job is not to fight against the interest of the citizens. Nevertheless, we believed the City Attorney that he would fight the petition effort, as he has fought other citizens—all the way to the State Supreme Court. Rather than engage in a prolonged, expensive legal battle, as well as likely retribution by City Officials against the signers, we witnessed the anti-democratic beliefs and fear mongering tactics by both Mayor Loomis and Mayor Pro-tem Goddeeris, in their recent newspaper essays. In other words, by simply suggesting that there might be an effort to start a petition, Loomis, McGinty, Goddeeris, Staton, the City Clerk, and the ELPD engaged in a full-court press to try to stymie the petition drive—to prevent the citizens from having right to vote in support of funding the largest project in the history of E.L. with $30 Million Dollars of taxpayer-backed bonds. Hans Larsen Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:12:04 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/26944 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/27412 Not submitting the signatures had nothing to do with concerns about retribution by the city. We found that people who signed the petition signed enthusiastically in the hope of bringing this important question to the ballot. James Cuddeback (Public Response) —————— So basically—at least according to their buddy Cuddeback—Larsen and Hagen are defaming our elected officials and city staff. Those defamed really ought to sue them, except that no one sensible is taking Hagen and Larsen seriously anymore. Hagen pays people to go gather up signatures, then tries to press students into signing, all to protect his bottom line while manipulating the electorate. Larsen, you want to stop the wasting of taxpayers’ resources? Then stop wasting the time of our elected officials and staff with your lies, please! Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:35:59 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/27412 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/27551 Posted in Public Response (http://publicresponse..com) November 06, 2008 “For the record and accuracy of information, the bond referendum petition circulated recently in East Lansing had very strong support in the community but had honestly failed because of not having enough circulators. Because the petition drive had a time constraint and the total number of signatures fell short by about half, there was no productive reason to submit the petition signatures to the city clerk. Not submitting the signatures had nothing to do with concerns about retribution by the city. We found that people who signed the petition signed enthusiastically in the hope of bringing this important question to the ballot.” James Cuddeback (Public Response) Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:01:22 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/27551