I ahven’t logged on in quite a while and I am appalled at some of the comments that are so negative towards our city government. T believe that most of our city employees and elected officials do try to do the best they can and most of our services are delivered very well.

Bringing up old mistakes by people who are not even here anymore (Sandstone) is unproductive at best, if not bordering on destructive.

With regards to Fountain walk….that is a private entity’s business venture. I do not want our city government to dictate what can be built and what can’t be built. Yes, it went bankrupt, but that is not the city’s fault. As long as business plans and building proposals meet with the planning requirements that have been carefully thought out….the city should allow private enterprise to invest and make a go of it. Not every business venture will work out. I was actually upset that the council was putting a roadblock up against hooters. I don’t patronize that establishment but it wasn’t a battle our council should have engaged in. Let free enterprise work its own path.

Special elections are part of our democratic process and allowed by law. We as voters should defend that right that we have. Agreed that it appears to be a waste of money, but that is the fault of the voters who failed to excerise their democratic right, or obligation in my opinion.

Dave – you are a true champion of our parks and I commend you on that. Even though I disagreed with you on this issue, I apperciate the venue offered here to ask the questions that I had and to offer my opinions.

SanityForOurCity – I do not care if your name is Mike, Joe, Bob, or Steve, that is irrelevant. I do not agree with your posts here. I believe the negativity is destructive at best. While I will defend your right to your opinion, I pray that you can find a way to express it in a productive way.

I do not understand the rant on privacy here. I beleive several people on here know who I am but that doesn’t stop me from expressing my opinion.

I appreciate your comments. I think anger has replaced reason when dealing with things that you disagree with in these times. Some folks are just plain angry with their lives, jobs, economic situation, neighbors, families and direct that anger at anybody who disagrees with them. Blogs provide the opportunity to do it without any real consequences. Seldom do those who blog come before us at a City Council meeting or call us and share with us the level of rancour that they exhibit anonymously in blogs. It is just the way things are in the Internet world.

Everybody who serves on Council, Boards and Commissions is a volunteer who works very hard to help make Novi a better place to live. My phone number is public as is my email address. I take every call and return every email. We face hundreds of issues every year with little fanfare or attention. I enjoy every minute of it, even when the positions are unpopular. Everything we touch is our responsibility in the end. Seven volunteers, with the support of a City administration and hundreds of other volunteers, doing the best job that they can.

The Signature Park took years to put together. It is disappointing that the residents didn’t share our vision, however, I am respectful of voters and will learn from everybody who spoke to us and with us during the past year. I would rather lose trying than not make any effort at all.

Lots of great things are on the horizon for Novi. Many include Non-motorized transportation initiatives that rely on state and federal grants. Others include decisions about City owned properties that will be improved. Those of us who supported the park feel no bitterness toward the decision. It just motivates to work hard and follow the direction of the voters.

Serving the resident of Novi on City Council is an honor. I would not characterize anybody who is currently serving or has served in the past as “arogant or clueless”. That is just not the case, regardless of some of the events that occured under their watch. Those of us who currently serve, have past history to help guide us away from the pitfalls of the events that proceeded us. It is our responsibility to learn those lessons and apply them to the future.

If you don’t like the job they are doing, run for office, but first, take a step back relax. We’re only here for a short time. Try to enjoy it.

There. I said my peace.

You are correct, you did not use “ignorant”. It was “arrogant & clueless”. My fault.

It is always interesting to hear your views on the State of City and School District. Hope you have an opportunity to address Council in the future and let us know where you stand on the issues. In addition to our faults, I would be interested in seeing if you with the other things we quietly work on.

If I am going to be addressed by name, I feel I have the right to do the same. Based on your past interactions with the school district, I didn’t think you would mind. Not once did I attack you personally for any of your observations. I don’t even know you and have no personal feelings toward you or your family.

We agree that we could use a new park and that we should fix up the ones we already have. I will not support repackaging of the signature park. I am going to move my attention to things that we can fund without increasing taxes on our residents. I heard the voters loud and clear when the decided to build the library and I have heard them on the Signature Park.

Willy and I started this blog and have been running it for almost 4 years. We have always allowed open discussion and if we weren’t fair and open minded, I could have supressed all your comments from the beginning. You can see that didn’t happen.

Feel free to keep on blogging!!

I remember your opposition against the Novi Schools / Providence Park partnership. You spoke against it stating “separation of church and state” because Providence is a religious hospital. I find that amusing still to this day.

BTW, I also remember stuffing flyers (which I made) supporting my school board candidates of choice back when your wife was running. Friends of mine saw you pulling them out of the newspaper boxes… then shortly after I received an anonymous envelope with shredded flyers… hmm….

I do pray you find some peace in your life.

I do not believe I used the word “ignorant” as you attribute. But, to put forth this issue and be so clueless as to the outcome, well, call it what you want: Webster calls it ignorance, or “lacking awareness”.

“SanityForOurCity” is making these posts. By addressing this as “Mr. Salemi” you have made a several errors in judgment.

First, you have made an assumption. Well, I was always told that until you see the head sticking out, never assume a woman with a belly is pregnant. Until you see someone sitting at a computer; making blog posts, and can positively identify that person, don’t assume you know who is making them. Without that positive identification, all you have is email addresses and IP addresses, not people.

Second, though you may not have one, any reputable BLOG or website or whatever, run by any competent person, firm or whatever that has any amount of integrity, has a privacy policy. To call someone by name is a violation of that, not withstanding the assumption already made.

Third, and this is where integrity really comes in, is you have made some ill-fated attempt to discredit the ideas by revealing the messenger. The entire purpose of a screen name is so that the message, not the messenger, is judged. What you have done is called politics. It stinks, and I hope this Mr. Salemi, and Mr. or Mrs. Sanity, MT, Lancair IV and all the other bloggers here agree.

If this is indeed “your blog”, Mr. Staudt, you have a lot to learn about integrity, and about privacy as the proprietor of this blog. I hope it has nothing to do with you personally. If as a city council member, you think the park was a good idea, and the whole scheme of things that led up to it including the $25,000 special election, there’s a whole cadre of people in the city now, who disagree and spoke loud and clear about it.

I hope City Council does NOT try to repackage and reoffer this beast. Listen to what the people say–all of them–not just the hand-picked few on these councils and commissions and committees whom you choose because they agree with your ideas. That’s how bad ideas get to the point that this election did.

Good day, Mr. Staudt, until the next political volcano in Novi erupts.

I indicated that I was LIVID that the city created this vote, and wasted our money having it; if anything, it should have been a November issue. I indicated I hoped it was go the way I voted, and overwhelmingly so.

We did not speak of YES or NO; only of the special election.

The worker indicated to me that the overwhelming attitude of the voters coming to vote was ANGER at having this special election. I was far from the only vociferously angry voter.

Well, as they say on “Survivor”, the tribe has spoken. 69% no. On a special election. Wow. Just how out of touch with the city, is the mayor, council, and administration? 69% no says it all. VERY out of touch.

They ought to pay back the coffers with the $25,000 they took from us for this incredible waste of time, money and energy. The community should be outraged and demand accountability.

To bad….

Maybe now the city officials will think twice about wasting money on special elections.