Week in Review: Negative Reinforcement
"I prefer not to work with these elected officials"
Week in Review
City Council, Monday, April 7
It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times. City Manager David Mackie—for this week to go by “Nurse Ratched” at Fauxglin’s insistence and against our publication’s long-standing tradition of Decency & Decorum—continued to conduct his social experiment on the residents of Hillsdale and their representatives, seeing just how much Revenue he can squeeze out of the residents, just how self-degrading the “public servants” can act in his service, just how openly he can press his tax-maxing agenda and yet still be applauded by his politicized coalition.1
To linger on our theme for a moment, in this meeting Ratched rolled out his loyal “chronics” and “acutes” alike in a group therapy session from which not a soul emerged unscathed. In this embarrassing affair, the patients, sometimes called councilmen, took a self-inflicted beating for two hours while toeing Ratched’s party line like good boys. As for the future of those recalcitrant few who may still have lingering doubts about the Win-Win Program, well, read the book.
City Assessor’s Report
City Assessor Kim Thomas prepared a report for Council on the financial troubles of the City.
On the grim nonprofit situation: “Approximately one-third of our total value is exempt from property taxes. Of that, a little over 50-percent is owned by the College.”
St Anthony’s 23 North Broad St Offer
Mayor Pro Tem Paladino: “St. Anthony’s has put in an offer for 23 N Broad St, the vacant property to the north of St. Anthony’s for $40,000. They very kindly included not only a fair market value for this property, but their estimate of 20 years of calculation, liberally calculated.”
Jake Coonradt: “If we were to develop that space, we would do so with an eye to beauty. . . and long-term appeal.”
Council will decide about the offer at a later date.
City Engineer Resignation
Following in the footsteps of the former Airport Director, City Engineer Kristin Bauer resigned from her post, citing the “negative culture” created by the council minority. Her accusation implied that Paladino, Bruns, and Bentley don’t care about justice, law, and ethics because they lack reverence for previously-established SAD policy, which has been rhetorically elevated to the level of a necessity for the very survival of Hillsdale. Bauer also took aim at the residents of Hillsdale for not celebrating SADs, and hoped aloud that her preferred candidates would gain office in the future.
Please share my gratitude to Council Members Morrisey, Flynn, Socha, Stuchell and Wolfram for their leadership and guidance over these past few years, it has been a pleasure working alongside them.
The current negative culture being developed by the remaining City Council members has forced me to make this tough decision. The creation of distrust towards city staff and the complete disregard of the City Charter and Ordinances make it difficult to execute my position effectively and ethically. I prefer not to work with these elected officials who are willing to change voted policies on a whim to suit whatever complaint comes to them and I hope that soon the city’s residents will recognize their efforts are not for the betterment of the city.
Stuchell, master of self-knowledge: “I would just say that members of this Council need to take a self-reflecting look at themselves. This is the second excellent manager the City has lost.”
Morrisey, growling: “If people in the town treat our employees like crap, they’re going to leave.”
From the end of this melodramatic episode until the last few lively minutes, Council appeared to slip into a comatose state, becoming the overpaid, faux celebrity-functionaries they always aspired to be.
Monroe Street SAD Rolls
The Michigan Department of Transportation excused itself from the Monroe Street SAD rolls.
Toby: “A subdivision of the sovereign can’t tax the sovereign.”
Paladino: “Do you want to take this to the Supreme Court? How are you feeling about this?”
Toby: “I have a feeling you would lose.”
Flynn, certainly no math major: “I’m confused by one part of the Special Assessment District. . . How can you tax a Special Assessment District?”2
Barry Street SAD Public Hearing, cont.
Paladino wanted to deliberate about the policies related to this ongoing issue while the rest of the Council, exercising their “leadership and guidance,” to quote Bauer, snoozed on.
Paladino: “Mayor Sessions said it would be discrimination. . . I don’t think it’s discrimination to make a distinction between a cul-de-sac and a major through-street.”
The Barry Street project goes headlong toward failure.
Budget Amendments
The Dawn Theater required an HVAC repair because of. . .?
Karen Lancaster, on the $7,000 TIFA expenditure: “They had an HVAC repair at Dawn Theater.”
Bentley: “Can anybody shed some more light on that?”
Kim Thomas: “The equipment was defective. . . because it had sit in a warehouse for three years through COVID.”
Council, still Leading and Guiding, voted unanimously for the air conditioner.
City Manager Report
Nurse Ratched crafted a special, politically-charged message meant to debunk his haters—
On the City Engineer’s resignation: “I’m going to keep this brief. I just wanted to make a statement in regard to the engineer’s resignation. . . Her departure will leave a gap that will be difficult to fill. . . As the Council knows, this is the second staff resignation in recent weeks, and there seems to be a common theme. I believe it points to a deeper issue that deserves reflection. When City Staff are treated with distrust, targeted criticism, and hostility, it creates a culture that is demoralizing and ultimately unsustainable.”
As mystic, predicting the end times with himself as messiah: “Without expertise and professionalism. . . we will be. . . dead in the water. The future of this city depends on retaining. . . Staff. . . It requires respect, and it requires leadership.”3
On Teamwork, Sportsmanship, and Having Fun!: “The Staff, the Council, the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem, all of us—and the residents!—the residents are critical to this because this is their community, pulling on the same end of the rope. And when we foment distrust, and criticism, and hostility, and share false information, or other things like that, it creates hostility amongst the team.”
Demoralization, hostility, distrust—these words are the very hallmark of Ratched’s reign over Hillsdale. Driving out mayors, ruthlessly punishing political opponents, reaching deep into the public coffers to scoop up additional raises all while not even living in Hillsdale, his operation has been nothing short of masterful. And all the while to make it look like the “negativity” is unjustified, merely the result of inDecent aggression? For that, we commend him, a worthy foe who has neutered the Councilmen so thoroughly that they and many others parade their impotence and ignorance as public virtue.
Council Comment
Council comment centered on a recent meeting of the Officer’s Compensation Commission, at which the Commission, over the flailing Penny Swan and her fellow objector, Wild Bill Mullaly, proposed to raise the pay for Mayor and Council to something approaching part-time wages, at least for Mayor. The proposal, the details of which have been exhausted by the stories in the links below, caused much public consternation—an opportunity for many busybodies and dignitaries to bring shame on their names.
Bentley, to be entirely ignored: “I would humbly request that we as Council. . . consider not discussing the Officer’s Compensation Board tonight. . . For discretion, and to lower the temperature, perhaps we agree to let it go tonight.”
Flynn, recycling ideas: “We should not be allowed to vote our own raise. Period, end of story. . . That’s immoral, unethical, pick a word—it’s just wrong.” Really getting into the act: “If there’s $105,000 sittin’ in the budget we’re not doin’ anything with, by God, put it towards the streets, don’t give it to us! That’s what you’ve all been bitchin’ about since I got on Council back in November.” With a stern avuncular reprimand: “There needs to be a lot more Decorum in every meeting that’s held in the City, not just that one.”
Paladino, on the Officer’s Compensation Commission: “The law requires this, that we call it every odd year. I received five applications. I nominated the first five people. I called for them repeatedly meeting-over-meeting. . . When I called the meeting—and I think you were all here and heard me say this—I said, ‘let’s go back to the charter.’” On returning to the original pay scale: “We could simply repeal it and we could go back to the charter and we could get $10 a meeting. That would only take five votes.”
Stuchell, the Dale Harding to Mackie’s Ratched?: “This is an outstanding City. . . And what makes it so good is that we are a City Manager-run system, where we have a City Manager with an outstanding Staff. . . and I’ve been in the workforce for over 50 years. . . I am just sick of the fact that we lost two excellent managers, and their reasons were the same. I am going to ask, whoever’s browbeating these people, to really take a second look.4 Mayor Pro Tem. . . I’m going to ask you to consider resigning your Pro Tem position.”
Bentley, trying to help Stuchell take a “self-reflecting look” at himself: “Mayor Pro Tem was following the law. It’s every other year. He called it. I believe we unanimously voted for it. So we all have some ownership of this.”
Paladino, on the Ethics of Nurse Ratched and his court jesters: “The nastiness seems to be coming from one side. They’re just saying a vaguely ‘negative atmosphere’. . . The idea that we’re being negative to Ginger or Kristen—I’ve never seen that. I think we’re all being perfectly courteous and respectful. I understand that policy discussions can get contentious, but I have no problem with these people. . . and everyone wants to take this up to negativity. . . If I’m being personally disrespectful to you, please, let me know.”
Ratched, serpentine: “Since you asked, I’m going to say this. You mentioned earlier that you received five applications here. And I know that’s not true: you received six. And the last one from [Uncle] Ted Jansen. And [Uncle Ted] Jansen gave that to you many days in advance of selecting the last person.” On his disdain for popular participation: “I’ve been through it with my evaluation where you round up the folks and send the emails, and the next thing you know, there’s someone being attacked. . . Once you get this ball rolling, and it goes out into social media land, people get nasty.”
Paladino, mistakenly playing Ratched’s game: “What is the dysfunction? Policy discussions.” Naively believing that straightforwardness and transparency will be met with the same: “Anyone can go to the press and say what they would like to be done.”
The meeting concluded on a note of tension, with Paladino and Mackie agreeing to go at it in private. Yet the rather disjointed event affords us an opportunity to clear the air.
Bauer’s resignation was, of course, not some kind of martyrdom, as will doubtless be the mainstream presentation, but was instead another instance of the public hysterics resulting from—and forgive our arrogance—certain responses to this very publication, the wicked “Social Media” that we hear so much about from our embattled Leadership. What can we say? We flatter ourselves. Suspicions abound as to our identity, and some have even (quite laughably) implied (in their constipated ways) that the Mayor Pro Tem has a Clovish way about him.
An absurdity! Paladino—wholesome and transparent policy guru that he is—could never think thoughts so inDecent, so inDecorous, so downright unethical, and he appears to be constitutionally incapable of producing something like our cryptic and ever-more-obfuscating prose. No, Paladino cares about things like numbers and charts and rules of procedure. What nonsense all that must seem to our haughty ears and our immoral sensibilities.
For those of our readers who take offense: we mean it—all of it, and more. But if your overinflated sense of dignity is offended by the only honest publication in town, you need not read our writing; there are four other newspapers, each feverishly scribbling about local happenings, to quench your thirst for content. We speak for ourselves, and no others. And if Clovis has acquired a certain type of political power, well, we simply would ask—Why?
But enough about us. Even we, having reached the the very pinnacle of inDecency, wrote nothing amounting even to the slightest rudeness about Ms. Bauer. Certainly we have not noted any rudeness directed toward her in our viewing of the meetings. We cannot accept the explanation offered; another account is in order. Is Ms. Bauer a SAD partisan? Is she angry about disagreement? Did she get a better job offer? Is she retiring? We must say, her complaints, as with those of the Airport Director (who, rumor has it, resigned for a. . . variety. . . of reasons) sound quite like the rhetorical offerings of the Big Nurse. . .
Public Comment
On Deference to Nurse Ratched
Scott Sessions, in it for the money: “I want the same relief as you are about to give residents. It would be a matter of discrimination if the relief that is being proposed is not being given to the rest of the residents that have not been paying the SAD Special Assessments.”
Alan Pitts, in it for the vanity: “There’s some dysfunction on the board I just can’t understand. . . You guys are supposed to get us together, listen to smart men like Mackie and his crew. . . I would just like to see how we can come together.” On the origins of civil society: “In society, successful towns have oceans, rivers, and then they have railways, and they have Airports. We have two of the four. Otherwise we’d be North Adams.”5
On proposed (or not?) Council pay raises:
Dennis Wainscott: “It has nothing to do with the money. . . I never heard anybody talk about how much they made, how much they didn’t make.”
Cindy Merritt, snapping: “We are not poor, stupid townies that you hold in haughty contempt, treating us like sheep to be fleeced in order to line your pockets. If you vote Yes to this abomination, I will either join or start a recall campaign to throw you out.”
CJ Toncray, member of the Officer’s Compensation Commission: “We do have a scheduled meeting next month. . . I was told that it was hard sometimes to get people to volunteer for committees—I can’t imagine why. . . In our meeting, I was expecting that all committee members would bring suggestions, changes, or improvements, and their reasons behind their decision, and have a discussion.”
Jean Hiese: “I was quite appalled—actually shocked—to see the proposed raise.”
Russel Richardson, on the Decent behavior of Swan and Wild Bill at the Officer’s Compensation Commission meeting: “There was an attempt by the minority of the board to shut down the discussion that included screaming, slamming the table, and saying all sorts of petty things online. . . I expect that my fellow council members will be better behaved in the future.” On potential future meetings: “It seems like public opinion is against this—sure. As chair, I can call up to 15 meetings this year. I’m going to call another one so we can continue.” On the reasoning behind the proposal: “Citizens expect more from their elected officials. What they’re getting right now is increased taxes every year to get things they don’t want. Something’s not working.”
External Links
“I looked to them for the answers.” Scott Sessions.6
“I proposed the people of Hillsdale raise the Mayor’s salary to $30,000 and Council members’ to $11,700.” Timothy Green.7
“Hillsdale’s residents are taxed at the maximum possible tax levy, being 21 mills, in addition to special assessments of $5,000 for infrastructure repair due to the city ‘not having money.’” The zealous Corey Murray.8
“The engineer and the city manager accused me, Councilman Bruns, and Councilman Bentley of creating negativity and violating ordinances, apparently regarding road repairs, but they offered no specifics.” Mayor Pro Tem Paladino.
“We have to respond [to citizens of Hillsdale]. Not just to give citizens whatever they want, or arbitrarily change rules, but responding thoughtfully to their concerns.” Mayor Pro Tem Paladino.9
“If taxes are maxed out, and we’re charging special assessments for infrastructure, and fees and rates for everything are going up . . . and we have crumbling infrastructure, then I don’t think it’s appropriate for the City Council to take pay raises at that time.” Mayor Pro Tem Paladino.
“Back then, women weren’t really accepted in aviation.” Ginger Moore.
“We are attempting to save democracy.” Carol Taylor.
“House bills 4073 and 4074 would require the police force within the Department of Natural Resources to obtain a search warrant before entering private property. They also would be required to wear body cameras.” Michigan Capitol Confidential.
“Michigan now joins the vast majority of U.S. states in allowing compensated surrogacy contracts.” Michigan Public.
“Sex is for fun, and embryo screening is for babies.” Noor Siddiqui.
It looks to us like Ratched has made himself into perhaps the political issue by tying himself to SADs.
Did Flynn mean to say he’s confused by all parts of the Special Assessment Districts? It is impossible to have understood any of Paladino’s prior SAD arguments if one does not know that asking this question exposes one’s ignorance about the entirety of the process.
The certified and trained are all that stand between you and the abyss.
Who is the beater and who the beaten?
Take that, North Adams?
As for Pitts’ other comments—dysfunction? Is Pitts afraid of conflict? Is everyone?
Sessions promises that, as a figurehead Mayor, he will not represent the will of those who elect him, but rather the will of “city staff.” He’s running to be yet another one of Mackie’s lackeys. Frankly, we’d prefer Penny Swan. Let her brand of online discourse be the model of decorum for her party. At least we’d be entertained!
We have no idea what these guys are up to . . . are they trying to force Council’s hand regarding the institution of a strong mayor system and the removal of our city manager? Do they have the votes for that? Are they hoping to impose a tariff on city policy? Their best argument would be that they want to encourage councilmen to act as if they are members of our beloved city’s only deliberative body, but do we really want to pay Bitchin’ Bob for his aw-shucks obeisance in our all-too-professional oracle’s direction? Then again, do we really want our council seats—like most of the seats on our local boards—to be reserved for a bunch of retired or semi-retired businessmen and thoughtless local celebrities for whom a $5,000 tax hike is no big deal?
This emo outburst is hardly a news article, and we wonder whence came Murray’s sudden zeal on behalf of the local taxpayer. As they used to say, we’re here for it, but we also wonder whether it will make its appearance in any other context—for example, at our vampiric city manager’s next attempt to garnish your wages or your street lanes. Perhaps Murray’s angsty prose is the natural outpouring of the envy with which the low-energy look upon the high-energy. Fauxglin can certainly relate!
Listening to citizens! Scandal! Blasphemy! Where do we go to resign!?
I'm pretty sure I don't care anymore whether Hillsdale destroys itself. It may be preferable to having a city manager who looks at city taxpayers as prey. And, Stuchell must be one of the most un-self-aware people in council. When is his term up? If he is permitted to run again, will someone please try to primary him? Awful, despicable human being.
If a manager cannot manage and would rather curry Lansing's favor than hear and work for the local citizenry through its elected officials, driving away good subordinate managers and engineers who'd really like to be led to do their jobs rather than act with a tin ear toward the electorate, should not that manager be man enough to resign himself and find a position in a larger metropolis as he is obviously a cut above We The People of Hillsdale? He wants to run Hillsdale like Tecumseh or Coldwater, and get paid for a city the size of Jackson or Livonia. Should he not go seek employment where he'd be welcome instead of trying to run off elected officials who represent We The People???