IronMountainIssues.org

November 2007 Postings

11-30-2007-04

Hear! Hear! I couldn't agree more with 11-30-07-01. This casino speculation is getting way too much attention. For all we know, there may be some other type of business interested in the area out there, or maybe Bacco is interested in buying up and developing the area the way it did Pine Mountain, just above Main Street and the old water tower. I'm not saying we should disregard the possibility of a casino, but until we investigate enough and know something for sure, we have to deal with other, more pressing and important issues -- the boring nuts and bolts of addressing our city's daily problems and governing Iron Mountain properly.

Seems that in the past couple of weeks, only Marion Anderson and her bunch have forged ahead practically and constructively about what must be done. That we must put the right pieces -- meaning right persons -- in place to adequately address and act on the actual issues around which the recent campaign revolved, which affect us daily, and which must be dealt with promptly and effectively. See 11-19-2007-04 and 11-25-2007-04. This is the direction we should and must be moving in. And without delay. As they said: "Come on. Let's go."

11-30-2007-03

What is this talk of expanding the DDA by two members. Those being rumored to be Rogoni and Tousignant. Not only that but having the DDA control the TIFA funds for downtown Iron Mountain and elsewhere. Is this legal? What a disaster that would be. If this is true it must be nipped in the bud before it gains any ground. Ted you should have some perspective on this. Please enlighten us if you could.

11-30-2007-02

I have consulted with a seasoned attorney who confirmed that Native Americans can not just buy land and call it "Indian Land" to build a casino.

So these rumors aren't to be taken seriously.

Re: 11-30-2007-01

This site is called ironmountainissues, this is why this discussion was brought up. Rename it "witch hunt the current city council" if that is all that you would like to focus on (?) laugh

11-30-2007-01

I wonder why people are talking so much about a rumored casino. What about real city business, of the type that gutted the power base of the city council? For instance, who ever heard of a valid reason to hold an "emergency" TIFA meeting to buy a piece of property? Was this property going to disappear if they didn’t act? What’s going on with a council member’s mother getting paid by the city for work? How can they even attempt to say that doesn't go against the intent of the City Charter? Didn’t Marquart say in the October 1 council meeting that we would have some kind of news in two weeks (from then) on the MIOSHA fines? Well, why haven't we heard anything? What about the ISO? He said something about that in the same meeting. What’s going on with the DEQ? How can a small-town prosecutor drop criminal charges brought by a state governmental agency? I can see excusing himself from the case, but, dropping charges? What about our water quality? I'm fairly certain I smelled a dose of chlorine in my water very recently. Why do we have a new cop on the road who took a civil service test, but came in fourth place. Why was he working as a cop BEFORE the civil service test? What is this new crap about expanding the DDA? This is just a partial list of issues with questions that need answers. Why aren’t we hearing anything about real city issues anymore?

11-28-2007-01

11-26-2007-01,

while this poster has a point I think his/her logic is mistaken, there is PLENTY of room for a Casino in the existing Pine Mtn/Timberstone property/entrance etc. How convenient would it be to walk from your room, right to the pro-shop(ski OR golf) or jump on your snowmobile and head out onto your days activities, of course not before first passing by gaming tables and slot machines. Casinos ,like wal-mart, have the human mind completely figured out, IMPULSE spending. IE "while I'm here I'll drop a dollar in this machine, well, just one more, well just ONE more....." They most certainly would prefer ALL your time be spent near the tables and games and not spent having the time to drive to the casino and maybe THINK about NOT spending any money. So you see I feel for Pine Mtn road but those off Lehman should relish the extension to get sewer and water...

11-27-2007-03

Just think of all the new, high-paying jobs a casino would create. More counselors for gambling addiction. More probation officers. More police to address the increased crime rate. More store security personnel for the increased shoplifting. More counselors for substance abuse counseling. More lawyers. More corrections officers. More domestic violence counselors. More safe housing for domestic violence victims, and personnel to work there. More personnel in the hospital emergency department to cope with more violent crime. Maybe increased staff in the prosecuting attorney’s office. More credit counselors. More code enforcement officers to address more neglected properties. And let’s not forget the money that will line the pockets of the people they buy the land from. And the construction companies for the casino will have steady work until it’s done. Ah, progress!

A much bigger jail will be needed. The casino would probably even kick in a generous amount for that. Naturally, with the big money they’ll kick in, plus the taxes they will generate, they will expect to have a strong voice in our local governmental affairs. But, hey, they probably know what’s best for the rest of us, right?

11-27-2007-02

I've been told that mention of a possible casino has been floating around city hall for some time. It all adds up when you consider that Bacco interests are interested in acquiring land that would be an extension of the Lehman Rd. They are using inside information.

Worse than that, mention has already been made of water and sewer lines right through that property on the city tab. The lies and subterfuge Tousignant and Rigoni have used for personal gain while serving on the council is beyond anything ever seen around here. Marquart is their willing accomplice.

What was the big rush and a Special Meeting of the TIFA Board to acquire the Khoury property A hefty commission for the mayor's mother, that's what. I sure hope the newly elected members look into all of this. Iron Mountain politics stinks, stinks, stinks.

11-27-2007-01

Re: 11-26-2007-01

Is this saying that an Indian Tribe can buy private property not on reservation land and simply built a sprawling casino? Has this been done anywhere else in the upper peninsula?

What rights do the existing residents have in the right to put a stop to such a venture? Do we have any rights here? As previously stated, what access do we have to public record so a halt can be put on this before it's too late?

If this 'slides in' without a chance to protest I will be sickened.

Iron Mountain-Kingsford does NOT need a casino to progress. The upper peninsula is already saturated with casinos on Reservation Land. Yeah, let's give our already low average salaries to a casino, then watch the homeowner blight deteriorate further. Not a pretty picture. NOT progress, rather, deterioration for the average quality of life for the people of our county.

Can non native Americans own and operate a casino? Someone with factual knowledge of gaming/casino law please enlighten this forum.

11-26-2007-01

The ballot initiative cited in post 11-24-2007-03 pertains to non-Indian gaming and was modified by Proposal 1 in 2004. The latter initiative specifically exempts Indian gaming from any voter-approval requirement.

The ballot language is available at http://www.mi.gov/documents/PROP_04-1_101307_7.pdf

There will therefore not be any referendum on a casino. An annexation or 425 agreement probably will not be necessary. Take a drive out Lehman Avenue. Note the vacant land on the north side of the road as you approach Breitung Township. Note where the city limit is. Then note the city's proposals to extend Lehman Avenue to U.S. 2 and to run a sanitary sewer line all the way to the city limit on Lehman Avenue. The residents who live on Lehman Avenue and the Pine Mountain Road have my sympathies.

11-25-2007-04

To 11-23-2007-03 regarding our earlier posting (11-19-2007-04):

We should clarify that in Point Two, we were not referring to all of the traditional administrative staff (e.g., the clerk). We agree with you if you are including them in your reckoning. We were referring to the city manager and the four bureaucratic positions (e.g., the DPW director) he created (and for which he duped the City Council into rubber-stamping its approval) to do the bulk of his work for him -- in most cases expensively and poorly, as it turns out. In addition to replacing the current city manager, the job descriptions and responsibilities of all five of these positions (including city manager) should be reviewed and redistributed among three, the other two eliminated. The only administrative position we strongly encourage the creation of is that of a strong and effective economic development director. In fact, we believe today's economic realities make this office essential.

MMA et al.

11-25-2007-03

Reference post 11-24-2007-03

I have reposted this post. Only a partial segment came over from the paste. The post is in its entirety.

Webmaster

11-25-2007-02

I first heard of Asset Holding LLC on this website and also received a few low ball offers on various lots and acreage I own in Dickinson County. Amazing how fast it all tied together with various UP
counties.

Now we hear from Kathleen Beattie, Houghton County Treasurer directly from Arizona no less. Maybe she can send the picture she took of the "mailbox" to this site for laughs. This scam could be far larger than the UP. It may very well get national coverage in due time via the internet. Looks like Houghton County officials are aware of this site and find it interesting enough to check it out with some regularity. I wonder how many other officials around the UP and the state are checking it out. Quite a few, I'll bet.

The DEQ, MIOSHA, officials connected with the governor's office and the Attorney-General's office, for sure. It will get even more interesting come January when three newly elected members are seated on the city council.

The Iron Mountain City Council, in January, should propose a charter amendment that would install the new members at the very next meeting after the election. Kingsford, Norway and I presume many other UP communities already do this. There is no good reason to give any lame duck city council two months to conjure up additional mischief. The current gang is certain to try. They still don't understand how closely they are being watched, or simply don't care. The remaining four will have much to answer for. Squirm time is fast approaching, barely six weeks ahead.

11-25-2007-01

I doubt that Marquart can negotiate with the DEQ with the ease he manipulates the city council.

The article hinted that the prosecuting attorney had a conflict of interest and excused himself from acting in his usual role as prosecutor.

The conflict of interest could be that he knows Marquart and therefore does not feel he can legally prosecute the case.

In Marquart's twisted world, this would constitute negotiating, even if he was not a party to the negotiations. It's not a stretch for him to make such a statement.

As I read the article, all that has happened so far is that the prosecutor excused himself from the case.

11-24-2007-03

From http://www.michigan.gov/mgcb/0,1607,7-120-1382_1453-11371--,00.html

The Language of Proposal E
as it appeared on Michigan's November 5, 1996, general election ballot

A Legislative Initiative to Permit Casino Gaming in Qualified Cities.

The proposed law would:

Permit up to three gaming casinos in any city that meets the following qualifications: has a population of 800,000 or more; is located within 100 miles of any other state or country in which gaming is permitted; and has had casino gaming approved by a majority of the voters in the city.

So it does appear that there cannot be a quiet 'behind the scenes' planning of a casino and groundbreaking without the voice of the people in a vote.

I am personally far from a 'prude' or a conservative, but feel with a casino 90 minutes north, 60 miles south (Carter, Wi) 45 minutes east, 90 minutes west, that is enough to say we are already saturated with casinos for an approval on non reservation land. Oh and let's not forget Baraga which covers northwest within these distance averages.

Also, with our area population far below 800,000, and non reservation land, I can't see how it could happen.

For the person wondering if there has been 'one scintilla' of actual information about a casino being built here, I too have heard nothing but rumors.

Perhaps the amount of giant hotels being built an area that might have a bit of a problem filling them (with what exists here now) has fueled past casino rumors? Hopefully for the hotel investors it is simply foresight for better things to come in due time, like a 4 year Bay College (?)

Casinos will put up as many rooms/hotel space on site as they need to keep the incoming revenue to themselves, and keep the gamblers "in house" for purchasing food, drink, entertainment. Local hotels would not benefit. Local restaurants, bars would be affected negatively. People who bus in to gamble do not come to shop the local stores. They come because they like to gamble. With that comes trouble in several forms.

Any Legal Eagles or fact finders out there that have other interpretations of Michigan Casino laws?

11-24-2007-02

A reminder to all members of the LandLords Association

A very important meeting is being held for all Landlord's on Monday November 25th at 6:00 PM at the Dickinson County library.

It is recommended that all members and those who have not joined yet, to be present for this meeting.

A reminder that the Landlord Association is extending an invitation to all of the challengers, Dale, Dave, Bruce, Tina and Bill to bring you up to date on the next course of action.

It is apparent that the council, Tousignant and Marquart are trying to pass the ordinance enforcement before all of you take office and as we told all of you many times before, we want to sit down with a council that will listen to our concerns and pave the way for an end to the law suit and a solution to fix the housing problem in this community. We know that this can be accomplished with the newly elected members who care about all of the citizens, not just a special interest group and a rental/residential ordinance that involves everyone.

Hope to see you Monday at 6:00

DCLA

11-24-2007-01

Am I correct in presuming that when Marquart says "negotiating" with the DEQ, in habitual Marquart fashion he actually means "plea bargaining" with the DEQ?

11-23-2007-03

Post 11-19-2007-04 titled Come on. Let's go injects some interesting ideas. I'm not sure you can cut the staff quite as much as that poster suggests, but I agree there is room for cuts.

More to the point, the attitude of the four remaining members will go a long way in determining if cooperation or conflict will be the order of things to come. The remaining four have been part and parcel of the bad decisions that have been made. If they think it will be business as usual, they will continue to be part of the problem going forward.

Right of the bat, they must be made to understand that a great many of the problems have been created by the city manager. John Marquart has no credibility left. None. If they insist on keeping him, their voting record and acquiescence to him will come under severe and unrelenting scrutiny.

They will find out that three determined watchdogs who have done their homework can raise a long series of questions that will embarrass them beyond belief. The remaining four will find out that the public will be made acutely aware of how their actions have caused a great deal of harm, item by item, point by point. If this is the path they choose, they will get exactly what they deserve.

In a perverse sense, I almost hope they take that course. It will show openly and beyond questions what a lousy job they've done. The information the newly-elected members have gathered is overwhelming.

Iron Mountain cannot stand having John Marquart continue as city manger. He has no idea how to run a city. His horrible record in his previous city manger positions continued with his arrival here.
He didn't learn anything from his earlier firings. He never will. Once a confirmed liar, always a confirmed liar. The worst thing that has ever happened to Iron Mountain is John Marquart.

11-23-2007-02

When I called my office Wednesday Nov 21, I was informed of comments on your public forum regarding Asset Holding LLC of Scottsdale AZ. At the time I was standing at "8390 Via De Ventura F-110 Scottsdale, AZ." I took pictures of the "office" at that location. It is nothing more than a private mailbox service. I walked inside and asked if Asset Holding was their customer - they said yes. I asked for a local address and they said they did not have one.

By the way I am the Houghton County Treasurer and my county's taxpayers have also received several offers. I first heard of this from the Baraga County Treasurer, Pat Kissel and have talked with another taxpayer who has a parcel in Iron County who received an offer. Now we can add Dickinson County and Chippewa County to the list. I do know that my county's information is not on the Internet in any way. I am puzzled as to how they received our information. That is why I went to their office in the first place.

By the way, they did return my original phone call to them when I left my name and number on their voice mail. They also returned my email by calling me at the county treasurer's office. I left another phone message Wednesday when I was standing in front of their "address." I will wait and see if they return that one.

Currently I am on vacation visiting my mom who lives northwest of Phoenix. She had a doctor appointment at Mayo Hospital, Scottsdale. An opportunity I could not afford to miss. So far that is all I can confirm now. I wanted you to know what I know and that you are not the only county affected by this company. As I stated to Houghton County Sheriff McLean and reported in the Daily Mining Gazette, instead of "Buyer Beware," it is "Seller Beware."

I have heard of only one really good offer and I feel the taxpayer should take it. It would show this company how uninformed and foolish they are. It is for several lots in a "city plat" which is only vacant land behind my property - no roads of course. Ahhh, I know it well.

Sincerely,

Kathleen A Beattie

Houghton County Treasurer

401 E Houghton Avenue

Houghton, MI 49931

906-482-0560

PS I won't be home until Wednesday after Thanksgiving. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!!

11-23-2007-01

I’m happy to see that Dale Alessandrini has not given up in his efforts to be a watchdog of our city council. In the last meeting, he questioned the state grant money that was being paid to the mother of a sitting council member. It would seem that this situation violates the City Charter. If nothing else, it is unethical, and does not look good. I am fed up with this council doing things just because they can, with no thoughts to legality or appearances. Yes, I think ethics should have a place in our government, too. If something looks bad, why are you doing it, council? It may not be illegal, but why do things in such a way that puts the city’s integrity and reputation in question? And you do it over and over and over.

I hope the new council members can bring back some of that consideration for intangibles like honesty and integrity, and in the process improve our badly tarnished reputation statewide. The new members will no doubt have to rebuild some burned bridges, both locally and statewide, caused by the careless and arrogant attitude of our city government over the past four years. And you keep plugging away, too, Dale. Someone’s gotta do it. We’re lucky to have you, and thankful you did not give up.

11-22-2007-01

Regarding the Casino issue and "fitting" in Breitung better... we have seen by experience those that WANT their property to be in the City will HAVE their property in the city..What do you need for a large scale investment? Sewer? Water?....Hmmm sound familiar. How better to expand Pine Mtn and Timberstone development then to have city water and sewer. Throw in Casino dollars for the infrastructure and then you have "room" for a casino and infrastrucutre for development. What a resort complex that would be Golf, Skiing gambling....I see dollar signs already. Remember a lot of Timberstone is ALREADY in the City of Iron Mountain. To say the coming of a casino would only be the jurisdictions concerns is niaive (or however you spell it) because with a casino comes the trouble it brings to ALL surrounding communities, and along with it, usually, ALOT of casino dollars for those communities. But the question is, are all the troubles a casino brings worth the dollars it gives to the communities? Also remember this, Casinos have LOTS of money and money usually talks in one way or another to acheive goals.

11-21-2007-03

I would think that casino would more than likely be a County issue rather than a City of Iron Mountain issue. I could be wrong but would one "fit" size wise anywhere in the city limits or would it more than likely be in Breitung Township?

If there is any validity for an attempt for a casino to be built in our county, I would like to know what right "the people" have in saying that we DON'T want a casino in our community. Can a Native American Tribe simply purchase property that was not historically belonging to the Tribe/Reservation and put a casino up? I would hope not. Are they not all on existing Reservation land, save for Detroit?

This should be researched and nipped in the bud before it is too late. A casino would be a tragedy for our area in my opinion. There is one 45 minutes away for those who enjoy casino life.

Is there a power of the people (residents of a county) to vote or put a stop to it, or are we powerless in such a venture?

11-21-2007-02

Have we become paranoid? You bet we have! We've been lied to and deceived so many times, why should we trust anyone who has been connected with City Hall.

I've been searching this Asset Holding LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona. They've contacted people throughout Michigan (as well as other states).

We still don't know what kind of info Rich Brook (and relatives) have had access to. Now Mr. Brook is gone, and not on good terms. Also remember, Mr. Brook's wife, Colleen, is with BS&A Software, the software company that provides the tax programs to municipalities throughout Michigan. We already know what a con-man that their brother/brother-in-law, David Legge, can be.

Now, I'm not accusing anyone of anything here. I realize this Asset Holding group is also contacting people in other states. I'm just saying that we have good reason to be suspicious after everything that has happened in this city.

11-21-2007-01

For several months I've been hearing a little here and a little there about the possibility of a casino coming to the area, probably at or near Pine Mountain. Actually, does anyone have even a scintilla of evidence about this rumor?

Thwack!!! I think Marion and her study group are right on target with their three-point plan. What better place to start than to conserve money, manage it wisely, start to gather more of it by getting new and contemporary businesses into Iron Mountain, and hire accomplished people to do it properly and successfully. This is a sensible, economical, and professional way to both save and to start infusing outside cash into and throughout this town. Let's stop thinking peanuts and chasing peanuts for the few special-interest businesses already here and start going after as much money as we can for the benefit of everyone. It'll be amazing how much easier some of the other issues will be to tackle and solve if we have more money to do that with. I join her and sympathetic others in encouraging the new city council to promptly move in that direction.

Gobble gobble. Happy Thanksgiving, Iron Mountain!

11-20-2007-01

Re: 11-19-2007-01:

Thank you for bringing this article to our attention. The reason it is important is that Chippewa County does NOT offer online property searches on its Web site. This indicates, but does not prove, that the City of Iron Mountain's online property search was not the source of the records that Asset Holding used in its mailings here. That's good news, I think.

Re: 11-19-2007-03:

The Asset Holding scam is almost certainly not related to the casino. The properties being sought are too widely dispersed.

11-19-2007-04

Come on. Let's go.

Dear Iron Mountain:

For months, even years, we've been talking about "taking back our city" and causing positive change in Iron Mountain. With the recent election, we've only just begun. I hope we can rise above the petty bickering and vindictiveness afflicting so many around town since November 6. We should roll up our sleeves now and get down to business, directly addressing substantive issues that face the city and promptly acting upon them. I encourage all of you to encourage your new City Council in January to start the new year and new government with important and necessary administrative changes, specifically in the city's management.

One:

The Council must replace John Marquart. Forget, if you can, that's he's consistently proven to be a liar, bully, and creep. The Council must replace him because he is incompetent and harmful to the city. Not only has his behavior and advice cost Iron Mountain millions in fines, court fees, lost business, salaries, benefits, travel expenses, personal professional fees, and other countless unnecessary expenditures, and not only has he torn this city to shreds by pitting citizen against citizen to serve only his and his supporters' ends, but he does not have a single positive accomplishment to his name for this city since he has come here -- nor had he one elsewhere before he came. All he can do is talk a good game, and that only until he is uncovered. Once hired, he worked solely for the special interests of himself and those on the Council who hired him. He is the type of civil servant that gives bureaucrats, including the good ones, a bad name. He's interested only in getting his job, protecting his job, and not doing his job. Like far too many public-service managers, superintendents, and professional administrators, the name of the game for Marquart is control, and that ultimately to serve his own best interests.

Getting rid of him is not enough, however. The Council must then hire an effective, accomplished city manager to replace Marquart. It must search carefully, vet the candidates closely, and hire someone with a background of success at managing a city like Iron Mountain. If an experienced and successful someone like this costs a few more bucks than we're used to paying, we should pay it happily. We need a winner, folks. In the long run we're much further ahead financially to pay for such a person rather than a little less for someone like Marquart who causes the city to hemorrhage money heavily and continuously while accomplishing nothing. And when hiring we should focus on someone who, rather than manipulating the city divisively, can actually manage it, avoiding, limiting, handling, and/or solving the water, fire, police, financial, and other major problems, thus making the city as a whole work effectively and attractively for its current residents and businesses and, importantly, for prospective residents and businesses.

Two:

The Council must review and then consolidate the duties, jobs, and responsibilities of the remaining administrative staff members, assigning them to perhaps only as many as two of them in addition to the city manager. The remaining positions should be eliminated.

Three:

The City of Iron Mountain cannot compete if it's not in the game. Businesses will not come to Iron Mountain if they do not know Iron Mountain exists. Our recent city governments, particularly the current one, despite its claims, have been very small-minded, small-town, and parochial about this. Yes, it should pursue grants, absolutely, and even more than it does. But it should pursue much, much more than grants, and it has entirely lacked the imagination, innovation, and effort to do so. Remember all the idioms you've ever heard about being penny-wise and pound-foolish? Bent over, this most recent city government focuses on picking pennies from the pavement while hundred-dollar bills blow unnoticed over its head in the breeze. The new government has to stand upright, grab a net, and pay attention! The Council and management continue to think and talk and pursue hundreds of thousands of dollars when they must think and talk and pursue hundreds of millions of dollars if Iron Mountain is to thrive today and in the future. That's realism. It's a different world, a different economy, and though the current Council talks progressiveness, its behavior actually follows the same old paradigm of 50 to 60 years ago. It's time to change. And not because we want to, but because we must.

The city must hire an accomplished, effective Economic Development Director. This person's primary responsibility, in collaboration with the other administrative staff and the Council, would be to work the business clearinghouses, exchanges, and businesses themselves throughout the world, asking desirable businesses, 21st-century businesses that we want in town, "How can we get you to settle in Iron Mountain?" There are great fits out there between Iron Mountain and businesses looking for a place to set up shop. But those businesses don't know what a good fit Iron Mountain can be if they don't know that there is an Iron Mountain. Let's introduce them to us. Let's get a jump on the other places of the world. Let's get them here instead of Bald Knob, Arkansas; Galway, Ireland; or Nelson, New Zealand.

This is where we should start, Iron Mountain. Something tangible, practical, positive, doable, and profitable. These three steps, right now, today. Start encouraging your new Iron Mountain city government right now to start moving toward the achievement of these three items early in 2008. We can all blow hot air like the Mayor, Council, and management of the last four years or, as I propose and request with this letter, we can get down to business and actually, positively start turning Iron Mountain into a major 21st-century winner.

Marion M. Anderson et al.

11-19-2007-03

That IS why the property is wanting to be bought up in our area and from what I heard NOT at good prices either. Maybe that is the story about SOMETHING REALLY BIG!!!! is coming to Iron Mtn. I hope with all my heart that it is NOT true. If they NEVER build another casino in this world --well there is enough of that NOW. That rumor about a casino has been floating around but someone who apparently knows something has said it is true!@!!!!

11-19-2007-02

I too received a letter from Asset Holding in Arizona as apparently so many others have. This one shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Are Iron Mountain residents the only ones receiving these letters or are others in Dickinson County and the surrounding area receiving them also? It would be interesting to find out.

11-19-2007-01

Everyone calm down. The asset scam is happening elsewhere:

http://www.sooeveningnews.com/articles/2007/11/19/news/news654.txt

11-18-2007-03

Here is the web site for the Asset Holding company in Arizona.

http://www.assetholdingllc.com/htm/about.html

11-18-2007-02

Answer to post # 11-16-2007-01

I too have received a solicitation to sell my property at a ridiculous price from this Asset Holding company in Arizona.

I hope that someone can track down this company and it's intentions and find out if it is related to the Rich Brooks assessment in this town!

I know another person that has received the same solicitation and it was all of his rental properties. Where did this company get this information and is it from confidential files with-in Iron Mountain?

If it is, I want to know!

If it comes to be that my personal and confidential files have been compromised, maybe I will have to seek legal advice to hold those responsible,

(We all know who that is with the botched assessment and the hiring)

This really makes me angry, but I won't draw conclusions until I find out the facts!

Anyone with more info, please write in to this web site.

11-18-2007-01

I am one of the people who received a letter from Asset Holding LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona. Right now I am angry with myself because I tore up the letter and threw it in the garbage. I should have saved it for proof that this letter is being sent to homes in the area. I was sick to my stomach when I read the posting that Rich Brook may have gone to Arizona. If someone finds out that he is involved with this scam, please let us all know!!

11-17-2007-02

Asset Holding LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona? Is it a coincidence (or rumor) that Rich Brook left Iron Mountain and went to Arizona???

11-17-2007-01

I was wondering if anyone knows why the orange traffic barrels were placed across the parking lot at Lake Antoine's west boat launch? Does the city still want to close the launch site?

11-16-2007-02

More on Asset Holding LLC and its lowball offers to purchase Iron Mountain-area property: Apparently this company has tried the same thing in New Mexico and gotten into hot water with the New Mexico Attorney General. The attached article ran in the Silver City Daily Press last month:

http://www.scdailypress.com/index.php?pSetup=silvercitydailypress&curDate=20071016&pageToLoad=showFreeArticle.php&type=art&index=02

Even if this scam is unrelated to the city's reassessment, it raises the question of whether property descriptions and ownership records should be freely available on the city's website. I know they are public records, but accessing public records used to involve actually going to the courthouse or city hall. Running a cross-country scam like this was impractical when everything was on paper. If government officials and licensed realtors or title agents find these electronic records valuable, perhaps that portion of the site could be made available only to them, maybe with a small fee for commercial users, but I don't see what public interest is being served by making life easier for out-of-town con artists.

11-16-2007-01

Has anyone else in Iron Mountain received an unsolicited mailing from Asset Holding LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona, offering to buy property for a ridiculously lowball price that is ostensibly based on assessment records? According to the Better Business Bureau, this company has an unsatisfactory record. The BBB report is available at

http://data.phoenix.bbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=15006806

If this is a widespread scam in town, is it at all related to the city's recent botched reassessment?

11-14-2007-03

Please, Iron Mountain, stay in touch!

11-14-2007-02

Hello All:

Thanks for all the support of this web site. This site will continue to be available to the citizens of Iron Mountain.

In the near future though I will be at Deer Camp through the 18th, so the posts will be a little late.

Webmaster

11-14-2007-01

For my own curiosity, I began keeping track of the hits on the Public Forum of this website begining this past June. I did it on a weekly basis. Here's what I came up with, with the highest week of hits for each month.

Week ending:    Hits:

June 24          1,650
July  15          2,000
Aug  12          2,990
Sept 2           2,400
Oct 21          3,800
Nov 11          5,290

I suspect the hit count will drop now that the election is over, but what a dramatic increase from June until the August primary and and another big jump in the weeks leading up to the General Election.

The hits dropped in September but surged again in October and November as the General Election heated up. There is no doubt this website was a vital source of important information that would otherwise have been unavailable to the vast majority of voters. It certainly had a major impact on the outcome. My sincere thanks to the webmaster and all others who contributed to this website.

I hope it continues indefinitely going forward. A good number of stories broke first on this website and were subsequently carried by The Daily News, TV 6 and Frog Country radio. It seems there are a lot of well informed people chipping in on all aspects of city government, keeping the rest of us tuned in. I think its safe to say the city council and city manager would have given anything to have this website go away. Webmaster, please keep it going.  You have created an invaluable online watchdog community. Thank you.

11-12-2007-03

I remember when the sewage dumping story first broke, the city manager said something about having a walking trail system going through the dumping area. I can close my eyes and see the brand new sign in front of that brand new trail. My apologies to Roy Rogers, but, in my vision the sign says, Crappy Trails To You.

11-12-2007-02

Can the remaining council members work with the newly elected members beginning in January?

I think there is some chance they can.

This can happen under only ONE condition: John Marquart has got to go.

If the remaining council members insist on keeping Marquart, there is no hope. If an up or down election by the citizens was possible on keeping or getting rid of John Marquart, there is no doubt whatsoever of the outcome. Even the remaining members have to know this.

So, the question narrows down to this: What is more important - cooperation and working through the many problems Iron Mountain faces or Marquart keeping his job?

Let's not forget that many of the problems were created by Marquart himself. The man is a compulsive and documented liar. He will not change. If the remaining council members can't see what the citizens of Iron Mountain see, they don't deserve to be sitting on the council.

Marquart's three largest boosters, Rigoni, Jacobs and especially Tousignant all got trounced in the General Election.

Marquart will be fired, one way or another. If the remaining members vote to keep him, is there any doubt a recall petition to get rid of them would not gather enough signatures? Does anyone think any council member who is pro-Marquart can survive a recall election?

All of this can be avoided. It is up to one or more of the remaining members. If they stand behind Marquart, as sure as day follows night, a recall campaign is sure to follow. It will succeed and the remaining members will be as embarrassed as the recently defeated ones.

No amount of money could save them. This was proved on November 6. There are some things no amount of money can't salvage, and Marquart's disastrous record is one of them.

11-12-2007-01

Special Meeting Alert:

A Special Meeting of the Common Council on Monday, November 12th at 1:00 pm is being held.

It is for the Approval of the Utility Service Agreement with Breiting Township which includes the 425 agreement area and other parcels to be serviced by the City of Iron Mountain's Water Supply and Sanitary Sewer System.

Unfortunately, the Agenda is set up so that "public comment" is after the actual approval. There are a few questions that I feel need to be addressed:

1. The agreement states: "The City (Iron Mountain) agrees to perform routine maintenance, at its own expense, on the publicly owned portions of the Township's sanitary sewer systems, as the agent of the Township, so as to maintain the system in good working order, including periodic cleaning and flushing of mains, and minor repairs and maintenance of lift stations, meters and appurtenances."

Will we, Iron Mountain, need to add staff to our DPW Dept. to maintain this and how will we pay for it?

2. The agreement states: "Rates and charges to the Township for water and sewer service which pertain to tap fees, monthly service charges, commodity charge for water service, terminated service turn-on fees, and readiness-to-serve charges, shall be equal to the City rates."

The Township will not be paying any extra cost..just the exact rate that IM residents pay?

3. The agreement states: "The Township reserves the right to provide by ordinance for additional fees to Township customers, including but not limited to hook-up charges and service charges in excess of the amount provided for in Article VI, Paragraph A above. The City agrees to include in billings rendered upon behalf of the Township to customers in the Township, those additional fees that the Township may impose or create pursuant to this Paragraph and to forward 100% of the gross revenue from such additional fees to the Township."

Iron Mountain will also be responsible for the billing..and cost of the billing? The Township may charge their customers extra fees?

These are just a few of the questions that I personally have. I would like to make it clear that I am not against this agreement, I only wonder where the documentation is to prove that our Water System can support this, that our taxpayers are not getting overly burdened, and that this has been thought through precisely.

At this very moment, we still have not done the requirements or recommendations from the DEQ dated December 2006 for ourselves; this includes an updated mapping of our Water System, the East side tank, valves, adequate staffing, hydrants, etc.

I am not positive, but it is my understanding that once the Utility Service Agreement is approved, everything else is a done deal. This agreement is for 50 years with an automatic renewal for another 50 years.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please attend this meeting.

Sincerely,

Tina Peterson

11-11-2007-02

To clarify a few things; first, I did not mean to disparage Mr. Toedter in any way. I merely suggested him because he was the lowest vote getter in the primary. Second, other posters are correct in that no one knows for sure how things would have played out had there been only four challengers. My own belief, based on my own observations of the numbers and probabilities, is that four would have been elected if only four had run.

But that's all water under the bridge now.

The New Three are going into office under difficult circumstances. The pending criminal charges against the City are a very serious matter. A vactor truck was used to clean out this line and a vactor truck is contaminated from the start because it is also used to clean out sanitary sewers. Therefore, even if it was being used on a storm sewer in this instance, it is still contaminated. End of story. At minimum, expect a large fine. Your DPW Director will also likely lose his PE license. One thing I expect is that you new members may be told by staff that the contractor dumped this on his own steam. Don't believe it, because I know for a fact that he has stated that he was directed to do it by City staff.

Have a safe and successful deer season!

Oskar

11-11-2007-01

A plea from Dave Farragh .

11-10-2007-08

Please citizens of Iron Mountain, don't go there!

What I am referring to is the comments made about Mr. Toedter, and the fact you feel he should have dropped out of the election. He is a good man, with good ideas, with honesty and integrity to boot. No one could have known how the election would turn out. From the primary election results, I was sure Dale would be seated

and I would be the one left behind. However,

look what happened there. The dirt that was thrown, much to my disgust, hurt him in the general election.

What's done is done, and by no means do I feel the challengers have failed. Will it be tuff? You bet! It was never going to be easy!! The public needs to make the council members accountable for their actions, so attend meetings and let your voices be heard, not only for derogatory comments but for praise when decisions have been handled to your satisfaction.

Please don't place blame, let's just all stick together and work on accomplishing our goals.

Dave Farragh

11-10-2007-07

DEQ takes Iron Mountain to court http://www.wluctv6.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=64426

11-10-2007-06

I wonder if John Marquart needs the help and testimony of Jeff Van Laanen in his court appearance re: DEQ Sewage violation.

Van Laanen, in front of a number of witnesses in the alley outside city hall after the October 15 non-quorum meeting, said "we can dump wherever we want, and besides it's a dead issue"

Marquart can say he has relied on the exceptionally profound opinions of Van Laanen in many matters in the past and checked with him before dumping the sewage.

The judge is almost certain to declare all sewage dumping laws on the state and federal level unconstitutional and side with the Marquart/Van Laanen position, don't you think?

11-10-2007-05

The writer of post 11-9-2007-13 makes one very serious error in his assumptions of the vote distribution. He states that if Tousignant had not run, his votes most assuredly would have gone to the incumbents.

It is hard to believe that those people who voted for Tousignant did not also vote for the three incumbents as well. Those folks had four people to vote for. They couldn't cast two votes for one incumbent.

Tousignant's votes were not available to the other incumbents because almost all of the people who voted for him also cast their other three votes for the incumbents. Get it?

11-10-2007-04

The turmoil this city has endured under John Marquart simply cannot go on for two more years until the next election. If none of the four remaining members nudges or quietly talks Marquart into moving on, this city will see far more turmoil than it has seen the past four years.

Some of you may remember a long ago post where it was disclosed that a group of citizens with deep enough pockets was waiting in the wings to sue the city on a wide variety of issues. That group did not disappear. It has been working quietly behind the scenes amassing voluminous amounts of evidence.

How events play out between now and January 7 when the new council is sworn in and how cooperative the incumbents are in quietly or noisily removing Marquart will determine the course this group will take.

If the remaining council members take the position that they have a 4-3 majority against the new members and can do anything they want, they are in for the surprise of their lives.

Lawsuit after lawsuit, injunction after injunction will rain down on the city. The remaining council members, John Marquart, and, very likely, even the ousted council members will all be sued individually and outside of the errors and omissions policy the city carries on their behalf. Malfeasance and misfeasance of fiduciary duties of office holders and of the City Manager are very serious offenses. So egregious are many council and city manager actions of the last four years that criminal indictments are very possible in many instances. The remaining council members, ousted council members and John Marquart should, by this stage of their lives, be well aware of a legal principle that goes back to British common law, and was established there by the Roman conquests: Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Not only will the city incur its own legal costs, the group will also seek recouping their out of pocket costs, further impacting the city budget because of the stubbornness of the remaining members. They will be directly responsible and answerable to the taxpayers.

If the remaining council members, ousted council members and John Marquart think this is all a bluff, just wait until February 2008. Your lives will change forever.

11-10-2007-03

I was reading the news from the Frog Country website. I just cannot believe the quotes from Mr. Marquart when this sewage issue first broke.

Marquart says this debris comes from a clean out line… What part of a sanitary sewer is a clean line? He also says that only grit, dirt, etc are taken out. A sewer is a sewer. If sewage has ever passed through it, it's contaminated. Would Mr. Marquart drink from his toilet just because it's been flushed? Of course not. The contamination remains. Does Mr. Marquart know the difference between storm drains and sanitary sewer lines? Or, perhaps because the word 'sanitary' is in it, he thinks they are indeed sanitary.

Enough is enough. Is this council really so stupid? How can they continue to support this man? Don't they care how their taxes are spent? I sure do! Let's see how this issue encourages people to locate here.

11-10-2007-02

If the City is being sued, then WE are being sued.
I'm getting tired of our tax dollars being spent on legal fees and fines for things that we had no voice about. Our council refuses to hear us and represent us. Instead they go along with everything that Marquart wants. Look where it's getting us. We need
to get this manager out of here. It is he and this council that should be paying fines and legal fees.
They took us out of the process of making decisions.

The last time we demanded him gone, we was given a bonus instead. These council-people and Marquart need to be sued as individuals to get our tax-dollars returned for use on things that benefit this city.

Personally, I am not paying my next tax bill. I will bank the money to collect interest (to recoup and least a portion of what I'll eventually pay in late fees); but I'm not giving my money to this city as long as Mr. Marquart is allowed to squander it.

11-10-2007-01

We have a re-elected incumbent who was heard to say in October in the alley behind City Hall, where he said he feels is the place for issues to be discussed, not in the council meeting, which is to be a "business meeting." That same evening he was heard to say that they could dump where they wanted, and they could break rules. Well, apparently the DEQ and MIOSHA don't agree with that opinion as evidenced by the citations, fines, and misdemeanor criminal charges now facing the city and John Marquart.

This latest charge from the DEQ was delivered on Tuesday and reported on TV-6 News yesterday evening. Hoping to learn more about this issue, I looked through the Daily "News" this morning only to find no mention of this at all. Hmmm, I wonder if there's too much egg on their face after coming out for the incumbents in Monday's editorial to find that their "chosen" are facing criminal charges or have supported the people and policies who promoted and enacted those policies. The remaining council members never spoke out against the dumping of sewage particles in the city instead of taking it to the sewage treatment plant. This is not a "dead issue," so Daily "News," where is a write-up on this story or at least some mention of it? Inquiring minds want to know.

11-9-2007-13

It is interesting to debate that if one of the challengers dropped out of the race, it would have helped the others. But, it would have been an iffy decision, since there are generally changes in the top vote getters in the final, versus the primary. And frankly, as the attack on Dale Alessandrini showed, individuals are subject to drops in popularity due to personal attacks on them close to the election, when they do not have the time to effectively defend themselves. So when the debate dust settles, it seems the challengers took the right path, regardless of all the different angles being debated.

On the other hand, it seems much clearer that if Ken Tousignant had NOT run, then his votes most assuredly would have gone to one of the incumbents, which would have gotten AT LEAST one more incumbent reelected, if not more!

The challengers made the right decision. The incumbents didn’t. Just like real life decisions within the council over their term.

11-9-2007-12

In terms of getting rid of John Marquart, the only realistic way to do it is with a majority vote of the council.

Regardless of all of the post election, emotion filled proclamations we are hearing from the incumbents, they must realize that the public has spoken and spoken loudly.

If the incumbents override the challengers, regarding the clear message from the voters that John Marquart is not right for our community, then what the incumbents will achieve is to can hang in there until the next election, and then get booted out en masse.

I strongly suspect, that with intellectual, rather than emotional discussion, that at least one of the incumbents will align themselves with the “challengers and the majority of the voters”, which will enable the new council to release John Marquart and find someone new, with fresh ideas, fresh energy and no baggage.

Patience. The voters have spoken loudly, and things will change. Let’s give the remaining incumbents some time to think about the situation and to realize that things need to change.

By getting rid of John Marquart, we can have a truly balanced council, with a new manager.

As much as everyone (including me) has complained about the rubber stamp council we have had recently, if the challengers had won all four seats and thereby became a rubber stamp body of their own, it would just swing the pendulum from one extreme to the other. What we need is a diverse, balanced council that can have intellectual discussions and who will listen to the public, and not just to themselves.

In other words, it would be nice to have a council that has one or more swing voter, varying for different issues, so that we have real diversity on the council, and representation of the non-unanimous thinking public.

As long as John Marquart continues as City Manager of Iron Mountain, he will galvanize the two sides against each other until the next election.

So, the challengers need to listen to the incumbents, and reach out to them individually, to convince at least one of them to vote to relieve John Marquart of his position, so that everyone on the council can function in a more positive manner, in the best interests of the City of Iron Mountain.

In the meantime, the question might be asked, “Which incumbent(s) want to be reelected in the next election?” Based on the results of this election, it is obvious that the public has showed their opposition to John Marquart, by giving the least amount of votes to his closest ally, Ken Tousignant. If the incumbents maintain the status quo in their support of John Marquart, in contrast to the clear message the public has stated, the voters will make sure that they finish delivering the message they started in this election, next time around.

Of course, John Marquart could do the honorable thing, and resign.

11-9-2007-11

From TV6:

DEQ takes Iron Mountain to court

The city is charged with dumping sewage

Posted: Friday, November 09, 2007 at 4:38 p.m.

IRON MOUNTAIN -- The city of Iron Mountain is facing criminal charges.

The Department of Environmental Quality has cited the city for allegedly dumping sewage illegally back in May.

DEQ officials previously told TV6 that the city contracted workers who dumped more than a thousand gallons of untreated sewage at two locations in Iron Mountain.

Now, neither the DEQ nor the city is talking about the charges filed or the possible consequences, until the investigation is complete.

An arraignment is scheduled for November 21.

Too bad it didn't happen before the election, or VanLaanen would not have been elected. He told residents that the City can dump sewage wherever they wanted, didn't have to follow rules. Oh, and he said it was a dead issue.

11-9-2007-10

Bruce Rosen: "Thank you. "

11-9-2007-09

Tina Peterson, it appears you were right about the sewage dumping incident. See this link to read about the City of Iron Mountain being taken to court by the DEQ.

http://www.wluctv6.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=64426

ANOTHER LIE FROM THE INCUMBENT CAMPAIGN EXPOSED. Thank you, Jeff Vanlaanen, for ignoring yet another real issue. Now, what about that DPW director who told us it was a dead issue? Why is he still employed by the City? Wasn’t there yet another city official telling us it was not sewage? Oh yeah, John Marquart. Thanks a lot, guys. The lies didn’t make it go away. What, the MIOSHA fines weren’t enough of a waste of our tax dollars? Please, please new council, get rid of the person (two in this case) causing all of this. Thank you, Tina Peterson, for not giving up on this issue, among others. If the council would have listened to your concerns in the first place, this may have been avoided. That’s why we voted you in. What a mess they have left you. You have my sympathy.

11-9-2007-08

In the municipal codes, Sec. 10-52 (Ord. of 12-1-03) Street Numbers Required, states that all buildings in the city shall have street numbers on the front of the building, no less than 3 inches high and visible from the roadway. Fines of $50.00 per day are to be paid if property is in violation of this ordinance. I notice that Mr. Van Laanen's home has no visible numbers. Is he paying his fine?

11-9-2007-07

Please read the September minutes from the TIFA board.

No one is against the Mariucci complex, in fact it will be a welcomed addition to the community. However, TIFA should

have complied with their own rules. Everyone knows this has been discussed for a long time, but safeguards are out there

for a reason. What if this is an environmental nightmare, who is going to pay for all that clean up? Please be fair, everyone

would love to see this project go forward, but why the rush? None of the new council members are against progress, but I believe common sense should have prevailed.

Dave Farragh

September TFA Board Minutes

11-9-2007-06

In response to

11-8-2007-11

The word on the street is:

Jeff Van Laanen will be nominated for Mayor in January with the support and majority vote of the remaining council members.

There are seven members on the council I would surely hope that if he gets the nomination the vote would be three to three. I doubt if even Jeff would be dumb enough to try to vote for himself. Or at least the city attorney would advise him to abstain.

11-9-2007-05

There is absolutely no way to know how the votes would have been distributed if there was one less challenger.

What if: There were only 4 challengers and the Incumbent's dirty attacks had been even heavier against all 4, non-stop?

What if: There were 5 challengers and VanLaanen had shown his true colors to the public before the election, instead of after on TV6?

What if: The Daily News hadn't run their Editorial?

What if: People would just put blame where it belongs? On the nasty, dirty politics and cheap attacks of the Incumbent team.

Certainly, there can be no blame put on a man like Bill Toedter who worked his butt of, took shots, fought tirelessly, and sacrificed everything that was safe and normal for 7 months...for the residents of this City to have Honest Government!

When people sat down with their ballots, they could fill in any oval that they wanted. Something, maybe it was how Jeff VanLaanen stayed at the "non-meeting" that Monday night, made them fill in Jeff's oval. They may not have been aware of his conversations and comments after the meeting, or they wouldn't have voted for him.

What the voters chose, they will be stuck with. The Challengers will have to work extra hard and it will be one helluva tough road. Let's not start pointing fingers here: This current council has been successful at making people look everywhere but at them (when things go wrong) for 4 years!

Let it stop Now!

11-9-2007-04

Jeff Van Laanen, the self-proclaimed future mayor, is showing his disconnect with reality by his comments:

"I don't see things changing a lot."
"The new members have a lot learn."
"I believe they'll find out what we've been doing is the right course of action."

Of course, all three statements all totally wrong.

Things will change, and change a lot, Jeffie. Don't misinterpret your vote count. You didn't say a thing in the whole campaign, so you stayed out of the line of fire. That won't be possible after January. All of your off-the-cuff far out ramblings, far-fetched and totally impractical ideas and intractable stubbornness will be there for all to see.

The new members, you may be surprised to find out, know a lot. A lot more than you realize, including much that they haven't yet revealed. If you think you and/or Marquart have the slightest chance of ever turning these people into the rubber stamps you are accustomed to working with, you are both even more delusional than suspected.

They'll find out what we've been doing is the right course of action. Oh, now you believe that you will persuade them that all they have discovered, studied, and learned over the past four years was wrong and you will show them the light. Sure you will.

You uttered three short statements and instantly exposed fatal flaws in your managerial knowledge. You have basically zero skills in managing anything. Now, you, a man of no life accomplishments, the same as Tousignant and Marquart, are showing the same arrogant attitude that sent Tousignant to last place in two elections.

You will need all the luck in the world going forward because your people skills and basic knowledge of real-world experiences sure as hell aren't going to cut it for you.

11-9-2007-03

I was very excited after the primary to know that the citizens of Iron Mountain spoke loud and clear about the way the direction this council has taken us. I was very concerned that if one challenger didn’t drop out that this exact scenario was going to play out. From VanLaanen’s comments, I fear we’re going to be stuck in the same muck we’ve been in. How can we be assured by the new members that things will change now? When will the For Sale signs on every block in Iron Mountain disappear? How will it be made affordable to live here? Will my children be able to find work, other than minimum wage/no benefits employment? Do I still have to be afraid that I can’t afford to live here anymore but can’t sell my house in this market? I really pray that these new council members see what the average citizen in Iron Mountain needs as well as the city as a whole.

I also need to comment on post 11-8-2007-15. That post makes me very sad. The author should NOT have to apologize for anything or anybody. People need to come back to basics and treat individuals as human beings. Period.

11-9-2007-02

Re: 11-8-2007-10

The evidence for Oskar's belief that one of the challengers should have dropped out has admittedly become stronger but not, I think, conclusive. Consider an alternate set of numbers--namely the number of votes that each candidate gained between the primary and the general election because of higher turnout:

Van Laanen: +572
Rigoni: +488
Jacobs: +472
Rosen: +262
Tousignant: +254 (assuming all write-ins are for him)
Farragh: +228
Peterson: +215
Alessandrini: +131
Toedter: +113

These numbers would seem to establish two points:

1) The incumbents were relatively unprepared for the primary and relatively well prepared for the general election. The time for one of the challengers to have dropped out was in May, before the withdrawal deadline for the primary, so that the incumbents would have been caught unawares in November rather than in August. A dropout in October would have come too late.

2) The incumbents' campaign against Alessandrini on the bankruptcy and old hospital issues worked. Van Laanen's August-November gain was 84 more than Rigoni's. Peterson's was 84 more than Alessandrini's. This is not a coincidence. There were 84 incremental voters who voted for the three winning challengers and Van Laanen because they were unwilling to vote for Alessandrini or Toedter. A dropout by Toedter would not have kept those votes away from Van Laanen.

Now let's consider the 781 votes that Toedter received. Let's assume that all of those ballots contained votes for four candidates and that all of them were for challengers. Let's further assume that everyone who voted for Toedter would have cast a ballot even if he wasn't on it. Let's further assume that all Toedter ballots also contained votes for Rosen since the latter is also a landlord. Let's further assume that the remaining two votes on each Toedter ballot were distributed among the other three challengers in the same proportion as their overall total. I list all these assumptions to make the point that it isn't correct or realistic simply to divide Toedter's total by 4 and add the quotient to the other challengers' totals. Under the assumptions listed above, 498 Toedter ballots would have contained a vote for Alessandrini anyway. That leaves 283 potentially to be gained by Alessandrini. One must assume, however, that the defection rate away from Alessandrini to Van Laanen because of the incumbents' campaign discussed above would have been roughly the same on the Toedter ballots as it was in the incremental turnout for the challengers generally. In that case, a dropout by Toedter would have generated an additional 107 votes for Van Laanen and 176 votes for Alessandrini. Meanwhile, the aforementioned 498 ballots would have generated 249 votes each for Peterson and Farragh, leading to the following hypothetical totals:

Peterson: 1269
Farragh: 1267
Rosen: 1171
Van Laanen: 1138
Alessandrini: 1130

I am not asserting dogmatically that it would have turned out this way. The assumptions are certainly subject to challenge. I am merely making the point that it is far from certain that a dropout would have gained the challengers a fourth seat, and therefore Bill Toedter should be proud that he carried the race honorably to the end.

11-9-2007-01

Response to post 11-8-2007-08

You are contradicting yourself from one sentence to the next. Did you proof-read your flip-flopping opinions? Your choice of words leads me to believe very strongly that you are none other than Ken Tousignant himself. I’d like to say that a man who finished fifth in the primary (Bill Toedter) has far more right to continue on than the guy (Ken - you?) that was supposed to have been eliminated. Ken (you?) has now been told twice, and strongly by the voters that he (you?) is persona non grata in our city government. Give it up. The incredible stream of lies told by the incumbents campaign machine is what turned the tide for Jeff Vanlaanen, not Bill Toedter, who finished above ALL of the incumbents in the primary. Bill is a good man, and should hold his head up. He still beat Ken Tousignant soundly. Way to go, Bill!

As far as your sore loser comments on the firemen, they deceived no one, but the council did. They created the conditions for no MIOSHA fines, but the council did. They cannot generate more fines on their own, but the council can. That’s up to the council, and whether or not they take their ignorant heads out of their a**es and admit they were seriously wrong in what they did to our police and fire departments. And fix it, damn it! Actually, on second thought, the firemen probably could generate more MIOSHA fines, but if they did, MIOSHA - who is not run by idiots - would direct those fines to the fire department and not to the city manager’s office, like the previous fines. I don’t think the firemen are that stupid, like someone else is.

I’d also like to say that Marion Anderson II (post 11-8-2007-14) sounds nothing at all like the Marion Anderson who has been writing in with excellent posts recently. Am I wrong?

11-8-2007-17

This will not make a difference on anything, but I am very curious to see a breakdown of the write-in votes. How long do we have to wait for that?

11-8-2007-16

Aside from the stupidity of the TIFA Board in buying the Khoury property without any commitment from the Mariucci group, it is an ILLEGAL TRANSACTION IN VIOLATION OF THE TIFA PLAN.

The TIFA Plan specifies what the Board can do. If it is not specified in the plan, it can't be done.

There is nothing in the Iron Mountain TIFA Plan that authorizes the purchase of the Khoury property. The law allows purchases by TIFA Boards, but only if such purchases are spelled out in the TIFA Plan. The Iron Mountain TIFA plan had one possible purchase described in it, but that one was never done and never will be.

If the purchase of the Khoury property goes through, the County and all other entities who get some of their money captured by TIFA have every right to sue, and should sue TIFA because the TIFA plan was violated by the TIFA Board.

The County, Voc Ed, Special Ed, Library, etc. have all approved the TIFA plan and have every right to expect it to be executed as written.  They should not let their capture be spent in ways that are not written into the plan to the detriment of their own budgets.

In reviewing the TIFA plan, I find a number of other questionable items in their budget. For example, there is money budgeted for design work on properties TIFA doesn't own. TIFA has been approached on the possibility of buying land for the purpose of building roads. Both design fees and purchases from private parties to create rights-of-way would be illegal and outside the TIFA plan.

Based on the research I have done, I believe the County should sue the TIFA board if the Khoury sale is completed. They could have a substantial sum of money due. It would also put the TIFA board on notice to stay strictly within the TIFA plan or suffer the consequences.

Legal Beagle

11-8-2007-15

I am gay and I am a Democrat. How Ken Tousignant and his clique behave is very uncaring of and destructive toward the gay community and the Democratic Party. It is becoming clearer and clearer that he does not care about this. He cares far more about himself than any causes he espouses -- causes he uses largely to build a platform on which to promote himself, not the causes. He reflects badly on, and does a huge disservice to, all gays and Democrats. Although it is easy for the community at large to associate all of us with him because of common stereotypes and labels, I want to assure the entire community that he and his little band do not represent me and my beliefs, nor do they represent most gays and Democrats and their beliefs in this community and beyond. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Kenny and those he runs with are the aberration, not the norm. I, and those like me, in no way want to be associated with any of the foulness he has been uttering since the November 6th election. Nor with any vileness he produced before it. With luck, perhaps he will no longer be able to fool and damage the public. Be assured, please, that the bulk of us in Iron Mountain and adjacent areas wishes he would just back off and shut up. Thank you.

11-8-2007-14

Not that it will make any difference to the people who post on this site but the purchase of the Khoury land was over a year in process. Check with the buyer and seller instead of your local gossip-monger. Oh wait, that's where all your truths come from. Also, if you are trying to say that Mr. Corombos was at the TIFA meeting with Steve Mariucci and didn't know that the board was meeting to go forward with the purchase, then he's not quite the informed expert that everyone makes him out to be. I was there and I knew what the plan was and I'm not the one who stood to congratulate Mariucci on his "impressive and professional presentation".

Marion Anderson II

11-8-2007-13

It seems there may be a need to clarify:

We, the challengers, our families, and some supporters, waited for election results at the Junction on Tuesday night.

It was not taxpayer's money, but our own that was spent.

There was no lying, deception or covering up of documents: Only eating of some pizza and a wonderful chocolate cake that someone was kind enough to make.

It was with gratitude and relief we found out that three challengers made it, and it was heartbreaking that the total number wasn't 4. We ran as a team with conviction. We felt like family members, especially when as the personal attacks were leveled at us during this election; we would all feel that pain and disbelief. But like family members, you lift each other up, dust each other off, and help each other to see the big picture.

Never for one second, did we forget how lucky we were to have the support of each other, of friends and family, and of residents that said "hang in there."

We made sure that we expressed our thanks to everyone, hopefully not excluding anyone.

Most people did not stay too late, as it was a week night.

Not quite the scandalous scene that was portrayed, but hopefully this subject is cleared up now.

Thank you,

Tina Peterson

11-8-2007-12

Re: 11-7-2007-20 & 11-8-2007-6

As much as I want John Marquart out of town and out of a job, I think we should save our petition-gathering efforts for legally binding initiatives. We may need them. Recalls can legally be mounted only against elected officials. There are only three ways to get rid of Marquart:

1) persuade the City Council to fire him (clearly the preferable option);

2) recall one or more of the ward representatives and replace them with Marquart opponents (a difficult process that has never succeeded in this town); or

3) amend the City Charter to repeal the city manager form of government and return to the mayor-council form that prevailed prior to 1987.

This would be a draconian and inadvisable step. (Imagine Tousignant with real executive power.) I believe that getting a fourth vote against Marquart will prove easier than getting a fourth vote for any of the Members-Elect's policy positions. Iron Mountain may still have a cable fee two years from now, but I doubt that it will still have John Marquart.

11-8-2007-11

The word on the street is:

Jeff VanLaanen will be nominated for Mayor in January with the support and majority vote of the remaining council members.

This man stated to many residents that:

1. Council meetings are not the place for citizens to speak up at.

2. The City Manager doesn't tell the truth, but he does what they tell him and that's all that matters.

3. Residents would never understand the council's "vision" for the city.

4. The city doesn't have to follow rules.

5. Things won't really change with new council members.. what the council had been doing was the right course of action.

Is this who we want to represent Iron Mountain as the Mayor?

What can we do about it?

11-8-2007-10

Well, let's examine the numbers. As you may or may not recall, I recommended that one of the challengers drop out. Someone posted a well-reasoned response arguing that for reasons relating to principles, all five should stay in the race. Unfortunately, principles often don't mix well with numbers. If we look at the numbers below, it is apparent to me, as I stated in a previous post, that had Mr. Toedter dropped out, as I recommended, his votes would likely have pushed Peterson, Farragh, and Alessandrini above Van Lannen. Tina stated how sorry she was that all four challengers didn't win, and she's right. That fourth seat was huge in terms of dispensing with the current problems. You now are a minority instead of equal (4-4) and will be unable to do anything if the incumbents get stubborn. Hopefully the remaining members will look at the results and decide to work with you, but based on what I read yesterday, I ain't holding my breath.

Oskar

Rosen (1171)

Van Lannen (1031)

Peterson (1020)

Farragh (1018)

Alessandrini (954)

Rigoni (938)

Jacobs (917)

Bill Toedter (781)

11-8-2007-09

Addressing the Old Hospital Site. By Dale Alessandrini.

Dale Alessandrini: Thanks, good luck, and more ...

11-8-2007-08

I must take a moment to say congratulations to the newly elected council members and the single incumbent, Mr. Van Lannen.

It is real treachery that four of the challengers could not have been elected. But really you can thank Mr. Toedter for that. He should have dropped from the race after the August primary as I do believe he received the least amount of votes of the "challengers". It would have only made sense. Simply poor campaign management there or lack of trust on Mr. Toedter's part or maybe Mr. Toedter had a financial interest in the outcome. I know whatever the reason or decision made, it cost Mr. Alessandrini a council seat. But hey I can't blame Mr. Toedter, it is his wallet and his greed. Makes me wonder if in fact he really cared about any of the other issues at all. Might just make me question all of the council, incumbent or otherwise, on what really motivates them. Seems we have a lot of special interests at hand and that to me is sad.

So we are left with a council that is by way of numbers still the same for voting purposes. Nicely done. Just stay the course and continue as we have been going. It is the right way to fly. A word of caution to the newly elected councilmen. You will be watched, scrutinized, questioned and you will make mistakes. Just as some have done before you and some will do after you. Good luck.

Oh and a recall on the city manager? What an absolutely silly idea. Council vote would decide that and we have seen how much the council listens to it constituents. That would be at best a 4-3 vote in favor of the man to continue his employment...not unless the City were to get another MIOSHA fine. But we can leave that up to those firemen. They seem to have the ability to manipulate and deceive just like Marquart. They will get the MIOSHA fine for us all and then there will be no choice for the council but to fire him.

11-8-2007-07

Am I correct in thinking that the city manager cannot be recalled, but has to be fired, as he was not elected, but hired? I am afraid of all the harm that the council can do between now and Jan. We need to keep an eagle eye on them!! A note to Dale, PLEASE consider running again!!! How about a recall for some of the other council members???

11-8-2007-06

I agree with the person who suggested starting a City Manager Recall Petition. This website is the perfect place to start this process and provide the new city council members with the petition this January.

It all starts here.

Maybe the webmaster of this site could add a page devoted to this process.

11-8-2007-05

Am I understanding this correctly? Are you telling me that TIFA agreed to a hurry-up purchase of property without so much as an environmental study? Do they realize what costs could be involved in clean-up if anything is found there? And all of this without any solid commitment from Mariucci?

It must be fun to play with other people’s money. I’m getting so fed up with what’s been going on. Progress, yes. I’m all for it; but with common sense and reasonable planning. This city is running around half-cocked with our money and not giving a damn whether we agree or not. Who’s going to care how pretty the main corridor is when the rest of the city is falling apart and the citizens are suffering. The city manager is supposed to work for the council. Yet, time after time I’ve seen the council surprised to find out what has occurred. It’s time this council start working like a council and not like a bunch of school-kids doing what their teacher tells them to do, with no questions asked.

Where is our representation when a council person states that council meetings aren’t the place for citizens to address issues? I sincerely hope the newcomers will ask the questions, require proper procedures and documentation, and challenge what is questionable. This manager cannot be allowed to continue to run this city as he pleases.

You came in, as did Marquart, on the backs of the previous council and administration; taking credit for the many projects already in the works. You’ve taken credit for businesses that would have come in no matter who was on the council. Those businesses approached the city. The city didn’t go out and drag them here.

Those of you who are business owners: Would you want a business manager to take over your business and ignore your wishes? Would you allow them free reign with your money? Would you let them take over and shut you out because you gave them that position in the first place? Well, that’s what you have done to us. You’ve taken control of our city and spent our money without consulting us. When we tried to intervene, you shut us out. You are just short-term custodians of our city. You do not have the right to take total control away from us. Just as you would fire such a business manager, we will fire you if you continue as you have.

The time has come to re-examine what your job is. Remember why you were voted in, and why your fellow members were voted out. You were elected to be our representatives. You were not put in those seats to take over the city and do as you please. Ms. Caudell said that 75 people were not representative of the city. Well neither are you seven! That’s obvious by the recent election results. We will have our say and we’ll do it by whatever legal means we can. Council meetings are public for a reason. We have the right to confront and demand answers. We have the right to disagree. We have the right to expect to be represented. Please, don’t make us have to wait another two years to vote the rest of you out.

Are you willing to see it? Are you now wi