Letters 12-10-2012

Dec. 9, 2012

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Don’t mess with Texas

I read Stephen Tuttle’s column on occasion. Not only do we share many opinions, but I am also reminded of the way people think in my hometown.

My parents, despite being raised in Grosse Pointe and Cadillac, moved to Texas in the 1970s. I was raised in Austin, though we summered in Onekama and I went to Interlochen. I have traveled the globe, and lived in Chicago and Traverse City. Still, I will always think of Texas as my home, and I am sick of people getting their kicks out of bashing it.

See, I love what Texas showed me: beautiful, unsettled land; strong traditions; and that people have differing views. As a liberal woman, with a liberal arts education, raised by hippies in a liberal town, I might not have met many conservatives if I wasn’t in Texas. Yet I am made better by engaging with them. Texas taught me that.

I always loved how Northern Michigan was so similar to my home; folks up here love their land, their guns, their country music, and their God. Of course both states do have a few "crazies," like those "Republic of Texas people" and the Michigan Militia.

Austin is an admittedly liberal part of a generally conservative state. This is no surprise. What does surprise me is that people assume that everybody down there acts with one mindset. Just ’cause what you see come election night looks like one big red blur, doesn’t mean we all think the same way.

Tuttle said that "more than 100,000 people" signed a petition on the White House website. Let’s pretend that all of those people signed one time only, and that they are all, in fact, from Texas (not one of those "18 other states"). I am disappointed that you neglected to mention what 100,000 means compared to the population of Texas.

Those 38 electoral votes? They represent the 25 million people in Texas. Perhaps, in a state of nine million, 100,000 would seem like a lot (actually, no it wouldn’t!). I guess you couldn’t make much of a point, though, if you showed that those secessionists are but a drop in a very big bucket.

As for the ramblings of our Governor, Mr. Pretty Hair himself, Rick Perry? All jokes aside, even he is frustrated with our federal government (who isn’t?), but does not support secession.

Michigan is a great state, but so is Texas (and less snow!). I am unclear as to what you stand to gain from all the badmouthing. What is clear is that you seem petty, bitter, and lazy in your quest to take numbers out of context to prove an ill-formed point.

Chrissie Reitmeyer - TC

Fire alarm

On November 28 the Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority Board and Traverse City’s ad hoc Fire Department Committee met regarding replacing TC’s Fire Department with the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department. The City would contract with or join the Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority. The Traverse City Fire Department would be dissolved and all firefighters laid off.

City Manager Bifoss stated, "that in the worst case scenario it would have to go to a vote of the public," in order to dissolve the existing fire department. As a Traverse City fire retiree, I am biased on the subject. Even so, I was shocked to hear Bifoss’s blatant disregard of the opinion of Traverse City citizens.

"˜A decision was made to apply to the State for an EVIP grant to assist (25%) in the $60,000 to $80,000 cost of a study to replace the fire department. Who would bear the remaining costs was not discussed.

During public comment I asked two questions:

1) Who was going to pay for the study?

2) If the City contracted with the Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority (as opposed to joining), what would be the City’s basis for renegotiation upon the expiration of the contract? (In other words, what happens if the City dissolves its own fire department, and then during future negotiations, the contract price increases tenfold. What would the City of Traverse City do then?) In response to these questions, Garfield

Township Board representative Chuck Korn, interrupted stating, "Is this a cross examination or public comment?" I feel that the public deserves answers to these questions, not disrespect and incivility.

Shouldn’t elected and appointed representatives invite public participation in matters of such consequence?

Mike Brown - TC