Anti-Republican?… Not At All

I’ve had several readers ask me if the reason I’m so harsh on Trustees Liedel and Hanley has anything to do with their political persuasion. Let me make this clear… I have no problem whatsoever with the fact that Pam Hanley and Dee Dee Liedel are Republicans, nor am I in any way anti-Republican. My problem with the two ladies is that the decisions they make are dangerous for Sylvania.

I have voted for Republicans in the past, and I have voted for Democrats in the past. I don’t vote for someone because they have a (D) or (R) or (I) behind their name – I vote for the person themselves. My votes are cast for people who I think will be a good steward of the public trust and who’ll make a positive impact on the community, state or nation. I’ll even share this with you… I voted in the 2005 Sylvania Township Trustee race for Dee Dee Liedel. I don’t regret that vote… nor do I regret any vote that I’ve made. I refuse to regret things that, at the time they occurred, I had no way of knowing how they would turn out and in fact that I was being shammed. In 2005, I cast my vote based on the job I thought Liedel would do. She certainly had the wool pulled over my – and a lot of other peoples’ – eyes. I would regret, however, if I stood idly by and did nothing while her and Hanley slowly destroy the quality of life in Sylvania.

From the denials of funding to community organizations and events to their intent to destroy the Sylvania Township Fire Department, Hanley’s and Liedel’s actions have long-lasting, less obvious repercussions. If Sylvania earns a reputation (it’s already starting) as a community with dangerously unsafe levels of fire protection and police protection (mark my words, the Sylvania Township Police Department is next in line for their decimation), people will move out in droves and no one will want to move here. Businesses won’t even think of locating here, and existing businesses will relocate to safer areas.

Liedel and Hanley think that they’re on some sort of Republican anti-taxation crusade by refusing to put a tax levy on the November ballot. In reality, they’re disenfranchising the very voters who put them into office in the first place and damaging the community’s long-term economic outlook. Ronald Reagan may have disliked taxes, but he (as any reasonable person would) understood that some taxation is necessary. Otherwise, anarchy would rule because government can’t exist in a vacuum.

The quality of life and safety of Sylvanians are not political (or religious, Liedel) issues, nor is it I who’s trying to make them so. I’m not anti-Republican, anti-Democrat, anti-Green, anti-Libertarian… but I am anti-stupid and anti-danger. Thus, it's because of their dangerous and stupid policies that I’m against these two women.