Word is getting around about a flyer distributed by a Republican organization to smear Farmington Hills city council candidate Michael Bridges shortly before election day. The message, which closely resembles the content in a television ad opposing Maureen Brosnan in the Livonia mayoral race, refers to the “Bridges-Granholm” plan for Farmington Hills. As was the case in Livonia, the piece tossed together a mix of local issues and false implications, all apparently connected by the idea that Bridges and Granholm are somehow politically tied.
I haven’t seen the flyer, but I did see the Brosnan ads and found them a reprehensible misrepresentation not only of facts, but of the way government works.
In Livonia, the “Brosnan-Granholm” plan played to the thinly-veiled racist perception of suburb pitted against inner city, referring to the move of a large employer to Detroit and dollars spent on a bus system connecting Livonia and Detroit. In Farmington Hills, the “Bridges-Granholm” plan consisted of forcing a merger with Farmington and pushing for consolidation of services with Livonia, Novi and Southfield.
Any advocate of more efficient, less costly government would probably want to look at consolidation of services, but the Governor’s office has nothing to do with it. The merger – well, that’s just a blatant lie. As local officials have said over and over again, any merger effort would have to be voted on by residents and has to start in Farmington, not Farmington Hills.
But don’t bother these people with the truth.
Because these people have no interest in solving problems or ensuring the election of candidates who will govern to the best of their abilities. These people aim only to identify your fears and concerns, and then make you even more afraid and concerned. These people know we all instinctively avoid what we are afraid of, without thinking much about it. These people know it is easier to instill fear than it is to build trust.
Don’t let them fool you. Because they will be back. And next time, the stakes will be even higher.
–Joni Hubred-Golden
Michigan Woman Blogger
Right on.
Fear has always been a tool that politicians have used to get elected. And let’s be fair, the Republicans are not the first to use it.
People just need to get it in their heads that they have NOTHING TO FEAR.
The chances that any American will die in a terrorist attack is astronomically small. Our fear is an insult to every person living in Isreal or Palestine, or any place else where there is a real threat of terrorism.
-Eric Palmieri
http://www.ericpalmieri.com
I too am saddened to hear about the last minute flyer put out by the Farmington Area Republicans. I tried to search for the group on the internet and found nothing. I would like to know who is responsible and how many flyers were distributed and where. These ethnic intimidations are disappointing in a city such as ours with so many educated, supposedly enlightened people. We should be way beyond this. All I know is I am truly turned off by the way Government works at all the levels.
I can answer some of the questions asked here. The Farmington Area Republicans are the local Republican club for the two cities. It replaced the Farmington Area Republican Club (FARC) in 2005. It has between 60 to 80 paid members, IIRC. Very few of those members were informed of the mailing before it went out. The mailing was orchestrated by the club’s Chair, Paul Welday. Yes, the similarities between the Farmington Hills’ mailing and the Livonia mailing were obvious to everyone – and in both cases Welday’s lobbying/pr firm was involved.
It needs to be made known that in no way was Oakland C0unty Commissioner Mike Rogers. who is elected as a Republican to represent Farmington and the western portion of Farmington Hills, involved or even informed of this mailing. The Vice Chair and other key members of the club have advised me that they also were not involved. Farmington Hills City Councilwoman Nancy Bates was very vocal with her displeasure about this mailing on Election Night. Needless to say, it has played to mixed reviews within the Republican Party.
The mailing was sent to non-absentee voters in selected voting precincts. I know that this would include precincts 14, 16 & 24, plus I think it went to precinct 3. I don’t have a definitive list of all the precincts it went to.
Ah, it’s election time, and the rotting smell of sleazebag politics is wafting our way once again. Ms. Hubred-Golden is right – this is not going to be an isolated or rare incident. These purveyors of smear have become accustomed to slathering it on thick, in hopes of at least something sticking.
It is unfortunate that this has become almost de rigueur to what passes as political discourse these days – not reasoned, thoughtful, intelligent exchange, but knee–jerk incendiary rhetoric right out of the chute. “Slam ‘em hard, early and often” seems to be Action Item No. 1 on the agenda. Why does anyone believe that this gets us to better government? Has it thus far?