shiawasseecounty.net

Page 6 The Sunday Independent • Sunday, February 7, 2010
withpermission
Editor, The Independent:

Public figures should be held to a higher standard.
However, that’s not the way it works in
Shiawassee County.
Morals, ethics, law abiding words like that don’t
exist for Prosecuting Attorney Randy Colbry and the
Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners. Colbry,
the most incompetent, unethical, and corrupt prosecutor,
gets a slap on the wrist after pleading guilty to
a charge of operating under the influence and charged
with fleeing and eluding and hitting a car and leaving
the scene. Upon sentencing Judge Wells said that
what bothered him “a lot” was Colbry leaving the
scene. This is not only illegal but also cowardly. “It
was the middle of the day, the middle of the week and
you’re (Colbry) drunker than a skunk and almost
triple the legal (blood alcohol) level,” said the judge.
All of this on the County’s time while he’s supposed
to have been working.
The Michigan Attorney General who prosecuted the
case recommended that Colbry be sentenced to 30 to
60 days in jail. Instead the judge sentenced Colbry to
two years probation and 15 days in jail which was
exchanged for his days spent in alcohol treatment.
In my opinion, two weeks of rehab does not come
close to spending even one night in jail and does not
cure a 20-year drunk. The arrogance Colbry demonstrated
minutes after sentencing showed that he
doesn’t get it. He sees himself as a victim who has
done no wrong.
What does that say about the Commissioners’
silence throughout this ordeal. They allow the likes
of Randy Colbry to sit with their board all the while
abusing their power to take control of the Veterans
Affairs Committee. The Commissioners have a long
history of incompetence and abusing their power.
Thanks to the Vets it’s what finally drove the nail in
the coffin.
However futile it may seem, our society should
never give up trying to make those in power realize
that flaws in our leaders cannot be automatically forgiven
or tolerated. Please support the recall by signing
the petition.
Nicki Holzhausen, New Haven Township

Page 6 The Sunday Independent • Sunday, February 7, 2010
with permission

Editor, The Independent:


With regard to the letter from Shiawassee
County Board of Commissioners Chairperson
Henrietta Sparkes, published Jan. 24, I too have
some observations I want to relay to the voters of
Shiawassee County.
Henrietta mentioned at the Owosso Charter
Township meeting that she found out that statements
on a recall petition did not have to be “true.” I find it
difficult to believe that anyone who has been in politics
as long as she, does not know that. But then she
says, “This may be fact or fiction!” Please notice the
exclamation mark. I take all of that to mean she is trying
to convince you that the wording on her recall
petition is not “true.” Don’t fall for it. There is far
more truth in the words of that recall language than
there is in the political rhetoric in her letter.
I believe the first reason is common to all of the petitions
for recall of all of the commissioners and the
prosecutor: “For betrayal of the public trust and
unethical conduct unbecoming county elected officials
as in accordance with NACo, the National
Association of Counties Code of Ethics for County
Officials Preamble and Ethical Principles.”
That really is too long for this gracious paper to
allow to be printed in this letter. It is worth looking
up and/or send a FOIA to the county for a copy of
“the county code of ethics.” There really isn’t that
much to it. It shouldn’t be that difficult to live up to.
At the end it says, “The ethical county official accepts
the responsibility that his or her mission is that of servant
and steward to the public.”
Henrietta said, “We don’t even belong to that
organization, we don’t have to live up to that.” But
that is the code of ethics the county uses and hands to
each new elected official. Perhaps Henrietta doesn’t
know that, or hasn’t read it for a very long time. I
truly believe none have lived up to it, not even close.
They certainly act as though the public is subservient
to them.
How could anyone possibly know Shiawassee
County has one of the
best Board of
Commissioners which has
ever been seated? Most of
this board has been there
for quite some time. Was
she personally familiar
with the board prior to
her service? Or the one
before that? Sounds
good, but that was a
ridiculous statement. I do have to say that I have been
most un-impressed by the current and former teachers
that have taken to local government. I don’t see any
shining stars there.
Adopting a “balanced budget” is not as complicated
as Henrietta would have us believe. Just make the
expenses equal to the projected income. The county
has operated on a $16 million budget before. It was
$14.6 million in 2003, $15.2 million in 2004, $13.7
in 2005 ($18.1 million actual-first full year for
Margaret McAvoy), $16.3 million in 2006 and an
adopted budget of $19.3 million for 2007. I don’t
know what the big jump was all about ($16.9 million
actual, guess they didn’t know either), $17.3 million
in 2008, $17.8 million in 2009. They whine and cry
every year, but they still seem to have plenty of money
to spend on stupid stuff and they haven’t even fallen
back as far as 2004 (before Margaret).
If they care about the people of the county, they
sure have funny ways of showing it. As usual, just my
opinion.
Kay Lorraine-Lauro, Bennington Township

Richard Kindervater wrote a negative letter about the recall in Sunday's Independent. He had many of the facts incorrect so I called him and invited him to a meeting. He currently has the flu but said he would consider it when he feels better.

I read that G&P It was pretty nasty

I don't see any of the above mentioned letters in the Feb. 7, 20010 Durand Independent. The only two letters to the Editor are concerning an athletic association in Byron.

Had an interesting and educational conversation with Mr. Constine regarding the publishing of The Independent. I will have to be patient and wait for the online edition to be updated.

I have found that if I remind Bill it is a county wide issue and request it be in all editions of the Sunday Independent I am sometimes successful.

Bill Constine told me the letters to the editor were on a "space available" basis

the other Indy's don't always have space, lately they have not.

I was going to check to see if these letters made it to the others.

If they don't, then there is a big black hole out there.

"space available" is what I was told also--

Nope..........maybe one out there this past Sunday.
That means the whole lot of the county is not going to hear much from our letters to the editor,

District 4 on the eastside Durand
Distrct 5 the SE corner
A Good part of District 6, Laingsburg
and District 7 Perry at the SW corner

NNot such a good thing