Wow, Opie, lots of questions for me over which I can just conjecture, because only time will tell based on the results of our voters.
But, since you asked, here's my take. If I'm elected as a trustee, I'll work cooperatively with anybody in the offices that asks for my help, as long as it's honest, open, and fair to the taxpayers. If it's not, I'll be a very determined "no" vote, and telling the taxpayers why.
Your questions, though, and my opinions:
Mr. Moore and Mr. Viessman don't get along at all and that obviously has a negative impact on the residents. If Moore wins and Viesman wins, it goes on as it is now with no trust and all animosity?"
I don't believe that anybody can trust Mr. Viesmann to do a good job, he's had his time and proved his worth and priorities. His girls in the office are out of control and completely disrespectful to other elected officials and their employees. Even members of his own party have expressed disappointment. If RV wins again, there WILL definitely be more oversight, and therefore, more animosity, because he and his girls won't like it. Anybody but him, please, informed voters.
"If Presswood wins and by the signs it appears he is backing Moore, and Luehman wins, more confrontation?"
Mr. Leuhman is a present trustee and has been complicit to the antics of Mr. Viesmann this last term. Mr. Presswood of course would expect Charlie to do the job. If that became a problem, I think it would be on Charlie and his attitude. I don't think Charlie has the qualifications to serve the township well in that capacity, either, but, hay, he must need that extra pension, and he's been paying his dues in to that political party for a long time--it's his turn, deserving or not. Please, voters, not Charlie, either.
"If a ticket sweeps the whole thing, it would appear the incumbents get politics as usual with more games."
Please include Mr. Leuhman and Dan Able in your group of game playing incumbents. They're known to change tickets to stay on the winning side, though. Just ask Jim Denham. Loyalties are relative to who is winning. Mr.Viesmann might have bus tires rolling over him before this is all over--maybe already, even, as two of the Supervisor candidates seem to have the same team of under-candidates supporting both of them. Two heads on each side of the same political coin.
"If they split tickets, more bashing each other and little productivity?"
I believe any but the members of the Viesmann ticket would be an improvement that would/could work together to benefit our Township. I have no worries that Presswood, Moore, Hawkins and Beckland would work hard for the residents and have no personal agendas or ties to the existing political party who intentionally sent us all this trouble in the last election. (Yep, it was determined by them to be Viesmann's turn, decided 2 years before the actual election)
"Does the Kreher guy get along with one of the highway candidates?"
Mr. Kreher usually gets along with everybody, he's been positioned in a very respected and influential capacity in our community for a very long time, like his father before him, and his son also is, now. He's very confident in his position and I'm sure he would learn quickly and be helpfully coached in the established ways of the township and Village by his political supporters and campaign manager.
Mr. Moore is also well qualified, and does an excellent job with his crew. If Mr. Kreher gave him a chance and they combined their assets and efforts, they would get along just fine and their teamwork would be nothing but good for the Township, and probably the Village, too. Don is cooperative and willing to climb in and get dirty doing the expected jobs and various needed problem solving. Any good Supervisor should appreciate that kind of dedication. Viesmann did not. Presswood gets it.
But, truthfully, as appearances go, I do see way too many of the same names on our area ballots and in our high level public positions, and most of these names have come out of the same long-standing, powerful, organized area political group that has willfully promoted people with questionable ethics to positions of authority and supported them there for too many terms.
The complete lack of willing checks and balances among political chums and family connections concerns me if the established political ticket gets a clean sweep. I don't really care how "harmonic" the situation would be for them.
Pack mentality, and we've seen a lot of it, is not usually beneficial to those who are not members of the pack.
Our Township trustees last term were apparently a group of nodding heads for the Supervisor and Assessor, who should not have always been agreed with. None of them deserve re-election in any capacity, imo, but especially not the former LEOs who aided and abetted Denham's antics then, and Viesmann's antics, now. They can be removed completely, please, at no loss whatsoever to our services, and a chance for another qualified candidate who cares more to try and serve us better.
Some have completely forgotten that they work for we the taxpayers. As it is now, we're working for them--and a few of them have it pretty cushy already, on our dime.
on March 19, 2017, 1:24 am, in reply to "