Tag Archives: Safety Paths

Supervisor Gonser’s REAL views on trails, pathways, bike paths and environmental protection

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No hiking biking wetlands

Supervisor Gonser’s true views have come out on Safety Paths, Trails, Bike Paths, Wetland Protection.  His views are contrary to our Township motto “Curamus Terram” – “We care for the land”.

On January 20th, an Oakland Township Republican meeting was chaired by Oakland Township’s Lead Precinct captain, John Reilly, the husband of Oakland Township’s Clerk – Karen Reilly.  There were approximately 20 people there including Supervisor Gonser, Township Clerk Reilly, our Township Treasurer’s husband Joe Langlois, at least two of our Township’s Republican Precinct Captains, four of our Parks Commissioners (one left after listening to State Representative Tom McMillin) , one of our Zoning Board of Appeals members, our State Representative Tom McMillin (for a portion of the meeting) and other citizens.  One of the agenda items was:

“The Republican establishment’s ‘war’ on the Tea Party and Libertarians at both the National and State Levels – What should we do?”

One of the citizens asked what is the difference between the Republican Establishment and the Tea Party Republican.  During that discussion, one of the participants asked “What is this Agenda 21 issue all about?”  He wanted someone to explain it and why many Tea Party Republicans have brought that up as an issue.

Supervisor Gonser then stated:

  • Agenda 21 initiatives are having a significant impact on the Township
  • Property rights are impacted
  • It controls how property is developed
  • It has to do with environmental mischief that is going on in the Township
  • It is being put into our codes and ordinances
  • Safety paths and trails are a big example
  • Bike lane on roads are an example
  • You’ve got to understand the overreaching umbrella and the strategy
  • Oakland Township’s Ordinances 102 ( the nuisance ordinance) and 103 ( the performance standards Ordinance ) are clearly Agenda 21.
  • Our ordinance 97 wetlands ordinance is clearly Agenda 21
  • A lot of this is Agenda 21 because if you look at the overriding umbrella of Agenda 21 it is to eliminate the automobile, to eliminate all sorts of motorized transportation except mass transit and have heavy emphasis on bicycles.

John Markel, one of the Zoning Board of Appeals appointees of Supervisor Gonser, was present at that meeting.  John commented that while he was driving to work on a snowy day, he realized that the safety trails are only used ‘half of the year’.  He went on to indicate that he did not think it made sense to put in that costly infrastructure and only use it 6 months of the year. He agreed that it made sense in the Carolinas, but not here.

John was personally recommended by Supervisor Gonser for the Zoning Board of Appeals.  His appointment clearly indicates the direction that Gonser intends to take our Township.

Although several citizens have tried to get Supervisor Gonser to explain his position on Agenda 21, this is the first time that he has verbalized his thoughts on how he believes the UN Global Conspiracy has influenced our Township’s ordinances.

So what really is Agenda 21?

In 1992 the United Nations approved a document called Agenda 21. It is a non-binding agreement signed by 178 countries. It promotes sustainable development that simultaneously promotes economic growth, improved quality of life, and environmental protection. President George H.W. Bush was among the 108 world leaders present at the UN conference when the document was adopted.  A copy of the document is attached at the bottom of this posting.

Our Beautiful Township has benefited from a dedication to the protection of forests, wetlands, waterways and natural features.  Many of our environmental protection ordinances predate UN Agenda 21 by many years. Now we have elected a Township Supervisor who believes our past practices are part of what the Tea Party believes is a global conspiracy.  Oakland Township will not benefit from far right wing reaction to an imaginary global conspiracy.

I was an Oakland Township Planning Commission member for 26 years until 2008, and Chair for a number of years.  During all those years, I had never heard of “Agenda 21”, but listened to many citizens say “curamus terrum” – “we care for our land” when they  provided input that guided our recommendations.  Any linkage that our Supervisor and the other extremist right-wing members of our current Board think exists between this obscure agreement at the UN, only exists in the minds of those with an extreme Tea Party ideology.

To get a better idea of what the extreme conservatives in the Tea Party believe will be the outcome of the UN Agenda 21 initiatives, please watch a video that Glenn Beck, a famous conservative, has produced to promote his book “Agenda 21” .

Watch the Video.

Why is this important to the Citizens of Oakland Township?  Our Community has historically been a leader in preserving land, supporting Paths and Trails and many things that other communities have come to envy our Township for possessing.  Our citizens have supported these initiatives through various millages to enhance our community.  Now we have a Supervisor and Board members, our decision makers, who clearly do not support the things Oakland Township has historically stood for.

The    citizens of Oakland Township need to recognize that Washington is not the only place where the extremism of Tea Party Republicans exist – They ARE the leaders in OUR Township and will be making decisions that may significantly change the character of our Township!  Please get involved!  Begin by looking at the many things that our Board has done over the past year that have been documented on this website.

Here is a copy the non-binding Agenda 21 agreement:

Agenda 21 document

Richard Michalski

Spend Our Trails Millage to Bailout a Subdivision?

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At the 10/1/13 Planning Commission meeting Mr. Ron Hein, a  Planning Commissioner newly appointed by Supervisor Gonser and the Board, volunteered to serve on the Township Safety Paths and Trails Committee saying “I have a little bit of a vested interest in this.”  Ron went on to say that his subdivision (the Hills of Oakland at Adams and Dutton)  has safety paths that need repair and that rather than build new trails and connections the Township should maintain what we already have (watch the video below).

This is not a new idea.  Treasurer Jeanne Langlois proposed the same thing at a Safety Paths and Trails Committee meeting this summer.  She was told then that this would not be an appropriate use of taxpayer’s money.  Hein and Langlois, together, will be half of the body which has the responsibility of suggesting to the Board how our trails and safety paths millage money is spent.

The safety paths that Ron and Jeanne want to spend our money on are privately owned and their maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowners and their associations.  If they have been allowed to fall into disrepair, as Mr. Hein says, he and his neighbors need to pay for the repairs.  Is this why he says he has a “vested interest”?

The millage language that we, the voters, approved says precisely how our money must be spent.

“Nov. 2006

TRAILS SYSTEM MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Shall the Charter Township of Oakland be authorized to levy up to .25 (1/4) of one mill for a period of ten years, starting with the December 2007 levy, to provide funds for the construction and maintenance of a network of safety paths, trails and boardwalks to provide healthy recreational opportunities and safe routes to schools, parks and neighborhoods in the Township, and for the acquisition of property and right-of-way for such purposes?  Approval of this proposal would authorize a tax limitation increase of 25 cents per $1,000 of taxable value on all taxable property in the Township.  The proposal is for a new additional millage the revenue from which would be disbursed to the Charter Township of Oakland. It is estimated this proposal would result in the Authorization to collect $315,178 in the first Year, if approved and levied.”

Our money is to be spent to construct and maintain a network of trails that connect parks, schools and neighborhoods. It says nothing about bailing out subdivision residents.  Mr. Hein’s subdivision safety paths do not form a network nor connect to parks, or schools. We have millions of our tax dollars at stake.  Gonser and the Board know that unless we, the residents, make it plain that this misuse of our money is unacceptable they can do it and get away with it.  No one else is watching to be sure that the Board spends our trails money appropriately.  Make your voice heard!

Jim Foulkrod

Gonser Refused $1.1 million in Grants for Safety Path.

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It has only been a few months since Township  Supervisor Gonser and the Board of Trustees, through their inaction, refused Federal and State Grants for $1.1 million that would have allowed our township to build a safety path from Gunn and Adams to the Paint Creek Trail.  It would have provided approximately 10,000 township residents with a safe way to access the Paint Creek Trail.

I am writing about this now because so many people are  reading these pages ( 6,500 views since we went live in July) and many of you may not have been aware of this action.   The safety path plans and grant requests were approved by Federal and State authorities.   Oakland Township was to contribute funds from the Trails and Safety Paths millage approved by the voters in 2006. There are now well over a million dollars in the millage fund.  It is our money.

Gonser was against this from the beginning.  He told me in a face to face conversation on Dec 12 2012 that he was against taking the Federal and State funds.  Gonser repeated this in a Jan. 3rd email where he said:

“I will tell you my position on trails/safety paths.  First, I strongly support private property rights and as such find that the Township suing property owners to confiscate their property through eminent domain most distasteful.  Second, I am opposed to accepting money from a government that is totally and completely out of money.  Nearly 42 cents of every dollar spent by Uncle Sam is borrowed, principally from the Chinese.

Terry Gonser”

He has contradicted himself on these topics with support of grant funding to rehabilitate the Mill Race and when he proudly accepted Federal grant funds for Fire Department equipment.  He has also proposed using the eminent domain process to obtain an easement from Flagstar Bank to build a different trail that he thought up all by himself.

We voted to tax ourselves so our government could build ” a network of safety paths trails and boardwalks to provide healthy recreational opportunities and safe routes to schools, parks and neighborhoods” ( from the 2006 ballot language).  How is our money being used? Gonser is now spending this money on a parking lot for the Paint Creek Trail.  His representative to the Township Trails Committee has proposed spending the money to maintain privately owned safety paths in large subdivisions.  This may have been a campaign promise used to gain votes in the election.

Happy Trails to You

Jim Foulkrod