Apathy Continues Toward City Hall, and City Depends on It
To the Editor:

I started this letter last Monday, January 28, before the January 31 newspaper came out, so it will be in two parts; one part angry, and the second part livid.

Today I requested from City Hall information using the "Freedom of Information Act" (FOIA) regarding the 2007 income received by Paul Sved, St. Ignace part-time building inspector. I also requested from the State of Michigan, (FOIA) his income and benefits he receives from the state. As of this date, I have not received the figure from the state.

In this week's newspaper, it was reported that Paul Sved earned $24,148.80, but the figure I received from City Hall through the Freedom of Information Act was $36,062.42, which is roughly one-third more than reported in the newspaper. The average family income in Mackinac County, according to a Mackinac County Web page in 2005, was $34,381. Please understand Paul Sved's income of $36,062 is for a part-time job in a county that has approximately 25% unemployment. There are people that are unemployed in Mackinac County that are qualified for this job, and these people do not receive retirement benefits of approximately $50,000 from the State of Michigan.

How many times have I heard this year that our youth do not stay in our community? They can't stay, because there are no jobs.

Now, my initial letter was written to chastise the citizens of St. Ignace for allowing City Hall to sit on their hands while businesses are struggling and others are closing their doors. Week after week, I waited for letters, demanding a response from City Hall, but none are written. The apathy goes on, while City Hall depends on it. Since the newspaper came out, my impatience with the city and City Hall has turned to anger. My feelings with City Hall of ineptitude have changed to irresponsibility. They have proven the "Peter Principle" was dead-on, and City Hall has reached its level of incompetence, all at one time. Do they realize that eight businesses closed last year, and two more in the downtown district have closed this year for good? Do they realize the position of building inspector is not a necessary city position (but yet the building inspector received an 8.5% pay raise), when the state would do inspections at no charge to the city, as the state inspector currently does in Brevort Township? This would save the city $36,062.42. Maybe it is just that they need a fourth for euchre during their long coffee breaks. (Sorry, guys).

Why is it that when we drive to Petoskey, the cities along the way have new businesses, new malls, etc.? Could it be to the competence of their local government, or the incompetence of our City Hall?

I truly hope that this letter will anger many people, for apathy is going to be the death of the "Jewel of the North," if things do not change. Who will be left to turn off the lights?

Joe Durm St. Ignace