“Social capital” is a term used to describe the network of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that community to function effectively. Not everyone is as keen on democracy as you might hope for in Lyon and Gerrish townships around Higgins Lake. Social capital is an essential ingredient for good governance and is an endangered currency here.
If you don’t value the company, interactions and rights of members of your community, but leverage your wealth, political savvy and legal resources to dominate them, you might fit the definition of an opportunist. Such individuals, and this certainly doesn’t describe all pro-STEP acolytes, don’t value the concerns and wishes of the average citizen in the Higgins Lake area, but reflexively regard their own desires and goals as more worthy, even if they are in the minority. The unfortunate aspect of this elitist perspective is that it promotes a permission structure that fuels the dismissive notions that they know better, and those not in agreement are to be conquered, not reasoned with or worked with. We are talking about the STEP sewer here. It’s divisive.
With this attitude out of the starting gate, the STEP sewer campaign set sail for mischief, particularly after elected township officials concluded that their employment futures might be better served with that group instead of with the resident community.
Townships represent the smallest ponds in the state when it comes to government structure, making them most vulnerable to influences that are interwoven with the threads of authority. This is a compelling argument for making these positions appear on non-partisan ballots in the future. Local government needs to focus on service, not politics. We shouldn’t accept the presumption that simply because someone has managed to acquire a nice lakefront villa that they must be smarter, wiser and have opinions most deserving implementation. Early on, the STEP campaign took on the attitude that legacy and affluence should be respected more than the public at large. This is a take-off on the adage that those with the most toys should win.
Reality check – seasonal homes and acreage don’t vote for township officers, only resident people do! In Lyon township, for example, there are around 1400 registered voters. Your vote counts a lot. By using a 1954 law (PA 188) the pro-sewer advocates, their engineer consultants, and their lawyers found a way to short-circuit a democratic vote on the STEP sewer. They made the early call that they wouldn’t prevail if this were decided by people, rather than acreage. Township Supervisors, Clerks, Treasurers and Trustees deliberately chose not to take that chance and, with the help of several well financed lakefront non-profit corporations, went off course to have things their way at the expense of the majority of township residents.
The candidates for Lyon and Gerrish township offices have just been listed by Roscommon County for the August 6 primary election. Incumbents face challenges from others willing and able to serve. If things are as they have been in the past, the incumbents will splatter the community with the most signs and banners and enjoy the loyal support of the non-resident lake establishment.
Vote for someone else and shake off the grip that they have on our local government. We need public service-oriented office holders, not four more years of puppets prioritizing the desires of non-residents.
Phillip Robinson
Higgins Lake
