ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
“Eighty percent of life is just showing up.” — Woody Allen
It’s very difficult to point the fickle finger of fate toward two “good guys” in a persistent and troubling local political issue.
But such is the case in the most recent example Thursday evening of the continuing sordid saga in Dorr Township politics — the failure of the Township Board to reappoint longtime Planning Commissioner Larry Dolegowski to another three-year term.
J’accuse Dolegowski himself and Trustee Josh Otto of enabling and even being unwitting accomplices in the stagnating and backward-looking politics that has plagued Dorr Township for too long.
It’s easy to blame the troubles on Trustees John Tuinstra and Terri Rios and Clerk Debbie Sewers and their puppetmasters, Bernie Schumaker and Patty Senneker, but the “good guys” need to realize the epiphany of the words of Sir Edmund Burke that “the best way for evil to triumph is for all good men to do nothing.”
Dolegowski let down down his constituents in the August 2016 primary election when he decided not to run again for a trustee’s seat on the Township Board. He had lost in 2012, despite a lengthy record in township service and expertise on agricultural issues.
The result of Dolegowski’s decision was that Rios was able to run unopposed for a trustee’s position. If he would have sought to regain the seat, I submit he would have defeated the relatively unknown Rios handily.
Otto now twice has let down his constituency twice by failing to show for meeting involving reappointments on the Planning Commission. A year ago his non-presence led to a 3-3 vote on reappointing Chairman Bob Wagner and forced a special meeting. The same scenario was repeated last Thursday night in a 3-3 deadlock on reappointing Dolegowski.
Despite Tuinstra’s insistence that he wants term limits and the opportunity for others to serve, it all boils down to his, Sewers’ and Rios’ antipathy toward Dolegowski and Wagner, both well-versed veterans on the Planning Commission.
Had it not been for Supervisor Jeff Miling claiming the exclusive right to nominate such appointees, the board could have entertained the appointment of Senneker, a disgruntled former township official who lost twice to Miling, in a special and general election.
Dorr Township politics is in bad enough shape right now, bad enough that it is incumbent on the right people do the right thing by showing at meetings and on the ballot.
