Millage vote on Troy's Library today

Remember this in which I commented on an article in Troy Patch?

[T]his is a big deal. How big a deal? Big enough that the local major party chapters have become involved.

Troy Citizens United is joined by the Troy-Clawson Republican Forum in opposing the library millage.
Kathy Martin, chair of the Troy Democratic Club and a founder of TRUST, said last week that she believes the groups leading the opposition to the library millage care less about taxes than they do a political agenda. "They want to take over Troy and have it be a base for the extreme right wing for the state of Michigan," Martin said. "There are people who are trying to manipulate for political control in the city ... they are trying to confuse voters."

The Troy Democratic Club is one of the two largest in the county along with the Pontiac Democratic Club, so it getting involved is definitely a big deal.

Yesterday's Oakland Press showed the partisan involvement has only grown.

Troy residents call to keep politics out of Aug. 2 library vote
By BONNIE CAPRARA
Special to The Oakland Press

The City of Troy's last-ditch effort to keep its library doors open by asking residents to approve a 0.7 millage on the August ballot has divided the city. And some are saying that taking the issue to partisan politics has gone too far.

Troy resident and registered Republican Timothy McGee expressed concern to 17 city Republican delegates and County Commissioner Robert Gosselin who signed a mailing sent on July 18 by the grassroots group, Troy Citizens United, which urges residents to vote “no” Tuesday, Aug. 2, on the millage and accuses Mayor Louise Schilling, Mayor Pro Tem Mary Kerwin and council members Maureen McGinnis and Dane Slater for partisan actions.

The TCU letter reads: “Council keeps asking for tax increases because Mayor Schilling and Councilmembers Kerwin, McGinnis and Slater were all endorsed by the local Democrat Party and unions. Mayor Schilling and Councilwoman Kerwin even had Elect Obama signs on their lawns. The Obama win has re-energized the Democrats in our city and they are working hard in Troy.”

“This is going to hurt the Republican Party,” McGee said. “If this fails, the Republicans will be held responsible for the library closing.”

DeBacker said that party politics are being played on the “yes” vote side, as well, which is being led by Save Troy.
...
“We didn’t start the political part; the other side did,” DeBacker said. “Frank Houston was seen prepping the ‘yes’ panelists before The Oakland Press/CMNtv town hall meeting last Wednesday. He doesn’t live in Troy. He’s a consultant to the Democratic Party and the chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party.”

“A bunch of Republicans and Democrats (Troy Residents Unified for a Strong Troy) approached me about seven months ago and asked me to facilitate a meeting of how to save their library,” Houston said. “It has nothing to do with me being a party chair. I’ve worked as an independent consultant on state ballot initiatives. This is an issue that goes beyond party politics. When you have coalitions such as the League of Women Voters, the chamber of commerce and well-known Republicans and Democrats supporting the library, it shows how marginal how small this group of Tea Party activists opposing the millage is.”

Ellen Hodorek, spokeswoman for Save Troy and its research arm, TRUST, said: “TCU is turning this into a partisan thing. I’m a Republican and so are several members of TRUST. Fighting for the library is a non- partisan issue, which is why we started this. We formed TRUST to take the politics out of this issue.

”Despite their best efforts, it did become a partisan issue. Just the same, I'm taking the side of Keep Troy Strong on this one.

Please vote today and bring all your friends!

SAVE THE
LIBRARY!

SAVE
TROY!

TRUST will be posting live updates on its Facebook page tonight.