Bill Matt

Here is a holiday feel good story circulating on the internet. I saw it last year, and enjoyed it just as much this time around.

“Big Wheel”

In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years;
their sister was two. Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either. If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it.

I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town. No luck. The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince whomever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel.

An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal.

That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-- fully half of what I averaged every night.

As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires.

Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered. I made a deal with the local service station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires. I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough.

Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair. On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking ! coffee in the Big Wheel. There were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up.

When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning, to my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes. I quickly opened the driver's side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat. Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was hole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.

As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop....

Labels: Big Wheel, Bill Matt

Last night at Public Safety and the City Council Meetings Police Chief Mark Alley gave us an update on the proposed camera system. There are policies and procedures now posted on the Lansing Police Department Website (LINK).

The demonstration showed the pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities of the camera mounted and functional at the Arbaugh Building in downtown Lansing at 401 S. Washington Square. It is in the proximity of the liquor store where frequent loitering is a concern.

The chief also mentioned that the camera views would be available via the internet for anyone to look at. The stated purpose for this was so that more eyes could see potential criminal activity taking place, but what I think was the real catalyst for this idea was that by having open and accessible camera viewing, people can be reassured that the cameras are only being used for legitimate police and security purposes. We the people can and will watch the watchers.

Chief Alley also provided us with a map of the locations for the next 10 cameras to be placed. The North side cameras are to be installed in February, and the South side cameras are scheduled for March. A list of the locations was printed in today's LSJ (LINK).

In addition to the public demonstration, I asked Chief Alley about the status of the South Side Communications Tower. He told us that the tower was installed and is being tested. He said both Police and Fire departments were involved in the testing and the tower was performing beyond expectations. That is really great news for our Public Safety departments. After some final tests, the channels will be programmed and we should be seeing less communication "dead spots" in the city and especially on the South side.

Labels: cameras, Chief Mark Alley, Communications Tower, lansing

Much ado has been made about the recent crime study by the CQ Press ranking Detroit as the most dangerous city in the US. The FBI was quick to point out that the methodology is flawed, but I don't think anyone here would argue that Detroit is pretty darn dangerous, with Flint right behind ranked #3.

How does Lansing fare? (LINK)

We are ranked 109th most dangerous city out of 378 in the study. Pretty high actually, based on 2006 statistics.

It looks like bigger cities face harsher criticism as the top ten or twenty cities are all cities you have heard of, and the safest ten-twenty are smaller towns most people haven't heard much of.

Criticism (LINK): The FBI posted a statement on its website saying: "These rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that mold crime in a particular town, city, county, state or region." The American Society of Criminology said the rankings were "an irresponsible misuse" of crime data.

Labels: crime, lansing

The City Manager from East Lansing has added a blog to the City of East Lansing website. Ted Staton has been a great supporter of both the Great Lakes Folk Festival and the MSU Museum. I will be checking out his blog (LINK) with interest!

His first post is on Property Taxes in East Lansing. Boy, they sure know how to have fun with blogs! Kidding Ted, just kidding!

One line caught my attention though: For instance, a family earning the median income for the area and living in a $200,000 home will pay more for city services in Lansing than in East Lansing.

I have always considered East Lansing to be an attractive community to live. They have a vibrant and exciting Arts scene and strong schools. I think of Okemos and Meridian Township as slightly more affluent, with schools focused more on Science and Math. Either way, the biggest draw for both of these communities is very successful school systems. When parents such as Michelle and me consider moving to a city because of outstanding schools, then the city is very attractive indeed! How can Lansing mimic that success?

I also like this line by Ted: Finally, I would like acknowledge that the City of East Lansing is not attempting to provide the least amount of service for the lowest cost.

Sometimes I think Lansing tries to do the minimum for the cheapest, and it shows.

Labels: Bill Matt, East Lansing, lansing city council, Ted Staton

Yes, a play on words as Mayor Bernero unveiled his plans for a new permanent stage on the South end of Adado Riverfront Park. (LSJ LINK) It has certainly drawn some attention as almost 40 comments are posted to this story! The plan was to go to the Parks Board tonight at 7:00 PM (Another LINK).

Having worked for LEPFA, the managing authority of the Lansing Center, Oldsmobile Park, and Common Ground, for 3 years, and as Director of the Great Lakes Folk Festival, I may have a unique perspective on this foray.

I am definitely a pro-cultural/entertainment events-minded person that believes these tools are a magnet to the Creative Class and a major economic tool. I generally support these types of concepts. There was some talk a couple years ago about East Lansing installing a permanent stage in Valley Court Park where our GLFF Main Stage is set up. We were of course thrilled with the idea, as I am sure Eric Hart at LEPFA is with this project. The less equipment we needed to rent and install on a tight timeline the better! Alas, that project as an early proposal to the Cool Cities grants was not awarded to East Lansing.

For some reason, I am still just a bit skeptical of this one though. Maybe the price tag of 1.7 million is too high. Maybe the payoff of $40,000 to rent the stage for Common Ground is not high enough to make paying this back worthwhile. 1.7m / 40k = 42.5 years. I have concerns that the stage will have too many holes in the schedule and will sit empty half the summer.

I do know that there will be many other users of this venue such as the Arts Council and summer theatre groups, and once installed a summer concert series is not only viable but necessary. LEPFA will need to step it up and really book and promote some top national acts. LEPFA food and beverage can corner the market for sales and make some money on that angle. The promoters will need to cover some diverse groups and include rock, hip hop, oldies, country and even dare I say, world music.

As yet another tool in downtown revitalization, I really applaud the effort. This has been one great year of major development announcement after another. Soon....well, maybe in ten years, downtown will be packed with a vibrant and youthful nightlife, and full during the day of sophisticted cultural tourists. I'm looking forward to it!

Labels: Bill Matt, lansing, Lansing Center, LEPFA

Well, since I have this blog, and I will be on council voting on stuff until January, I guess I might as well keep writing about it.

Today we are having a city pre-meeting on the Lansing Township sewer and water line proposal that has been referred to a liaison committee. The Liaison committee will have two township representatives and Jerry Ambrose and myself from the city meet this Friday. Paramount to me is protecting Lansing's best interests. Regionalism is great for shared services such as police and fire, but when we are talking about regional competition for housing or convention business using our city infrastructure, that raises some concerns.

Tomorrow we have a regular council meeting where we will consider the Renaissance Sub-Zone regarding the City Club Tower development. The meeting is Thursday and starts at 1:30 since Veteran's Day was Monday. Stop by if you want to voice your opinion! There is bound to be some excitement and gloating during public comment since this will be the first meeting after the election. Oh boy.

Labels: 3rd Ward, Bill Matt, City Club Tower, lansing city council

As you likely know by now, I lost the election Tuesday. Disappointment and lots of second guessing comes into play of course, but really one of the burning questions is what to do with myself next? One of the first questions I heard was will I ever run again?

After swallowing the bitter pill of defeat, my first instinct is to say "screw this". I will have given almost a year to the city and 4 years before that to the county of my life to the cause of serving the community, and then to be rejected by that same community. I have plenty of things going on in my life, namely raising and caring for my three boys. The monumental time away from them trying to help others in the city with their problems will end, and that is a great thing for our family.

I am thankful for the opportunity that I was given and appreciate all of the great people I met along the way. Especially members of the community like Patty, Monica, Anita, Kathy, Yolanda, Cynthia, Wes, Ann, Liz and Brian. They all contribute to their community out of the goodness of their hearts and definitely deserve our appreciation.

I suspect I will eventually find another opportunity to satisfy my passion for service.

Labels: 3rd Ward, Bill Matt, election, lansing city council

One thing is certain. Win or lose, I am glad the campaign is over. I really enjoyed going through neighborhoods door to door, meeting and talking to people. That was fun for the most part, except getting the door slammed in my face a couple times. I certainly learned a lot!

Special thanks to all of the volunteers, donors, supporters and especiallt Amber Shinn who did my great design pieces, Patrick Power whose photo's were spectacular, and of course Mickey Haddick who set up this here website and blog. Many, many others helped, and I would like to specifically mention Michelle, my wife. I have been an absentee husband and father this summer and fall, and witout her support the effort would not have even been possible.

The polls close in an hour and I'm going to the party at Corey's Lounge. Join us if you can!

-Bill

Labels: 3rd Ward, Bill Matt, election, lansing city council

The Politics of Personal Destruction in todays hyper partisan world claimed an another victim this week. It was my opponent A'Lynne Robinson, and the perpertrator was me.

In the previous blog entry, I mocked mocked A'Lynne, and I am here to apologize for that.

A'Lynne, I'm sorry.

It was pointed out to me that there is a difference between calling attention to an opposing issue, and being mean-spirited and personal.

What I should have said was: A'Lynne has proposed 20 more patrol officers in Lansing, while cutting spending in the city budget, and question where the funds or cuts would come from.

Simple as that.

Instead I mocked and tried to embarass her, which is really out of character for me. I may have felt the sting of losing the FOP endorsement, or maybe it was 11th hour election jitters. No matter the reason, A'Lynne deserved better. Win or lose today, I hope that she will continue to contribute and make Lansing and the 3rd Ward a great place to live. She is a class act and has treated me fairly.

I had hoped to stay true to my values while serving the community, and I lost sight of that. Maybe I am not cut out for politics after all if I lose my own sense of self, so desperate to win.

My new rule of thumb will be using my kids as a guide. You know the old saying, if it is not something your mom would approve of then you shouldn't say it? I think that when I write, I will try and remember that if it is not something I would be proud to show my kids, then I won't write it. I don't need to entertain, and I certainly don't need to put others down to make myself look better.

Labels: 3rd Ward, A'Lynne Robinson, Bill Matt, election, endorsements, lansing city council

Fiscal: Related to the treasury of a country, company, region or city.

Irresponsible: Lacking a sense of responsibility; incapable of or not chargeable with responsibility; unable to respond to obligation.

Today's LSJ talks about public safety in the City of Lansing. Specifically I wanted to point out this nugget: A'Lynne Robinson: "She'd like the city to reconsider how it spends its money before deciding how to finance more police officers. At the same time, she'd like to see the number of patrolling officers increase by about 20." (LINK)

Sounds good, but wait (LINK) A'Lynne again: "I would work to resolve the City of Lansing’s chronic budget deficit by cutting city spending".

The city is facing a multi-million dollar structural deficit, and my opponent proposes adding 2.2 million dollars in salaries and benefits to add 22 police officers to LPD. That is 2.2 million Every Year! To start! She added: "It would certainly assist with the amount of overtime that we also have to cover."

Yes, 2.2 million a year would cover a lot of overtime. (Rolls eyes)

But my problem isn't that this statement isn't challenged or fact checked. My problem is where would the money come from? If she proposes adding 2.2 million dollars to the police salary and benefit line, will the money come out of Fire, Parks, Arts, or programs for the homeless or kids? AND CUT SPENDING?

See, the challenge we face in the city is of making tough decisions. No one wants more taxes, but every program, and I mean every single program we offer in the city is valued by someone. Golf Courses? Cemetaries? Forestry? Leaking Fire Stations? Yes, yes, yes, and YES!

I originally thought that the FOP endorsement went for A'Lynne because of my vote on the camera issue. After all, every single labor organization supports me, except FOP. I am after all a dues paying Union member. Then I realized that Harold Leeman was endorsed by the FOP, and he voted for the cameras. So that couldn't have been the reason.

Besides, Ms. Anti-Camera said this in the LSJ response linked above: I would have no problem with the use of cameras to assist in the process of providing the best possible public service to the residents of Lansing.

SAY WHAT???

I guess I should have promised FOP 50 more patrol officers.

Labels: 3rd Ward, A'Lynne Robinson, Bill Matt, Budget, FOP, lansing city council

To lighten your day (or night), I present you with this funny blog entry on a 1977 JC Penny Catalog. (LINK) WARNING: Some cheeky language.


And here are a few political jokes:

It was election time, again. So, a politician decided to go out to the local reservation to gather support from the Native Americans. They were all assembled in the Council Hall to hear the speech.

The politician had worked up to his finale, and the crowd was getting more and more excited. "I promise better education opportunities for Native Americans!"
The crowd went wild, shouting "Hoya! Hoya!"

The politician was a bit puzzled by the native word, but was encouraged by their enthusiasm. "I promise gambling reforms to allow a Casino on the Reservation!"
"Hoya! Hoya!" cried the crowd, stomping their feet.

"I promise more social reforms and job opportunities for Native Americans!"
The crowd reached a frenzied pitch shouting "Hoya! Hoya! Hoya!"

After the speech, the politician was touring the Reservation, and saw a tremendous herd of cattle. Since he was raised on a ranch, and knew a bit about cattle, he asked the Chief if he could get closer to take a look at the cattle.
"Sure," the Chief said, "but be careful not to step in the hoya."


Here's another:

A bus load of politicians were driving down a country road, when the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field. The old farmer, after seeing what happened, went over to investigate. A few days later, the local sheriff came out looking for the missing politicos, saw the crashed bus, and asked the farmer where all the politicians had gone.
The farmer said, "I buried 'em all... out back."
The sheriff then asked, "Were they ALL dead?"
The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie."

And one more:

The politician lost the election and was forced to look for a job. To the personnel manager he admitted that he had both good and bad traits. "What are your good traits?" asked the interviewer. "Well, said the politician, "I can do a job better than any person in the world. A dozen of the countries' largest companies are bidding for my services. I could unquestionably double your business within a month or two if you hire me." Said the personnel manager, "That's very impressive. What about your bad traits?" Said the politician, "There's only one. I have been known to exaggerate occasionally.."

Labels: Bill Matt, humor, lansing city council, political jokes