Royal Oak Politics of 2021 Has Its Own Big Lie

For the typical citizen, it’s not clear where Royal Oak politics are going. Many people aren’t comfortable or they’re downright hacked-off. Still, communications and the outlook are getting better; at least let’s hope so.

This article does not tell you who to vote for; it tries to give you the “lay of the land”. It’s an opinion made on the basis of local news and videos of city commission meetings (for example, 9/27/21). 

The “Big Lie” of Royal Oak politics swirls around the movement of the Veteran’s War Memorial, which has been used to inflame and push people apart. It has ramped up the chaos. Like America at large, the opposing politicos either want the chaos or try to explain it away. Money seems to create these pains, not natural growth or municipal concerns.

It’s no coincidence that the “A Team” has made the war memorial their hill to die on. It provides something to fight about and misrepresent.  The A Team’s less-than-clear provocative stance gives us Proposal 7 which, if adopted, represents an expensive re-do. Proposal 7 is a product of the “A Team”, so they expect your vote to carry it out. When Democrats say “save our park”, they mean the new downtown park that is nearing completion, which required the memorial to be moved. 

Who Is Who?

By law, municipal elections are non-partisan; but they are, and it matters.

The “A Team” really means angry Republicans, representing those who have not lately had much control of the plans or the money. There is little clarity on what the “A Team” stands for beyond “stop the steal” (of the statue). One of the “A Team” biographies references a tie to a local group that has been associated with fascism in America.

Democrats currently hold power and they have been refurbishing downtown. This features big new tenants and parking structures and Centennial Park. Plus, a new city hall and a police building/jail. Everyone seems on board with replacing the asbestos-infested jail, but beyond that agreement starts to wobble. 

The Royal Oak Politics of the Moment

Not everyone likes or understands the ongoing bold changes to downtown, even people who have been trying to decipher it.  Contracts seem to have included help to educate people and sell the downtown re-do (think world-class videos).

Democrats say (and the records show) that there was a diligent effort to get public involvement and awareness before they made the decision to move the memorial as part of the park development. It’s been a two-year process. Republicans say the memorial movement is a disrespectful affront that caps off the questionable plan. Democrats point out that Republicans waited until after the decisions were made (and costs sunk) to ramp up their political points. 

Both parties have featured veterans to defend their respective stances on the memorial movement. The veteran support is split roughly 50-50. In the heat of the 9/27/21 meeting, Democrats were called liars and socialists and fascists.

There is a lot of money and emotion at play. City finance is a big and growing issue. It’s a $5M downtown park (named Centennial Commons). Outside the costs incurred, there’s $28M coming to the city (federal I think) with the attendant worry over what to do with it – some decry that $400K has been spent on nothing more than a spending plan. Of course, this is small change compared to the state conundrum of what to do with $11B they got from the feds. 

City issues include: changing the city’s master plan and moving away from home rule under a charter (proposal 1 on the upcoming ballot); the degree of citizen input there has been on the revised charter; tax implications and home values associated with all the changes that are being made; did the people want (and do they support) the new Royal Oak?

Political Alignment

It’s weird that the local candidates cannot state their political party affiliation. Or maybe it’s just me. I think this disclosure is important when the national dialogue says restoration of democracy really has to come from state and local government.

We should know what we are getting in terms of local alignment with the bigger issues threatening democracy. Phantom candidacy seems linked to diminished transparency. Heaven forbid these local candidates should get asked where they stand on something like the validity of the recent presidential election, or should we be allowed to vote. They (we) need to look beyond the big local dollars.

Royal Oak politics are messy, just like the country at large.

An average citizen would be challenged to understand Royal Oak issues – just a reasonable what-why-how. It seems the city could improve basic communications. I might ask, for joking example, who paid for that outrageous Ford Health sign that now dominates the skyline? Is Ford Health what we are to be known for, and did we break with county leader Beaumont? 

Joking aside, the city has been challenged to make the citizenry understand what the leadership is planning and doing. The communications haven’t sufficiently worked and the situation is getting more complicated. City commission seats will be decided on November 2nd, and the placement of the Veteran’s War Memorial has been made into a divisive issue.

Republicans want back in. The Democrats don’t want any flies in their recently-established city commission ointment. The new park will be beautiful and might help Democrats retain their positions, while Republicans say it’s an abomination that means they need to be returned to power.

Of course, nobody is perfect. And big change will always leave some people disenchanted. As Walt Disney said, “change is inevitable, but growth is optional”. Royal Oak citizens are experiencing the same good, bad, and ugly that permeates all of America in these challenging times. So, be sure and vote this upcoming Tuesday for the more positive and hopeful candidates.