August 10, 2008 09:57 am Three times now, Acme Township voters have spoken, and there was no mistaking the message: We demand the right to direct development in our community and to decide what the future will look like; we demand a township board that will represent our interests -- no matter what. It's a simple premise that has gotten lost in the blather -- fictions about an assault on personal property rights, and Meijer Inc., while claiming it is the victim, spending more than $100,000 to influence a ballot proposal and orchestrate a recall campaign. Voters have seen through the smoke and, to their great credit, have not budged an inch. Back in 2004, angry residents swept the entire sitting board (except one retiree) out of office after it had become painfully obvious that the incumbents were working harder for developers than township residents. Even though a citizen-driven effort had created a master plan that called for a village-like development to create a true downtown, the old board had aligned itself with the would-be developers of a monstrosity called The Village that was to include more than 1 million square feet of asphalt, mega stores and condos. The 2004 election ended that. In 2007, voters spoke again, widely rejecting an attempt -- bought and paid for by Meijer, it turns out -- to recall the new board. A public relations firm hired by Meijer helped create recall language, ghost-wrote letters to the editor favoring the recall and financed the whole thing. In 2005, Meijer spent almost $41,000 to influence a big-box moratorium ballot issue that lost by a whisker. In 2008, the message from voters was as clear as ever. Last Tuesday, every incumbent running for re-election won, despite facing a pro-growth, pro-Meijer slate. None of this has been easy. Voters who have supported the current board have faced ridicule and more from their pro-Meijer, pro-development neighbors. Anonymous mailings attack the ethics of a citizen's group formed to defend the master plan. Opponents regularly violate state campaign laws by refusing to reveal who is paying for what. At least one of the most vocal pro-growth figures isn't even a township resident. More difficult, however, has been the path taken by those in public office. Eight Acme officials were the targets of what are called SLAPP suits that were filed by both Meijer and The Village. The acronym stands for Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation and they're essentially a legal mugging. The suits are filed against public officials as private individuals, which means everything they own, from their houses to their savings accounts, are at risk -- simply for doing what they think is right and what their friends and neighbors elected them to do. The aim is to intimidate those being sued so they'll back off, shut up and do as they're told. It's a reprehensible way of doing business but par for the course in Acme -- and fully embraced by Meijer and The Village. Their SLAPP suits, according to some of those being sued, asked for millions in damages from the township and elected officials. Trustee Erick Takayama described what it was like to be targeted. "They sued me personally, they attacked me and my family, threatened my livelihood and my business," Takayama said. Residents understood that and had their say at the ballot box. Acme officials have said they've been in renewed talks with the Grand Rapids-based retailer and hope to resolve remaining differences. A plan that protects everyone's interests would be a big boost for Acme and Meijer both. But as Tuesdays' election results show, residents want the board to keep the faith and won't accept anything less. They are determined to have the community they want, not the community some big-box retailers want. That's the way it should be, and voters deserve credit for sticking to their principles.
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