On Wednesday, February 1, 2017, Mary Moss and Michael Branstetter, two City of Lakewood incumbent city council members, announced in The Suburban Times their intention to run for reelection.
When you cast your vote, be mindful that Ms. Moss and Mr. Branstetter are on record for having voted for the City of Lakewood’s Rental Inspection Program (RIP), which is the equivalent of violating Lakewood property owners’ and Lakewood rental citizens’ Constitutional Fourth Amendment Rights.
A recent 2015 Federal Court Case in Ohio ruled rental inspections are unconstitutional because the forced inspections violate citizens Fourth Amendment rights to be free of unwarranted search and seizure.
The following paragraph is an excerpt from our U.S. Constitution:
Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992)
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Voters: While Ms. Moss and Mr. Branstetter are obviously dedicated, intelligent and talented individuals, I cannot approve of their decision to create what has become known as the Rental Inspection Program (RIP).
If any other citizens choose to run for the Lakewood City Council in opposition to the incumbents, I urge all citizens to consider the entire candidate field in terms of each candidate’s willingness to either uphold or violate every Lakewood citizen’s Constitutional Fourth Amendment Rights.
We need city council members who are not only willing to solve serious problems, but are able to put forth intelligent solutions that do not punish innocent Lakewood citizens.
I totally agree with you Joe! You and David should run for their positions. Keep up the great work and articles.
Okay I’ll run for City Council!!!!
Yes on the Renter Safety From Slumlord Program (SFSP)!!!!
Yes on Marijuana Sales!!!!
Unless citizens step up to run against the incumbents we will have another election which is uncontested……just like in the good ol’ bad Soviet Union with predictable results. In 2001,2003 and 2005 then Lakewood CARES members range against entrenched incumbents and had 3 members on the Council. It changed Lakewood for the better. Perhaps now is the time for another grass roots uprising to take back city government from the employee bureaucrats and tone deaf council members. Remember that these incumbents also raised you car tabs to compensate for 6 years poor management of transportation funds. There are a lot more skeletons in their closet that are affecting the lives of Lakewood’s citizens. We can do better than that.
John Arbeeny
Past City Council member and Deputy Mayor
2003-2008
Good to know Joe, I’ll pass that information on to other people in Lakewood. I hope others that read your post do the same! Thank you.
Ms. Moss and Mr. Branstetter are obviously dedicated, intelligent and talented individuals.
They got my vote!
Joe, Although I live in University Place, I could probably vote in Lakewood; nobody seems to care anymore. If you can find candidates who believe in the fourth amendment (and the rest of the amendments), they should prevail. But, will they?