The big reveal!
Well, the time has come...
We began this effort as an anonymous Harbor Springs voice for a good reason. Not because we are some big developer, but rather because my wife and her dad are local business owners. I didn't want my advocacy to hurt their business. It seems that ship has sailed.
The city received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the "yes" folks asking for everything they have about Burns & McDonnell. The theory is that this big firm is behind the whole vote "no" campaign.
They are not. They are my employer whose name auto-filled in the organization blank when I bought the web address www.votenoharborsprings.org The only thing that will come up in response to their request is my application to serve on a city board. I had to put my employer for when I applied to volunteer on a city committee (I am on the RRC). It's my sloppy error that got their name drug into this.
Most of you have never heard of Burns & McDonnell. It is one of the top 10 largest engineering firms in the country and employs more than 10,000 folks worldwide. We build power plants, airports, water treatment facilities, roads and bridges and we do a lot with the defense department. The company is not a developer. Since 1889 it has been headquartered in Kansas City, where I grew up and met my wife and her two kids.
We moved here to help with the store and my mother-in-law as she neared the end of her life. Many of you know she suffered from early onset dementia. My company was kind enough to allow me to work remotely and we bought and renovated a home in Harbor Springs. Burns & McDonnell has no contracts with Harbor Springs. I am their only remote employee here and I have no clients within 800 miles or so of Harbor Springs.
Prior to Burns & McDonnell I was Communications Director for member of congress and then later the mayor of Kansas City. It is really more in those roles I learned to do what I am doing here. I’ve run a few guerrilla campaigns in my day.
To be completely clear. I am solely responsible for the content here. Despite what the "yes" folks seem to think, I haven't sent any mailers or paid for any signs. That's a different group that is organized as a political action committee. I haven't been paid to do anything on this campaign. This effort has been entirely volunteer and done on my own time. I just thought it was important to defend our neighbors who have done such a good job on the new code. I am using my First Amendment rights to speak out.
In truth there is a more personal reason I got involved. I built the website because on July 13th I went up to the petition people at the Farmers Market and asked to be removed from their list after receiving an unsolicited text. They were condescending and treated me like a fool in front of my daughter. It wasn’t how I saw Harbor Springs. "We Love Harbor Springs Too" was born out of the embarrassment that I wasn't quick enough on my feet in the brief conversation.
A week later, I launched this effort. And while complimentary of the folks doing the signs and postcards we are not affiliated. The website, 125+ Facebook posts, each of the 90+ graphics, and all 32 of the Lil’ Nubbins have been created by me. All hosting fees and any other expenses incurred doing this have been paid by me from personal funds. No one else has paid a dime. Burns & McDonnell is completely unaware of this local zoning issue and honestly wouldn’t think it was any of their business. I would gently caution folks. They likely wouldn’t care for being accused of something they didn’t do. In writing, no less. Libel laws are real things…just sayin’.
I truly hope this newest conspiracy theory from the “yes” folks doesn’t hurt the “no” effort I believe in. Or the toy store my father and mother-in-law worked for 43 years to build here.
Perhaps it is telling that I was reluctant to be public because I was worried bout what the “yes” folks might do. (I mean, for example, they just did a FOIA request me based on some conspiracy theory they made up out of whole cloth.) We should be able to advocate our positions without fear of reprisals. But here we are. Suppose I need to follow my own advice, that trust is better than fear.
So, in that spirit of trusting the good people of Harbor Springs...
Hello neighbor! My name is Danny and I have the honor of being married to Sara who owns the Rocking Horse Toy Company with her dad, Andy. My son Tyler and daughter Hattie are the most amazing and brilliant kids a stepdad could have. I love being a resident of Harbor Springs and hope what I am doing with this site continues to be kind, respectful, honest, and helpful. Thanks for letting me be a part of this community. I am proud to be your neighbor.
There are only 19 days to go until Election Day. I am not going anywhere. We have lots more work to do. Let’s go get this done! Vote NO!
Thank you, Danny