"City Manager Tom Hutka resigning for personal reasons? Nonsense. He had no choice. Mayor Alan Cutcher and the council made it real clear: Resign or we will take you out." - My April 26, 2006, WGRT radio commentary.

"I've known Cliff for a number of years, and Cliff has always has a conspiracy theory about everything, and I think it's just another one of his theories. There's notruthto this one. "- Port Huron Mayor Alan Cutcher, April 26, 2006.

It took more than a year, but thanks to the Times Herald, especially reporter and columnist Mike Connell, the citizens of Port Huron were told the rest of the story of City Manager Tom Hutka's termination. It is painfully obvious, however, the city council and the other players in this sordid affair never tell the whole truth. What could the council possibly have been thinking as it surreptitiously approved a golden parachute for Hutka at the end of the meeting at which he was terminated? A deal that that cost the city an estimated $200,000 at a time when Port Huron is headed for bankruptcy?

You have to wonder how many other city employees resigning or being laid off are getting these golden parachutes? How many even are getting raises this year?

Now we have learned the mayor and his comrades deceived us, as they attempted to cover up their backroom deal. Incredible!

With Port Huron in endless crisis, the need for its residents and our neighbors in the townships to have absolute trust in the city's leadership is critical. Yet, we now know the council spent your money like drunken sailors, and then covered it up.

To compound council members' contempt, I am told that at a subsequent meeting with just the city administration, council members sat around the table and patted themselves on the back for having put one over on the on the media and the citizens of Port Huron.

They were very relieved no one picked up on what they had done. They were pleased they had gotten away with hoodwinking you!

Incredibly, not one City Council member stood up at Monday's meeting and said, "What we have done is terribly wrong." Not one.

After getting caught, the council's attempt at damage control is the spin that it was trying to protect the city from another Larry Osborn battle. Nonsense. That war was waged because the Good Old Boys tried to keep their man, Osborn, in charge of the city. Port Huron was ripped apart because Mayor Cutcher, Mayor pro-tem, B. Mark Neal, and Councilwoman Sally Jacobs ran a recall against the other council members.

This time, it was Cutcher, Neal, Jacobs and the Good Old Boys taking out the city manager. Who was going to fight this time? Who would they recall - themselves?

Never has an entire Port Huron City Council shown so much contempt for the people who elected them. Will Cutcher or any other council member show real character and resign? Will this community stand up and take its city back?

Where is real leadership from groups, such as the Greater Port Huron Area Chamber of Commerce, MainStreet Port Huron, the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County and the faith-based community?

Then again, maybe the Council's behavior is just reflective of the city's character. What's one more black eye?