It took quite a while, but the people who are behind the attempt to recall Deri Smith have finally revealed to us what the campaign is really all about. And it doesn't have anything to do with the charges you will see on the ballot Tuesday.

Yet another mailing from yet another committee is addressed to "Township Citizens owning 5 acres of land and more." The mailing claims that the new zoning ordinance being developed at the Planning Commission will somehow make it impossible for landowners to give land to their children, or to create clustered housing developments, or to allow wineries in the township. All these claims are demonstrably false. On the contrary, Elmwood township is finally making real progress towards creating a zoning ordinance that implements the Master Plan by enhancing existing neighborhoods and preserving the rural character of the township.

But forget all that. The real news in this mailing is that it reveals--for the first time--the agenda of the people who have bankrolled this recall. It's not about the claims that were ginned up for the recall petitions. It's about land use--and about making sure that Deri Smith does not continue to make progress in implementing the policies that the great majority of Elmwood residents support. If the organizers of this recall could not be honest about the real reasons they want to remove Smith from office, why should we believe anything they say?