Former Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of FreedomWorks Dick Armey likes to say, "the greatest tragedy in life is someone who is ignorant and arrogant -- at the same time." Unfortunately, we live in a 30-second soundbyte era; where headlines are more important than columns and details are secondary to grand initiatives with feel-good slogans.

However, the devil is in the details. Whether at the federal, state or local level, the answers to the great problems of our time are not found in soundbytes, headlines or initiatives. It is incumbent upon every citizen to find out the details of the ballot proposals they vote on. Is it possible for the local paper, yard signs and notable officials to spoon-feed the general public one version of a vote and guarantee its passage? Sure. But, don't be surprised afterward when more great problems of our time come calling.

A few weeks ago, I was in Clawson discussing the upcoming ballot with members of the Clawson Taxpayers group. They are a host of motivated, insightful and inquisitive members of the general public. Even they are alarmed by the information on general obligation debt bonds, downtown development associations, and the stubbornness of local politicians. Remember, the devil is in the details.

In May 2006, Clawson voters defeated a $25 million bond that the mayor and council swore was only for roads, after it was discovered that it would also be used for Downtown Development Authority projects. Minutes after the defeat, the mayor vowed to return the bond to the ballot and called the voters "liars." This led to a recall of the mayor and council, and another bond vote Aug. 6.

The bond for August has been promoted as a $22 million bond. ClawsonTaxpayer.com, an organization which promotes fiscal responsibility in the community, has discovered that the bond is actually $35 million.

Citizens concerned by ill-advised public debt have already voted against the bond, so the reluctance of officials to widely disseminate accurate information about it is understandable. The general obligation debt bond is the most risky type of bond available to public officials. If a payment is missed or any other unforeseen circumstance develops, the bonding authority can empty the city treasury to recoup their investment, and if that is insufficient, they can automatically impose tax increases to secure payment to bond holders.

It is a duty of citizens to seek out this information before they vote. The politicians of Clawson have decided to ignore the wisdom of voters who have already defeated the bond. Certainly without the active participation of citizens like those leading the recall effort, politicians unresponsive to voter preferences will prevail, and taxpayers will be left holding a $35 million bill to show for it.

Randall Thompson is the Michigan State Director for FreedomWorks, a national organization that advocates for lower taxes and less government.