Detroit’s Future Starts Right Now

The City of Detroit has had its fair share of ups and downs over the last year from a mayoral scandal and removal to city council corruption as well as not to mention a free falling economy and a huge city deficit. Therefore it is no wonder why with such a pivotal election on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, it is important for Detroiters to turn out like never before to elect a new and better City Council that understands the City of Detroit residents and know exactly what the future of Detroit needs to do in order to improve and elect members to the Charter Commission that will make the laws of Detroit more reflective of current times.

Now Detroit will not change overnight and many Detroiters might not see the change we want to see to Detroit’s economy but the things that Detroit should expect from a new city council is respectability, better governance, regional cooperation, and plans for economic development for not just the next 4 years but for the future. Also Detroit’s new City Council should be focused on improving Detroit’s city services particularly lawn cutting, garbage pick-up/bulk up, and public safety. Detroit’s new City Council has to be knowledgeable of the issues affecting the city, the county, the region and the state so that they can be proactive in trying to fix these issues before they drastically affect the City of Detroit like they have done in the past.

Detroit’s Charter Commission is pivotal to the future of Detroit because it will re-write Detroit’s charter so that language is clearly understood as to how to remove a mayor or city council member who has pleaded guilty to a crime or has broke the law or used their political office for their own personal gain. So with Monica Conyers headed for the federal slammer, it's worth pondering how many cities must contend with a culture of corruption as robust as Detroit's. First former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick went down for lying and then firing cops and pilfering public funds to cover his lies. Now the president pro tem of the City Council -- and the wife of a powerful Detroit congressman -- admits to conspiring to take bribes. And the Synagro scandal in which Conyers was entangled may yield even more convictions.

This is crookedness at a level you might expect in the capital of some Third World country, not in one of America's largest cities. It's the kind of sorry distinction that Detroit and Michigan, already fighting a battered national image, just don't need. That said, the process of ferreting out the rogues in city government is important, overdue and ultimately cathartic. In a city whose voters have too long been indifferent to breaches of public trust, it may be the only way to shock the public conscience enough to inspire change. Maybe now Detroiters will demand a charter that contains ironclad ethical guidelines and powerful mechanisms to enforce them. The city has got to elect charter commission members who have a keen sense of appropriate governmental conduct.

Still the new City Council must be able to strengthen Detroit’s image and must be willing to work with the Mayor of Detroit to create a marketable plan that will attract new businesses to the city. The new City Council should not try to focus on repopulation for the city because that is something that will and should be discussed 4 years from after the bleeding stops in the city in terms of budget deficits and corruption in city government. Simply put, Detroit’s next City Council must be able to relate to the people and must be willing to work with the people to fix city government, city services and the overall image of the city. Therefore with all that said, here are a list of candidates running for City Council who I have paid attention to and have actually seen campaigning from which shows me that they didn’t just put their name on a ballot and they are not just looking for a job neither. Detroit we need to get beyond name recognition and we need to start listening to candidates’ platforms and issues.

Maybe now Detroiters will also demand more of the officials they elect to represent them. Conyers, remember, was elected four years ago on sheer name recognition -- the wife of Congressman John Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee. But that proved a shallow judgment of her character. She was bar brawling in northwest Detroit before she even took her seat. She was foul-mouthing and disrupting council meetings within months. And four years later, you'd have to strain to point out a single significant contribution she has made while on the council. Meanwhile, we now know she was taking money illegally. Detroiters have 18choices on the fall council ballot to choose from. Hopefully we will choose more wisely, based on achievement, work ethic and character.

If there's a glimmer of hope on this dark day in Detroit, it's in the understanding that should now be prevalent in the city. Crooks don't belong in public office. And if Motown doesn't want to be known as Roguetown, it will need to avoid electing bad actors like Monica Conyers in the first place. Therefore the importance of the City Charter is all the more important in these pivotal political times of the city. The charter, for those unaware, is the blueprint, the foundation, for Detroit's government. It's what the Constitution is to the United States. It's what steel beams are to a skyscraper. It's what ground round is to a cheeseburger. You get the point.

So the candidates I am supporting for Detroit’s City Council and the Charter Commission are not pro-union or anti-union, they are not pro-public education or anti-public education, and they are not pro-regionalization or anti-regionalization. However these candidates are pro-Detroit in the sense that they will work to do what is best for the city and the residents of the city. The candidates I am endorsing are about embracing new ideas to figure out government and they are willing to meet with all people to bring about changes to the City of Detroit that will improve the overall image and quality of life in the city. So without any further opinion, I am endorsing the following candidates for Detroit City Council and Charter Commission (these candidates are not in any particular order):

Detroit City Council
1. Andre Spivey is the youth candidate in my opinion. When I endorsed candidates prior to the August 4th, 2009 primary, I didn’t include Andre Spivey because I didn’t hear about him until two weeks prior to the primary and after listing about 11 people Detroiters should consider voting for, I went against my own list and voted for Spivey for Council along with 8 others on my list because Spivey is a unique individual who has a youthful spirit and a attitude about community organization that is needed on Council. Spivey along with Raphael B. Johnson are my youth candidates but Spivey offers youth something that most politicians don’t offer our youth which is a spiritual background. Everyone knows that I have been fighting this war on our youth for a while now and my new motto to get to encourage people to help our youth is to lobby to them, pray for them and work with them. Therefore Spivey’s credentials as a young pastor offer our youth a sense of spirituality and he offers the residents of Detroit a sense that the separation of church and state can prevail in politics. Spivey isn’t running on hot button religious issues in the city such as strip clubs and other moral issues but instead Spivey is running on the issues that matter to Detroiters and affect us more so than how many strip clubs are being built in the city. Spivey is running to address the city’s blight, the city’s high unemployment, and the city’s budget issues. Spivey understands what the city faces and knows that if we are to build a brighter future than we have to do it by thinking outside the box and coming up with solutions that will benefit all Detroiters and not just a select few.

2. David Cross because he is business savvy and isn’t running to have a job but actually understands that the survival of the City of Detroit is not possible without fixing the education system and the quality of service in the city. Also Cross understands that City Government must be able to relate to the people and must be open, honest and upfront with the people. Now the knock on Cross might be he isn’t in the political arena as much and he has never ran for political office before but that shouldn’t be a reason for anyone not to vote for Cross because Detroit needs competent people with new ideas to the problems that plague us. Plus Cross is a businessman with business connections so he understands the importance of business and running a city like a business which is what was missing on previous councils. The City Council must understand they are managers of a business and they must make decisions that will help the business grow which is what previous councils have not done.

3. Raphael B. Johnson because he is a very intelligent man who has overcome many obstacles in life in order to become a role model to young men and women who make mistakes early in their life. Also he is a quick and fast learner who has a fresh approach to solving Detroit’s issues and will connect it with the rest of the world which is what Detroit’s Council City has been missing for years. The City Council needs a proactive thinker who thinks about the future and looks to solve problems or prevent problems before they even occur. Plus the fact that Raphael Johnson has never ran or participated in any political arena makes him the fresh blood that Detroit needs in politics. We need new faces in government and Raphael is not only a new face but someone with bold and innovative ideas to address the issues plaguing Detroit.

4. Lisa Howze is exactly what the City Council needs because she is a financial wizard. Lisa is a master in terms of balancing budgets and she fully understands that in order for Detroit to grow economically, it has to embrace a silver rights approach which in turn will connect Detroit to global market places like never before. Lisa’s vision for transforming Detroit into a global financial market is bold and innovative as well as one that is needed for the City to get financially and economically stable. While Lisa Howze knowledge of budgets alone is all the more reason why she needs to be on council because it is clear that our council over the years have not been able to balance a budget and don’t understand how to make effective budget cuts without city services getting poorer and poorer. Lisa can help other council members as well as city residents understand the budget as well as how it needs to be fixed. So even if she doesn’t’ win a seat on council she definitely needs to be involved in city government particularly the finance and budget office in some capacity.

5. Gary Brown should be on council because of his experience in public safety and his approach to understanding people. Now many people might not agree with Gary Brown since he won his case against the city and Kilpatrick administration but I am simply speaking about my conversations with Brown from 2001 up until now. Gary has always presented to me a sense of fairness to deal with people and a familiarity to understand what is right and wrong for the residents of Detroit. As a police officer he had proven results of protecting residents and even as a commander he was extraordinary in dealing with crime, school truancy and youth violence. I truly believe that Gary’s experience with the public safety is a plus to city government because he will ensure that when it comes to budget cuts and making sure that that public is safe will be a priority for us the city residents. However if you don’t like Gary, there are other former police officers running for City Council so you might find them enticing.

6. Fred Elliott Hall is another business candidate for City Council and I believe with his 20 years of experience as a business owner with an MBA in Finance from Wayne State University, he can be a great asset to City’s business development and the city’s financial situation. Hall wants to address the city’s budget deficit and he wants to create a more small business friendly environment while working with community organizations to rebuild Detroit. All three of those things are needed in creating a future Detroit and that is why Hall would be a welcomed addition to Detroit’s City Council. Hall along with Howze will help get the city’s finances under control and along with Cross will create a city hall that is friendlier to the small business community.

7. John Bennett is someone that I have watched from day one when he launched his candidacy for Detroit’s City Council and I have to admit that I have become even more expressed with Mr. Bennett in the General Election than I was with him during the primary season. Nonetheless I believe Bennett understands that being elected to city government is a privilege and he knows better than anyone that such a privilege to serve the people of Detroit should not be taken for granted. Bennett has been a fighter against the corruption and scandals that plagued this city and as a police officer, Bennett knows that Detroit’s future depends on the foundation of public safety. If we can’t protect our city than we can’t rebuild it and create the type of future that we know Detroit can be. Bennett’s ability to challenge the status quo while understanding that the traditional type of politics in this city will not get this city any further than it has already gone is why without a shadow of a doubt I endorse John Bennett for Detroit’s City Council. Bennett is fearless in his approach and he is not afraid to challenge others on the issues and on votes that plague us the people of Detroit which is needed in a member on Detroit’s City Council.

Detroit Charter Commission
1. Tonya Myers-Philips is a great candidate running for charter commission. Tonya is an attorney with a passion for using her legal talent to improve her community. She has experience working in municipal law, and with the Charter in particular. She has already been working on charter related issues dating back to the Kilpatrick scandal as she worked with the Detroit City Council and its Special Counsel William Goodman to analyze and interpret the Council’s removal and forfeiture powers under the Detroit City Council. She is intelligent and is strong in understanding the issues that plague the city and how the charter commission can eradicate some of the issues plaguing the people. That is why she is a perfect candidate for the Charter Commission because she knows where the charter already is leaking and she already has plans on how to deal with the weakness of the charter.

2. Jenice Mitchell Ford is another great candidate for charter commission. She has a great way to solve some of the issues that lies in the Detroit City Charter. She has never run for anything before that is all the more reason why she should be on the charter commission because her loyalty is not to a political candidate or group but to us the residents. She wants to do what’s right for us the people and she knows that the best way to solve the problems plaguing the residents of Detroit is by making sure the city’s charter works for the people like it has never worked before. Also Jenice Ford has 10 years of experience as a practicing attorney, specializing in interpreting contract language.. If ever there was a time to have skilled and qualified people at the table—this is that time and Jenice Mitchell Ford is such a candidate. She knows how inserting and deleting just one word in a legal document can bring you into, or keep you out of, court. Jenice is the ideal candidate for the Charter Commission and has a mindset that would definitely solve the problems facing the charter right now.

3. Ken Harris II is another candidate that I did not list as someone to vote for when I originally endorsed candidates for the Charter Commission but on August 3rd when I went to vote, I ended up voting for Harris because of his business background. I believe that the Charter Commission needs not only attorneys but people who understand business which is what Harris brings to the Charter Commission since the City of Detroit is a business. Harris has been referred to as the “Father of Black Economic Empowerment” published in the Michigan Front Page July 2005, but known to many as a dynamic young leader who can connect with anyone in every circle. A maverick network, Ken has built a global empire in business as the Founder, President/CEO of the Detroit Black Expo—one of the largest in the country representing more than 20,000 African American businesses. Therefore with that said, Harris brings to the Charter Commission the background necessary to make sure that the charter commission drafts the city’s by-laws in a way that make it more friendly for the city to conduct business as well as more engaging to business owners in the city particularly small businesses for how the city can help them.

Now I didn’t mention Detroit’s School Board elections because everyone knows that I am supporting Marie Thornton and Deborah Davis for the School Board because our youth and the people of Detroit need people who care about education and how the money of DPS is being spent. Also if you look at the only video questions that were asked of the 5 out of the 8 School Board candidates who interviewed with the Emerging Leaders Think Tank and Detroit Parent Network on http://www.publius.org/ballot/detroitgen2009.asp than you will find out that these two individuals offered answers to both questions that show how they will govern. While Davis will be a great alley to Thornton on the board in terms of weeding out corruption in the district by passing along information to Robert Bobb and his team that they need to look into. Also Davis and Thornton as a tag team on the board can help the district finally adopt a long overdue attendance policy that has resulted in many students skipping school and the district failing to keep its enrollment count up due to a high dropout rate. Nonetheless, Davis will give the board a new face with a new non-sense type of attitude and with the help of Thornton can perhaps come up with ways to engage parents, teachers and administrators as well as students in some of the policymaking decisions that the school board can craft to improve the overall quality of education in the district.

Detroit’s future will depend on the election of these individuals to these offices as well as Detroit voting No on Proposal S and sending DPS to create a plan B to build and remodel schools that doesn’t put additional debt on the back of the homes of Detroiters. Detroiters deserve better than extending debt on their homes to build or remodel schools when new schools won’t improve the fact that the district hasn’t shown any positive signs of improving academically. DPS has many academic problems and no one can sit up here and say that our kids in DPS are failing because they don’t have the technology to succeed. Technology doesn’t educate students but good teachers and great leadership does which is what is missing in DPS from the central office on down to the classroom in most cases.

Still this can all change if Detroiters vote for the individuals I am proposing to everyone for City Council, Charter Commission and School Board. Detroit can be a great place again if Detroiters vote YES for Proposal D, which will create council by district no matter what the Charter Commission does and NO on Proposal S. Detroit’s future begins right now and all of us need to make sure on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, we are a part of creating that future the right way by electing the individuals listed above.

Sources:
http://www.publius.org/ballot/detroitgen2009.asp