According to a poll conducted regarding Detroit City Council races, it shows that it is a tight for 9 spots on Council. The first thing one would notice from a fresh poll of the Detroit City Council race is that the tight battle for the top spot, and City Council presidency, hasn't changed. Former TV reporter Charles Pugh is still on top and current council President Ken Cockrel Jr. remains close behind. Charles Pugh has 53% and council President Ken Cockrel Jr. has 49%. The candidate with the most votes becomes city council president and if the election was today than that would be Charles Pugh.
Another thing that stands out? Among the five members of the council to survive the August primary, just one -- Alberta Tinsley-Talabi -- is out of the top nine. Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi ranked 12th (16%) among 18 candidates and appears to be the incumbent most at risk of being ousted. In the November election, the top nine finishers are elected. The poll also showed that Councilman Kwame Kenyatta was fourth (32%) and Councilwoman JoAnn Watson was seventh (23%). The survey was conducted by Denno Noor Polling of East Lansing in conjunction with the Rossman and Perricone groups of Lansing. It was based on a sample of 443 likely voters in the city's November general election. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
Gary Brown remained third, as he was in the primary. Others such as Councilman Kenyatta, James Tate, Shelley Foy, Fred Hall and John Bennett gained a spot or two. Tinsley-Talabi dropped in the poll to 12th place from her ninth place finish in the primary. Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Research and Communications pointed out that eight of the top nine finishers in the 2005 primary won in the general election. The race hinges on voter turnout, which has hovered in the mid-teens in three city elections held this year. "Talabi has a lot to worry about," said Kurt Metzger, a demographer and director of the Detroit Area Community Information System data think tank, who was also surprised by Kenyatta's strength. "It's now down to who's got the best political consultant and what neighborhood needs to be worked," Metzger said. Metzger said the challengers who have gained ground have a chance to break into the top nine by targeting their strengths. He warned against mudslinging. "I don't think anybody's got anything to gain," Metzger said.
Thus with poll results like that it seems as if Detroit will allow at least 4 Council members from last year to get back on Council. Detroit is that what we want. We are automatically guaranteed two new council members since Monica Conyers, Shelia Cockrel, Barbara Rose Collins and Martha Reeves are not on the ballot come November. Therefore with 4 seats automatically guaranteed to be new, it seems as if Detroit would like to keep 4 out 5 of the former council members in office. Detroit wake up and realize that for 4 years or more we have seen are taxes raised, our water rates hiked time and time again while city services continue to decline and council votes to keep their paid vacation days. Detroit in an era where we the people have seen that no one on council seems willing to talk about the future of the city yet alone how to diversify our economy and repopulate our city, why are we allowing this pivotal council race to go by without us as a citizenry making sure we change the status quo of our government.
Detroit, the latest poll should show us Detroit, the sense of urgency because while I have always suspected that at least 1 or 2 would make it back on council, we can’t allow for 4 members of the current council to return. Detroit we deserve better than what we have received. Detroit we need a new vision, new leadership and new blood on our city council because it is clear that our city’s government has become so disingenuous to us the citizens that are we experiencing nothing but ht status quo from our government. Detroit, look around and ask yourself, why is our economy deadly falling, why have our water rates increased, why have our property taxes went on and why are we seeing our city government debate whether they should cut city bus services and routes but not their own salaries or the salaries of their staff?
Detroit we can’t allow the status quo to get back down there without holding them accountable. Detroit we have 2 months to ask the real questions to the 18 city council candidates and to look at their records carefully to see exactly where they stand on the issues. Detroit the future of our city rests on city council race because if we put the status quo back downtown than we can’t expect to get the same old results that have left us where we are now. Detroit we can’t continue to allow opportunities like this to slip through our finger tips. Detroit ask ourselves what have gotten from our council members the last 4 years as we saw them approve contracts to shady organizations and businesses while at the same approving settlements without even seeking to get all the facts and information beforehand. Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick didn’t put our city in the state it is in now but it is a collaboration of people and many of them are still trying to get back on City Council.
Detroit, we can’t allow majority of the same City Council members to get back on council while they have constantly voted against the interests of us the residents and the future of Detroit time and time again. Think about it Detroit, we have constantly seen public land marks and city assets got sold for little or nothing while our city council approved of the sells. Think about it Detroit we have seen time and time again council members vote to increase our city taxes, raise our water rates and cut our city services at nearly every corner while making sure their wages and vacation time stay intact. Detroit this is an election year and we can’t listen to the political promises of many of the 18 candidates seeking our vote if they haven’t stood up for the least of us until this year when they want our vote.
Detroit this year’s city council race is not just about getting rid of all of City Council and getting anybody on but it is about putting people on City Council who have stood up for us the residents of this city against corruption, thief and lies. This council race is about the future of Detroit and the region in terms of making sure Detroit diversifies its economy and ushers in a new cooperation amongst the Southeast region that can be the beckon of hope for re-development in a city begging for prosperity and something to cling to. This city council race is not just about putting any and every body on council but it is about putting people on council who understand that business ethics is the key to the future of the city and that public safety can’t no longer be talked about but must be a priority for the city to not just survive but live and prosper
Detroit’s future rests in the hands of this year’s council race and we have to make sure we don’t just elect people who have did good things in the past but we need to elect people who have done good things for us the residents of the Detroit recently. Detroit we have to step and put people in these council seats who can relate to our struggles. Detroit we have to elect intelligent people who understand the issues our city faces and who have a vision for how to make Detroit better than how it is now. Detroit we have to do better and this is the chance for all of us to do it.
As one of my policy partners Akindele Akinyemi once wrote:
The bigger problem is that none of these Detroit leaders do not fully understand that the atmosphere of our city is ripe for a riot. Michigan's unemployment rate is at 15.4% which is driving a record number of state residents to sign up for Medicaid, the state's health care plan for the poor.
Detroit is ripe for civil unrest. Look at the reality of the City of Detroit and why we are headed towards anarchy.
1. Unemployment: 22%.
2. Graduation High School rate: 24-38%.
3. Adult illiteracy: 55%
4. Bachelor's degree or higher: 11.0%
5. Graduate or professional degree: 4.2
6. Never married: 43.6%
7. Now married: 31.2
8. Separated: 4.2%
9. Widowed: 8.3%
10. Divorced: 12.7%
11. Rank #1 in the nation in violent crime.
12. Wayne County, Michigan, lost more than 89,000 residents from 2000 to 2006 -- a loss of 4 percent of the county's 2 million residents.
13. A third of the population in Detroit lives in poverty.
14. Detroit Public Schools did not make AYP.
15. The City of Detroit is $300 million in a deficit. The Detroit Public Schools are $259 million deficit.
16. Detroit has 871,121 residents down from 951,270 in 2000 and 1, 027,000 in 1990.
17. 12.3% of the residents in Detroit are White while 81.2% of the residents in Detroit are Black.
18. Looking at the Black population in Detroit only we get this...
a) 775,772 residents in Detroit are Black.
b) 321,182 Black people have a high school diploma.
c) Only 45, 239 Black residents have a bachelors degree.
The average price of a home is now $18,513 and its going to get worse. Detroit is facing a crisis of epic proportions that officially puts Detroit statistically (and real term) on par with the great depression.
Detroit has superseded New Orleans as the “worst city” in America…. but New Orleans had a Hurricane they could assign blame to… Detroit has no such natural disaster crutch.
This is the reason why we need silver rights leadership in Detroit. We no longer need leadership that is going to keep us in the dark. We need people who are serious about movement and creativity.
However, my biggest fear is always people voting by name recognition. With 167 people running for Detroit City Council and a projection of less than 15% showing up at the polls we could be headed towards disaster unless something changes. Adult illiteracy is high and candidate forums this election cycle (like every election cycle) are filled with more candidates than constituents.
The rebuilding process begins with the SILVER RIGHTS MOVEMENT of the 21st century if we have a shot of rebuilding our city. The people running our local government do not understand the role of government. The appropriate role for the government is to establish and enforce objective standards of law, demand honesty and accountability from market participants, and protect people from force and fraud. It is not supposed to prevent willing, informed individuals from making personal decisions about what to do with their money. This is what our Detroit City Council is doing daily.
The candidates running for Detroit City Council need to understand this principle.
Detroit must become a free enterprise city by becoming a free market similar to what is shown in international places such as Hong Kong and Seoul, South Korea. We must allow people and corporations the possibility of failure if we are to give them a shot at success. We also must realize that taking responsibility for failures, learning from them, and overcoming them, is a vital part of development as a productive citizen in a free society.
As financial markets become simpler and more accessible with much lower transaction costs, they provide newer and more powerful opportunities for all levels of society to participate and share in the country’s prosperity. Detroit's leadership must allow all individuals to share in the benefits of risk-sharing and sound investments is one of the best ways to increase prosperity for the State of Michigan.
However, we still have candidates who are afraid to discuss privatizing and regional authorities.
Detroit must become the educational hub of the Midwest. Any effective education policy will need to acknowledge the importance of family involvement in the education of children. Family members will usually have a stronger understanding of each other than any outside bureaucrat, and this connection is a vital tool in passing on knowledge, tools, and values. Parents both deserve and need to be involved in our educational systems, for the good of the students, the teachers, the community, and the families themselves.
Therefore Detroit, this is the moment for us to answer all of these problems and find candidates who have solutions that will grow Detroit in the next 4 years rather than allow the status quo to remain. Detroit must change, it must diversify its economy and it must be willing to work with the southeast region to not only make Detroit better but this part of state better. So goes Detroit, so goes this region and everyone in the Southeast region understands that. Therefore Detroit let’s wake up and realize that on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, we did all we could to rewrite Detroit’s sinking shape and put the city on good footing for it not just survive but live and prosper by electing people to city council who have the right attitudes and agendas to improve the city forever.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2009, Detroit let’s finally change our city’s future forever by people on City Council who have fought with us rather than against. Let’s make history Detroit and prove the pollsters wrong and the rest of Southeast Michigan as well as the state wrong that Detroit can’t improve or doesn’t know what’s best for it. Detroit I believe we do and I think we can realize this dream of a better Detroit, a greater Southeast Michigan and an even more magnificent state of Michigan that Detroiters helped in creating. This is the moment of truth Detroit so let’s not allow this opportunity to slip through our grasp like many other opportunities. Let’s elect real leaders who have integrity as well as innovative ideas and are willing to be proactive about moving the city forward with creativity that ethically sound and has a business savvy approach to redeveloping pockets of the city that haven’t seen growth in several years now. This is our moment Detroit and this is our time to finally change our city’s present and future right here, right now.
Another thing that stands out? Among the five members of the council to survive the August primary, just one -- Alberta Tinsley-Talabi -- is out of the top nine. Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi ranked 12th (16%) among 18 candidates and appears to be the incumbent most at risk of being ousted. In the November election, the top nine finishers are elected. The poll also showed that Councilman Kwame Kenyatta was fourth (32%) and Councilwoman JoAnn Watson was seventh (23%). The survey was conducted by Denno Noor Polling of East Lansing in conjunction with the Rossman and Perricone groups of Lansing. It was based on a sample of 443 likely voters in the city's November general election. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
Gary Brown remained third, as he was in the primary. Others such as Councilman Kenyatta, James Tate, Shelley Foy, Fred Hall and John Bennett gained a spot or two. Tinsley-Talabi dropped in the poll to 12th place from her ninth place finish in the primary. Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Research and Communications pointed out that eight of the top nine finishers in the 2005 primary won in the general election. The race hinges on voter turnout, which has hovered in the mid-teens in three city elections held this year. "Talabi has a lot to worry about," said Kurt Metzger, a demographer and director of the Detroit Area Community Information System data think tank, who was also surprised by Kenyatta's strength. "It's now down to who's got the best political consultant and what neighborhood needs to be worked," Metzger said. Metzger said the challengers who have gained ground have a chance to break into the top nine by targeting their strengths. He warned against mudslinging. "I don't think anybody's got anything to gain," Metzger said.
Thus with poll results like that it seems as if Detroit will allow at least 4 Council members from last year to get back on Council. Detroit is that what we want. We are automatically guaranteed two new council members since Monica Conyers, Shelia Cockrel, Barbara Rose Collins and Martha Reeves are not on the ballot come November. Therefore with 4 seats automatically guaranteed to be new, it seems as if Detroit would like to keep 4 out 5 of the former council members in office. Detroit wake up and realize that for 4 years or more we have seen are taxes raised, our water rates hiked time and time again while city services continue to decline and council votes to keep their paid vacation days. Detroit in an era where we the people have seen that no one on council seems willing to talk about the future of the city yet alone how to diversify our economy and repopulate our city, why are we allowing this pivotal council race to go by without us as a citizenry making sure we change the status quo of our government.
Detroit, the latest poll should show us Detroit, the sense of urgency because while I have always suspected that at least 1 or 2 would make it back on council, we can’t allow for 4 members of the current council to return. Detroit we deserve better than what we have received. Detroit we need a new vision, new leadership and new blood on our city council because it is clear that our city’s government has become so disingenuous to us the citizens that are we experiencing nothing but ht status quo from our government. Detroit, look around and ask yourself, why is our economy deadly falling, why have our water rates increased, why have our property taxes went on and why are we seeing our city government debate whether they should cut city bus services and routes but not their own salaries or the salaries of their staff?
Detroit we can’t allow the status quo to get back down there without holding them accountable. Detroit we have 2 months to ask the real questions to the 18 city council candidates and to look at their records carefully to see exactly where they stand on the issues. Detroit the future of our city rests on city council race because if we put the status quo back downtown than we can’t expect to get the same old results that have left us where we are now. Detroit we can’t continue to allow opportunities like this to slip through our finger tips. Detroit ask ourselves what have gotten from our council members the last 4 years as we saw them approve contracts to shady organizations and businesses while at the same approving settlements without even seeking to get all the facts and information beforehand. Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick didn’t put our city in the state it is in now but it is a collaboration of people and many of them are still trying to get back on City Council.
Detroit, we can’t allow majority of the same City Council members to get back on council while they have constantly voted against the interests of us the residents and the future of Detroit time and time again. Think about it Detroit, we have constantly seen public land marks and city assets got sold for little or nothing while our city council approved of the sells. Think about it Detroit we have seen time and time again council members vote to increase our city taxes, raise our water rates and cut our city services at nearly every corner while making sure their wages and vacation time stay intact. Detroit this is an election year and we can’t listen to the political promises of many of the 18 candidates seeking our vote if they haven’t stood up for the least of us until this year when they want our vote.
Detroit this year’s city council race is not just about getting rid of all of City Council and getting anybody on but it is about putting people on City Council who have stood up for us the residents of this city against corruption, thief and lies. This council race is about the future of Detroit and the region in terms of making sure Detroit diversifies its economy and ushers in a new cooperation amongst the Southeast region that can be the beckon of hope for re-development in a city begging for prosperity and something to cling to. This city council race is not just about putting any and every body on council but it is about putting people on council who understand that business ethics is the key to the future of the city and that public safety can’t no longer be talked about but must be a priority for the city to not just survive but live and prosper
Detroit’s future rests in the hands of this year’s council race and we have to make sure we don’t just elect people who have did good things in the past but we need to elect people who have done good things for us the residents of the Detroit recently. Detroit we have to step and put people in these council seats who can relate to our struggles. Detroit we have to elect intelligent people who understand the issues our city faces and who have a vision for how to make Detroit better than how it is now. Detroit we have to do better and this is the chance for all of us to do it.
As one of my policy partners Akindele Akinyemi once wrote:
The bigger problem is that none of these Detroit leaders do not fully understand that the atmosphere of our city is ripe for a riot. Michigan's unemployment rate is at 15.4% which is driving a record number of state residents to sign up for Medicaid, the state's health care plan for the poor.
Detroit is ripe for civil unrest. Look at the reality of the City of Detroit and why we are headed towards anarchy.
1. Unemployment: 22%.
2. Graduation High School rate: 24-38%.
3. Adult illiteracy: 55%
4. Bachelor's degree or higher: 11.0%
5. Graduate or professional degree: 4.2
6. Never married: 43.6%
7. Now married: 31.2
8. Separated: 4.2%
9. Widowed: 8.3%
10. Divorced: 12.7%
11. Rank #1 in the nation in violent crime.
12. Wayne County, Michigan, lost more than 89,000 residents from 2000 to 2006 -- a loss of 4 percent of the county's 2 million residents.
13. A third of the population in Detroit lives in poverty.
14. Detroit Public Schools did not make AYP.
15. The City of Detroit is $300 million in a deficit. The Detroit Public Schools are $259 million deficit.
16. Detroit has 871,121 residents down from 951,270 in 2000 and 1, 027,000 in 1990.
17. 12.3% of the residents in Detroit are White while 81.2% of the residents in Detroit are Black.
18. Looking at the Black population in Detroit only we get this...
a) 775,772 residents in Detroit are Black.
b) 321,182 Black people have a high school diploma.
c) Only 45, 239 Black residents have a bachelors degree.
The average price of a home is now $18,513 and its going to get worse. Detroit is facing a crisis of epic proportions that officially puts Detroit statistically (and real term) on par with the great depression.
Detroit has superseded New Orleans as the “worst city” in America…. but New Orleans had a Hurricane they could assign blame to… Detroit has no such natural disaster crutch.
This is the reason why we need silver rights leadership in Detroit. We no longer need leadership that is going to keep us in the dark. We need people who are serious about movement and creativity.
However, my biggest fear is always people voting by name recognition. With 167 people running for Detroit City Council and a projection of less than 15% showing up at the polls we could be headed towards disaster unless something changes. Adult illiteracy is high and candidate forums this election cycle (like every election cycle) are filled with more candidates than constituents.
The rebuilding process begins with the SILVER RIGHTS MOVEMENT of the 21st century if we have a shot of rebuilding our city. The people running our local government do not understand the role of government. The appropriate role for the government is to establish and enforce objective standards of law, demand honesty and accountability from market participants, and protect people from force and fraud. It is not supposed to prevent willing, informed individuals from making personal decisions about what to do with their money. This is what our Detroit City Council is doing daily.
The candidates running for Detroit City Council need to understand this principle.
Detroit must become a free enterprise city by becoming a free market similar to what is shown in international places such as Hong Kong and Seoul, South Korea. We must allow people and corporations the possibility of failure if we are to give them a shot at success. We also must realize that taking responsibility for failures, learning from them, and overcoming them, is a vital part of development as a productive citizen in a free society.
As financial markets become simpler and more accessible with much lower transaction costs, they provide newer and more powerful opportunities for all levels of society to participate and share in the country’s prosperity. Detroit's leadership must allow all individuals to share in the benefits of risk-sharing and sound investments is one of the best ways to increase prosperity for the State of Michigan.
However, we still have candidates who are afraid to discuss privatizing and regional authorities.
Detroit must become the educational hub of the Midwest. Any effective education policy will need to acknowledge the importance of family involvement in the education of children. Family members will usually have a stronger understanding of each other than any outside bureaucrat, and this connection is a vital tool in passing on knowledge, tools, and values. Parents both deserve and need to be involved in our educational systems, for the good of the students, the teachers, the community, and the families themselves.
Therefore Detroit, this is the moment for us to answer all of these problems and find candidates who have solutions that will grow Detroit in the next 4 years rather than allow the status quo to remain. Detroit must change, it must diversify its economy and it must be willing to work with the southeast region to not only make Detroit better but this part of state better. So goes Detroit, so goes this region and everyone in the Southeast region understands that. Therefore Detroit let’s wake up and realize that on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, we did all we could to rewrite Detroit’s sinking shape and put the city on good footing for it not just survive but live and prosper by electing people to city council who have the right attitudes and agendas to improve the city forever.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2009, Detroit let’s finally change our city’s future forever by people on City Council who have fought with us rather than against. Let’s make history Detroit and prove the pollsters wrong and the rest of Southeast Michigan as well as the state wrong that Detroit can’t improve or doesn’t know what’s best for it. Detroit I believe we do and I think we can realize this dream of a better Detroit, a greater Southeast Michigan and an even more magnificent state of Michigan that Detroiters helped in creating. This is the moment of truth Detroit so let’s not allow this opportunity to slip through our grasp like many other opportunities. Let’s elect real leaders who have integrity as well as innovative ideas and are willing to be proactive about moving the city forward with creativity that ethically sound and has a business savvy approach to redeveloping pockets of the city that haven’t seen growth in several years now. This is our moment Detroit and this is our time to finally change our city’s present and future right here, right now.
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