first you get the money then you get the power and when you get the power then you get the women
although it would be nice to keep this as a place to discuss all the positive things going on in the city of Detroit i don’t think we can sit on our hands and ignore the elephant in the room. it’ has made national news as another black eye for the city and it’s got everyone talking so why not here? of course i’m speaking of the most recent hot water our fearless leader has found himself in. let me start by stating that i have never been a fan of his and i declared that if he was elected to a second term that i would leave the city and i did. i only moved up the road a few miles (East English Village to Grosse Pointe) and i moved before selling my old house (which is still for sale after almost two years) but i just couldn’t handle paying for him anymore. (on a side note that infamous Navigator that got him in so much trouble years ago was purchased at the dealership which is just a couple hundred yards away from my old house) as a matter of fact i first stumbled upon this site while searching for info on these stickers that seemed to be showing up everywhere just before the last election. so, i would like to see some responses from people that voted him in for round two and maybe tell me what you saw in him that maybe i am missing and if you voted for him then…are you regretting it or are you still on board? and please remember, this is not a black/white, city/suburbs thing. what goes on in Detroit City hall can effect the whole Detroit metro area. now i’ll turn it over to all of you:
In the last election, I was an FH supporter all the way until I took the time to attend two different small/intimate campaign events. 1 with the mayor, 1 with Mr. Hendrix. Upon reviewing each candidates platform, and vision for the city and overall knowledge of city operations, the Mayor was hands down the more capable choice.
I am very disappointed in the Mayor’s conduct and find it very unbecoming. However, I know many of his staff members very well and I have never known a more dedicated, committed, and hardworking group of people in an executive administration. To me, those people are who matter most in sticking it out in Detroit.
Regardless of who is mayor, I find it wimpy and dispicable that just because Hendrix did not win, some people decided to pick up and move. It is not okay to break the law, but mayors in Chicago, New York and in many other cities have made bad choices some with legal implications such as this, but you don’t see people in those cities flocking to the burbs. Get a tougher stomach.
Bottom line, do I regret my vote? No.
i didn’t move that far away from the city. i still frequent city businesses, restaurants, bars,clubs and events but i just couldn’t pitch in for the mayor’s salary anymore. as soon as this whole mess came out he had the nerve to ask the ctizens to respect his privacy? i’ll do that when he respects us enough to tell us the truth and do an honest job. i’ll admit that he’s done some good for the city but others should accept that he has had more than his share of scandal. Time magazine voted him “worst mayor in America” a few years ago for crying out loud! and if i wasn’t in favor of the progression of Detroit i wouldn’t be posting here.
Max –
In my opinion, those who moved from the city, whether a mile of 40 miles, have no voice in this issue, or any issue regarding the accountability of Detroit’s elected officials.
What the city needs is more voters who demand accountability and vote based on issues, not incumbency. To move because you don’t agree with the results of an election, plain immature. I did not like the results of the last presidential election, but I did not pack up and move to Windsor, though it too is only a mile from the US.
One needs to be part of the solution in Detroit if one wants to address issues relative to Detroiters. Being part of the solution is being an engaged citizen who votes, which you relinquished in protest. Funny that you claim to have moved to discontinue paying for the Mayor’s shenanigans, yet still own your house in EEV. Gotta love taxation without representation.
So, to answer your question, I voted for the mayor after careful consideration of Hendrix. Hendrix had no vision, no idea re: running a city and no idea re: how to address our structural issues with union contracts, bloated budgets, etc. All he stated he would do is throw money at issues; money that did not exist.
The mayor, despite his faults and integrity issues, had a plan for restructuring city government, cutting taxes, investing in neighborhoods and restructuring labor agreements. Moreover, he successfully managed each in his second term without sacrificing basic services.
On my street, my trash is picked up, streets are plowed, police know my name and house, and new trees are planted in the parks. Not too shabby for a poor city. I can say with confidence that this was not the case 5 years ago when the mayor assumed office.
I guess one can say that I value results and impact in an elected official moreso that integrity; and who shouldn’t. If you want morals, there’s a place for that – church. Never saw a politician get too far, or get too much accomplished, b/c he/she was a stand up person. Just look at President Carter…
Matt,
i still own my house in EEV not by choice but because no one want’s to move into detroit…mostly because they hear about shit like this and it’s this sort of thing that makes old residents leave and keeps new people from moving in. i used to get so much grief from my friends for putting up with the taxes,crime and corruption but still stood up for the place i called home but at some point i just had to admit that i couldn’t fund it any more. as for not having a voice because i moved, well, maybe you’re right…i shouldn’t have a say in the things happening in Detroit, even though i’ve spent most of my life there, voted in each election, put up with having my house & car robbed and dealt with the laughable police response after each incedent. so i guess it’s time for me to step aside from a postion here (which was more often than not, telling people about interesting things to do in the city) and invite a REAL detroiter (like yourself?) to take my place. in my opinion it’s people keeping the “us vs. them” attitude that will alway hold the city back. if people, not just residents but PEOPLE speak positively about a city (any city) others may want to be there as well. but again,it doesn’t matter what i think…i’m one of “them” thanks and good bye.
I agree completley that it’s the us vs. them that will continue to hold Detroit back. Unfortunatley, there are so many of those people out there, and it’s scandal like this that does nothing to help bridge that gap. I also agree that there are a lot of people living outside of the city that “claim” the city as home, and they could have an incredible impact on the future of the Detroit. If the general intelligencia (city and suburbs) would band together and build up a positive image, then good things could happen. It’s foolish media circuses like this, however, that only widen the city vs. suburb debate.
In the last election? I’m not sure how Detroit would have fared either way. Freman Hendrix would not have brought the juvenile arrogance to his office, but I was afraid that Mr. Hendrix’s entire campaign was “I’m not Kwame Kilpatrick”. His solution to many of the ailments of the city were to throw money at them. I don’t know if would have been able to actually put his ideas in place. What Detroit needs is a very dynamic, intelligent leader – and for awhile I really did think that might have been Kilpatrick – but I do question myself now. The part that is sad to me is that I really don’t doubt that Kwame has the ability to be a decent mayor. When he was good, he was really good, but he may just be too young and have this attitude of invincibility that will be his downfall. Shenanigns and scandal will cloud over successes any day.