car7858's Blog

On August 7, 2008, the Mayor of Detroit was sent to jail. Against the advice of his own legal team, Mayor Kilpatrick stood defiantly up to Judge Giles & made the statements that assured his incarceration. Claiming that he was being "revolutionarilly railroaded, especially by the eye of the media" & that "his sons were instructed to watch this case to understand right from wrong'. His arrogance in the face of justice not only backfired for him, but his wife & family witnessed his incarceration in his own County Jail. Now, all of the sudden the flood gates have opened, with AG Mike Cox expected to announce severe charges against the mayor on August 8th. Even his most devout supporters are now questioning their Mayor's ability to lead & his true motives in office. Kwame Kilpatrick, at this point in time your wife & family need you; It is time for you to step down as Mayor & attempt to restore sanity to you & yours. This is no longer political, this is no longer racial, it is about your personal; survival & salvation. Mayor Kilpatrick, do the right thing & resign so the city & the region can attempt to restore dignity to a great city as Detroit once had. There is no shame in admitting like a man you were wrong & you know the time is at hand. You, Mayor Kilpatrick can be the catalyst for a greater Detroit or you can keep fighting & go down in a blaze of glory, along with your city-The choice is yours.

LOL!

Many in our Metro Detroit region & even around the nation ask the eternal question: Why won't Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm intervene in the Detroit Mayor issue? Gov, Granholm has stated time & time again she wants to wait for the wheels of justice to take their true course. Essentially, this is sound legal advice from our state's lawyers; But given the prime example of how New York Gov. Spitzer was removed from office for associating with a prostitute, it seems there are alot more reasons. Mainly a political one since this is perhaps the most historical Presidential election in our country's history. Not to mention the fact that when Mayor Kilpatrick & his mother, Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick were both State Reps in Lansing, they catered to the Governor, also rumored to have discussed the downfall of Detroit & Wayne County-Which seems to be happening as Detroit spirals downward. Another reason seems to be basically in a statement on live local network news by Detroit City Councilwoman Barbara Rose-Collins when asked "Should the Governor intervene?". Her reply was that if Governor Granholm did intervene, there would be a substantial "riot & uprising". Michigan's lawmakers as well as the taxpayers need not let this type of mentality influence their decision to take action. As I have stated many times in these blogs, Detroit & the Metro area as a whole would never survive another riot like the one in 1967. Now is the time for Detroit to begin moving forward & now is the time for our Governor to realise that Detroit's Mayor & his corrupt government have impacted our state almost to a point of no return. It seems apparent that our Governor will stall until after the elections & even then, the intimidation & arrogance of Detroit's government seems to have a grip on her decision to act. Not to mention her party loyalty, showing that justice is indeed blind, especially when it becomes more political than judicial. Then again, the power IS in the hands of the city residents-But do they care about their city's future? Do they care that they foot the bills for this issue, along with countless millions of taxpayer dollars being funneled through the Kilpatrick family & "friends"? Do they care about their image & reputation not just locally but nationally? Time will tell & time is also running out.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Nolan Finley Dave Bing must get off the bench now

If Dave Bing is going to run for mayor of Detroit, he should start running.

The former Detroit Pistons star and steel company owner says he's close to deciding on a mayoral run. That's good news for a city looking for an honest, competent leader to raise it from the ashes left behind by the Kwame Kilpatrick blowtorch.

A lot of people, particularly the business community, see Bing's business background and impeccable reputation as the best hope for the city's future. I don't disagree.

But Bing won't be anointed mayor. Nor will he be appointed by the business leaders who are urging him to run and are promising the financial and political help he needs to win.

If Bing becomes mayor, he'll have to win the job himself in a tough and nasty campaign.

Several other potential candidates have expressed interest in the job. Some will likely step aside rather than face a candidate of Bing's caliber.

But not all will. And many of the ones who've hinted they're in the race regardless are experienced Detroit politicians with deep roots in the community.

Bing's name alone won't guarantee him votes. He'll have to get down deep into the neighborhoods, sit on porches, meet with community groups and speak from the pulpits of the city's politically vital churches.

Running for political office is intensely hard work. Bing should think of it as akin to an NBA playoff run. And he'll have to trade his tailored business suits for a wardrobe lined in Teflon.

Bing is used to adulation from the people of this town. But candidates don't get much of that. Since he'll be backed by the mostly white business leaders, he'll face the inevitable challenges to his blackness. He'll find it both absurd and offensive. Who wouldn't? But that's Detroit.

And since he still doesn't live in the city, he'll be called an outsider, despite his extensive investments and history.

Bing has to decide he wants to be mayor badly enough to put up with that bullwhacky.

But first, he's got to get himself fully into Detroit.

The city charter requires only that a mayoral candidate have lived in the city for 30 days prior to an election to be eligible.

If he were running in a normally scheduled election -- such as next fall's citywide balloting -- Bing would have plenty of time to move his household to Detroit.

But no one can be sure when the next election is coming.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is hearing evidence in early September on the City Council's request to remove Kilpatrick. If she takes him out of office, a special election will be held within 90 days. Conceivably, a vote could come by year's end.

There's also a growing recall movement -- recallkilpatrick.com -- that could force a removal election by early February.

It's not as much time as it seems, particularly for someone who's never run for office before.

Whoever wins the special election will enjoy a huge advantage in the 2009 general election.

Bing must have his name on that special election ballot.

If Dave Bing wants to be mayor -- and a lot of people hope he does -- he needs to lace up his shoes and get off the bench now.

Nolan Finley is editorial page editor of The News. Reach him at nfinley@detnews.com or (313) 222-2064. Watch him at 8:30 p.m. Fridays on "Am I Right?" on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56.

 

Posted by Nolan Finley on Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 4:25 PM

Charge Kilpatrick with hate crime?

Maybe Kwame Kilpatrick should be charged with a hate crime if his altercation with Wayne County officers rises to the level of criminal assault.

Witnesses say the Detroit mayor shouted at a female investigator: "How can a black woman be riding in a car with a man named White?" The detective Kilpatrick is accused of assaulting is Brian White.

It's hard to imagine a white mayor of any city in America getting away with saying: How can a white woman be riding in a car with a man named Black?

The calls for his head would be thunderous.

But in Detroit, we continue to let the racist remarks of Kilpatrick and some others of his ilk slide.

And that's why this garbage never stops. 

I just had to share this video with my fellow Fox2 bloggers, even if just to break up the tension in here & show Love in it's most powerful form. Many animals rely on us to help take care of them & their habitats-If you have a pet, hug them today! Awesome video!

 

Sunday, July 20, 2008 Nolan Finley Don't let Detroit die without a fight

A city must be awfully hard to kill. How else do you explain that Detroit is still breathing?

Detroit is down with a fatal case of chaos. The structure of government has dissolved, with every public institution in dysfunction and disarray. Last week's shouting match between City Council members and mayoral appointees looked a lot like anarchy.

And it was brought on by public officials who are all about serving themselves, rather than their people.

Kwame Kilpatrick once promised to leave a legacy as the boy wonder who gave Detroit back its dream. Now, his stubborn refusal to step aside despite facing perjury and corruption charges has assured he will be remembered as the man who strangled a city.

In other places, the City Council might be counted on to offer stability when a mayor stumbles. But this is Detroit, and the Detroit City Council on its best day barely rises above inept.

Instead of putting out the fire, the council poured on fuel by getting itself entangled in a federal bribery probe. The council can't very well yank the mayor for corruption when some of its members may be heading to the courthouse with him.

While City Hall is burning, no one seems to notice that the Detroit school board is at war with its newly hired superintendent. The school district has mismanaged its finances so thoroughly that it is just a bounced check or two away from insolvency.

Try packaging all that into a two-minute elevator pitch to sell Detroit to investors, job creators or new residents.

Can Detroit be cured? Maybe. But you're kidding yourself if you think a return to health will require anything short of a miracle.

The prescribed miracle is for Detroiters to get mad as hell and declare they're not going to take it anymore.

But instead, Detroiters are sitting on the rooftops like the pitiful Katrina victims waiting for a rescue boat to float by.

That boat's not coming.

If Detroit survives Hurricane Kwame, it only will be because its residents decided to step up and save themselves.

Detroiters need to march down to City Hall and drag the rascals out. It's maddening that six months into this unnatural disaster there's still no credible recall drive underway to get rid of the mayor quickly and cleanly.

Start one today. And leave spaces open on the petition to add any council member whose name shows up on a federal indictment.

You're not helpless Detroit. And you don't have to be a victim. Get angry. Get loud.

Shout down the parasitic preachers who have a pocketbook stake in protecting their political partners.

Wave off the excuse makers who urge you to let the legal process play itself out. You may be six feet under by then.

This is your city. You can't wait for the business community to do something. It's got no vote. You can't wait for Gov. Jennifer Granholm to do something. She's got no spine.

As a city, you've got to lift yourself out of your deathbed.

Come on, Detroit, don't die without a fight.

Nolan Finley is editorial page editor of The News. Reach him at nfinley@detnews.com or (313) 222-2064. Read his blog at forums.detnews.com/blogs/, and watch him at 8:30 p.m. Fridays on "Am I Right?" on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56.  

LOL!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Records: Mayor Kilpatrick paid $170K to two involved in FBI probe David Josar and Paul Egan / The Detroit News

DETROIT - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's campaign finance records show he has paid more than $170,000 for "consulting" and "reimbursements" to two figures involved in the federal public corruption probe of City Hall: Michael Tardif and Bernard Kilpatrick, the mayor's father.

Bernard Kilpatrick received "reimbursements" on Dec. 12, 2005, for $5,000 and $2,000 on Dec. 16, 2005. Last year his firm, Maestro & Associates, with an office address on the disclosure forms that was the same as Bernard Kilpatrick's apartment, was paid $25,000 for work as a "consultant" on Dec. 20, 2007.

Tardif, who had been on the City Hall payroll until 2004, has been paid $138,500 from Feb. 17, 2005, through Dec. 20, 2007. He has been paid as much as $12,000 in a single month for his work as a "consultant."

Tardif, whose last name was misspelled on the disclosure forms, is seen on a weekly basis in the mayor's suite of offices in City Hall.

Sources say Tardif -- a political consultant and member of the Democratic National Committee -- has attracted the interest of FBI agents as they investigate whether city officials took money to approve a $47 million sludge-hauling contract last year. Agents also have asked about Bernard Kilpatrick's relationship with Rayford Jackson, who was hired as a minority contractor by Synagro Technologies Inc.

Jackson is not cooperating with the FBI and his lawyer said he believes agents are targeting Jackson for bribery. The attorney, Richard H. Morgan Jr., said Jackson is innocent.

Campaign finance records show Jackson gave a total of $5,400 to Councilwomen Barbara-Rose Collins and Martha Reeves, starting with a $1,000 donation to Collins in 2005. FBI agents made a surprise visit to her home on Tuesday and told her that she is a subject of the investigation.

A vice president for Synagro, James Rosendall, is cooperating with the feds. Sources say he was taped this year giving money to John Clark, who recently resigned as Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr.'s chief of staff.

Campaign records show Rosendall gave annual donations of $1,000 to several city council members starting in 2004, more than three years before the Synagro deal came up for a vote. The proposal had lingered for years. At the time of the donation, Rosendall's occupation was listed simply as "businessman" on campaign forms.

Other City Council members who received donations from Rosendall include JoAnn Watson, who received $1,250 in July 2005; Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers, who received $1,000; and Martha Reeves, who received $1,000 in May 2007. Rosendall also gave $1,000 donations in 2004 to Council members Sheila Cockrel and Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr.

The only council members who did not receive donations from either Rosendall or Jackson were Kwame Kenyatta and Brenda Jones.

The mayor's spokeswoman, Denise Tolliver, said Tardif remains a consultant to the mayor, and that he does "political work" for the mayor not related to city business.

She initially said Bernard Kilpatrick has never been paid to work for the mayor's. When she was handed a copy of the campaign disclosure firm listing Bernard Kilpatrick's business as a consultant, she said she needed to check for further information.

Kilpatrick does not have to file a campaign finance disclosure fund for any money raised or spent in 2008 until January 2009.

You can reach David Josar at (313) 222-2073 or djosar@detnews.com.

 

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Editorial Detroit would get poor return on tunnel lease The Detroit News

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's proposal to lease the Detroit-Windsor tunnel may solve this year's budget deficit, but long term the deal shortchanges Detroit's taxpayers.

The city ought to get a better bargain than the one the current proposal strikes.

Tomorrow, the Detroit City Council is slated to vote on the creation of an authority to manage Detroit's tunnel ownership, one of the first steps toward making such a deal happen.

If City Council approves the creation of an authority to manage Detroit's side of the tunnel -- an authority that would be run largely by Detroit mayoral and Windsor appointees -- the authority is expected to approve a $75 million lump sum payment from Windsor, money that would be spent immediately to resolve this year's budget shortfall.

And then for the next 75 years, Detroit would get nothing while Windsor would keep $375 million in anticipated revenue, in today's dollars, according to figures provided to The Detroit News.

Leasing the tunnel to Windsor may make sense, and there may be considerable operational savings gained from having one authority manage both the American and Canadian sides of the tunnel.

But Detroit should push for a better deal, and for one that provides annual revenue for the city.

Currently, Detroit gets about $600,000 annually through its leasing agreement with Detroit-Windsor Tunnel LLC, which is run by American Roads, a private company contracted by the city to manage Detroit's side of the tunnel.

American Roads nets an average of about $5 million annually on the tunnel after annual maintenance costs of about $250,000.

If Detroit waits 12 years until its management deal with American Roads ends, it could take over management itself and claim all of that $5 million a year revenue for itself. Even a deal that split the $5 million a year with Windsor would be better than what's on the table.

Detroit has had better offers. Earlier this year, American Roads offered to extend its leasing agreement, proposing to give Detroit $70 million and 20 percent of net revenue over 70 years.

The mayor is asking the council today to set up a tunnel authority that would be the first step in leasing the facility to Windsor. It should look carefully at whether Detroit is getting as much as it can from the tunnel.

Council members have complained the mayor has not given them enough details to make an informed decision. They should make sure they understand the consequences of the authority's creation before they act.

A city asset as valuable as the tunnel should not be frittered away to avoid tough spending decisions. The tunnel has the potential of being a revenue producer for the citizens of Detroit for many decades to come.

But if the financial potential of the tunnel is squandered today, Detroiters will have nothing to bank on tomorrow.

The city of Detroit wants to lease the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel to the city of Windsor for a lump sum payment. (David Coates / The Detroit News)

These people have the right idea-Put it on the November ballot! 

 

View Current Signatures   -   Sign the Petition

 

---

 

To:  Kwame Kilpatrick

We expect a lot from our leadership. We expect truth, honesty, loyalty and integrity. However, Kwame Kilpatrick has shown that he is neither trustworthy nor honest. The citizens of Detroit have dealt with a lot from Mayor Kilpatrick, from using taxpayer dollars to lease a Lincoln Navigator for his wife to instituting a level of cronyism that allows many of his friends and family to make a better living in the city of Detroit than the majority of Detroit residents.

Many are quick to mention the progress the city has made under this administration. But is that not his job as mayor? Kwame Kilpatrick is not just a resident of Detroit who was nice enough to convince businesses to come to the city. We pay him over $170,000 a year to bring businesses to the city.

He has turned his back on many of his campaign promises, including the promise of a balanced budget and the promise of demolishing a greater number of abandoned properties. He has turned his back on the citizens by allowing crime to continue to run rampant in the city. He turned his back on the citizens of Detroit on December 27, 2002, when he decided not to sign a resolution against predatory lending which probably would have lowered the number of Detroiters who have lost their home to foreclosure.

The last straw came on March 24, 2008, when Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged the mayor with one count of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of misconduct in office and four counts of perjury. These charges stem from the mayor’s lack of integrity in firing three police officers for doing their jobs. The mayor fired the officers and then lied about firing them. The attorney for the police officers was able to secure 14,000 text messages in some of which the mayor admitted to firing the officers (among other things). Once the mayor found out about the text messages, he proceeded to give the officers $2,000,000 more than the jury was willing to give the officers – just to protect his secrets.

The mayor had a chance to settle with the officers for a fraction of the $8,400,000 they received, but his arrogance would not allow him to admit he was wrong. $8,400,000 could have been used to bring supermarkets and other shopping into the city so the citizens are not forced to drive to the suburbs to shop. $8,400,000 could have been put in a fund to help lower our insurance rates. $8,400,000 could have been used for job training to lower our astronomical unemployment rates.

Mayor Kilpatrick, please put the citizens of Detroit first and resign. Please stop destroying the image of the city and making it the laughingstock of the country. Please stop blaming the media for your indiscretions. Please stop with the racial epithets when you have a majority White team of lawyers representing you.

You cannot focus on the business of the city while you are fighting to stay out of prison. You cannot have the trust of businesses when they see constant images of your lies. And how can the citizens of Detroit believe you have our best interests at heart when you could throw away $8,400,000 so easily?

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

 

 

View Current Signatures
 

---

The An Appeal for the Resignation of Kwame Kilpatrick Petition to Kwame Kilpatrick was created by and written by Tamara Halliburton (tamarahalliburton@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

 

tags:   Beatty   Christine   Detroit   Kilpatrick   Kwame   Kym   Michigan   Worthy 

LOL!

  NEWS-Actual News Stories Over the years-Some are there, and some have "disappeared" but the headlines live on. When you move your mouse over each link, notice at the bottom of your screen above the toolbar-There will be a weblink-style address that shows the name of a well-known media outlet that printed the actual story. Many of these links are not there anymore (No big surprise!). You can run but you can't hide, Kwamster! And some consider him a role model? Please!  Sure, it's "business as usual", right? Kilpatrick is such a choir boy right? I repost this for those that seem to insist the Mayor has done so much for the city, but according to these headlines & issues, the city is being done allright!

---

1/26/08 Secret deal hid Detroit mayor's texts; prosecutor opens probe

1/26/08 Detroiters laughing at Kwame and his mystery woman

1/26/08 Kwame may owe cash for Mystery Woman

1/26/08 Kwame, Mystery Woman at Resort

1/26/08 NEW YORK TIMES - Mayor’s Amorous Texts Lead to Perjury Inquiry

1/25/08 NEWSWEEK - Sex, Lies and Texting

1/25/08 Wayne County prosecutor: Kilpatrick will be investigated

1/23/08 Mayor's Sexy Text Messages Released, Shows Affair, Perjury

7/13/07 Kwame buries the "n" word

5/16/07 Kwame throws reporter's microphone down the hallway - 

5/15/07 Kwame spends at least $8600 of Detroit's money on spa/resort - Includes video!

09/18/06 Kwame steals $200k from city to upgrade his pool

03/01/06 Kwame and The Untouchables (his relatives that he gave jobs to) LIED ABOUT HAVING DEGRees

02/21/06 Charges of racism over Detroit zoo. Collins says "We're not a plantation, blacks aren't owned by white folks anymore."

02/21/06 Councilwoman Barbara Rose-Collins claims all other cities are racist

02/20/06 Kilpatrick threatens to close zoo, lay off 150

02/15/06 Detroit councilwoman Conyers in bar brawl

02/09/06 City burns $3.2M on needless leases

12/13/05 Detroit vote recount continues, ballots tampered with?

12/04/05 Detroit will layoff 400, shut history museum

10/14/05 Taxpayers give mayor's offices $122,000 facelift

10/14/05 Mayor spent big with petty cash

9/28/05 Detroit buys a $743,000 tank after laying off 150 cops

9/28/05 Mayor: Job cuts unless union deal in 20 days  

9/19/05 Mayor subpoenaed, city council wants answers

9/18/05 Will suburb bashing work for Kilpatrick?

9/17/05 Kilpatrick reopens rift with suburbs

9/16/05 Detroit police chief says she may lay off another 100 officers

9/2/05 Detroit to cut 75 firefighters

8/29/05 Detroit police to Merge Precincts, Lay Off 150 Officers

8/10/05 Ailing Detroit spends $1 million on deer

7/19/05 Kwame says his rep is only bad because he's a black man

7/19/05 Kwame vows to fight the media so they don't keep exposing him

7/17/05 Nearly 2/3 of Detroit residents disapprove of job Kilpatrick has done

7/6/05 City Council jobs go to family, friends... $2 million in 14 months

7/6/05 Detroit wastes $2.5 million to let Tiger Stadium rot

7/5/05 Police miscondust lawsuits cost Detroit $44.7 million

7/4/05 Mayor's mansion drains city

7/1/05 340 City workers lose jobs, many first responders

7/1/05 The Kwame Tax - Kilpatrick plans to tax casino winners

6/30/05 Detroit giving 1/3 of its police force to sport events, FREE

6/3/05 Kwame threatens to cancel freedom festival

5/27/05 Amidst financial crisis, Kwame books "ultimate" party cruise

5/20/05 Papers say Kwame secretly rehired Oliver for $140k/year 

5/18/05 Mayor's father compares media attacks to holocaust w/video

5/18/05 Kwame pays back $9,000 of the $210,000 on city credit card

5/17/05 Kwame withholds info and disputes incriminating credit card charges

5/17/05 The Credit Card story, so far

5/12/05 Detroit City Council discontinues Kwame's Credit Card

5/10/05 Former Governor Engler blasts Kwame

5/7/05 City Councilwoman proposes taking Kwame's card away

5/6/05 Kwame wants $1.5 million to pay his 21 member buddy force

5/5/05 Kwame attempts distraction by asking for Dennis Archer's credit card records  

5/4/05 Kwame attributes credit card bill to promoting business

5/3/05 Mayor puts over $210,000 on his Detroit-issued credit card

5/3/05 Channel 4 investigates Mayor's Credit Card issues w/video

4/18/05 Time magazine names Kwame one of the 3 worst mayors in the country

4/15/05 Kwame's pal investigated in threat to a witness

3/15/05 Mayor cuts bus service

2/22/05 City refuses to let go of Navigator

2/18/05 Kwame's aid lies on loan form

2/17/05 Kwame's sister sued for being a deadbeat

2/11/05 Kwame's best friend pistol whips and threatens to murder an employee

2/10/05 Kwame's sister lies to insurance companies? 

2/8/05 Mass exodus from Detroit - lowest population since 1920. 

2/2/05 City Workers Brace for Layoffs Following Council Vote

1/25/05 Kilpatrick's Navigator Story is Incomplete

1/23/05 Mayor and Police Chief Say SUV Leased for Kilpatrick Family

1/21/05 110 Detroit schools must close, district officials say

1/21/05 Mayor Answers Navigator Questions in Exclusive Interview

1/20/05 Detroit Officers Sue Over Treatment After Stopping Mayor's Aide

1/20/05 License plate on Navigator is in Kwame's wife's name

1/20/05 Order form for Mayor's SUV is missing

1/20/05 $200,000 spent on new furniture in city office

1/20/05 Deceased councilwoman's son is still being paid as her embassador

1/19/05 Deceased councilwoman's assistants still being paid after her death

1/18/05 Kwame's thugs body slam investigator Steve Wilson into a wall - video

1/18/05 $15,000/month spent on vacant city building

1/18/05 Kwame says SUV not leased for his wife

1/18/05 Kwame responds to questionable items

1/14/05 Kwame's thugs throw investigator Steve Wilson out the door

1/14/05 Kwame leases Lincoln Navigator for his wife at $25,000/year

1/13/05 Detroit Mayor Announces Plans to Cut More Than 900 Jobs

1/2/05 Detroit cops punished for not soluting chief Ella Bully-Cummings

12/8/04 Judge Says Detroit Mayor Violated Officer's Rights

5/26/04 Kwame accused of at least 4 extramarital affairs, One with Beatty

5/5/04 Kwame denies knowledge of murdered stripper

6/13/03 Feds order overhaul of Detroit police

6/12/03 Mayor aide obstructs access to police files

5/23/03 Mayor's top guards have criminal past, squad poorly managed

5/22/03 Recall petition filed against Kwame

5/21/03 Kwame's credibility at risk

5/20/03 Granholm, Cox clash on probe

5/20/03 Kwame's wife Carlita a no-show at news conference on Manoogian Mansion

5/19/03 Kwame's bodyguard threatens cop and warns against talking

5/15/03 Deputy Chief Brown fired for not backing off Kwame investigation

5/15/03 Kwame says party at Manoogian Mansion "never happened"

5/15/03 Security force cop fired for knowing too much

5/14/03 Ex-deputy chief: Probe of mayor cost me my job

5/14/03 Mayor's reputation on line

5/14/03 Kwame clashes with fired cop

5/14/03 Feds troubled by firing

5/14/03 Sheriff agrees to investigate Manoogian party allegations

5/14/03 Kwame hires security force of 20 officers

Let's touch on a subject that needs to be addressed: How can Detroit ever expect to even be thought of as a world-class city when there is so much widespread corruption in their government? Not only that, this same government preaches racial divide & hatred of those that help support the city by owning Downtown businesses or selling out those same venues. Some will even say it is nobody's business if they don't "live" in the city and that is also a crock-Many suburban owned businesses are in the Downtown area, but maybe not for long. Look at cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and yes even Cleveland. These & other large urban cities have crime, assaults, and other similar negative issues just as Detroit does. The difference is that they work together in their neighborhoods to keep a grip on it. These cities have or will attain world-class status, which attracts companies, jobs, federal & state dollars, etc. Most cities have pride in their image but one couldn't say that about Detroit or the Metro area for that matter because some just don't care what their city looks like in the national spotlight-Or they don't care if CEO's and tourists pass over this region with their mighty spending power. And it is a shame because, myself being a native Detroiter for over 40 years, that I have to see this decline & wonder-Who really cares? The power is in Detroit's hands & so far, it is not being used in a positive manner to move the city forward and begin a new era. Only by working together hand-in-hand with the city & the suburbs can Detroit even attempt to regain a positive image. In my opinion, cleaning house in the government would be the best place to start.

 

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Opinion Michigan's economic growth news worsens State's economic indicators drop; status quo promises more decline Michael D. LaFaive and Michael Hicks

The Great Lakes State received bad news last week. Its economic performance -- as measured by state gross domestic product or total economic output statistics -- declined for the second consecutive year.

Seeds of reform are often planted during times of crisis, but the correct reforms are not being advanced. While the problems of the Big Three automakers make a big impact, other big manufacturing states like Ohio are still doing better than Michigan.

The $1.4 billion tax increase, along with a likely electricity rate hike and a massive regulatory expansion on groundwater use, will harm Michigan's economy by imposing higher costs and chasing more people from the state. So far, no amount of cheerleading from Lansing, new subsidies or discriminatory "economic development" programs have fixed our hostile business climate.

From 2006 to 2007, Michigan's economy contracted by 1.2 percent, besting only Delaware, which declined by 1.6 percent. Michigan's nominal per-capita gross domestic product ranking among the states now stands at 41st, down two spots from this time last year and down from an all-time high of 16th in 1999.

This data comes just months after the federal government reported that the income of Michigan residents stands 9.1 percent below the national average -- even worse than during the Great Depression. The implications of our effective one-state recession may be profound.

People are the critical key for economic growth. They create, consume, invest, produce and pay taxes that support vital functions of government.

But Michigan's poor economy is chasing away our human resources. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Michigan lost 30,500 residents and was only one of two states to lose net population from July 2006 to July 2007. Based on our newest research, we believe the problem will get worse.

Our research in an upcoming study demonstrates that, on average, from 2000 through 2006, Americans tended to move to states with lower personal tax burdens, more flexible labor laws, abundant sunshine and higher expected future incomes. Does that sound like Michigan?

Ominously, these numbers were calculated before the state raised the personal income tax 11.5 percent. Our model shows that for every 10 percent increase in the average personal tax burden, about 1,900 people a year subsequently leave their state of residence. Our model also shows that more than 500 people move to another state for every 5 additional days of sunshine it boasts over the departure state.

These moves have a real impact on the future. The Niles Public Schools superintendent recently told the Niles Star that enrollment is down approximately 42 students this year, and most of them moved out of state.

The Senate Fiscal Agency projects that the number of school-age children in Michigan will decline by 25,000 during the next year.

The Legislature's response has been to look to more economic development programs, such as refundable tax credits for movie makers.

The state is now attracting more film productions. But the question is whether all of the state's economic policies will create enough jobs across various industries. So far, they haven't.

In 1999, Gov. John Engler created the Michigan Economic Development Corp., claiming it would help create and keep good jobs in Michigan. The state's jobs creation department has since presided over one of the worst periods of economic decline in Michigan history.

Moreover, it has done so while the rest of the nation enjoyed several years of robust growth. From 1999 through 2007, the United States averaged 2.5 percent inflation-adjusted gross domestic product growth. By contrast, Michigan shrunk by one-tenth of a percentage point.

Yes, the restructuring of the Big Three automakers is hitting Michigan harder than other states. But why are investors and job providers increasingly avoiding Michigan?

Perhaps they view Michigan as a bad place to do business because of its toxic tax, regulatory and labor climates.

Until those are fixed, all the subsidies and "Pure Michigan" advertising campaigns in the world won't save us.