That’s a good question. Not being a Detroit resident, it’s probably not my place to answer. Despite recent city council candidates poll results, I can say who Detroiters should not elect to council.
- Charles Pugh—The man quit a good paying job to seek a council seat in a city with a $300 million budget deficit. Now his condo’s in foreclosure. Doens’t seem like he’s got the answers, does it?
- Incumbent Alberta Tinsley-Talabi—too little, too late
- Incumbent Kwame Kenyatta—wanted to block the Cobo deal
- Incumbent JoAnn Watson—tax cheat and wanted to block the Cobo deal
- Incumbent Brenda Jones—obstructed police investigation
- Saunteel Jenkins—called Kilpatrick Chief of Staff Christine Beatty after a drunk driver hit her car; went to school with Kilpatrick and Beatty
- James Tate—the former Kilpatrick spokesman denied the City of Detroit was providing a Lincoln Navigator to Carlita Kilpatrick
The moral of the story? Don’t vote for the incumbent just because. Chances are they don’t actually represent you, but rather some other or special interest. In Detroit, this is the difference between moving forward or falling behind.
I’ve got to say I’m pretty much in solid agreement with you for the most part, and I DO live in Detroit. However I do differ with you on Saunteel Jenkins. Although I agree it’s upsetting about her friendship w/ Kwame and Christine, to me it’s not enough to cancel her out. If I was written off based on some of the friendships I’ve maintained over the years there would be little hope for me. Safe to say all my friends ain’t saints, but I’d like to think my hands are pretty clean. And Saunteel’s longtime relationship with Maryanne Mahaffey – whom I was extremely supportive of – says an awful lot to me.
Comment by teamowens313 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 @ 11:50 am
I’ve got to agree with you based on your last sentence. Thanks for giving me a better perspective. Ultimately, what matters most to me is who’s best to move Detroit forward.
Comment by Cynical Synapse — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 @ 2:18 pm