Mike Duggan for Detroit Mayor

[Meddle]

No. The point of a city government is to serve the public. The point of a business is to make money. If you're running a city government to make money, you're doing it wrong.

A government can't serve the people if it can't manage the money. A business can't succeed if it doesn't take care of the customers. If governments were run more like businesses instead of good ole boy networks, we wouldn't have so many money problems.

[jackie5275]

Some of the Watson followers will probably bleat about a "takeover" in Detroit,

There were already comments about that in the comment section of this article on the News website.

[jackie5275]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, which I know folks will do, but I thought Duggan was on the board when the schools were under State control, & he did alot to get many of the school buildings into better shape.

[Hypestyles]

so we're probably looking at what, circa november 2012 for an announcement?

[downtownguy]

A source close to Duggan said the former mayor [[Archer) made it clear to the potential candidate that he supports Bing if he runs.
"If Dave Bing solves the problems everybody wants [[to solve) together … if Dave Bing decides he wants to run again, nobody can beat him. Period," Archer said.

It appears Archer is still smoking that stuff that led to his decision to put the casinos on the riverfront.

[downtownguy]

In my wacky fantasy world, I've harbored this wish that Edsel Ford II would run for mayor. He could run the city with a take-no-prisoners approach, would appeal to black and white alike, has a strong financial background and a genuine interest in civic affairs [[Chair of the Detroit 300 Conservancy, among others).

He's already got money and power, so he could focus on getting the job done. He would be able to attract a team of leaders second to none. He's young enough to have the energy that Bing seems to lack and a sensitivity to labor that might get him endorsements from some unions [[talk about strange bedfellows).

Of course, residency would be a problem, but I've got a solution for that, too. His first official act would be to annex the Pointes. Voila, residency! [[and a stronger tax base, too!)

That's all from the Outer Limits. I now return control of your television set to you.

[corktownyuppie]

Exactly. Well said.

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Many would argue that the principal role of a business is to make money for those who have invested in it, and as a result, many corporate decisions are often made with the sole goal of increasing profits. However, according to the late Peter F. Drucker, the forefather of modern management, this view is erroneous.

Essentially, Drucker believed that the consumer should be the focus of, and purpose for, the organization. He explained, "A company's primary responsibility is to serve its customers, to provide the goods or services which the company exists to produce. Profit is not the primary goal but rather an essential condition for the company's continued existence. Other responsibilities, e.g., to employees and society, exist to support the company's continued ability to carry out its primary purpose."
==============

The purpose of a business is to serve a customer.
Making money is a byproduct of serving the customer.

Detroit does the first one poorly.
Therefore the second one suffers.

Detroit doesn't need to make money. But it needs to have money in order to survive. In order to to have money, it needs to serve a customer.

We, the citizens of Detroit, are that customer..

[Locke09]

In spite of what the venerable Peter Drucker said, the primary goal of business in this capitalist society is to make money [[profit) - serving the customer is a means to making money, not the other way around. And it had better be ever increasing profits, otherwise your stock will be downgraded by Wall Street.

If it was just a matter of serving the customer, then businesses would be non-profit. They would only charge what is necessary to pay employees and produce what the customer needs, perhaps reserving some also for new products or product improvement. Because if your primary goal is to serve the customers, and you find that you are making a lot of profit doing so, you would use that profit to either lower costs or improve employee pay/benefits. But that's not what they do is it? Of course not, they look for increasing profits every quarter.

The goal of government is to "secure the general welfare" of the people. Money, in the form of revenue, is the means by which government can do this.

Government can borrow some good practices from business, but government is not business. Many a good businessman has found himself overwhelmed by the responsibilities of managing a sector of government.

[corktownyuppie]

Government can borrow some good practices from business, but government is not business. Many a good businessman has found himself overwhelmed by the responsibilities of managing a sector of government.

I agree with the totality of your analysis. My point was more to counter the idea some of have implied that businesses exist to take advantage of their customers and employees in a never-ending quest to take more for themselves. That may be the plan for some businesses, but it is a short-sighted strategy at best.

One thing you say is that Government can borrow some good practices from businesss. When I [[and most people on this board, I would bet) say that government needs to be run like a business, I believe that the words you used are a better way to articulate that meaning.

Detroit doesn't need to be run like a business for profit. But it absolutely needs to take the best practices from business and apply them. It's literally like we are still using out-dated practices from 1955 and wondering why our services suck.

Lastly, yes, many a good businessman will be overwhelmed in government because of the bottom-up nature of government operations. I'd love to see how well any businessman does if all of his or her decisions are subject to a majority vote of its employees and customers.

[jackie5275]

Detroit doesn't need to be run like a business for profit. But it absolutely needs to take the best practices from business and apply them. It's literally like we are still using out-dated practices from 1955 and wondering why our services suck.

Well, first of all, business & government need to stop operating on buzz words & phrases like best practices, proactive, strategic planning, pushback, etc. These "ideas" don't generate positive operational stability in the long run.
I don't think Detroit is using outdated practices from 1955 or even 1975 because if they were, everything there would be done manually without computers. But yes, they are operating on old processes & procedures. The big problem with City government needing to change is that they employ far too many people needed to do the job the old way. Updating their procedures would probably improve services, but cut staff as not that many would be needed. Nobody over there is brave enough to lay off the number of people needed to see significant expenditure reduction. This is why they choose to stay mired in the past.

[mam2009]

...What makes me suspicious is why has the Detroit News been beating this guy's drum so hard for nearly three months? Who does he know or owe/owed favors to on the staff? It was nearly an article a day some weeks back.

I've ”heard” that Mike Duggan went to school with both the Governor & the Treasurer and that they have all been friends for some time. I would be very interested to know if there is any truth to that. If true it could provide some context for Duggan's interest in being Detroit's next mayor. For the life of me I can't understand why any credible candidate would want to be the next mayor with the cloud of the State hovering over every decision. But if they were hand-picked by the Governor that would make more sense.

[GUSHI]

I can't see Detroit putting a white man in office, not in my life time,

[corktownyuppie]

I've ”heard” that Mike Duggan went to school with both the Governor & the Treasurer and that they have all been friends for some time. I would be very interested to know if there is any truth to that. If true it could provide some context for Duggan's interest in being Detroit's next mayor. For the life of me I can't understand why any credible candidate would want to be the next mayor with the cloud of the State hovering over every decision. But if they were hand-picked by the Governor that would make more sense.

That would sure make for an interesting conspiracy theory, but I don't think it's true.

Rick Snyder from Battle Creek, then went to University of Michigan.
Andy Dillon went to Detroit Catholic Central [[now in Novi) before going to Detroit College of Law and then University of Notre Dame.

So they definitely did not all go to school together.

Rick Snyder and Mike Duggan were both at the University of Michigan at the same time. But that would be like saying that me and Tom Brady were at school at the same time.

Are they all friends? That's much more believable. It actually makes sense to me that someone qualified would want the jointly appointed board overseeing all the decisions. If I were Mayor I'd finally feel like I have some political cover to do what everyone knows need to have been done for decades.

[Richard]

That would sure make for an interesting conspiracy theory, but I don't think it's true.

Rick Snyder from Battle Creek, then went to University of Michigan.
Andy Dillon went to Detroit Catholic Central [[now in Novi) before going to Detroit College of Law and then University of Notre Dame.

So they definitely did not all go to school together.

Rick Snyder and Mike Duggan were both at the University of Michigan at the same time. But that would be like saying that me and Tom Brady were at school at the same time.

Are they all friends? That's much more believable. It actually makes sense to me that someone qualified would want the jointly appointed board overseeing all the decisions. If I were Mayor I'd finally feel like I have some political cover to do what everyone knows need to have been done for decades.

The common is Spark , elimate MEDC diverting those funds into VC to pick the winners ,almost everybody is in place.

[Motor City Sam]

I can't see Detroit putting a white man in office, not in my life time,

I said the same thing for decades about the US electing a Black president.

[hortonz]

Enough with the Democrats! How about electing a Republican mayor. Now THAT would be a REAL change.

[Detroitgayhistoryguy]

I don't think Pugh has a chance. When he was first elected, most black Detroit people didn't know that he is Gay. It is more well known now and would become more of an issue if he runs for mayor. The black people in Detroit who vote are bible thumping and very, very anti-gay. That said, I don't think he is the right guy for the job anyway. I'm gay and I'm not going to vote for someone just because they are gay. I want someone who is going to get S**t done.

[firstandten]

I can't see Detroit putting a white man in office, not in my life time,

I believe Mr. Duggan can win. Detroit has a history of putting whites on the council with huge vote totals. The whites who have run for mayor since CAY were fringe types. Duggan is a legit candidate who will be formitable.

[internet_pseudopod]

Enough with the Democrats! How about electing a Republican mayor. Now THAT would be a REAL change.

Yeah, that will have a remote chance of happening when taking cheap pot shots at Detroit stops being part of the Michigan Republican platform.

[Gannon]

I believe Mr. Duggan can win. Detroit has a history of putting whites on the council with huge vote totals. The whites who have run for mayor since CAY were fringe types. Duggan is a legit candidate who will be formitable.

Oh, he's formiDable, alright.

Thanks, dictionary.com:

for·mi·da·ble [fawr-mi-duh-buhl] adjective

1. causing fear, apprehension, or dread: a formidable opponent.
2. of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating: a formidable problem.
3. arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc.
4. of great strength; forceful; powerful: formidable opposition to the proposal.

He has been described as McNamara's "Hatchet Man" who has an odd teflon coating so all that shit doesn't stick.

I don't trust the guy, and cannot find any reason why anyone else should do so...especially with the city's future.

Most certainly, he would continue old McNamara schemes and tendencies.

No Mike Duggan in government any longer, in any way, shape, or form.


Mike Duggan for janitor, maybe. Even then, somebody'd have to keep a close eye on him!


Sincerely,
John

[mam2009]

The common is Spark , elimate MEDC diverting those funds into VC to pick the winners ,almost everybody is in place.

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

[corktownyuppie]

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

Ann Arbor Spark is an entity which has received much credit for help accelerate Ann Arbor's relevancy into an incubator for start-ups, a hub for advancing new technologies into economic engines, and into attracting the talented in knowledge-based industries to Ann Arbor.

from http://www.annarbor.com/business-rev...onomic-health/

As Krutko looks ahead to 2012, he said SPARK plans to develop a more aggressive program to assist second-stage companies — or already-established companies with 10 to 100 employees.“How can we unlock their growth and accelerate their growth?” he said. “We think we’re good at early-stage startup and at mature companies…but there’s this place in between of what we call driving industries.”He said members of SPARK are meeting with leading technology companies in other states, many of which are based in California, and he believes there’s opportunity in the Ann Arbor area to attract some of that talent.“My sense is we have a real competitive advantage, from a cost perspective, quality of life; I think we have a lot to offer.”Among the "success" stories SPARK cited in its 2011 report: University of Michigan spin-offArbor Networks, which has invested millions to upgrade its Ann Arbor-based research-and-development operation; ex-Borders employee David Altheon who landed an executive position with Ann Arbor-based Forest Health Services thanks to SPARK's Joint Adjustment Committee; and DeNovo Sciences, whose CEO and founders went through SPARK'sEntrepreneuer Boot Camp and then won the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest Business Plan Competition.

They've done a great job of that. And one thing that Snyder, Dillon, and Duggan have is experience or association with Spark. I don't know to what extent; I will leave that to someone more informed.

Skeptics believe that Spark unfairly uses its influence to help "pick winners and losers", which it does. But if that's the worst thing it does, I don't care. They help guide investment toward those ideas which have the potential to be money makers, and they do a good job of it. The really cynical claim they funnel taxpayer money to private accounts in some conspiracy corruption scheme.

Some compare them to the MEGC, but the comparison is not truly apples to apples. MEGC works more toward attracting big-splash investment. Spark works more toward mentoring startups that will become big-splash investments later.

http://www.annarbor.com/business-rev...onomic-health/

http://www.annarborusa.org/about-us

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IMHO, we need to continue shifting away from a labor-based economic engine to an entrepreneurial and knowledge-based engine. This, of course, is not taken too well by those who advocate toward a labor-based economic engine.

So that's where Snyder, Dillon, and Duggan all are cut from the same cloth.

[Richard]

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

Mr. Snyder was the ceo of Spark,Mr. Dillion was a Spark ceo Mr Duggin was originally put in place by Mr. Snyder not applied for , appointed.

Everybody being put in place by the state has either been in charge of a VC fund or connected with.

So basically what is happening is Mr Snyder has said we do not want outside investment we want to invest in companies within the state.

Those companies need funding so underfund MEDC divert those funds in the VC companies which is easier to do if you are in control of the bank.

But is it working ,well you just had a large solar panel company go under in Detroit when it was well known that Japan was going to restart incentives. Which has happened and now solar stocks are trading back on top. But not the US owned Detroit solar company but the companies that are now owned by the Chinese,if they wanted to keep those jobs in Detroit they would have done what any other city would have done and said hey what does it take?

Look at all of the companies that have left the state in the last 6 month's ,they were established companies that employed residents but unfortunately they were owned by out of state enterprises,they could not have been retained? It is touted that the state now has the lowest tax rate of any other state if that is the case why the sudden exodus?

Why would you give GE 40 million in Ann Arbor to employ 200 making solar panels when there is no way they have the production capability to pay?

This all goes back to the whole bridge thing and AREO ,
Look at anything tech,manufacturing,transportation,shipping and trucking related in Detroit and picture it gone.

All those warehouses and old factories will become obsolete as there will be no funds available and no support from the state to make employment centers out of them.

Why would anybody want to purchase say for instance Fisher when they can have a greenfield brand new building with funding already in place with the VC?

Detroit as in the city in essence becomes a bedroom community reliant on service sector jobs.

So it is all well and good that VC are going to fund all of this but look at what VC companies do , They fund short term and bail to the highest bidder leaving hedge funds etc. to piece everything out and work by the numbers.They do not build communities they profit from them at their expense and move on.

What has this have to do with Detroit as a city? Well if you can control the city you can control Areo because of the mounds of paperwork required and free rein to do what you wish to do.With no accountability.

Friends and family ,if your going to go that route why mess with the millions when you can control billions.

Good for the state yes,good for the city no.

It is not what is happening but the way it is happening.

Personally I feel it is wrong to hold public office for personal gain and to further personal agendas at the cost of a city.

Free Enterprise needs a level playing field but if you control the field and say you need to play by my rules is that free enterprise.

If you look at the big picture you can kinda see why everything is going down as it is there is a reason and as usual it is about money .But like I said it is all not bad if your concern is not the city itself .

The reason I asked about pushing for the wolverine run at MCS is because they already have a design for the station to terminate in AREO if you live downtown Detroit you will then have to figure out how to get to the other side of the airport to catch the train to Chicago.Now would be the time to move on the Fed level to countermeasure that.

I guess it all boils down to what you want as a city,service related or diversified you can kinda picture AREO as a casino it will pump funds tax wise into the city and jobs which are good but what is a city with no identity?

[corktownyuppie]

Mr. Snyder was the ceo of Spark,Mr. Dillion was a Spark ceo Mr Duggin was originally put in place by Mr. Snyder not applied for , appointed.

Everybody being put in place by the state has either been in charge of a VC fund or connected with.

So basically what is happening is Mr Snyder has said we do not want outside investment we want to invest in companies within the state.

Those companies need funding so underfund MEDC divert those funds in the VC companies which is easier to do if you are in control of the bank.

But is it working ,well you just had a large solar panel company go under in Detroit when it was well known that Japan was going to restart incentives. Which has happened and now solar stocks are trading back on top. But not the US owned Detroit solar company but the companies that are now owned by the Chinese,if they wanted to keep those jobs in Detroit they would have done what any other city would have done and said hey what does it take?

Look at all of the companies that have left the state in the last 6 month's ,they were established companies that employed residents but unfortunately they were owned by out of state enterprises,they could not have been retained? It is touted that the state now has the lowest tax rate of any other state if that is the case why the sudden exodus?

Why would you give GE 40 million in Ann Arbor to employ 200 making solar panels when there is no way they have the production capability to pay?

This all goes back to the whole bridge thing and AREO ,
Look at anything tech,manufacturing,transportation,shipping and trucking related in Detroit and picture it gone.

All those warehouses and old factories will become obsolete as there will be no funds available and no support from the state to make employment centers out of them.

Why would anybody want to purchase say for instance Fisher when they can have a greenfield brand new building with funding already in place with the VC?

Detroit as in the city in essence becomes a bedroom community reliant on service sector jobs.

So it is all well and good that VC are going to fund all of this but look at what VC companies do , They fund short term and bail to the highest bidder leaving hedge funds etc. to piece everything out and work by the numbers.They do not build communities they profit from them at their expense and move on.

What has this have to do with Detroit as a city? Well if you can control the city you can control Areo because of the mounds of paperwork required and free rein to do what you wish to do.With no accountability.

Friends and family ,if your going to go that route why mess with the millions when you can control billions.

Good for the state yes,good for the city no.

It is not what is happening but the way it is happening.

Personally I feel it is wrong to hold public office for personal gain and to further personal agendas at the cost of a city.

Free Enterprise needs a level playing field but if you control the field and say you need to play by my rules is that free enterprise.

If you look at the big picture you can kinda see why everything is going down as it is there is a reason and as usual it is about money .But like I said it is all not bad if your concern is not the city itself .

The reason I asked about pushing for the wolverine run at MCS is because they already have a design for the station to terminate in AREO if you live downtown Detroit you will then have to figure out how to get to the other side of the airport to catch the train to Chicago.Now would be the time to move on the Fed level to countermeasure that.

I guess it all boils down to what you want as a city,service related or diversified you can kinda picture AREO as a casino it will pump funds tax wise into the city and jobs which are good but what is a city with no identity?

Hm. Some of the stuff you say has me concerned but others I have a hard time getting on board with.

First, for some reason, people around here equate "service sector" jobs to pushing fries at McDonalds. And I take issue with that. If that's not what you mean, then I'm sorry in advance for setting up a straw man argument.

The service sector is the primary engine of the USA GDP. It makes up over 2/3 of our production. While some people think of Burger King when they hear "service sector", I hear information technology, consultancy services, retail, technical, and professional services. This is the heart of the modern day economy. This is why cities with highly educated workforces have so much money...the people high levels of education do this stuff. You add financial and insurance services, you get New York and Chicago.

If this is the future of Detroit, that's the future I wanna sign up for.

Warehouses and factories will eventually become more obsolete. They won't [[and shouldn't) disappear completely, but the future of this country's economy is not going to be based on making and shipping stuff. Other [[lesser paid) countries are going to make the things. Higher paid countries are going to invent and improve the things.

So when I hear about warehouses disappearing, I don't think about "losing our soul", I think about "shedding the past". When I think about NYC or Chicago or San Francisco or Dallas, I don't imagine shipyards and factories and giant plants. I imagine centers of finance, creativity, innovation, invention.

By the way, this is how Detroit became one of the wealthiest cities in the world in 1950. We were the hub and center for innovations in engineering and finance. If we want to escape the identity of one of the poorest American cities, we need to embrace that creative spirit again.

[downtownguy]

By the way, this is how Detroit became one of the wealthiest cities in the world in 1950. We were the hub and center for innovations in engineering and finance. If we want to escape the identity of one of the poorest American cities, we need to embrace that creative spirit again.

I'll give you engineering, but what are the innovations in finance that you say occurred here?