Why I can't vote for Cockrel

**Joseph C. Krause** · April-02-09, 10:05 AM

Hemingway, I feel the same way. I like Cockrel's personality more than Bing's, but when it comes down to action he is surprisingly disappointing. As a result I may withhold my vote for mayor, since Bing seems to not be substantially different. If I choose to do this, it will be the first time I ever sat out an important election since I've been able to vote. I can still be persuaded one way or another, but time is running out.

**Fnemecek** · April-02-09, 10:42 AM

I started out liking Ken Cockrel. However, his tenure in the Mayor's Office has simply been one profound disappointment after another.

I'm voting for Dave Bing next month. Will he be better? Maybe. Maybe not. Once in office, Mr. Bing will have 6 months to produce the results that Mr. Cockrel has proven himself uninterested in working towards.

If Mr. Bing gets the job done, he can stay on as Mayor.

If he doesn't, we can boot him out and replace him with someone else.

**Gistok** · April-02-09, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Fnemecek

I started out liking Ken Cockrel....

Yes Fnemecek, but those 6 minutes went by awfully fast....

LOL... no I do agree with you on your points.

I also think that he needs to go back to his old job and regain control of Detroit City Council from that banshee....

lilpup · April-02-09, 11:24 AM

My guess is Cockrel has had to backtrack on some of what he wanted to do thanks to the City's economic situation, e.g. it's great to say get rid in the incinerator, but there are expenses attached to that idea that the City can't afford. There are other ways to start "going green" first that a lot less expensive up front and money saving in the long run. Balances have to be struck.

**E hemingway** · April-02-09, 11:31 AM

I agree that balances have to be struck, but the Lafayette building situation makes me think that he isn't interested in striking balances, doing the best thing fiscally or even listening to the average voter anymore. It really was the straw that broke this camel's back.

**firstandten** · April-02-09, 11:42 AM

I can see where lilpup is coming from . You can make promises and you would think that as a councilperson Cockrel would know the meat and potatoes of most issues, but until you actually get in the office and look at the books you just aren't sure. What complicates the issue this time is that Cockrel would be creating political suicide if he were completely transparent about how bad things are.

Thats another reason why this charter must be revised, we never need these many elections in this short of time span ever again.

**firstandten** · April-02-09, 11:49 AM

Crumbled, I like fast snails

A choice between two flawed candidates, pick your poison

Not sure when the debates are but hopefully we could do without the peanut gallery and just have the two candidates.

Bearinabox · April-02-09, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by lilpup

My guess is Cockrel has had to backtrack on some of what he wanted to do thanks to the City's economic situation, e.g. it's great to say get rid in the incinerator, but there are expenses attached to that idea that the City can't afford. There are other ways to start "going green" first that a lot less expensive up front and money saving in the long run. Balances have to be struck.

Or else the Powers that Be got to him and made it clear that he is not in charge around here.

**Fnemecek** · April-02-09, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Yes Fnemecek, but those 6 minutes went by awfully fast....

LOL... no I do agree with you on your points.

Hey, now. Check the archives. I went a couple of months without saying anything disparaging about our Interim Mayor.

**firstandten** · April-02-09, 11:17 AM

I think Cockrel has/ will do a workman like job as mayor. He does not have the over all vision that I would like to see but I could see us making incremental positive changes with him in office. I believe he is a honest accountable politican, something we can't take for granted after what we have been though.

I am having serious reservations about Bing at this point. The other day he was down in SW Detroit talking about the dual span for the bridge. This is an issue that affects the residents down there to a great degree and the best answer he could come with is that the dual span would create more jobs [[I could have told them that) but that he had to get back to address their other concerns such as the effect on the areas environment, traffic etc. The man is not prepared. Bing passed on questions about the budget because it said he couldn't get it from the city.

Isn't the budget or at least a general outline on the cities website ?

When a candidate runs for office he should be prepped on the 10 to 15 key issues that affect the citizens of the city. He should talk to as many of the key stakeholders for each of the issues that he can and then develop his talking points or position paper for each issue. There was no reason he should have given such a lame answer to those people in SW Detroit about as something as important to them as that.

On my particular hot button issue I want to how he will transition DPS from a school board governance to a mayorial governance without flooding the city with charter schools.

All in all I question his learning curve and I question if he thinks he is the guy on the white horse riding in to save us from ourselves.

Maybe in the next two debates Bing will give us more than generalities and give me a reason to think he's better than Cockrel, otherwise its Cockrel for me with a hope that Hendricks jumps back in for the general election.