Pugh new Clowncil Pres

**EastsideAl** · November-04-09, 05:35 AM

This is actually an unprecedented result, and is evidence of a very strong anti-incumbent sentiment amongst Detroit voters.

Has there ever been a City Council election in which only 4 incumbent council members were returned? In which the top 3 vote-getters were all newcomers? Certainly not in my lifetime.

Given the list of candidates and the result of the primaries, I'm not sure what sort of miracle from the heavens people here were expecting, but this is an outcome that represents a rather significant change in Detroit's electoral politics.

**Big Dog** · November-04-09, 08:00 AM

Pugh as chairman is ludicrous. Bring back Martha Reeves.

**ScienceFair** · November-04-09, 08:56 AM

Can we maybe wait at least a week or two before we start bashing the new City Council? At least wait for them to screw something up first before we declare them as the worst ever? We no longer have Martha Rose or MonCon on the council and for me that's a good start.

**Sstashmoo** · November-04-09, 09:34 AM

Quote: "Pugh was served eviction notices what, 5 times, while living at Trolley Plaza? Then, his loft gets foreclosed on and put up for auction. This is the change Detroit needs? This is "The Next Detroit?" What a fuckin joke. I'm convinced that the majority of registered voters are in fact idiots."

The old adage that goes something like: A good manager is a person that can manage their own affairs, is a fallacy. I've seen it proven false many times. Then there is the adages: Who's sink leaks? The plumbers, and Who drives a piece of shit car? A mechanic. Him having financial problems in his personal life does not mean he will not apply himself responsibly in the role of city council. He has a good tude and I think he wants what is best for Detroit. I may be wrong, time will tell.

Anyone that can have that much trouble in their personal life [[and it may not be his fault) And can still manage to run in a public election and win, shows they have some management ability. Actually the kind that Detroit needs. Do it with nothing.

**usa1** · November-04-09, 09:48 AM

Charles Pugh has too much personal and financial baggage to be on Detroit Council. Let him live in Detroit awhile before the people elected him - What has he ever done for Detroiters to earn the title of Council President? I feel he will bring more scandal to Detroit...Time will tell.

**MikeM** · November-04-09, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Supersport

Pugh was served eviction notices what, 5 times, while living at Trolley Plaza? Then, his loft gets foreclosed on and put up for auction. This is the change Detroit needs? This is "The Next Detroit?" What a fuckin joke. I'm convinced that the majority of registered voters are in fact idiots.

Maybe that's something most Detroiters can identify with?

**EastsideAl** · November-04-09, 10:15 AM

I'm not very happy that Pugh won the Council presidency, but it was clear from the primary that he was going to finish near the top. In addition to his obviously high visibility, he pretty much outspent everyone else in the race, and overall ran a the most active city-wide campaign.

Still, I'm far from despairing over the result. The defeat of Martha and Tinsley-Talabi, along with the disappearance of Monica and Barbara-Rose has to be a net positive. Hell, even Jo-Ann Watson very nearly lost. Detroit voters did show both the will and ability to throw the scoundrels out, and the motivation to change some things, particularly with the victory of the district plan. So, even if those changes don't meet the standards of some people around here, I really see little reason for the nastiness in this thread. What, did you think we were somehow going to go back to the days of 8 white people and Nick Hood?

**slick** · November-04-09, 11:32 AM

Can we maybe wait at least a week or two before we start bashing the new City Council?

You have until Jan 1 for the new council.
gives you time to address your concerns to the new council.

**d.mcc** · November-04-09, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I'm not very happy that Pugh won the Council presidency, but it was clear from the primary that he was going to finish near the top. In addition to his obviously high visibility, he pretty much outspent everyone else in the race, and overall ran a the most active city-wide campaign.

Still, I'm far from despairing over the result. The defeat of Martha and Tinsley-Talabi, along with the disappearance of Monica and Barbara-Rose has to be a net positive. Hell, even Jo-Ann Watson very nearly lost. Detroit voters did show both the will and ability to throw the scoundrels out, and the motivation to change some things, particularly with the victory of the district plan. So, even if those changes don't meet the standards of some people around here, I really see little reason for the nastiness in this thread. What, did you think we were somehow going to go back to the days of 8 white people and Nick Hood?

I do think its quite humorous that the most Qualified of all the candidates finished DEAD LAST in voting. Goes to show that Detroit looks solely on the familiar name and not the qualifications and goals a particular candidate has. Once again, no representation for the Southwestern part of the city, allowing their needs to be trampled over for another 4 years until they MIGHT get their own district...

**d.mcc** · November-04-09, 11:56 AM

One stop Pugh intends to make is to the Board of Elections for paperwork certifying he’ll be paid $85,000 a year for the new spot – cash to pay his mortgage.

Well thank god for that...

**Danny** · November-04-09, 12:06 PM

Political performers are the new wave on American politics. People don't at the principles and experiences from the candidates. Look what happen to former Detroit mayor King Kwame Kilpatrick and Barrack Hussien Obama, Your first Premier of the Pre-federative Democratic Socialist Communist United States of Amerika.

So Charles Pugh's appearance as a political performer as a former Fox 2 News anchorman made him new member of the New Detroit City Council and New city council president. Now let's see how well he perform on city issues and dealing the city's 300 million dollar budget deficit.

**d.mcc** · November-04-09, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

So Charles Pugh's appearance as a political performer as a former Fox 2 News anchorman made him new member of the New Detroit City Council and New city council president. Now let's see how well he perform on city issues and dealing the city's 300 million dollar budget deficit.

Probably try to cheat those lenders too...

I will say it is probably a good thing to have the first openly gay Council Pres in Detroit's history. I guess that lone speaks volumes. I still feel he is not the man for the top job though...

**mauser** · November-04-09, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Supersport

Pugh was served eviction notices what, 5 times, while living at Trolley Plaza? Then, his loft gets foreclosed on and put up for auction. This is the change Detroit needs? This is "The Next Detroit?" What a fuckin joke. I'm convinced that the majority of registered voters are in fact idiots.

Not to defend any deadbeat type behavior - if that is what it was - but.....

Sport, youve heard the stories from folks living at TP, isnt it possible that he was fighting over lack of services in those disputes ?

My theory doesnt stretch across Woodward to his Crosswinds condo though.

**Danny** · November-04-09, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by d.mcc

Probably try to cheat those lenders too...

I will say it is probably a good thing to have the first openly gay Council Pres in Detroit's history. I guess that lone speaks volumes. I still feel he is not the man for the top job though...

Try not to treat Charles Pugh as Harvey Milk for he's not. People will look at him as political performer from the 'TELL A LIE' vision news anchor who will be city council president. Let's give a chance and see what he can do move Detroit forward in the 21st Century.

**EastsideAl** · November-04-09, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by d.mcc

I do think its quite humorous that the most Qualified of all the candidates finished DEAD LAST in voting. Goes to show that Detroit looks solely on the familiar name and not the qualifications and goals a particular candidate has. Once again, no representation for the Southwestern part of the city, allowing their needs to be trampled over for another 4 years until they MIGHT get their own district...

I'm not sure about your contention that David Cross was the MOST qualified candidate [[that is who you're talking about, right?). Even if I had ever heard of him before his endorsement by the Free Press, it would be hard to find any information on him other than that he went to Wayne and Cooley Law, is in some sort of real estate business, is very religious, has basically no previous political experience, and doesn't look like he's affiliated with any of the major organizations in the city. You definitely couldn't gather any more about him from his basically information-free single-page website - which advertises a fundraiser in December 2008. He didn't seem to know how to run a campaign, and I certainly never saw or heard of him campaigning over here in this part of the east side.

Of course, the election of regional candidates and candidates with particular bases is certainly possible under Detroit's current system. Given the population density of the southwest side, if voters there could agree on a single candidate to back I don't think it presents anything like an insurmountable obstacle for them to get the 50,000 or so votes needed to be elected to the Council.

There are candidates like this. Brenda Jones, who almost no one here seems to know anything about, has largely run her successful campaigns through the backing of the city's unions and union members [[she's a former Communication Workers local president). Barbara-Rose Collins, despite being crazy, was able to sustain herself politically for years with the backing of the Shrine of the Black Madonna and an appeal to the interests of her neighbors on the east side.

**d.mcc** · November-04-09, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I'm not sure about your contention that David Cross was the MOST qualified candidate [[that is who you're talking about, right?). Even if I had ever heard of him before his endorsement by the Free Press, it would be hard to find any information on him other than that he went to Wayne and Cooley Law, is in some sort of real estate business, is very religious, has basically no previous political experience, and doesn't look like he's affiliated with any of the major organizations in the city. You definitely couldn't gather any more about him from his basically information-free single-page website - which advertises a fundraiser in December 2008. He didn't seem to know how to run a campaign, and I certainly never saw or heard of him campaigning over here in this part of the east side.

Of course, the election of regional candidates and candidates with particular bases is certainly possible under Detroit's current system. Given the population density of the southwest side, if voters there could agree on a single candidate to back I don't think it presents anything like an insurmountable obstacle for them to get the 50,000 or so votes needed to be elected to the Council.

There are candidates like this. Brenda Jones, who almost no one here seems to know anything about, has largely run her successful campaigns through the backing of the city's unions and union members [[she's a former Communication Workers local president). Barbara-Rose Collins, despite being crazy, was able to sustain herself politically for years with the backing of the Shrine of the Black Madonna and an appeal to the interests of her neighbors on the east side.

I was referring to Okdie

**EastsideAl** · November-04-09, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by d.mcc

I was referring to Okdie

Ahh, well, Okdie is different. We interviewed him in our neighborhood forum and he was indeed pretty impressive. He has some deep roots in the community, a number of good relationships with folks across the city, an endorsement from Rev. Holley, and a history with Mel Ravitz, John Conyers, Jennifer Granholm, etc. Having come in near the bottom of the nominated candidates in the primary he really had no realistic shot to be elected this time around, but he did more than triple his primary vote total and move past a couple of people to end up 15th.

As I understand it, this was his first political campaign, and he didn't have a lot of money behind him, so this finish was actually reasonably impressive. Obviously, there are a certain number of voters who will be unwilling to vote for an Arabic man named Mohamed, but then there were a lot of people who wouldn't vote for Barack Obama either. If he builds up his name recognition, and keeps building relationships and raising funds, he should do a lot better the next time around. Particularly now that there are probably going to be district elections. I'm not sure where he lives, but I got the impression that it was somewhere in the central city. And I also took it that his roots are on the southwest side down near Dix. I would think if he could run in either of those areas he'd have a real shot.

**d.mcc** · November-04-09, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Ahh, well, Okdie is different. We interviewed him in our neighborhood forum and he was indeed pretty impressive. He has some deep roots in the community, a number of good relationships with folks across the city, an endorsement from Rev. Holley, and a history with Mel Ravitz, John Conyers, Jennifer Granholm, etc. Having come in near the bottom of the nominated candidates in the primary he really had no realistic shot to be elected this time around, but he did more than triple his primary vote total and move past a couple of people to end up 15th.

As I understand it, this was his first political campaign, and he didn't have a lot of money behind him, so this finish was actually reasonably impressive. Obviously, there are a certain number of voters who will be unwilling to vote for an Arabic man named Mohamed, but then there were a lot of people who wouldn't vote for Barack Obama either. If he builds up his name recognition, and keeps building relationships and raising funds, he should do a lot better the next time around. Particularly now that there are probably going to be district elections. I'm not sure where he lives, but I got the impression that it was somewhere in the central city. And I also took it that his roots are on the southwest side down near Dix. I would think if he could run in either of those areas he'd have a real shot.

I was impressed impressed with his work in DPS, his social work, his work as a community liaison, and most notably [[to me at least) his leadership in the Michigan Federation of Teachers.

Someone with such a strong educational background as well as work in social services could have been very beneficial to a council and city facing issues with the school board and a staggering graduation and illiteracy rate.

Cities may rely on economies, but the need for educated consumers and citizens that can drive said economy with jobs and citizen empowerment should be the focus of Detroit in the next 10 years. You build from the bottom up, not the top down.

I truly hope he gets [[and takes) another shot in 2013 when we go to Council By District.

**EDBL** · November-04-09, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by g-dub

Okay, yeah, it's a testament to the dumb Detroit voter who thinks, yeah, I know that guy from TV. Let's vote himt to council. Still, though, a lot of people thought that a gay dude wouldn't stand a chance, that his orientation was still such a taboo in the community that he would be rejected. So, at least there's the minor 'victory' of a gay man having received so many votes in Detroit. Progress? Not really, but a little surprising nonetheless.

I posted on here a few months ago that I thought he would get on Council [[and rightly so) but no way would he be the top vote getter due to his personal beliefs [[not that that matters). Certainly after his personal finance issue I really didn't think it would happen. Well, I stand corrected.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt but here's my concern. You were making 200 large and are used to that lifestyle. Now you make 80 and change.

Probably baseless, so I'm giving the guy a chance.