I've encountered most of them. Pugh and Brown came to our neighborhood meeting one time.

Kenyatta shot me an e-mail one time about broken street light issues I was having.

Spivey lives a block away from me. Very nice guy. Pretty involved in the neighborhood, too.

I've met Tate before, he lives by my boss, he's also pretty nice.

Brenda Jones came to a block party in my old neighborhood before.

Met Jenkins while she was campaigning.

I know people like to hate on them, but they're all pretty nice people - people you'd like to have as neighbors or co-workers. Now, are they equipped to handle Detroit's problems? I don't think so. Keep in mind, though, that they're the ones proposing the much more sizable cuts than the mayor.

The only exception I'd take from that group is JoAnn Watson. She's a bully and a race-baiter. She shouts and makes a scene, but what has she ever done that's made the city better? She also paid $64 taxes on her house in Russell Woods for years and left it unreported...real integrity there.