Charter Revision & copy of proposed charter with commentary

Attachment 10675
Having received an email [[quoted at the bottom of this post), I thought it important that I make this statement. Feel free to pass it on.

All,

I encourage all Detroit voters to read the proposed charter Attachment 10675 for themselves before deciding how they will vote. To that end, I am personally forwarding an electronic copy to you and to anyone else who requests it.

In 2009, Detroit voters overwhelmingly voted for districts. That measure passed by a majority vote of the people of the city of Detroit. Please note that any vote you cast on November 8, 2011 will not change that. Districts will come to the city in 2013 because Detroiters have already approved districts. Your vote on the revised charter presented to you on November 8, 2011 will help decide HOW those districts function but it will not change the fact that we will HAVE districts.

The charter revision process was a long and arduous process and we all know that it is, and will always be, impossible to please every one of us. As with any Democratic process, some things were voted on and passed and others were voted on and failed. That is a very basic principle of democracy. The revised charter has changes that affect ALL Detroiters, thus all should read it for themselves.

We all know that change is not easy, nor is it swift. The only way change will come in the city of Detroit is if each and every one of you reads the proposed charter for yourself and casts your vote based on your understanding of the contents. I am not asking you to vote for or against the charter, I'm simply asking that you ensure that you are an informed voter when you go to the polls to vote on the charter question. Informed voters gather information from all sources and do their own homework. I have trust that you will do that.

Cara Blount
Detroit Charter Commission

Quote:

---

On 2:59 PM, ______wrote:

The year 2011 is a pivotal year for African Americans in Detroit. Several ballot initiatives that made their way to the ballot in 2009 under questionable circumstances threaten to diminish forever the political power of Blacks in Detroit: Council by districts, which had been resoundingly rejected by Detroit voters since 1918, miraculously passed in 2009 by an overwhelming majority.

The election of council members by district promises to dilute the Black vote when it takes effect in 2012. Another undertaking that will forever change Detroit is Mayor Dave Bing’s plan to force hundreds of thousands of Detroiters to relocate to designated areas of the city, as part of a plan to “shrink” Detroit. The plan was devised with virtually no input from the citizens of Detroit who believe Bing’s plan is intended to free valuable Detroit land for annexation by suburbs that are landlocked.

---

I will be voting "no" due to the proposed arrangement that lets Council members develop the districts [[ they certainly have their own axes to grind in the matter and they should not be the arbitors) and the proposed election and expanded authorities of the Police commission in regard o the hiring of a Chief.

Give the districting job to Metzger or Data Driven Detroit...

Why not merge all the districts to match? Meaning whatever the boundaries are for City Council, those should also be the boundaries for police precincts and fire department battalions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL Jimbo

Why not merge all the districts to match? Meaning whatever the boundaries are for City Council, those should also be the boundaries for police precincts and fire department battalions.

---

Well, you need nine districts, and there are 13 precincts. Anyway, the objection is that city council should NOT draw up districts, or they'll just be like at-large districts anyway.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I will be voting "no" due to the proposed arrangement that lets Council members develop the districts [[ they certainly have their own axes to grind in the matter and they should not be the arbitors) and the proposed election and expanded authorities of the Police commission in regard o the hiring of a Chief.

---

The council thing is state law, a municipality's legislative body is required to draw any districts

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MSUguy

The council thing is state law, a municipality's legislative body is required to draw any districts

---

Hypestyles posted before that he attended a public meeting at Second Ebenezer Church, and that Pugh was there, as well as a representative of the city's department of elections. Hype said the elections representative asserted that their office would determine districts. Did a judge determine otherwise?

Here's a link to the thread: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...eate-districts.

Still, I vote no. If a technicality impedes then it impedes. Change the law and then come back.

As a SW Detroit resident I am concerned that the present council will probably disenfranchise our white and Hispanic population. It has happened before. For example, this community did not vote for KK and he just treated our neighborhoods like dirt. Also, this was Ken Cockrel for Mayor territory and that did not go over well.

Yes, we want districts. But we want them drawn so we, the people, get full benefit of them -- not the current crop of councilmembers!

This late in the game it is probably better to set the districts then hold new elections to vote in council members that are going to bat for their district, if they do not do their job they do not get voted back in.

That way it does not matter who draws the line in the end it is about representation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Hypestyles posted before that he attended a public meeting at Second Ebenezer Church, and that Pugh was there, as well as a representative of the city's department of elections. Hype said the elections representative asserted that their office would determine districts. Did a judge determine otherwise?

Here's a link to the thread: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...eate-districts.

---

Yeah around May there was ruling. I'd post an article, but I can't find a single one, but the election commission can not draw district line

Quote:

---

On 2:59 PM, ______wrote:

The year 2011 is a pivotal year for African Americans in Detroit. Several ballot initiatives that made their way to the ballot in 2009 under questionable circumstances threaten to diminish forever the political power of Blacks in Detroit: Council by districts, which had been resoundingly rejected by Detroit voters since 1918, miraculously passed in 2009 by an overwhelming majority.

The election of council members by district promises to dilute the Black vote when it takes effect in 2012. Another undertaking that will forever change Detroit is Mayor Dave Bing’s plan to force hundreds of thousands of Detroiters to relocate to designated areas of the city, as part of a plan to “shrink” Detroit. The plan was devised with virtually no input from the citizens of Detroit who believe Bing’s plan is intended to free valuable Detroit land for annexation by suburbs that are landlocked.

---

Gee... the only words missing from this letter are "hidden agenda"....

1) Funny that the writer of this letter doesn't have a long enough memory to remember that one of the main reason for the Council member by district was because of the 3 "Wit" sisters that were in the "clownsil".... "Half" [[Monica Conyers) "Dim" [[Martha Reeves) and "Nit" [[Barbara Rose Collins). How can the passing of this resolution be a "miracle" when we had these 3 in council?

2) Yes "hundreds of thousands" sounds about right... if you've only have half a brain, and can't use math.... hundreds of thousands would cost billions of dollars... they forgot to mention that the Detroit government cannot afford this expense.

3) Ah yes.... the suburbs are salivating at the thought of taking thousands of acres of city owned cleared land... and do what with it?? I haven't a clue... but wait... maybe the suburbs can use this land to resettle Detoiters who moved out of the city... thereby freeing the suburbs just for whites.... that's the ticket... yes... they see thru the suburban plot.... damn..... who snitched and told them the suburbs "hidden agenda" with the duplicity of Mayor Bing?

Well at least now we have the missing "hidden agenda" covered.... :eek:

[[Sarcasm alert off)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SWMAP

Still, I vote no. If a technicality impedes then it impedes. Change the law and then come back.

As a SW Detroit resident I am concerned that the present council will probably disenfranchise our white and Hispanic population. It has happened before. For example, this community did not vote for KK and he just treated our neighborhoods like dirt. Also, this was Ken Cockrel for Mayor territory and that did not go over well.

---

Maybe in councils past, but the race baiting tendencies that typified past city councils isn't really here with this group. So I'm willing to give them some benefit of the doubt.

Bump to let you all notice that we have added the Draft proposed charter to the first post.

Attachment 10675

Nice revisions, according to the charter there is really no need for the DEGC as the planning department would be responsible, but over all this is a major step in Detroit's future and a big step toward the right direction.

In the DOR is this a bit of setting up for a claim?

[[The people have a right to expect city government to provide for its residents, decent housing; job opportunities; reliable, convenient and comfortable transportation; recreational facilities and activities; cultural enrichment, including libraries and art and historical museums; clean air and waterways, safe drinking water and a sanitary, environmentally sound city.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

Nice revisions, according to the charter there is really no need for the DEGC as the planning department would be responsible, but over all this is a major step in Detroit's future and a big step toward the right direction.

In the DOR is this a bit of setting up for a claim?

[[The people have a right to expect city government to provide for its residents, decent housing; job opportunities; reliable, convenient and comfortable transportation; recreational facilities and activities; cultural enrichment, including libraries and art and historical museums; clean air and waterways, safe drinking water and a sanitary, environmentally sound city.)

---

Actually, the current charter reads: "the people have a right to expect city government to provide for its residents decent housing, excellence in education, job opportunities, reliable, convenient and comfortable transportation; recreational facilities, organized programs of recreational activities; cultural enrichment, including libraries and art and historical museums; clean air and waterways, safe drinking water and a sanitary, environmentally sound city".

If anyone needs a copy of the current [[1997) charter so you can compare, its available here: http://www.detroitmi.gov/CityCouncil...4/Default.aspx

Thanks to Lowell for posting the .pdf for me!