JoAnn Watson

**DetLiving** · April-23-12, 12:29 PM

It's time for councilmember Watson to step down from office. With large budget cuts coming, the Mayor wanting to lay off 2,500 city employees it really time to get down to work.

What was JoAnn Watson's issue today during the budget hearing. Not police, not fire, not closing the Health Department. No, she want's to maintain the council video crew. I say lay off the 8 council appointed camera men, and stop the show. Enough council hyperbole, get down to work.

Buy American · April-23-12, 12:33 PM

I wonder if she's caught up with her taxes yet...I can't get over the $68/yr. she paid and got away with paying until the news media got wind of it. She's all for Detroit when it comes to her pocket isn't she? She preaches her racist hatred and yet she screws the City out of what was due them. What a hypocrite she is.

**JBMcB** · April-23-12, 12:45 PM

8 PERSON VIDEO CREW!?!?!? What is this, 1975? Is one of the jobs cleaning the heads on their U-Matic?

Fire them all, buy a couple of digital video cameras, a Tricaster Studio and hire an intern to run it. It'll pay for itself in a month.

Crap, there are video podcast networks that run an entire news studio with one guy part-timing a Tricaster.

**SWMAP** · April-23-12, 12:49 PM

I agree, And, although she would sermonize about transparent government, the real reason is most likely all teh free cable time for someone who has to be re-elected. Who else can compete? I think our govenrnment would be better-served if the posing for the camera were to be suspended.

**Zacha341** · April-23-12, 01:43 PM

Yikes! I know one of the camera staff.... bad times, but not unexpected in this crisis. Time to dust of resume and get ready. I'd already done that if I worked for the city. The handwriting - albeit scribbled, crossed out and re-written at times - has been on the wall for some time re. days like this.

**poobert** · April-23-12, 02:22 PM

Interesting that in 5 posts we have easily identified several problems with both this situation and Detroit government in general:
1) job redundancy due to lack of innovation, both technological and personal creativity. I'm not one to blame the unions, but I am sure they have a big hand in this with work rules as well - like your whole job is to wipe the camera lens and they can't make you do anything else.
2) grandstanding, duh.
3) personal corruption.
4) general lack of intelligence.

I was honest to God hoping when I saw the title of this thread that something non-fatal had happened to her that would prevent her from ever working in city government again. Sadly, just more of the same. We're pretty much out of money now but still need to pay the camera crew. JoAnn, give it up, you have a face for radio.

**Blueidone** · April-23-12, 02:26 PM

WSU has a school on video production, don't they? How about internship for the students?

I used to live in a very small city that taped their meetings. They had ONE camera and one or two operators, I think. But I will say this...the worst thing they ever did was put these people in front of a camera. The meetings went from 1 or 2 hours to 4 to 5 hours. There was way too much playing to the camera and what I call "fru-fru" stuff to make themselves look good. And the public comment section of the agenda was always at the end, so people would get bored and leave without commenting on issues they cared about.

I saw the same thing happen when C-Span came about. I think if residents care enough about their city they should show up, or mail in comments or whatever, but the cameras should be eliminated and let council get to work instead of pandering to the cameras.

**Zacha341** · April-23-12, 02:29 PM

Umm, I was feeling you for a while 'till you went there with the 'general lack of intelligence'... comment.

General to her [[Watson) or are we talking a broader brush?

**Detroitnerd** · April-23-12, 02:30 PM

Big surprise to see everybody demanding the resignation of the socialist on the council ... until you look at who's doing the demanding. This tooth-gnashing outrage is so much political theater.

Right, left, center and fringe all agree that the dummy who should step down is Pugh.

**Zacha341** · April-23-12, 02:32 PM

Yeah sometimes it did get TMZ-like, gone bad [[if there can be any further depths), with no hah-hahs....

Originally Posted by Blueidone

The meetings went from 1 or 2 hours to 4 to 5 hours. There was way too much playing to the camera and what I call "fru-fru" stuff to make themselves look good. And the public comment section of the agenda was always at the end, so people would get bored and leave without commenting on issues they cared about.

I saw the same thing happen when C-Span came about....

**poobert** · April-23-12, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Big surprise to see everybody demanding the resignation of the socialist on the council ... until you look at who's doing the demanding. This tooth-gnashing outrage is so much political theater.

Right, left, center and fringe all agree that the dummy who should step down is Pugh.

You mean this card-carrying socialist Detroiter? Not even joking about that one.

Is that why she didn't pay her fair share in taxes, out of principal, then?

Not sure how she has advanced the cause. She's been on the council for 9 years. In those years the bottom fell out and the city effectively went bankrupt. This is to say nothing of her tirades and other assorted antics. I'm not saying it's all her fault but unlike yourself I'm not willing to ignore her record based on her political affiliations. Not sure what she's been doing for nine years while everything went to hell in a handbasket - mostly things not related to her core job function, which anyone else would get fired for - but every time I encountered her it was all about JoAnn Watson.

Clearly we need a council full of people like her. Say that with a straight face.

**downtownguy** · April-23-12, 03:07 PM

Of course, it's all about keeping your mug in front of public and getting re-elected. That said, I think the broadcasts are a valuable tool for interested residents to see the council in action. I favor finding a better, more economical way to preserve the broadcasts, and not eliminating them completely.

IIRC correctly, the public broadcast channels had a large part of their budgets paid for by Barden, now Comcast as part of their contract to serve the city with cable. If that's still true, they should look to those funds to pay for the council broadcasts.

**Zacha341** · April-23-12, 03:23 PM

Agreed. I'm for retaining the broadcasts some lower cost yet effective digital stream. Sometimes some interesting info and thing not meant to be heard 'slipped' thru!

**jj84** · April-23-12, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

Of course, it's all about keeping your mug in front of public and getting re-elected. That said, I think the broadcasts are a valuable tool for interested residents to see the council in action. I favor finding a better, more economical way to preserve the broadcasts, and not eliminating them completely.

IIRC correctly, the public broadcast channels had a large part of their budgets paid for by Barden, now Comcast as part of their contract to serve the city with cable. If that's still true, they should look to those funds to pay for the council broadcasts.

They do -- just look at the Franchise Fee on your cable bill. There was some changes when AT&T lobbied the state a few years back when they were launching Uvers. However now that times are tough in many cities those franchise fees have been going to General Fund accounts to help patch holes. That's probably why there was 7 people working -- the money was earmarked in accounting for the Cable TV Dept and was taking in a bunch of money -- they needed to spend it and what better way than to hire your friends and neighbors.

In a lot of communites that gave/give discounts on cable to Seniors the funds came from these franchise fees [[bet you didn't know you were subsidizing your neighbors cable) then the city would right a check back to cable company for that discount from these accounts.

**Flintoid** · April-23-12, 03:41 PM

JoAnn Watson and Kwame Kenyatta have been an absolute joke throughout this entire fiscal crisis.

**jj84** · April-23-12, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Flintoid

JoAnn Watson and Kwame Kenyatta have been an absolute joke throughout this entire fiscal crisis.

But they appeal to their core voters - who are probably the same group of people. Will be interesting if they even bother running with the new districts or they try to go after the at large seats. [[they do stand a better chance at those as their core voting block of people are spread out though out the city)

**Detroitnerd** · April-23-12, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

You mean this card-carrying socialist Detroiter? Not even joking about that one.

Is that why she didn't pay her fair share in taxes, out of principal, then?

Not sure how she has advanced the cause. She's been on the council for 9 years. In those years the bottom fell out and the city effectively went bankrupt. This is to say nothing of her tirades and other assorted antics. I'm not saying it's all her fault but unlike yourself I'm not willing to ignore her record based on her political affiliations. Not sure what she's been doing for nine years while everything went to hell in a handbasket - mostly things not related to her core job function, which anyone else would get fired for - but every time I encountered her it was all about JoAnn Watson.

Clearly we need a council full of people like her. Say that with a straight face.

I kind of like that we have a socialist on the council. Sure, I think she has made some fuck-ups [[I wouldn't really want to be affiliated with Diane Bukowski, for instance), and I don't know that she is squeaky-squeaky clean, but, yeah, for the most part, she appears to be. She's affiliated with the ACLU, which is a plus in my book. She's an activist who rose to government by working with local organizations, which I'd like to see more of, frankly. She's helping fight foreclosures, and trying to create jobs for young people, which is important.

As for presiding over the death of Detroit, I think we give our leaders too much credit. Who could have stopped Detroit from its fate? Nobody could have. The forces in play are just too powerful. They know their job is to preside over and ameliorate the worst of the ongoing disaster. [[By the same token, a soap dish could have run Oakland County 1965-2005 and been re-elected over and over again, right?)

Now, I'm an independent. And I think both sides of the aisle are overflowing with chest-thumping hypocrites who only see the shortcomings of the other side, and forgive all errors [[accidental and intentional) on their own. So I'm not really for her based on political alignment. I'm just saying, a bunch of people who are against her because of her political alignment are not going to shame her into resigning.

Just not going to happen.

**Hermod** · April-23-12, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

As for presiding over the death of Detroit, I think we give our leaders too much credit. Who could have stopped Detroit from its fate?

A very, very persuasive Marcus Garvey?

**sumas** · April-23-12, 05:24 PM

Joann Watson is a huge joke. Been in front of council many times regarding neighborhood issues. She is just disgusting, her complete lack of greater Detroit knowledge is only exceeded by her girth. She has some serious supporters but personally wonder which fake non profit is she helping out.

Would recommend to take a second look at Kenyetta, lot more there than you might think. On a cynical note not much to choose from.

**Detroitnerd** · April-23-12, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

A very, very persuasive Marcus Garvey?

Sigh ......

**Wesley Mouch** · April-23-12, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

<snip> She's helping fight foreclosures, and trying to create jobs for young people, which is important.

As for presiding over the death of Detroit, I think we give our leaders too much credit. Who could have stopped Detroit from its fate? Nobody could have. The forces in play are just too powerful. They know their job is to preside over and ameliorate the worst of the ongoing disaster. [[By the same token, a soap dish could have run Oakland County 1965-2005 and been re-elected over and over again, right?)
<snip>

Mr. Nerd:

I do not accept the notion that because the task is daunting, actions do not matter. Would you rather have Cory Booker or Joanne Watson? Do you think Mr. Booker has no impact on Newark? Do you think Newark's problems are too big to stop?

I'm OK with a little socialist grandstanding about foreclosures. But not in place of leadership.

**sumas** · April-23-12, 05:52 PM

sorry if I sound a bit bitter, maybe? I love my city, my neighbors and my neighborhood.

Can't wait until we have council that do live in and represent our actual areas. The cluster fuck on the west side needs to go.

Kudos to Kenny for living in Corktown and if he wasn't elected mayor he certainly should have been council president. Pugh, yech!

I do admit I have a personal bitch against Watson. Done my little diatibe against her in past posts. Yes i am White, female and close to old.

Any asshole like "Watson" who tells me "shooo" when presenting ordinary civic concerns can kiss my old white ass! That bitch is not in my community or representing citizens interests. She is more interested in very stupid racists comments.

**Detroitnerd** · April-23-12, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Mr. Nerd:

I do not accept the notion that because the task is daunting, actions do not matter. Would you rather have Cory Booker or Joanne Watson? Do you think Mr. Booker has no impact on Newark? Do you think Newark's problems are too big to stop?

I'm OK with a little socialist grandstanding about foreclosures. But not in place of leadership.

No, I think her actions do matter. And I did my best to point which actions matter to me, as a Detroit resident. Sure, we don't absolve people of crimes because the situation is impossible. I just don't see the crimes here in this thread. I see some people who'd be her political enemies if she were perfect grinding some itty-bitty hatchets. S'all.

**JBMcB** · April-23-12, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

I'm OK with a little socialist grandstanding about foreclosures. But not in place of leadership.

Just as with capitalists, there are socialists who align themselves that way because they want to help regular people. Then there are those who are in it because it puts the greatest amount of power, wealth and influence into their hands.

You can make inferences as to which Watson is.