Andrae Townsel to Run For Mayor of Detroit

[313WX]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...ml?ref=detroit

Native Detroiter Andrae Townsel wears many hats: He's in school to get his doctorate in education administration, works as the dean of students at a Washington D.C. public school, raps and even had a stint as a professional football player [[albeit on a Canadian Football League team).

Now, Townsel has a new plan. He's running for mayor of his hometown, he announced Saturday.

The Detroit mayoral race for 2013 hasn't hit full steam yet, but several other candidates have showed interest in the top city position. City Council President Charles Pugh announced earlier this year he would not run for re-election to his current position and is considering a run for mayor, and state Rep. Lisa Howze [[D-Detroit) announced her candidacy in February. Then there's Mike Duggan, CEO of Detroit Medical Center -- while he's confirmed nothing, rumors of a run have been mounting.

For now, Mayor Dave Bing has focused on the work at hand and has not announced his plans for 2013, though he hasn't ruled out seeking a second term.

Compared to other possible candidates, Townsel, who grew up on Detroit's west side and graduated from Cass Technical High School before getting a scholarship to Howard University in D.C., is younger and less immersed in city and state politics. But he argues his passion for his hometown, innovation and leadership abilities will make up for his lack of experience.

[DetroitPlanner]

How can he live in DC but run for Mayor here?

[SWMAP]

I voted for an arrogant young man once who was running for Mayor of Detroit because he [[too) had a "passion" for his hometown- or so he said.
Never again.

[313WX]

I voted for an arrogant young man once who was running for Mayor of Detroit because he [[too) had a "passion" for his hometown- or so he said.
Never again.

I thought the same thing.

What's even creepier is that he and Kwame do have several striking similarities.

[jerrytimes]

He seems nothing like Kwame. Even his rap song sounded positive [[not that it means he'd be a good mayor)

[wolverine]

He seems nothing like Kwame. Even his rap song sounded positive [[not that it means he'd be a good mayor)

I would vote for someone that has absolutely zero connections to the city, has never lived in Detroit...or heck, never even visited Detroit.

It would be a blank slate. All they'd do is run the damn city and do it the best they can. No shady inside deals or friends in high places.

[Hypestyles]

doesn't the new charter say somebody has to be a city resident for a year-- is that by the time they file the paperwork, by the date of the final election or by the [[theoretical) time that they would take office if elected?

so if this gentleman is living in DC now...

[313WX]

I would vote for someone that has absolutely zero connections to the city, has never lived in Detroit...or heck, never even visited Detroit.

It would be a blank slate. All they'd do is run the damn city and do it the best they can. No shady inside deals or friends in high places.

Not necessarily.

Bob Bobb wasn't quite the knight in shining armor we thought he'd be.

Detroit seems to be unique in the perspective that its government is filled with so much coruption that otherwise well-meaning folks get sucked in the vortex and [[more or less) become corrupt themselves.

Detroit's government literally needs someone to push its reset button before we can expect any meaningful results from it.

[BasementBeat]

He seems like an alright guy, I agree with jerrytimes- doesn't remind me of Kwame at all. - but I am worried that someone with no political experience who doesn't necessarily know how to eliminate or cut through the bureaucracy will just leave us not spending and/or wasting federal funds. It just seems he'll be surrounded by advisers who'll just have him do whatever they wanted.

Think it'll be a benefit or a curse for Townsel to run for council first?

[corktownyuppie]

He seems like an alright guy, I agree with jerrytimes- doesn't remind me of Kwame at all. - but I am worried that someone with no political experience who doesn't necessarily know how to eliminate or cut through the bureaucracy will just leave us not spending and/or wasting federal funds. It just seems he'll be surrounded by advisers who'll just have him do whatever they wanted.

Think it'll be a benefit or a curse for Townsel to run for council first?

Talented kid. We need 100 more guys like this to step up and get involved. Mayor likely out of his league with his level of experience. Organizational turnaround and orchestrating culture change is not for the faint of heart, even for the most veteran leaders. Think about what it took for Ford to turnaround its dysfunctional internal politics in an environment where cutthroat leaders are competing for an ever-shrinking pool. You needed someone with both stellar levels of business acumen, understanding of finance, and shrewd perception of organizational politics.

Townsel is very likely someone who could become all of those things. But he's not there yet. I'd rather see him get involved and train up for the job rather than be thrown to the wolves on day one.

He's like a talented kid in AAA baseball who has the potential to be a star. But if you promote him up to the majors too early, he'll get eaten alive.

[Danny]

I heard about Andrae Townsel. He used to be a Harvard graduate, went to Washington D.C. Public Schools to be a football coach, seen his You Tube rap. He's got educational game, but not the political game. Andrae has to step in to run for Detroit City Council for the Northwest Detroit area where is grew up first. There he could learn the dirt of Detroit City Government and the rest of the Detroit districts. Then the he could run for Mayor of Detroit by 2028.

Right now his image is like pseudo-Kwame Kilpatrick lifestyle and image. That's something the Detroiters don't want. Andrae needs to clean his persona first, know the district he grews up, run for city council in his district and then if doesn't get into poltical trouble linking to his Kwame Kilpatrickesque persona, then a Mayor of Detroit will work for him.

[jolla]

Andrae has to step in to run for Detroit City Council

Townsel for Clownsel? I kid, I kid!

I think he sounds good. But I don't live in Detroit, so I don't get a vote.

[Anonymous]

I gave a shout out to a friend of mine that went to CT for HS and Howard for undergrad around the same time as him.

I'll see what he says, if he even knows him or of him. Two pretty big schools there.

[Wesley Mouch]

Not necessarily.
...Bob Bobb wasn't quite the knight in shining armor we thought he'd be.
...

You might disagree with his policies. I don't.

Are you saying Bobb is less than honorable? [[Forgive me if I am missing the obvious here.)

But back on topic...Danny?

"He used to be a Harvard graduate" .... does this mean his diploma was taken back?

[313WX]

You might disagree with his policies. I don't.

Are you saying Bobb is less than honorable? [[Forgive me if I am missing the obvious here.)

The purpose of bringing Bobb in [[a person that had absolutely no ties with Detroit politics) was to wipe out the financial problem DPS was facing.

Would you say DPS was ultimately better off, the same, or worse off after his tenure [[yes or no answer will suffice)?

And that's not even to mention some of his other questionable actions with DPS' money during his term.

[firstandten]

The purpose of bringing Bobb in [[a person that had absolutely no ties with Detroit politics) was to wipe out the financial problem DPS was facing.

Would you say DPS was ultimately better off, the same, or worse off after his tenure [[yes or no answer will suffice)?

And that's not even to mention some of his other questionable actions with DPS' money during his term.

My take on Bobb is a little different. Bobb did not do what everybody said he would do and thats was to deal with the finances. However what he did do was to break up the institutional incompetance [[or lets keep doing the same thing and hope for a different result) and in some cases corruption within DPS. As a matter of fact I don't know if that wasn't the goal in the first place and the finance talk was just a bunch of misdirection.

[corktownyuppie]

My take on Bobb is a little different. Bobb did not do what everybody said he would do and thats was to deal with the finances. However what he did do was to break up the institutional incompetance [[or lets keep doing the same thing and hope for a different result) and in some cases corruption within DPS. As a matter of fact I don't know if that wasn't the goal in the first place and the finance talk was just a bunch of misdirection.

I don't think it's either/or. It's both. You can't clean up the finances without cleaning up the corruption first. It's the same reason why we needed the consent agreement in Detroit. We've got police over paying millions in leases. We have departments failing to spend federal funds. We have Mayors raiding pension funds for their own benefit.

I have no opinion on Bobb other than that even if we're in worse shape right now, curbing the corruption is an important first step for the long-term financial stability that we need.

[rhythmc]

I have to admit I haven't heard of him personally, but did stumble across his rap song some time ago [[we have common acquaintances). From all appearances, he's a standup guy. Aside from football and the youth, the similarities with KK stop.

I can't say that I know that he'll be a good candidate for mayor. However, over the years, no one has really proven to be more capable of being mayor on the basis of age, city political experience [[city council is not some revered training ground for mayor) or political connections. He should be given the benefit of the doubt until he proves whether he is capable.

[Wesley Mouch]

The purpose of bringing Bobb in [[a person that had absolutely no ties with Detroit politics) was to wipe out the financial problem DPS was facing.

His job was to handle the 'financial emergency'. He did that.

Would you say DPS was ultimately better off, the same, or worse off after his tenure [[yes or no answer will suffice)?

Yes, better.

And that's not even to mention some of his other questionable actions with DPS' money during his term.

Please be specific. You are dealing with a man's reputation. I have not heard of anything inappropriate or questionable.

[firstandten]

I don't think it's either/or. It's both. You can't clean up the finances without cleaning up the corruption first. It's the same reason why we needed the consent agreement in Detroit. We've got police over paying millions in leases. We have departments failing to spend federal funds. We have Mayors raiding pension funds for their own benefit.

I have no opinion on Bobb other than that even if we're in worse shape right now, curbing the corruption is an important first step for the long-term financial stability that we need.

I agree with that assessment, but when I speak of institutional incompetence I'm also referring to the inept administrators both at the school level, and central office and made the hard decisions to close schools in which the school board should have done years ago but were unwilling to do because of politics.

The district had a real good ole boy [[and girl) system were it became a who you know and can kiss up to and merit became a afterthought.

Bobb went a long way in breaking that culture up.

[poobert]

This guy isn't qualified and doesn't have the experience, period. He can run for council or try again in ten years or so. Kind of nonsense. He's 28.
I have a feeling this is going to be something like the council race a few years ago when there was like 168 people on the primary ballot. Everybody and their mother throwing their hat in the ring.

[firstandten]

This guy isn't qualified and doesn't have the experience, period. He can run for council or try again in ten years or so. Kind of nonsense. He's 28.
I have a feeling this is going to be something like the council race a few years ago when there was like 168 people on the primary ballot. Everybody and their mother throwing their hat in the ring.

Based on the people I spoke too he would get eaten up and spit out due to his lack of experience, I admire that he wants to make his hometown better but he should do it in an lesser office.

You can't make the comparisions with Kwame, because he had been around Detroit and Wayne county politics all of his life, and even though honesty wasn't one of his gifts, he was gifted in other areas which, if he had used properly would have made him a great politician.

[Danny]

Dave Bing on election against Andrei Townsel.

"He's better off running for Superintendent in the Washington D.C. Public School District than being Mayor of Detroit. But I do admire his principles. I see him at the debate. That's when I will kick his a&@!"