Bing vs. Duggan? Detroit's business leaders facing a dilemma

[begingri]

The gist of their common concern:

• Many of the region's top corporate leaders begged Bing to run for mayor in 2009, seeing the pro basketball Hall of Famer as a pro-business, high-integrity guy who could be a healing figure in a city wracked by the chaos and scandal of ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's demise.

• After Bing moved to Detroit from suburban Franklin, won the election handily and inherited a fiscal and organizational nightmare, the big business leaders and campaign donors don't want to seem ungrateful now. And they definitely want to appear supportive while Bing is still mayor.

• However, many of these same corporate leaders regard Bing as a disappointment in office: indecisive when clear vision and urgent action were needed; clumsy in handling relations with the Detroit City Council and state government, and ineffective at stemming the city's fiscal crisis and deterioration of city services. Turnover of executive talent at City Hall has been a glaring problem.

• Now, 15 1/2 months away from the next mayoral election Bing, 68, is making noises like he intends to run again. At a $300-a-head fund-raiser last week for about 200 people at the Detroit Athletic Club, Bing sidestepped a direct question about his re-election intentions, saying only that fixing Detroit will take more than four years and that he needs continued support.

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