DDOT executive let go over extracurriculars.

**brizee** · August-23-12, 08:11 AM

I can't imagiine that he was giving the system his all in any kind of way.

**kenp** · August-23-12, 08:18 AM

Now thats funny.

**Goose** · August-23-12, 08:24 AM

I love how the tone of the article is that he was wrong for the job because he was a tea-partier and not the fact that he lived in up-state New York and held other jobs....

like if he was a card-carrying SEIU member the entire situation would have been perfect......

**Motor City Sam** · August-23-12, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Goose

I love how the tone of the article is that he was wrong for the job because he was a tea-partier and not the fact that he lived in up-state New York and held other jobs....

like if he was a card-carrying SEIU member the entire situation would have been perfect......

Yeah, I noticed that, too, and had the same thought.

**iheartthed** · August-23-12, 08:43 AM

This must be a new era in Detroit that such an easy political target had flown under the radar for as long as he did...

Originally Posted by Goose

I love how the tone of the article is that he was wrong for the job because he was a tea-partier and not the fact that he lived in up-state New York and held other jobs....

like if he was a card-carrying SEIU member the entire situation would have been perfect......

That's what you got out of it? I thought it pretty clearly spelled out the potential conflict of interests between his side gigs and his 9-to-5.

**Motor City Sam** · August-23-12, 08:55 AM

iheartthed, I won't attempt to speak for Goose on this, but I noticed that both Gaffney and Cockrely made mention of the guy's right wing and tea party connections, when to me that is the part with which I have the least issue. If I was commenting to the reporter about this, my only complaint would be paying a guy a full time [[likely six figure plus) salary to do an important job in Detroit while he lived in New York and was basically doing two full time jobs there.

**kenp** · August-23-12, 08:57 AM

This Quote from the News got my attention
"It's just amazing the city would go and hire someone like that," said Henry Gaffney, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26. "Why would you bring in someone who was that right-wing? You know you are going to have friction."

What we need is more friction in this city, status quo aint working

**Motor City Sam** · August-23-12, 09:02 AM

I look forward to reading Stephen Henderson's editorial about the "Intolerable Waste" committed by the Bing Administration and the private firm they hired to run DDOT. If a guy having the classification of horse shoer in the Water Department was enough to set him off, he's going to be furious about City funds going to pay a guy who can't possibly be doing the job he's supposed to be doing. It looks like the City is basically financing this guy's run for office in New York.

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · August-23-12, 09:48 AM

This guy was the tri-fecta EO/diversity/minority hire for the city allowing them to meet federal standards in hiring practices thus making the COD eligible for federal $$. He was vanilla, he was a conservative, and to boot he was a tea party supporter who spewed right wing psycho babble on the radio. Dude brought mucho diversity to the table, now whether or not he was able to do his job while wearing his pajamas in his basement hundreds of miles away for the DOT offices...that's another story. Maybe we can tie him into the Kilpatrick Enterprise Krew and get him on the docket...If you ain't laughing your crying

**Motor City Sam** · August-23-12, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by EASTSIDE CAT 67-83

This guy was the tri-fecta EO/diversity/minority hire for the city allowing them to meet federal standards in hiring practices thus making the COD eligible for federal $$. He was vanilla, he was a conservative, and to boot he was a tea party supporter who spewed right wing psycho babble on the radio. Dude brought mucho diversity to the table, now whether or not he was able to do his job while wearing his pajamas in his basement hundreds of miles away for the DOT offices...that's another story. Maybe we can tie him into the Kilpatrick Enterprise Krew and get him on the docket...If you ain't laughing your crying

I'm actually laughing. That cracked me up.

**Eber Brock Ward** · August-23-12, 10:10 AM

Eh, tea party is big-time against DOT/FTA monies and grants.

All transit systems, including DDOT, rely on these grants.

He should have been fired long before for speaking out against the organization.

**Bham1982** · August-23-12, 10:36 AM

I don't think it's unreasonable that they mentioned the Tea Party ties. Granted, the main issues are his location and his other responsibilites, but Tea Party members are pretty radical in the context of American public policy.

They're certainly against federal support for public transportation, which is the absolute lifeblood of DDOT. It would be like hiring some high profile anti-abortion crusader to head Planned Parenthood. It could be done, I guess, but it would be a really weird fit.

**antongast** · August-23-12, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

This must be a new era in Detroit that such an easy political target had flown under the radar for as long as he did...

I think what happened here is that the News laid off one investigative journalist too many. Seems like all they've been doing for the past seven months is interviewing Ron Freeland and publishing whatever he told them.

**corktownyuppie** · August-23-12, 10:44 AM

I know I harp on the far left and the unions a lot in this forum. But I have just as much disdain for the far right. I save those posts for the "LivingstonCountyYes" forum lol.

It's frustrating as hell in Detroit. Can't we just get a group of moderate civic leaders with a tilt toward economically-sound policies while also having some first-hand understanding of poverty and social issues? Why do we always have to end up with cuckoo-crazies on the margins on both sides?

Maddening.

**Goose** · August-23-12, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

I don't think it's unreasonable that they mentioned the Tea Party ties. Granted, the main issues are his location and his other responsibilites, but Tea Party members are pretty radical in the context of American public policy.

They're certainly against federal support for public transportation, which is the absolute lifeblood of DDOT. It would be like hiring some high profile anti-abortion crusader to head Planned Parenthood. It could be done, I guess, but it would be a really weird fit.

the problem with the premise that you think since he is against Federal Support for public transportation is that he is against ALL support for public transportation.... liberals seems to have this mindset that it has to be a top down higher archey of control with the federal government in washington ruling over everyone

as this example clearly points out, and how it seems most people feel, local control and funding would be more appropriate... now I know that doesn't fit in with your "take from those who have and give to those that don't" idea of federal redistribution of money, but how about cut out the loop of federal beauacracy and keep the money in michigan, why do the feds need to take their "cut"....

and if you think the tea party members are "radical in the context of american public policy", you need to get out of your urban shell and explore the "middle" country... i know, redneck rubes clinging to god and guns......

**Bham1982** · August-23-12, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Goose

as this example clearly points out, and how it seems most people feel, local control and funding would be more appropriate...

So you're saying that Tea Parties are cool with heavy social welfare spending, as long as it's not done at the federal level? States and localities can assume these functions?

I find that hard to believe. Tea Partiers want to shrink government. Period. I don't think they're advocating for higher taxes and more generous social services at the local level.

**bailey** · August-23-12, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

So you're saying that Tea Parties are cool with heavy social welfare spending, as long as it's not done at the federal level? States and localities can assume these functions?

I find that hard to believe. Tea Partiers want to shrink government. Period. I don't think they're advocating for higher taxes and more generous social services at the local level.

I think what some of them are advocating is that all revenue should be generated locally and spent locally. Of course that gets lost in the cacophony of xenophobic, homophobic, anti government, Obama is a muslin, marxist, secular, statist, forced abortionist, sharia law bringer type- rants.

**antongast** · August-23-12, 01:05 PM

I've listened to a few episodes of Bill Nojay's radio show [[it's streamable here, if anyone else is curious), and as best I can tell, the man's just a hypocrite. He's opposed to all government spending except when it benefits the God-fearing white Republican voters of upstate New York, in which case good for them for milking the corrupt evil government for all it's worth. I think the people in this thread trying to glean some kind of ideological coherence from Mr. Nojay's career trajectory are giving him entirely too much credit.

**downtownguy** · August-23-12, 01:31 PM

This is telling:

"The mayor's office was aware of his radio show and was informed when he decided to run for office," Chris Brown, the city's chief operating officer, said in an email. "Mr. Nojay conducted these activities during off-hours. … Mr. Nojay campaigned on weekends.

Seems like the city's COO thinks the workload that comes with that title is strictly 9-5. If I were hiring the COO of the city or one of it's largest departments, I would look for someone willing to put in time after 5 and on weekends.

**kenp** · August-23-12, 01:48 PM

Despite the craziness of the person in charge, the city saved money and the system is running as well or better then before. Council President was so upset he decided to go on a hunger strike today in protest.

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · August-23-12, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Motor City Sam

I'm actually laughing. That cracked me up.

MCSAMALAMADINGDONG
Glad I could give you a coke and a smile, well at least a smile as that was my intent.

**Locke09** · August-23-12, 03:43 PM

Apparently the money for the D-DOT management contract isn't even staying in Michigan. It's going to Florida and New York. You give 2 million dollars to a firm in Florida, and then they subcontract to a guy in New York. How many people who aren't really directly providing a service are getting a cut of that 2 million dollars? How many more buses could be on the street for 2 million dollars?

And when are we going to stop giving people millions of dollars and then congratulating them for doing the simple subtraction that a 5th grader could do. Simply cutting routes is a no-brainer and was already being done before this management firm was brought in. What novel idea did this firm bring to the table that had everyone going "Ooooh, never thought of that! We're so lucky you came on board."

**kenp** · August-23-12, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by Locke09

And when are we going to stop giving people millions of dollars and then congratulating them for doing the simple subtraction that a 5th grader could do. ."

Because we cant seem to do it here

**Locke09** · August-23-12, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by kenp

Because we cant seem to do it here

Some would say we still haven't "done it." The number of buses has been cut and the wait is longer on many routes. They promise more consistent wait times, but those times are longer than they used to be.

But hey, if you can get people accustomed to reduced service and then market it as success, because its consistently reduced - I guess that is an accomplishment.

**Motor City Sam** · August-29-12, 04:31 PM

Really disappointed that there has been no apparent follow up on this story from the local media. I'd like to know if any other executives from this firm are getting full time pay for basically "doing" a job in Detroit while living and working out of State. It also would have been nice to see some follow up questions directed at the Mayor's office regarding this situation.

The story on the reported waste at the water department went on for days, and even included a stinging editorial from Stephen Henderson at the Free Press. I'm not sure why THIS story has not been deemed worth of the same kind of follow up.