DDOT executive let go over extracurriculars.

[antongast]

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.

The water department story fit the narrative better. Lazy, overpaid union horseshoers defraud the city, time to bust up AFSCME. This story, what are you going to do, stop outsourcing public services to private companies? Then you might have people questioning whether outsourcing is really the panacea that everyone keeps claiming it is, and wouldn't that be awkward. Worst-case scenario, we might even have to bust out our critical thinking skills again when it comes to public service provision!

[Scottathew]

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....

It's not like any local gay-hating tea-party mayors have opposed federal funds to build a train station.

Tea-baggers don't want public transportation, they want beautiful strip malls.


But I do agree, the biggest issue is the complete absence of this man.

[brizee]

The thing I take from the news is once again Bing talks out of both sides of his mouth and just expects people to swallow it.

He knew about his sidejob months ago fired him when it was discovered?

Bring on Duggan. At least he won't insult Detroiters intelligence quite so much.

[Motor City Sam]

The water department story fit the narrative better. Lazy, overpaid union horseshoers defraud the city, time to bust up AFSCME. This story, what are you going to do, stop outsourcing public services to private companies? Then you might have people questioning whether outsourcing is really the panacea that everyone keeps claiming it is, and wouldn't that be awkward. Worst-case scenario, we might even have to bust out our critical thinking skills again when it comes to public service provision!

Glad I'm not the only one thinking along those lines.

[Wesley Mouch]

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.

I share your thoughts here. Balance seems impossible to achieve.

Also find it maddening that there's been little to no discussion of his job performance. Yes, appearances are bad. But politics aside, is this guy really doing nothing? How about something about job performance -- not just his beliefs.

[[btw, its not a bad thing to criticize Unions nor Bankers. I also rail against Unions -- because I believe the workers deserve better. I'm less vocal, but most concerned about the concentration of corporate power as well.)

[Detroitnerd]

The water department story fit the narrative better. Lazy, overpaid union horseshoers defraud the city, time to bust up AFSCME. This story, what are you going to do, stop outsourcing public services to private companies? Then you might have people questioning whether outsourcing is really the panacea that everyone keeps claiming it is, and wouldn't that be awkward. Worst-case scenario, we might even have to bust out our critical thinking skills again when it comes to public service provision!

I think this is spot-on. It all comes down to whose ox is gored. You know: Unions are a thing of the past, so we'll bravely cover anything that reflects poorly on unions or labor. Privatization is unstoppable, therefore, even if there are missteps, we'll timidly move that story back to an interior page after initial coverage ...