Duggan officially filing for mayor

[Bham1982]

Why again does it matter that he's from Livonia? Tell me. And also, doesn't a person become a politician because of political ambitions?

Because Livonia is pretty much the anti-Detroit in terms of political orientation, ethnic makeup, and worldview. Duggan was a machine politican from Livonia for decades, then moves to Detroit this year.

It would be like if a Detroit Councilperson moved to Livonia and declared they were lifelong Livonia-lovers, and felt a calling to lead the city. It shouldn't disqualify them, but it's odd, and certainly worth discussing.

[brizee]

I thought Hansen Clarke was the greatest when he first ran. I voted for him and even supported him into this past election. However then I looked at his record - what exactly did he accomplish? He introduced legislation that was destined to fail. Outstanding person, it seems, but not a pragmatist. I ended up voting for Peters. Yes, me.

The name of the game is who is going to get the job done. I'm done caring about where people came from, and you know what? I'm sick of the rhetoric.

I think most people "care" on some level. We're programmed to. However every single blessed election - no matter what the office - for the past 30 years in this city has been some self-styled hero talking about how they're going to fight for the "young people and our elderly"

Oh yeah? Our young people are doing everything you can imagine in large numbers except graduating or becoming productive members of society. Our elderly - well, just pick up the damn paper. I'm sure some centenarian just got robbed for their rosary.

People are comparing Duggan to Bing and while there are similarities, Bing always struck me as incredibly inept, way before he got elected. His business was already failing while he was campaigning. The man isn't a leader, and never was, and that was always clear. Clear to everyone except the shadowy "business community" and local media, who served him the election by endlessly fawning over him.

That is the only thing that really troubles me about Duggan. The media and the ever-mysterious "business community" has already given him a de-facto endorsement. People bitch about who we elect in Detroit, but you know what? We don't. They're picked for us. When you drown out the rest of the candidates with free advertising in the form of front page news every day every time the guy farts, what do you expect? The greatest example was Kwamster. Hell, finks like Karmanos continued to bankroll him after he was out of office and in hot water.

I'm supportive of Duggan. Two qualities that are often overlooked are leadership and administrative skill. They take balls of steel, too [[I'm an administrator so I'm a little biased). I think he has those attributes and has demonstrated them, which Bing always sorely lacked. I couldn't care less if Duggan is Afghani or living on a houseboat if he can stop the madness.

That's about 99% where I'm at right now.

I have no problem voting for Duggan, but I do get a little suspicious when he gets free advertising starting back in June. Asking will a black city vote in a white mayor six months before he even declares.

But he is different in Bing in that at least he gives a straight answer. Of the ~15 minutes I heard of him on the radio he actually laid out his case and answered hardball questions from the public with confidence.

Mostly I'm just sick of Bing. He's wishy washy and timid. This ain't the city for that. With the council by districts maybe introducing a few ethnic/demographic wrinkles it's an interesting time in the city.

As for his race, there's an undercurrent of condescension being laid at Detroiters feet. We're so stupid and tribal we can't help but vote for anyone with our same skin color. Nevermind that I don't see too many executives of color in our majority white suburbs, but this country did just elect a black man to the white house. Black people really aren't hard to figure out. Show that you actually have our best interests in mind and you will be supported. Condescend and patronize and you won't.

Sad thing is it might actually take a white mayor in Detroit for a certain segment of the region to give a rats ass about the city.

[Bham1982]

Most [[older) residents of Livonia were residents. This qualifies them 100% to vote on the future of the city where they paid taxes before they were forced to leave by incompetence and corruption.

No one was "forced" to leave.

And I highly doubt most former Detroiters were good-government advocates who left because of "incompetence and corruption". If they did, they made some pretty piss-poor choices, moving into machine-dominated suburbs like Livonia, Dearborn and Warren.

The fact that he's a corrupt machine politican is certainly enough to disregard his candidacy. The Livonia residency just makes it even more of a cynical move.

[dmike76]

Bham, I don't think it's odd at all. Nor would I care if a Detroit politician tried to run in Livonia [[unless it's Pugh, Kenyatta, or Watson). Experience, credentials, and political views are what matter to me.

[dmike76]

Bham. Just take Duggan out of the equation. I am also wary of his political history. I'm talking about any candidate here. To say that his Livonia residency matters is LUDICROUS. Do you think that all the Livonia politicians get together and say 'let's see what we can do to take Detroit away from those negroes'? And further, is your attitude directed towards any suburb?

[Bham1982]

Bham. Just take Duggan out of the equation. I am also wary of his political history. I'm talking about any candidate here. To say that his Livonia residency matters is LUDICROUS.

I completely disagree. His residency is certainly relevant.

Again, it shouldn't disqualify him, but he will have to make a strong case for why such a supposedly committed Detroit-lover chose to live, raise family, and represent a community diametrically opposite of everything in Detroit.

It isn't asking too much of candiadates to at least pretend to care about and understand their potential constituents.

[Wesley Mouch]

I completely disagree. His residency is certainly relevant.

Again, it shouldn't disqualify him, but he will have to make a strong case for why such a supposedly committed Detroit-lover chose to live, raise family, and represent a community diametrically opposite of everything in Detroit.

It isn't asking too much of candiadates to at least pretend to care about and understand their potential constituents.

1) He has Detroit roots -- having attended high school in the city.

2) A little more of Livonia's 'diametrically opposite' would be great in Detroit. Given a choice between Detroit and Livonia as a place to live in the 1980s, it wasn't even close. [[True Confession: I lived in the City during those years.)

[Bham1982]

1) He has Detroit roots -- having attended high school in the city.

2) A little more of Livonia's 'diametrically opposite' would be great in Detroit. Given a choice between Detroit and Livonia as a place to live in the 1980s, it wasn't even close. [[True Confession: I lived in the City during those years.)

I still don't see why this means we should ignore the fact that he just moved into Detroit.

Since he went to school in Detroit 50 years ago, we should assume he's in touch with the city's current needs? Since Livonia is less crappy than Detroit we should assume he has the tools to revitalize Detroit?

[louis]

1.Romney lived in Michigan, that doesn't make a good reason to vote for him.
2. i what think Bham1982's point is that Duggan moved to Detroit only after he thought about running, hence he only moved here when it would benefit him and NOT out of a general love for the city.

[jackie5275]

I think his residency is not relevant. Going back to the mid-80s, he's spent much of his time working in the city which means he was physically present in city & could see what was going on.
Also, put aside his ties to McNamara & McNamara's machine, look at the accomplishments he achieved while working as deputy county exec under McNamara. As deputy CEO, he called a lot of the shots in the County. He cleaned up the fiscal mess left by Lucas. He got a new Medical Examiner's office constructed when the prior one was falling apart, same with a new Youth Home. He also got the Hamtramck jail built to ease overcrowding in the downtown jails. He got the stadium authority established that lead the way to Comerica Park & Ford Field getting built. He got the Wayne County parks cleaned up & established the Christmas Lightfest. All controversy aside, he got Metro Airport significantly improved. He worked on that building clean up of Detroit Public Schools. He's a person who takes action & usually succeeds. I think right now he's the best potential candidate out there who can effectively face Detroit's woes.

[poobert]

1.Romney lived in Michigan, that doesn't make a good reason to vote for him.
2. i what think Bham1982's point is that Duggan moved to Detroit only after he thought about running, hence he only moved here when it would benefit him and NOT out of a general love for the city.

I think it is worth nothing that he actually bought a house. Bing has been renting an apartment - a much more common temporary carpet-bagger tactic - which he admittingly doesn't live in all the time.

Palmer Woods certainly makes Livonia look "crappy". While he can't go out and say as much, I don't doubt he'd rather be living in PW, independent of a mayoral bid, than Livonia. Wouldn't you, if you had the money?

Behind door number one, we have Livonia:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lqOXmQ15CU...se-livonia.jpg

And door number two, Palmer Woods:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YmO2pkO03C...s+95a061eb.jpg

I can hear it now, from the distant freep message boards - "BUT DETROIT IS A SHITHOLE THER E WIL LBE DRIVEBYS SURE THE HOUSE IS NICE BUT GOOD LUCK UR GONNA DIE BUDDY - Frank R, Livonia"
Wrong.

I know our local media and area residents can't bear to admit that a successful person would live anywhere in Detroit instead of its unbelievably glorious suburbs without ulterior motives but I certainly don't believe that is true.

[corktownyuppie]

1.Romney lived in Michigan, that doesn't make a good reason to vote for him.
2. i what think Bham1982's point is that Duggan moved to Detroit only after he thought about running, hence he only moved here when it would benefit him and NOT out of a general love for the city.

Let me just start by acknowledging that it is a normal response to be skeptical, or even hostile, to someone moving into an area and then immediately begin running for Mayor.

On the other hand, let's end this myth that running for mayor would somehow benefit Duggan. Or anyone for that matter. Let's stop and think about this, everyone...being Mayor of Detroit is probably one of the worst government jobs I can imagine. You're in a city that in a perpetually worsening financial crisis. You're dealing with dysfunction, corruption, and incompetence at all levels of government. [[Not saying everyone is bad, but just that the bad is in every department and at all levels). No matter who sits in the mayor's office, you are not going to be anyone's hero when all you're delivering is bad news over and over and over again.

So how is it a personal gain? The money? The mayoral salary is a pittance compared to what any qualified and capable leader would be getting anywhere else in the private sector. Both Mayor Bing and Duggan's pre-government compensation was higher than anything they'd get in office.

Being Mayor of Detroit is a suicide mission. Duggan's got plenty of easier ways to make money [[and more of it) than by moving to Detroit and running for Mayor.

Now you might support him, maybe not. But let's end the idea that people are doing this for personal gain. There's way easier ways to make a couple hundred grand per year.

[313WX]

Palmer Woods certainly makes Livonia look "crappy". While he can't go out and say as much, I don't doubt he's rather be living in PW, independent of a mayoral bid, than Livonia. Wouldn't you, if you had the money?

How do we know for sure he still doesn't reside in his Livonia home [[and just purchased the PW home for show/procedural purposes)?

[jackie5275]

... in the case of a career machine politican from Livonia of all places...

I certainly wouldn't call Duggan a "career politician". He's only held elected office once as Wayne Coumty Prosecutor. He's never run for anything else.

[poobert]

How do we know for sure he still doesn't reside in his Livonia home [[and just purchased the PW home for show/procedural purposes)?

I ask this in all honesty: why would he do this? Not moralistically, but practically.

This guy is worth a fortune. Palmer Woods is as near as it comes to a gated community. The houses are among the best in the region/state. Livonia's are among the most typical. Palmer Woods is one of the few Detroit neighborhoods that is largely free from blight and crime - certainly as much as Livonia.

It would also be pretty idiotic to buy a house on the scale of Palmer Woods to not live there. If he really wanted to do that, he would have either chosen an apartment like Bing or a more modest neighborhood/house. I'm not sure what house he bought exactly, but virtually all the houses in PW are 4000 - 10,000 square feet. Odd choice when you can just get a "condo" where it is much less easy to tell if you're not living there and much more affordable.

Palmer Woods is also very small and close-knit. The residents there are all-seeing. I'm sure they would have blown the whistle if he wasn't actually living there by now. It's easy to tell.

I mean, he could also be a cyborg or from another planet, but it would be nice to be realistic here.

[Richard]

Sec. 2-101. Qualifications for Elective Officers and Appointive Officers

To be elected to office in Detroit, you must:

1. Be a citizen of the U.S.
2. Be a resident of the City and your district [[if running for a district seat) for one year at the time of filing to run for office
3. Be a qualified and registered voter

Did he buy the house and become a city resident 1 year ago?

[Bham1982]

I certainly wouldn't call Duggan a "career politician". He's only held elected office once as Wayne Coumty Prosecutor. He's never run for anything else.

Ok, perhaps "career bureaucrat" would be a better descriptor.

He's held various appointed positions under McNamera and Ficano.

[poobert]

[QUOTE=Bham1982;343013]Ok, perhaps "career bureaucrat" would be a better descriptor.
QUOTE]

Would it be better if he were, say, a construction worker, astronaut, or a farmer??

Seems like the fact that he's had a desk makes him a bureaucrat and therefore undesirable.

[313WX]

I ask this in all honesty: why would he do this? Not moralistically, but practically.

This guy is worth a fortune. Palmer Woods is as near as it comes to a gated community. The houses are among the best in the region/state. Livonia's are among the most typical. Palmer Woods is one of the few Detroit neighborhoods that is largely free from blight and crime - certainly as much as Livonia.

It would also be pretty idiotic to buy a house on the scale of Palmer Woods to not live there. If he really wanted to do that, he would have either chosen an apartment like Bing or a more modest neighborhood/house. I'm not sure what house he bought exactly, but virtually all the houses in PW are 4000 - 10,000 square feet. Odd choice when you can just get a "condo" where it is much less easy to tell if you're not living there and much more affordable.

Palmer Woods is also very small and close-knit. The residents there are all-seeing. I'm sure they would have blown the whistle if he wasn't actually living there by now. It's easy to tell.

I mean, he could also be a cyborg or from another planet, but it would be nice to be realistic here.

Practically, a lot of people have their name on several homes in different locations. So it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

The story I remember reading is that he brought a home in Palmer Woods, not that he was necessarily selling his Livonia home and moving into it.

[Wesley Mouch]

I still don't see why this means we should ignore the fact that he just moved into Detroit.

Since he went to school in Detroit 50 years ago, we should assume he's in touch with the city's current needs? Since Livonia is less crappy than Detroit we should assume he has the tools to revitalize Detroit?

The reason we should 'ignore' this is because it is irrelevant. While I don't think residency matters much, he's been working in the City, paying City taxes I presume, while heading the DMC. He's proven that he's willing to break a few eggs to accomplish things at DMC. You can argue with what he's done -- but you can't argue that he's not actually doing things. He has strong City ties.

Personally, I don't trust anyone from McNamara's band much. Remember that KK was from that great musical group, too. But unlike KK and many others, Duggan has some real history with real accomplshments. Not just political history.

[Bham1982]

Would it be better if he were, say, a construction worker, astronaut, or a farmer??

Seems like the fact that he's had a desk makes him a bureaucrat and therefore undesirable.

No, he's undesirable because he's one of the chief cogs in the Wayne County machine. He's a lifelong hack.

Wayne County is one of the most corrupt and mismanaged counties in the nation. In many ways, it's run worse than Detroit.

[Wesley Mouch]

No, he's undesirable because he's one of the chief cogs in the Wayne County machine. He's a lifelong hack.

Wayne County is one of the most corrupt and mismanaged counties in the nation. In many ways, it's run worse than Detroit.

You have a great point. The Irish McNamara, Duggan, Kilpatrick machine is a politcal hack factory.

But accepting that, Duggan has chosen to spend some time doing real work at the DMC. Sure, its not quite a private enterprise, but compare that to Kilpatrick or Bing.

[Wheels]

How can you trust anyone that would want that job?

[1953]

I like Duggan and think he might do a good job as mayor. He's certainly been associated with a lot of hard work and success in his career. What I like most about his recent comments is when he said we needed to start getting people to live in Detroit houses, rather than just tearing them down. That's a breath of fresh air in a city that's been working hard to destroy itself for decades.

[Danny]

Listening to Mildred Gaddis show this AM, her straw poll for who the audience wanted to see as Mayor was 13-0.

For Benny Napoleon.

Benny Napoleon! That one time crook of the Detroit Police Chief. Gaddis what are you thinking! Me thinks you're still give your child a behind whipping before saying your negative criticisms on live radio. You think that Black Detroit needs black leaders. You know what Gaddis, three out of 5 black Detroit mayoral leaders from1974 to the present have been very corrupted into the point that Detroiters about to take up arms and tar, feather and assassinate them for the incompetance.

1. Coleman Young was blamed for being a political bigot.

2. Kwame Kilpatrick was blamed for the Manoogian parties.

3. And Dave Bing is blamed right now for downsizing Detroit into nothingless so that Gov. Synder, the Geek can hire a dictator to control its governments.

Napoleon and Bing should stay out of Detroit city politics before they get themselves killed. Make way for the new face of Detroit leadership, including Mike Duggan.