Duggan Ends Candidacy for Mayor - Will NOT Appeal To Supreme Court

[SWMAP]

As my boss said about this: Detroit is doomed.

Everyone else very second-rate.

[bailey]

As my boss said about this: Detroit is doomed.

Everyone else very second-rate.

At least there will be significant turnover at the Council table.

[TexasT]

As my boss said about this: Detroit is doomed.

Everyone else very second-rate.

Nah. Orr is here at least a year into the new mayorship. He recommended a state oversight board after he leaves. The state will have total control over Detroit's budget for years to come.

[bailey]

Nah. Orr is here at least a year into the new mayorship. He recommended a state oversight board after he leaves. The state will have total control over Detroit's budget for years to come.

+1. Duggan sees the writing on the wall and it's not worth the investment in fighting on just to be a figurehead.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Can he still be a write in candidate? Not that it matters at this point. It's a shame. It's not like I'm sold on Duggan being a great mayor, but at least there was a hope of further bridging the gap between the suburbs and the city. Now the two front runners will be a fool that can't balance a budget and a convicted felon and racist. The cycle of failure is amazing. If Benny or Barrow wins, my only hope at this point is that Orr stays in for another 18 months after his initial term to render those fools impotent for as long as possible.

Just because you don't support either, why all the name calling? Why do they have to be fools and can't balance a budget, because they are black? This is why the Detroit area is so segregated, people with your attitude is why this region will never prosper. I was pulling for Duggan as well, however, how do we know if he would be the best choice? As far as I'm concerned it's a crapshoot with any of them.

[Eber Brock Ward]

Why do they have to be fools and can't balance a budget, because they are black?

I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I think dmike said that because Napoleon can't balance his budget.

[mam2009]

...Duggan filed early. His application should have been rejected. He did have time to cure the defect. He should have been given that opportunity. I think that is the stronger argument and the lifeline the MSC will use.

I was actually surprised the COA did not address this. Even though, if my memory is correct, Duggan did not assert this as one of his arguments to the courts, sometimes courts will address other issues if they deem them legally relevant. I would still like to know if the Clerk had a LEGAL duty to assess his minimum qualification when he filed his paperwork & before the filing deadline. Or is the function of a City Clerk merely to collect the statutorily required paperwork and verify qualifications prior to making her recommendation to the Election Commission at their meeting where they OFFICIALLY certify the qualifying candidates to appear on the ballot?

Don't get me wrong, someone was definitely asleep at the wheel in her office if it would have taken them over a month to determine he hadn't met the durational voting registration requirement. But this is the first municipal election of elective officials we've had since the newly revised Charter was approved by voters. It may not have been "top of mind" for the Clerk's subordinates to check the new Charter requirements. If she had a legal duty to inform prior to the deadline, it would be her job to make sure subordinates were fully aware of the new requirements for candidates.

Nonetheless, it is the job of the Clerk to be aware of the Charter changes. And it appears she was certainly aware of them at the time she [[as a member of the Election Commission) was required to do her statutory duty to certify. But was it her duty as the Clerk, to inform the candidate of his questionable qualification prior to performing her official & legal duty to certify the candidates? I'd still like to know.

My guess...since Duggan didn't make that argument to the judges, she probably didn't have the legal duty to inform him.

[Honky Tonk]

Nah. Orr is here at least a year into the new mayorship. He recommended a state oversight board after he leaves. The state will have total control over Detroit's budget for years to come.

Don't forget the NAACP [[my guess Sharpton & Jackson are onboard too) is trying to repeal the EFM law as unconstitutional. If successful, they'll be able to undo what Orr has done.

[DetBill]

I find the candidate pool to be second rate at best and the most likely outcome of Benny being mayor rather depressing. The state will have much greater power over city behavior so that's about the only positive element, Napolean will be business as usual. The typical Detroit mentality will still govern.

[bailey]

Don't forget the NAACP [[my guess Sharpton & Jackson are onboard too) is trying to repeal the EFM law as unconstitutional. If successful, they'll be able to undo what Orr has done.

Then it's Chapter 9. Either way, it's almost irrelevant who the mayor is.

[SWMAP]

Cincinnati:

Stephen Henderson said it succinctly this morning and without "name-calling":

The race also features: a sheriff [[Benny Napoleon) who has never met a budget and whose tenure as Detroit police chief ended with the imposition of a federal consent decree; the city’s former general counsel, whose behavior in defiance of the mayor helped earn Detroit an important credit downgrade and cost tens of millions more in interest payments, and a state representative who just got outed as a chronic truant, choosing at least one recent day to water his grass in Detroit rather than vote in Lansing.
Yes, there are other quality hopefuls, including some young Detroiters who are stepping forward earlier than they probably should, but who are showing what kind of leadership we might expect in the future.
But the field as a whole, combined with the legal and logical gymnastics to disqualify Duggan, reinforce the idea that politics in Detroit are a joke.

[Honky Tonk]

Cincinnati:

Stephen Henderson said it succinctly this morning and without "name-calling":

The race also features: a sheriff [[Benny Napoleon) who has never met a budget and whose tenure as Detroit police chief ended with the imposition of a federal consent decree; the city’s former general counsel, whose behavior in defiance of the mayor helped earn Detroit an important credit downgrade and cost tens of millions more in interest payments, and a state representative who just got outed as a chronic truant, choosing at least one recent day to water his grass in Detroit rather than vote in Lansing.
Yes, there are other quality hopefuls, including some young Detroiters who are stepping forward earlier than they probably should, but who are showing what kind of leadership we might expect in the future.
But the field as a whole, combined with the legal and logical gymnastics to disqualify Duggan, reinforce the idea that politics in Detroit are a joke.

Agreed on the "joke" part, but it's the voters that are the deciding factor. If they buy into the nonsense, and elect a clown, well, say "lavee".

[SWMAP]

I won't be going to the polls. Its so depressing and I just give up.

[Honky Tonk]

I won't be going to the polls. Its so depressing and I just give up.

I'm tired of trying to find a lit match @ the end of the tunnel.

[Wesley Mouch]

Then it's Chapter 9. Either way, it's almost irrelevant who the mayor is.

I disagree 110%.

The EFM or bankruptcy judge or whoever will do whatever it takes to stop the bleeding. But make future city government is all on the backs of our mayor and council. If reform is to take, we need strong leadership.

If we allow the mayor's office and council to atrophy, we'll quickly be bankrupt again.

The mayor will have great power again very soon. This is the most important election ever.

[nativegirl]

I won't be going to the polls. Its so depressing and I just give up.

SWMAP....so you are going to give up your voice for the other offices for this Election like City Council and the CLERK just because you don't like the candidates running for mayor? You do know that you can just skip that section of the ballot and vote for the other offices right?

[bailey]

I disagree 110%.

The EFM or bankruptcy judge or whoever will do whatever it takes to stop the bleeding. But make future city government is all on the backs of our mayor and council. If reform is to take, we need strong leadership.

If we allow the mayor's office and council to atrophy, we'll quickly be bankrupt again.

The mayor will have great power again very soon. This is the most important election ever.

You think the EFM or all the lawsuits or the Chapt 9 or state supervision is going to be wrapped up in less than 3-4 years?

Whoever is mayor will be relevant for maybe a few months before the next term. The election AFTER the dust has settled is the one that matters.

also, if this is the most important election ever... and this is the field of candidates running in that most important election ever, there is simply no hope for Detroit as a going concern.

[SWMAP]

I could care less about city council. For at least the last two decades that body has been embarrassing, dumb and divisive. I loathe them. I don't see anyone whose hat is in the ring that I don't already loathe and don't expect to be elected.

I don't care about the Clerk. She will be re-elected and she has been proven to be just as negligent as all her cohorts in city government.

I think I am done - and like another poster - I have never in my life missed an election day.

Its just beyond belief that we have a total ballot of numbskulls, felons, careless bureaucrats, incompetants all.

[dmike76]

How is what I said racist, Cincinnati? Really? I think you misunderstand. It's hard to consider Napoleon competent because he's way over his department's budget and he tried to spend more on 'personal drivers' until the county stopped him. Tom Barrow is a convicted felon. That is a fact. He is also a racist AND has a segregationist stance. He made it a point to call out Duggan for living in Livonia [[us vs. them mentality) and said that he doesn't even have a 'Detroit accent'. What does that mean? Honestly, I don't care what color the mayor is....I just want this crap fixed. I want the suburbs and the city to work together. I've touted nothing but regionalism on this forum.

[Lowell]

Epilogue...

On the plus side for him, Mike Duggan has definitely heightened is profile and elevated his already high name recognition which, along with his accumulated campaign treasury, positions him well to knock off the ailing Ficano for Wayne County exec.

Another plus in that direction is that he was not in the campaign long enough to mix it up with the now Mayor-apparent Benny Napoleon. This lays the groundwork for positive working relationship. Imagine a bitter bomb-throwing campaign where Duggan loses then gets elected to Wayne County exec.

Oh, and BTW, congratulations to Mike Duggan for being this year's winner of the Thaddeus McCotter Award for Political Campaign efficiency.

[dmike76]

Yes, Eber that is to whom I was referring.

[Wesley Mouch]

You think the EFM or all the lawsuits or the Chapt 9 or state supervision is going to be wrapped up in less than 3-4 years?

Whoever is mayor will be relevant for maybe a few months before the next term. The election AFTER the dust has settled is the one that matters.

also, if this is the most important election ever... and this is the field of candidates running in that most important election ever, there is simply no hope for Detroit as a going concern.

Who knows how long the emergency will last. But it doesn't matter. Just because we've screwed ourselves and fallen into emergency managementland, it doesn't mean there's no power in the mayor's office. The mayor's ability to offer bribes, jobs, and perks to friends and family will be curtailed. The mayor's ability to work on reorganizing the city is unlimited. The EFM would be thrilled to have a competent leadership to reform government. Its a massive task and one person can't do it alone.

Power is not just the ability to spend money -- although its looked like that for a long time here.

[dmike76]

On that note, I'll have to do more research on the other candidates. I got so focused on the other three that I forgot about the others.

[313WX]

Nah. Orr is here at least a year into the new mayorship. He recommended a state oversight board after he leaves. The state will have total control over Detroit's budget for years to come.

When that time comes, the only caveat is that per PA 436, local officials can vote to remove the EM at their discretion.

[bailey]

The mayor's ability to work on reorganizing the city is unlimited.

True

The EFM would be thrilled to have a competent leadership to reform government.

Also true. Too bad that isn't going to be an option.