Duggan turns to cronies first.

**Zacha341** · December-30-13, 03:42 PM

^^^ How do you remember that? Know one recalls anything before their level of interest and perspective ... JUSTJOKES...

Good point.

**Zacha341** · December-30-13, 03:43 PM

Good point. I just hope it does not go to the level of the KK friends and family thing.

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

I never understood why people thought this was such a big deal. Everybody hires their friends and backers... even outside the political circles. I don't see how this is any different than anybody else out there. If the NERD fund donors were exposed you'd see all types of cronyism at hand. As soon as the EM started, a bunch of Gov Snyder's friends like Nowling and Bonsall got jobs in Detroit....

**Lowell** · December-30-13, 03:46 PM

It doesn't matter who he hires. And everybody hires who they know. Nothing new or newsworthy about this.

The only thing that will matter are results. Does he deliver? If the lights come on, the blight goes down, the public safety response goes up and crime rate drops noticeably, all will be well.

**Blueidone** · December-30-13, 04:12 PM

...what Lowell said...

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · December-30-13, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Both President Eisenhower and President Kennedy appointed their brothers to cabinet secretary positions.

Eisenhower never had a brother in the cabinet. He had 3 brothers. 1 served in the Illinois legislature [[after Eisenhower left office). 1 was mostly a university administrator, although he served on a UN committee 2 years prior to Ike's election. His last brother never held any kind of public office.

**313WX** · December-30-13, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

I never understood why people thought this was such a big deal. Everybody hires their friends and backers... even outside the political circles. I don't see how this is any different than anybody else out there. If the NERD fund donors were exposed you'd see all types of cronyism at hand. As soon as the EM started, a bunch of Gov Snyder's friends like Nowling and Bonsall got jobs in Detroit. When whole consultant thing started a 22 year old fresh out of State that majored in finance was making $275 an hour in consulting fees. Gary Brown is getting $225,000 a yr to do a job that has yet to be defined and Finley didn't write anything about any of that. So I say let the man choose who he wants and judge him on if he gets the job done.

Snyder's corruption will never be exposed, at least not until he's buried well under his grave. As long as he's getting the job enough people in the state want done, they don't really care how he gets it done.

**michiganlady** · December-30-13, 11:28 PM

First Hollowel, now Mackinnon, and seriously, Beckham? These are the same people that did not nothing to improve Detroit [[at least one of the above actually served PRISON time). Duggan is a McNamara-era career politician who manipulates people with his change rhetoric yet he is bringing sinister administrators on his team. If there is some improvement in the city of Detroit, it will be entirely due to Kevyn Orr and his competent team negotiating a better financial future for the city.

I did not vote for Duggan because he's a snake who surrounds himself around greedy and incompetent cronies. He sold out Detroit Medical Center [[DMC) and contributed to the decline of Detroit Public Schools [[DPS). No one believed me, yet the truth is hard to swallow. He's revealing his true colors each day.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · December-30-13, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by michiganlady

I did not vote for Duggan because he's a snake who surrounds himself around greedy and incompetent cronies. He sold out Detroit Medical Center [[DMC) and contributed to the decline of Detroit Public Schools [[DPS). No one believed me, yet the truth is hard to swallow. He's revealing his true colors each day.

A few things I would say in response to you, MLady. Mike Duggan was also not my first choice for mayor if I picked the mayor, but I think he was the best who ran. I am not going to relive the campaign and pick apart why Napoleon [[and others) were less than stellar candidates, but Duggan has proven to be a successful organizing guy, and he might just prove capable of restarting the city government to provide services again. It's funny but we chalked up a lot of debt NOT delivering services. Hopefully, we can reverse that. Lastly, if he proves to be terrible in any or every way, we can throw him out in four years [[although history does not show that we vote out bad politicians, we at least have the option). I will give him the benefit of the doubt for awhile, hoping he can tidy up the shop at least a little. I think he has an ally in Kevin Orr [[who can play bad cop), and I hope the Council is a little more constructive than we've seen them be in the past. We'll see.

**Gistok** · December-31-13, 12:06 AM

I have to agree with you MikeyinBrooklyn... Duggan took the DMC... which had been bleeding red ink for many years, and turned it around and made it profitable. He also brought about one of the best things that DMC had in a long time... 29 minute or less Emergency Room Time...a marked improvement on what was there before.

My brother-in-law used to be a mid-level manager at DMC under Duggan, and one thing about Duggan was that he would NOT accept excuses... he demanded results of his managers... or you were gone. And while I'm not happy with some of his choices... I think that he will put the same heat under their butts as he does all his managers. So I'm willing to wait and see...

**MotorCityTrikes** · December-31-13, 07:32 AM

Lowell and Mikey and some others have nailed it. Time will tell. Mike Duggan and his team know all to well the situation our beloved city is in. I would think a really nice turn around for Detroit with them at the helm would make their political futures very bright.

**Meddle** · December-31-13, 07:49 AM

Hate to say I told you so, but it's going to be business as usual. There may be some surface changes visible to keep people from looking too far into the inner workings. Difference between this guy and KK is that he knows how to make things invisible to the outsiders - more like Young. Remember, McNamara was Duggan's mentor, so it will be much harder to find the dirt. It might LOOK better to some, but will it really BE better?

Problem was, he was the least of the evils since there really wasn't a valid, worthwhile candidate. Nobody with brains and integrity wants to wade into a cesspool with a teaspoon.

**Gistok** · December-31-13, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Hate to say I told you so, but it's going to be business as usual.

This statement defies logic.... so unless you're psychic... you'll have to wait and see, just like the rest of us...

**downtownguy** · December-31-13, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Finley is an ass, and a half-assed reporter who would love to see Detroit go away completely

Well said. Except I think you give him too much credit as a reporter.

**compn** · December-31-13, 03:54 PM

as long as we're talking history, jimmy carter never appointed billy carter to anything!

**CrashDummy** · December-31-13, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

This statement defies logic.... so unless you're psychic... you'll have to wait and see, just like the rest of us...

If you notice, this statement was qualified by saying that Duggan "knows how to make things invisible to outsiders", thereby removing the burden of physical proof.

**Wesley Mouch** · December-31-13, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by CrashDummy

If you notice, this statement was qualified by saying that Duggan "knows how to make things invisible to outsiders", thereby removing the burden of physical proof.

Burden not removed -- except in your cash damaged head where you can fabricate hidden things into truths. That Duggan may have done things that were hidden is something to prove. And of course it would only be proof that he wasn't very good a hiding it.

**JohnnyFreddy** · January-01-14, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by birwood

"Same Circus" with a New Ringmaster.

.....actually, if Napoleon had been elected, THAT would have more resembled your sentiment. Just recently the Wayne County Sheriff has been accused, and is being investigated for, abuse of power resulting in 'misappropriations of funds'. Sound familiar? All his gathering of the troops [[within a thinly veiled racism bubble) and herding them into the 'church photo-op' 'pray sway', with all the 'I have a dream' 'we've finally come home' cliche' warm smiles, well placed atop expensive designer suits......somehow not really instilling a look/feel of neither Sheriff nor Mayor, both elected positions. Maybe the fact that it is now obvious that Detroiters no longer appreciate that 'style' of leadership.....this City MAY be able to move forward. PS.....the very definition of politics is 'circus'.

**Danny** · January-01-14, 07:34 AM

Coleman Young hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

Dennis Archer hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

Kwame Kilpatrick hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

Dava Bing hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

So why are Detroiters still being too critical for Duggan hiring his cronies? When he comes to power to would whatever he wants to his cronies until his watch so that media dogs don't bark at him.

There always going to be cronies in poiltics. The question is will they be put under control.

**Zacha341** · January-01-14, 07:57 AM

^^^ I would answer but I don't want to start no trouble...

... it's too early in the day and the year..........

**Hermod** · January-01-14, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by compn

as long as we're talking history, jimmy carter never appointed billy carter to anything!

Former "first brother" was his foreign policy expert giving him such wise advice as "there is more ay-rabs then there is jooz".

**Meddle** · January-01-14, 09:19 AM

When are people going to get it?

Politicians are liars. ALL politicians.

You have to lie extensively to get elected. You have to lie extensively to raise the funds to be in a position to get elected.

That's why it's often referred to as 'buying the office'.

This will not change until and unless we get serious about campaign reform. Put a specific dollar limit on what can be spent during a campaign. Make it about WHAT is being said not about how often the candidate can afford to have it printed or aired.

It won't limit free speech or any of their other rights, it will only level the playing field so that all candidates have the same chance, even the ones who can't raise millions.

**rb336** · January-01-14, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

Coleman Young hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

Dennis Archer hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

Kwame Kilpatrick hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

Dava Bing hires his cronies. And they got away from it. Including him.

So why are Detroiters still being too critical for Duggan hiring his cronies? When he comes to power to would whatever he wants to his cronies until his watch so that media dogs don't bark at him.

There always going to be cronies in poiltics. The question is will they be put under control.

Snyder hires his cronies, hides a bunch of crap in a black hole, has his cronies in the tech industry re-work the award winning SOM website into an unwieldy mess and re-work the MW jobs board into a useless piece of crap and gets away with it

**Zacha341** · January-01-14, 11:54 AM

Ahhh, the great leveling factor [[among both parties):CRONYISM!

Who'da thought?

**CrashDummy** · January-01-14, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Snyder hires his cronies, hides a bunch of crap in a black hole, has his cronies in the tech industry re-work the award winning SOM website into an unwieldy mess and re-work the MW jobs board into a useless piece of crap and gets away with it

Results. That's all that matters. I'm normally about as big a liberal "commie" as you can get, but I'm with Snyder because he calls his shots and gets it done.

Scoreboard.

Duggan can appoint the ghost of Spence Abraham for all I care, as long as he get results.

**nain rouge** · January-02-14, 03:11 AM

It amazes me how much people trot out that old axiom "it's not what you know, but who you know", but then they're surprised when politicians surround themselves with cronies. What, do you think human nature changes when you become a politician, that you're turned into some sort of elevated being that selects coworkers in a 100% impartial manner?

Duggan's choices reflect his personality. Like how the Lions reflected Schwartz's attitude, Duggan's administration will have his unique stamp on it. He'll bring in people he likes that do stuff he likes. If you already hate him, then that's bad news. But if you like him, I don't see what the big deal is.