Brenda Jones elected Council President

[jt1]

It doesn't even need to be eliminated. IIRC raising it from 100 to 500k would almost completely address the long term "insolvency" issues.

It'll never happen because democrats in office are cowards and republican voters time and again vote against their own interests because...'Merica!

Or, eliminate the cap, but make it a smaller percent after the first 117,000 [[I believe that is the cap for 2014). Make it 1% beyond the 117,000 and I suspect there is an overnight fix for SS.

Kinda crazy that I pay the same amount of SS as Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

[313WX]

Onward Christian soooooooooldiers!

Wrong Council member.

[corktownyuppie]

Or, eliminate the cap, but make it a smaller percent after the first 117,000 [[I believe that is the cap for 2014). Make it 1% beyond the 117,000 and I suspect there is an overnight fix for SS.

Kinda crazy that I pay the same amount of SS as Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

I'll side with you on that. SS needs to be fixed. Delaying benefits and increasing funding will need to be part of that equation, IMHO.

[Wesley Mouch]

Lift the cap for SS contributions

We can debate pensions till we're blue in the face, but since this is 'Brenda Jones' thread, I won't say that lifting the SS contribution cap is a very simple, powerful way to provide social security.

[jt1]

We can debate pensions till we're blue in the face, but since this is 'Brenda Jones' thread, I won't say that lifting the SS contribution cap is a very simple, powerful way to provide social security.

I was trying to change the subject so I wouldn't be reminded of the fact that Brenda Jones is President of Council. I'm hoping if I ignore this fact long enough it may not be reality

[detroitpride313]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss........

**sigh** Unfortunately, this is the sad truth of Detroit politics.

[Wesley Mouch]

It doesn't even need to be eliminated. IIRC raising it from 100 to 500k would almost completely address the long term "insolvency" issues.

It'll never happen because democrats in office are cowards and republican voters time and again vote against their own interests because...'Merica!

Republicans can at least argue that this was intended to be an 'insurance' program funded by employee's own contributions. As such a cap makes sense -- even if the logic is like counting the number of angels that can dance on the head of pin.

But where are the Democrats on this. You'd think this would be an easy layup for them. Maybe because the Union's don't care. They got theirs. Mostly. So screw the workers who aren't them. Let's fight instead for minimum wage to keep those poor suckers down and keep our wages up.

But this is a Brenda Jones thread -- so can I ask where everyone who was posting about loss of democracy is? I have yet to hear how this is proof that the City doesn't need an EFM dictator -- but needs more democracy.

[Ray1936]

Didn't I see Brenda Jones on "Hard Core Pawn"? Naw.......I gotta be mistaken...........

[poobert]

Brenda Jones on Belle Isle being leased to the State:
"It's a disrespect with no transparency. It's a rape."

Kill it before it lays eggs.

[313WX]

But this is a Brenda Jones thread -- so can I ask where everyone who was posting about loss of democracy is? I have yet to hear how this is proof that the City doesn't need an EFM dictator -- but needs more democracy.

I'm not sure what the point of your patronizing comment is.

Snyder, due to a perfect alignment of political/judicial power and ideology, managed to get what he wanted even despite the battle being strongly fought by the opposition right down to the 11th hour.

There's no point in continuining to fight a battle that was lost. Let's just hope the person/people who won truly has our best interest in mind and everything, in the end, works out for the best.

[Schoolcraft]

But this is a Brenda Jones thread -- so can I ask where everyone who was posting about loss of democracy is? I have yet to hear how this is proof that the City doesn't need an EFM dictator -- but needs more democracy.

Perhaps if there wasn't an all powerful EM, Detroit would have had some stronger candidates run for council positions?

[Vic01]

Perhaps if there wasn't an all powerful EM, Detroit would have had some stronger candidates run for council positions?

Based on the last few elections prior to the EM, I'd say that's doubtful...

[Honky Tonk]

Perhaps if there wasn't an all powerful EM, Detroit would have had some stronger candidates run for council positions?

Perhaps if President Obama had given Watson some bacon......

[mtm49269]

One thing that I caught in the news coverage of this, is that the election of President and Pro Tem was purely accomplished by a deal between the two individuals involved. Cushingberry wanted to run for President, himself, but didn't feel that he had a chance against two incumbent council members. So he cut a deal with Jones to support her for Pres. if she support him for Pro Tem.

But the most interesting thing was watchng the actual press conference from council chambers. While Jones sat at the head of table she appeared totally quiet and useless. Alternatively, Cushingberry, on her left hand, was blustering and sweating all over the place as though he actually was running everything despite his lesser title. Could be that spineless Jones may be nothing more than a front and a puppet for Cushingberry...

[Wesley Mouch]

I'm not sure what the point of your patronizing comment is.

Snyder, due to a perfect alignment of political/judicial power and ideology, managed to get what he wanted even despite the battle being strongly fought by the opposition right down to the 11th hour.

There's no point in continuining to fight a battle that was lost. Let's just hope the person/people who won truly has our best interest in mind and everything, in the end, works out for the best.

I suppose it was a patronizing comment. That wasn't my goal. So here I'll just state the painfully obvious.

The fight against the EM was not really about democracy, it was a fight by those who were more interested in protecting themselves than in seeing Detroit succeed. The fight against the EM was a proxy for a fight against Snyder and all republicans, even though they are actually exhibiting concern about making Detroit work -- as they've been begged to do for years.

The result of this fight in the minds of many Detroiters [[and beyond) is this sick concept that there's no power in council nor mayoral office -- when what we need is leadership. And that's what democracy hasn't delivered for the last number of years.

Detroiters [[and for most of my life that included me) need to change paths here -- instead they are returning to old habits. Right now, it seems that the left wants the good old days to return with no changes to union agreements, pensions, or work rules, and a return to the glory days of DPS of the 1990s -- and the right is willing to experiment with new ideas in governance, pensions, and charter schools -- all of which upset the status quo. The EM as anti-democratic is a childish attempt to play on our national identify. The good results that are coming from the EM's and democratically-elected mayor show that this is mistaken.

And the election of old-guard reactionaries like Jones shows that the Detroit's conservative left isn't entirely behind us.