What do we think of the 2017 Mayoral Candidates?

[Enduro]

You do realize there have been thousands and thousands of politicians from Mayors to Governors [[see Arnold Schwarzenegger) to Presidents [[see Donald Trump) whom have no political experience.

Am I the only person who saw this [[it's in defense of having no experience)? I just want to make sure it was real.

I don't know much about CYII but I have seen him on I-96 driving like a maniac, swerving for long stretches, on the shoulder, into my lane. And how did I know it was him? He had his car wrapped in graphics with his face all over it.

[motorcitymadame]

You bemoan alot of valid problems, what are your solutions?

"Getting rid of Duggan for not waving is magic wand" is not an answer.

At the bare minimum a moratorium, and cease and desist on home foreclosures and water shut offs.

That is a super simple and basic fix!!!

As long as native residents are displaced, and their properties are abandoned, the cycle will continue. Which is how we ALL know this is a part of a larger plan!

Then, why not offer the people skilled trades that are marketable and sustainable. Not jobs on how to work in a restaurant or shuffle cards at the casino, which the current Workforce Development actually prepare people for. I swear! How about we teach coding, entrepreneurship, high end construction?! IJS. Other communities are doing this type of work. Why can't we look at what is being done in other places?

Further, how about we teach residents basic financial literacy? Credit? Budgeting Practices? etc.

Again, these are not things that are that difficult for someone generally concerned with the people. But, we know that is not the case here!

[motorcitymadame]

Am I the only person who saw this [[it's in defense of having no experience)? I just want to make sure it was real.

I don't know much about CYII but I have seen him on I-96 driving like a maniac, swerving for long stretches, on the shoulder, into my lane. And how did I know it was him? He had his car wrapped in graphics with his face all over it.

No need for a defense. It's a fact! Please research World politics, there are many political leaders that did not start out with political experience. Believe or not, people can actually hire a qualified team, and some people actually have whats called tranferrable skills. IJS.

[dtowncitylover]

At the bare minimum a moratorium, and cease and desist on home foreclosures and water shut offs.

That is a super simple and basic fix!!!

As long as native residents are displaced, and their properties are abandoned, the cycle will continue. Which is how we ALL know this is a part of a larger plan!

Then, why not offer the people skilled trades that are marketable and sustainable. Not jobs on how to work in a restaurant or shuffle cards at the casino, which the current Workforce Development actually prepare people for. I swear! How about we teach coding, entrepreneurship, high end construction?! IJS. Other communities are doing this type of work. Why can't we look at what is being done in other places?

Further, how about we teach residents basic financial literacy? Credit? Budgeting Practices? etc.

Again, these are not things that are that difficult for someone generally concerned with the people. But, we know that is not the case here!

While the first point may be something a city government could do, the latter are programs that a city shouldn't need to do.

If people want to get trained in these fields, there's Wayne County Community College, Henry Ford College, OCC, etc all have skilled training programs. And there are non-profits in the work of teaching a new generation of coding. What is high-end construction?

Is it the city's problem, outside the school system, to teach financial literacy? I'm sure there are, again, non-profits that do this. DETROIT IS POOR. Where is the money coming from that you want to suddenly transform the city's neighborhoods into a middle class paradise once again AND teach the residents how to live?

[Enduro]

No need for a defense. It's a fact! Please research World politics, there are many political leaders that did not start out with political experience. Believe or not, people can actually hire a qualified team, and some people actually have whats called tranferrable skills. IJS.

I'm well aware of that but I'm curious why you would use Trump as an example to support your point.

[ABetterDetroit]

Troll thread.

[bust]

Troll thread.

Absolutely. It's proving pointless to engage.

The OP clearly works for a campaign. Could be the actual candidate.

Joel, is this you, in drag?

[motorcitymadame]

While the first point may be something a city government could do, the latter are programs that a city shouldn't need to do.

If people want to get trained in these fields, there's Wayne County Community College, Henry Ford College, OCC, etc all have skilled training programs. And there are non-profits in the work of teaching a new generation of coding. What is high-end construction?

Is it the city's problem, outside the school system, to teach financial literacy? I'm sure there are, again, non-profits that do this. DETROIT IS POOR. Where is the money coming from that you want to suddenly transform the city's neighborhoods into a middle class paradise once again AND teach the residents how to live?

It is a City governments choice how they want to engage and empower their citizens.

Detroit already has this a workforce development program, many of the programs are in no way designed to advance citizens beyond minimum wage. Yes, people should have the initiatives to empower themselves.

We have to understand that many residents have been systemically undereducated and disenfranchised. It is clear that many residents are suffering psychological traumas, mental health, and substance abuse issues. Which is also a great reason for the City to get intervene.

There are City's that have entire Departments of Financial Empowerment.

Money comes from our $2 Billion budget btw, or we apply for federal funding, or utilize one of these many foundations to assist.

Money is there, that is not the problem here btw!!

[motorcitymadame]

What makes you guys take Duggan at face value? He worked for McNamara and his administration is under Federal investigation? and He is not even a native of Detroit, nor was he even a resident before deciding to be Mayor? Doesn't any of this seem suspect? Where is the discernment? Why do people not challenge his intentions?

He had a $2 Billion budget and no debt. The things he has done do not seem like that brilliant or progressive. Dan Gilbert and Sue Mosey are responsible for most of the development we see. Foundation and private developers are responsible for the rest of the development. Everything he has done is common sense stuff you do when there is a problem and you have money to fix it. Yet, in a City like Detroit he is heralded as some type of Super Hero.

[SpartanDawg]

Absolutely. It's proving pointless to engage.

The OP clearly works for a campaign. Could be the actual candidate.

Joel, is this you, in drag?

hahaha. very well may be. yep moving along this is going no where with this joel slappy.

/thread

[motorcitymadame]

hahaha. very well may be. yep moving along this is going no where with this joel slappy.

/thread

If Joel Loving aka knockoff Coleman Young wins I am effectively leaving Detroit for good on November 8!

It will be confirmed that the people are gluttons for punishment and the City is doomed!

[Shai_Hulud]

What makes you guys take Duggan at face value? He worked for McNamara and his administration is under Federal investigation? and He is not even a native of Detroit, nor was he even a resident before deciding to be Mayor? Doesn't any of this seem suspect? Where is the discernment? Why do people not challenge his intentions?

Why should we take you at face value when you joined this month and have shown no interest in anything other than voicing your displeasure with the Mayor? That certainly seems suspect.

Duggan is at least competent after decades of varying degrees of ineffectual, milquetoast and corrupt.

If he isn't black enough or Detroit enough for you, that's your problem not his. Not the rest of the city's either, since Duggan won as a write in candidate... If you have a better option, or a substantive argument, then you probably should have led with it.

[cla1945]

Somehow I just knew you were not a resident of Detroit. Call it a hunch?!

Hunch? You're very perceptive, especially since my last sentence in the post was "The destruction of Detroit can't be fixed overnight, Duggan is doing a fine job and he would have my vote if I could vote in Detroit".

I can also see that you're fairly new to this DetroitYes forum. I'm not new to this forum nor am I new to Detroit. I was born in, grew up in, got educated in, worked in, lived in, raised my kids in, educated them in, worshipped in, and loved Detroit for my first 50 years. 30 of those years were devoted strictly to Detroit by employment with the DFD. My brothers and sisters in the DFD have been shot at, had rocks thrown at them, their firehouse broken into, cars have been stolen from the parking lots at the houses, lived with broken toilets, water leaks, bed bugs, stoves that don't work, refrigerators that don't work, and yet their loyalty has been and will always be with Detroit. We all have a vested interest in what happens in Detroit because our pension checks have CITY OF DETROIT on the top of the check. My goal was to retire, keep my little 800 sq. foot home in Northeast Detroit and enjoy my life. That changed when drug dealers, gangs, and just plain thugs began roaming the streets and they made it absolutely impossible to live and remain safe in the city. I am not a resident of Detroit any longer, but I have a stake at what happens there...as does many of us who gave our time, and sometimes our lives to protect it.
If Duggan keeps doing what he's doing, if you have investors like Gilbert and Llitch, and many others who love Detroit and want to see it come alive again, consider yourself lucky. Don't vote by "name recognition" alone like many did years ago. Don't vote for someone based on their skin color. Do your homework and don't put a felon in office. Detroit will come alive again...I probably won't be around to see it, but I wish it well. I love Detroit for what it once was, not for what its' become. And...the bottom line, Detroit will always be home!

[MSUguy]

What makes you guys take Duggan at face value? He worked for McNamara and his administration is under Federal investigation? and He is not even a native of Detroit, nor was he even a resident before deciding to be Mayor? Doesn't any of this seem suspect? Where is the discernment? Why do people not challenge his intentions?

He had a $2 Billion budget and no debt. The things he has done do not seem like that brilliant or progressive. Dan Gilbert and Sue Mosey are responsible for most of the development we see. Foundation and private developers are responsible for the rest of the development. Everything he has done is common sense stuff you do when there is a problem and you have money to fix it. Yet, in a City like Detroit he is heralded as some type of Super Hero.

Detroit has no debt? That's not even remotely true. The bankruptcy eliminated 7 billion out of the 18 billion in debt. It's given the city some breathing room, but the city isn't rolling in dough.

You mention job training he's done number initiatives around that some especially around skilled trades as you noted was needed

https://michronicleonline.com/2016/1...s-and-careers/

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...struction-jobs

and people getting out of prison

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ates/92479338/

[motorcitymadame]

Detroit has no debt? That's not even remotely true. The bankruptcy eliminated 7 billion out of the 18 billion in debt. It's given the city some breathing room, but the city isn't rolling in dough.

You mention job training he's done number initiatives around that some especially around skilled trades as you noted was needed

https://michronicleonline.com/2016/1...s-and-careers/

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...struction-jobs

and people getting out of prison

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ates/92479338/

My references are the actual City budget, not press or hearsay. ijs

[Richard]

At the bare minimum a moratorium, and cease and desist on home foreclosures and water shut offs.

That is a super simple and basic fix!!!

That kinda ends it right there.

[3WC]

There have been suggestions that the city should cease tax foreclosures, provide free water, and other socialistic responses. Won't work. Never has, never will. By adding the tax burden to others and shifting the [[very high) cost of water to those who do pay will only cause yet more people to leave the city.

What about examining the welfare revenue handed out to such a large segment of City residents to determine if working produces less revenue than welfare.

Detroit has received billions of dollars of federal tax dollars over the years, used by Democrats to buy votes. The City gets worse every year it seems except for the largesse of the Gilbert's and to a lesser degree, the Ilitches.

There are all kinds of ways Duggan could make the City really better but he never will. Try these. First, not one able bodied person may receive welfare unless he/she works; I'd put them to work cleaning the street, picking up garbage for example. Additionally, require every contractor working for the city to "hire" a welfare recipient and pay the wages the recipient would earn back to the city.

Establish work training programs that require welfare recipients to go to training schools teaching skilled trades, hopefully run by unions. [[I'm told that the unions have such training programs but it's difficult to get anybody to attend.)

Tax cigarettes and liquor so heavily they will be out of reach of the welfare recipients. People that can afford those things could still buy them of course. If the city can't tax those things directly, charge the sellers such fees that the result will be the same.

Every functionally illiterate welfare recipient should be required to go to school to learn to read and write and learn other basic life skills. There is little if any personal responsibility left in our society, not just Detroit. Responsibility must be forced on people since it's rarely taught at home. Duggan should make sure the State is on board for all these programs and institutes restrictive ones of their own.

A friend of mine owns several factories and advertised in Detroit for workers. Every applicant was required to take a drug test under the supervision of the prospective employer. Two of 40 passed. Therefore, anybody seeking public assistance of ANY kind should be required to be drug free.

Somebody should do something about the school system. It's not under Duggan's control, but he ought to take whatever steps are necessary to take control. How can the mayor of such a city as Detroit think he can make permanent improvements with the pathetic system [[worst in the country) in place now, a cancer in the city body. If he's such the genius people seem to think he is based on his short tenure at the DMC, why wouldn't voters demand he take responsibility for the Detroit City School System? Fix it up and privatize the whole damn thing.

I'm just sitting here bored out of my mind coming up with a bunch of common sense solutions to some basic problems and whether they're good ideas or not, they sure are starting points. Make Gilbert the mayor and let him show people how it's done,, or should be done.

[scooter]

[QUOTE=3WC;523468]There have been suggestions that the city should cease tax foreclosures, provide free water, and other socialistic responses. Won't work. Never has, never will. By adding the tax burden to others and shifting the [[very high) cost of water to those who do pay will only cause yet more people to leave the city.

What about examining the welfare revenue handed out to such a large segment of City residents to determine if working produces less revenue than welfare.

Detroit has received billions of dollars of federal tax dollars over the years, used by Democrats to buy votes. The City gets worse every year it seems except for the largesse of the Gilbert's and to a lesser degree, the Ilitches.

There are all kinds of ways Duggan could make the City really better but he never will. Try these. First, not one able bodied person may receive welfare unless he/she works; I'd put them to work cleaning the street, picking up garbage for example. Additionally, require every contractor working for the city to "hire" a welfare recipient and pay the wages the recipient would earn back to the city.

Establish work training programs that require welfare recipients to go to training schools teaching skilled trades, hopefully run by unions. [[I'm told that the unions have such training programs but it's difficult to get anybody to attend.)

Tax cigarettes and liquor so heavily they will be out of reach of the welfare recipients. People that can afford those things could still buy them of course. If the city can't tax those things directly, charge the sellers such fees that the result will be the same.

Every functionally illiterate welfare recipient should be required to go to school to learn to read and write and learn other basic life skills. There is little if any personal responsibility left in our society, not just Detroit. Responsibility must be forced on people since it's rarely taught at home. Duggan should make sure the State is on board for all these programs and institutes restrictive ones of their own.

A friend of mine owns several factories and advertised in Detroit for workers. Every applicant was required to take a drug test under the supervision of the prospective employer. Two of 40 passed. Therefore, anybody seeking public assistance of ANY kind should be required to be drug free.

Somebody should do something about the school system. It's not under Duggan's control, but he ought to take whatever steps are necessary to take control. How can the mayor of such a city as Detroit think he can make permanent improvements with the pathetic system [[worst in the country) in place now, a cancer in the city body. If he's such the genius people seem to think he is based on his short tenure at the DMC, why wouldn't voters demand he take responsibility for the Detroit City School System? Fix it up and privatize the whole damn thing.

I'm just sitting here bored out of my mind coming up with a bunch of common sense solutions to some basic problems and whether they're good ideas or not, they sure are starting points. Make Gilbert the mayor and let him show people how it's done,, or should be done.[/QUE]


I agree with you 100 PERCENT, But the liberals on this site will not

[Honky Tonk]

There have been suggestions that the city should cease tax foreclosures, provide free water, and other socialistic responses. Won't work. Never has, never will. By adding the tax burden to others and shifting the [[very high) cost of water to those who do pay will only cause yet more people to leave the city.

What about examining the welfare revenue handed out to such a large segment of City residents to determine if working produces less revenue than welfare.

Detroit has received billions of dollars of federal tax dollars over the years, used by Democrats to buy votes. The City gets worse every year it seems except for the largesse of the Gilbert's and to a lesser degree, the Ilitches.

There are all kinds of ways Duggan could make the City really better but he never will. Try these. First, not one able bodied person may receive welfare unless he/she works; I'd put them to work cleaning the street, picking up garbage for example. Additionally, require every contractor working for the city to "hire" a welfare recipient and pay the wages the recipient would earn back to the city.

Establish work training programs that require welfare recipients to go to training schools teaching skilled trades, hopefully run by unions. [[I'm told that the unions have such training programs but it's difficult to get anybody to attend.)

Tax cigarettes and liquor so heavily they will be out of reach of the welfare recipients. People that can afford those things could still buy them of course. If the city can't tax those things directly, charge the sellers such fees that the result will be the same.

Every functionally illiterate welfare recipient should be required to go to school to learn to read and write and learn other basic life skills. There is little if any personal responsibility left in our society, not just Detroit. Responsibility must be forced on people since it's rarely taught at home. Duggan should make sure the State is on board for all these programs and institutes restrictive ones of their own.

A friend of mine owns several factories and advertised in Detroit for workers. Every applicant was required to take a drug test under the supervision of the prospective employer. Two of 40 passed. Therefore, anybody seeking public assistance of ANY kind should be required to be drug free.

Somebody should do something about the school system. It's not under Duggan's control, but he ought to take whatever steps are necessary to take control. How can the mayor of such a city as Detroit think he can make permanent improvements with the pathetic system [[worst in the country) in place now, a cancer in the city body. If he's such the genius people seem to think he is based on his short tenure at the DMC, why wouldn't voters demand he take responsibility for the Detroit City School System? Fix it up and privatize the whole damn thing.

I'm just sitting here bored out of my mind coming up with a bunch of common sense solutions to some basic problems and whether they're good ideas or not, they sure are starting points. Make Gilbert the mayor and let him show people how it's done,, or should be done.

+5........

[Richard]

The thing about mayors is they can only do so much,they do not operate in a persay dictatorship status.

School boards are their own entity and just use the city as thier collection agency so mayoral input is mostly suggestions.

In my expirence in various city's most city departments operate also as separate entities and really answer to no one because of the public union the mayor can suggest improvements but if inner employees disagree they know that they cannot just be fired.

So that kinda makes a mayor the face of the city with the ability to finesse the various department egos in order to get things done.

It is still the responsibility of the citizens to stand up as a group to be heard.

The school board will still be the same no matter what,they are elected and if they are elected with the city's students best interest in mind then they are doing their job,if not remove them.

Same with the city council,if they are not serving in the best interests of their elected district then change them and hold them accountable.

I think in the amount of time Mr Duggan has been office he has done well considering what he started with,but I also think that it was not just him because the residents have also worked just as hard and that is what it takes.

Not expecting to elect a mayor and he changes the world by him or herself it takes a whole city to get involved,and that is what happened and why the city looks promising.

I am not a democrat,but I think he has shown that at this time he is the best person for the job and should be allowed to finish what he has started.

He did kinda start out with a rusted out vintage car and it does take time to rebuild it.

[Richard]

Scooter Tax cigarettes and liquor so heavily they will be out of reach of the welfare recipients. People that can afford those things could still buy them of course. If the city can't tax those things directly, charge the sellers such fees that the result will be the same.

I smoke and enjoy liquor on occasion and pay my own way why should I pay a higher tax to enjoy my vices?

What next a hooker tax?

Not that I would partake in that vice but the thought of paying a tax to do so would be a bit of a turn off.

[dtowncitylover]

I agree with you 100 PERCENT, But the liberals on this site will not

Because​ we weren't brainwashed by Reagan's fake welfare queen shit.

[dtowncitylover]

.
Detroit has received billions of dollars of federal tax dollars over the years, used by Democrats to buy votes. The City gets worse every year it seems except for the largesse of the Gilbert's and to a lesser degree, the Ilitches..

You have proof of this? Also, Michigan is a donor state. We give more to the federal government than get back. I'd be hard pressed to believe that Detroit is rolling in federal dough.

Also, I love how someone who probably against taxes wouldn't bat an eye to raise taxes on the poor simply because they don't "deserve" to enjoy some alcohol or be allowed to smoke. Grant it, smoking is bad but poor people aren't booze hounds looking for their next bender.

[ABetterDetroit]

There have been suggestions that the city should cease tax foreclosures, provide free water, and other socialistic responses. Won't work. Never has, never will. By adding the tax burden to others and shifting the [[very high) cost of water to those who do pay will only cause yet more people to leave the city.

What about examining the welfare revenue handed out to such a large segment of City residents to determine if working produces less revenue than welfare.

Detroit has received billions of dollars of federal tax dollars over the years, used by Democrats to buy votes. The City gets worse every year it seems except for the largesse of the Gilbert's and to a lesser degree, the Ilitches.

There are all kinds of ways Duggan could make the City really better but he never will. Try these. First, not one able bodied person may receive welfare unless he/she works; I'd put them to work cleaning the street, picking up garbage for example. Additionally, require every contractor working for the city to "hire" a welfare recipient and pay the wages the recipient would earn back to the city.

Establish work training programs that require welfare recipients to go to training schools teaching skilled trades, hopefully run by unions. [[I'm told that the unions have such training programs but it's difficult to get anybody to attend.)

Tax cigarettes and liquor so heavily they will be out of reach of the welfare recipients. People that can afford those things could still buy them of course. If the city can't tax those things directly, charge the sellers such fees that the result will be the same.

Every functionally illiterate welfare recipient should be required to go to school to learn to read and write and learn other basic life skills. There is little if any personal responsibility left in our society, not just Detroit. Responsibility must be forced on people since it's rarely taught at home. Duggan should make sure the State is on board for all these programs and institutes restrictive ones of their own.

A friend of mine owns several factories and advertised in Detroit for workers. Every applicant was required to take a drug test under the supervision of the prospective employer. Two of 40 passed. Therefore, anybody seeking public assistance of ANY kind should be required to be drug free.

Somebody should do something about the school system. It's not under Duggan's control, but he ought to take whatever steps are necessary to take control. How can the mayor of such a city as Detroit think he can make permanent improvements with the pathetic system [[worst in the country) in place now, a cancer in the city body. If he's such the genius people seem to think he is based on his short tenure at the DMC, why wouldn't voters demand he take responsibility for the Detroit City School System? Fix it up and privatize the whole damn thing.

I'm just sitting here bored out of my mind coming up with a bunch of common sense solutions to some basic problems and whether they're good ideas or not, they sure are starting points. Make Gilbert the mayor and let him show people how it's done,, or should be done.

I count 9 NEW government programs that you want to put the City of Detroit in charge of.

"Common sense" liberals like you that want a new government program for everything because 'they can fix it' simply is not affordable.

"Tax cigarettes and liquor" to pay for them?

C'mon Jenny, we heard that one before. Been there done that.

[cla1945]

At the bare minimum a moratorium, and cease and desist on home foreclosures and water shut offs.

That is a super simple and basic fix!!!

As long as native residents are displaced, and their properties are abandoned, the cycle will continue. Which is how we ALL know this is a part of a larger plan!

Then, why not offer the people skilled trades that are marketable and sustainable. Not jobs on how to work in a restaurant or shuffle cards at the casino, which the current Workforce Development actually prepare people for. I swear! How about we teach coding, entrepreneurship, high end construction?! IJS. Other communities are doing this type of work. Why can't we look at what is being done in other places?

Further, how about we teach residents basic financial literacy? Credit? Budgeting Practices? etc.

Again, these are not things that are that difficult for someone generally concerned with the people. But, we know that is not the case here!

"At the bare minimum a moratorium, and cease
and desist on home foreclosures and water shut offs

So, in a learning experience and educating people on how to be responsible, the City and the banks should stop foreclosing on them when house payments are not made, and when the residents don't pay their water bills, don't turn the water off? Do I have that correct, that's your thinking?
Before you can teach people skilled trades, coding, entrepreneurship, high end construction, etc., don't you think these people should at least know they must make house payments or pay rent and that water isn't free. Shouldn't they get at least a 12th grade education? No one, except my parents, taught me financial literacy. I was given an education in Detroit public schools, got a job with DFD, had a 30 year career, and never once thought of water being a human right that I didn't have to pay for or never once thought I didn't have to pay for my house. Instead of the State or the City taking care of everyone who thinks that way, start educating mothers and fathers to be proactive in their kids lives. It's not the teachers responsibility, it's not the reverends responsibility to help, it's the parents responsibility. It's a cycle all right, starting with parents who hand down the mind set that you don't need to apply yourself, from generation to generation....and so it goes.