Come on now, JoAnn Watson???

**usa1** · November-04-09, 09:52 AM

JoAnn Watson is a tax cheat plain and simple! She should have never been elected and on top of that she a race-divider and unprofessional. Council needed professionals to represent Detroiters. Hopefully, with district voting approved she will be voted out next time around.

**Detroitej72** · November-04-09, 11:35 AM

She is a waste of space at the council table.

**kryptonite** · November-04-09, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

She is a waste of space at the council table.

Maybe a "waste of a LOT of space at the council".

**preserve** · November-05-09, 07:06 PM

Unprofessional to say the least! I was so disappointed to see that she got reelected. Maybe coming in dead last will temper her racist outbursts.

littlebuddy · November-05-09, 07:35 PM

It is sad when people vote so blindly or vote for someone to maybe get back at others. Her sinful attitudes will not help lift Detroit out of the hole it is in, but just dig in a little deeper. Then when things get worse she will blame those she hates and dislikes instead of taking a good, long, hard look in the mirror.

**Keith** · November-05-09, 10:27 PM

She represents a like minded constituency in Detroit but she is only one of 9. We have a large majority of reasonable and undivisive folks on council. I am pleased overall with the outcome though I would liked to have seen Ken C as president.

Ravine · November-05-09, 10:28 PM

Consider this near-paradox: Judging by the usual low turn-out, very few Detroiters are even "socio-politically motivated" enough to go to the trouble [[trouble!! hah!! I've spent more time at traffic lights!!) to vote, and yet, who does that small percentage most resoundingly select?

The fuckin' TV-News guy.

**sumas** · November-06-09, 05:47 AM

I also was unhappy that Watson got re-elected. Her bigotry taints the council already. It is also highly ridiculous that a newbie is now council president. However, there appars to be a better balance of personalities on the council now and if Pugh doesn't wear a tiara on his birthday I say we can look for some improvement in council ettiquette.

**Just Amazed** · November-06-09, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by sumas

I also was unhappy that Watson got re-elected. Her bigotry taints the council already. It is also highly ridiculous that a newbie is now council president. However, there appars to be a better balance of personalities on the council now and if Pugh doesn't wear a tiara on his birthday I say we can look for some improvement in council ettiquette.

HaHaHaHaHa, OMG I hope we never see another Tiara but your statement was quite funny.

**maxx** · November-06-09, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ravine

Consider this near-paradox: Judging by the usual low turn-out, very few Detroiters are even "socio-politically motivated" enough to go to the trouble [[trouble!! hah!! I've spent more time at traffic lights!!) to vote, and yet, who does that small percentage most resoundingly select?

The fuckin' TV-News guy.

Name and face recognition count for everything in a nonliterate voting public.

**sumas** · November-06-09, 09:45 PM

Hey Maxx,

Please do not make gross assumptions. As a Detroit resident and a diligent voter, I can assure you that there are many informed educated citizens. My husband and I are WSU graduates and most of our neighbors are also university graduates.

Unfortunately, skunk politicians buy votes all the time. Coleman perfected it for modern times. Too lazy to type all the ways it happens, but it does.

This city is not much different than others. Name recognition does count everywhere. Sad really!

Pugh has one thing right, a new code of ettiquette towards citizens and each other.

I still recall with amazing anger JoJo inviting me to move from the city. At the time I was attempting to read a letter of support for a community initiative from the director of Preservation Wayne. She heckled me and I lost my temper, showed her up for the fool she was. I've mentioned this incident on other threads so I don't wish to be tedious. I guess she thinks the concept that to serve the people means servitude. Decorum aside, that bitch is nuts. Hopefully, Worthy will go after her too.

Ravine · November-07-09, 05:17 AM

"informed educated citizens"

"university graduates"

You are erroneously implying that there is some kind of correlation, there.

**East Detroit** · November-07-09, 08:06 AM

I think Monica as President and Charles as President are two totally different things.

Watson and others of her ilk won't be able to turn meetings into a circus.

**English** · November-07-09, 09:12 AM

It wasn't just Black Detroiters who voted JoAnn Watson back in. Some of my White Detroit activist friends were pushing for her re-election as well.

I could name names, but as the Detroit election threads seem to be filled with disgruntled suburbanites who need to "C" their way out of an A-B conversation that does NOT concern them, I'll refrain.

**gnome** · November-07-09, 12:02 PM

I thought you lived in Ann Arbor, did I miss some news about returning to the City?

Ravine · November-07-09, 01:06 PM

English wrote:
"I could name names, but as the Detroit election threads seem to be filled with disgruntled suburbanites who need to "C" their way out of an A-B conversation that does NOT concern them, I'll refrain."

By all means, name them.
Standing in the middle of the playground and hollering that you could really kick somebody's ass, but you're not going to say whose, doesn't scare anybody.

Bearinabox · November-07-09, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by English

It wasn't just Black Detroiters who voted JoAnn Watson back in. Some of my White Detroit activist friends were pushing for her re-election as well.

In what way is this relevant to a conversation about whether Ms. Watson deserves another term on City Council? Am I supposed to say "oh, well, if your white friends supported her, she must be all right?"

**sumas** · November-07-09, 04:42 PM

Hi Ravine, glad to see you bought a dictionary. Now try buying Strunk & White's Elements of Style.

Punctuction counts too!

Regardless, Watson squeaking in was a serious disappointment.

Ravine · November-07-09, 05:03 PM

Sumas, I'm just going to call on the largesse of my goddam benevolence and give you a Free Pass on that one.

You're not the one I'm waiting on.

EastSider · November-07-09, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by sumas

Punctuction counts too!

What, no love for spelling?

**sumas** · November-07-09, 07:42 PM

Thank you for catching that one Eastsider. I sure looked like a pompous ass. I try hard to not take myself too serious but am not always sucessful. Sorry for being snarky its just been a bad day. Try telling your 90 year old Mom she can no longer drive. Her dementia has progressed so rapidly it is almost unbelievable. Even though she is losing her mental acuity, she knew not to vote for Joanne.

**East Detroit** · November-07-09, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by English

It wasn't just Black Detroiters who voted JoAnn Watson back in. Some of my White Detroit activist friends were pushing for her re-election as well.

I could name names, but as the Detroit election threads seem to be filled with disgruntled suburbanites who need to "C" their way out of an A-B conversation that does NOT concern them, I'll refrain.

Nobody mentioned race until you did. Why did you?

And sorry, but I think the suburbanites are affected by what happens in Detroit. Those suburbanites that don't think so are just fooling themselves.

**English** · November-08-09, 02:01 AM

The person who posted this: "Maybe coming in dead last will temper her racist outbursts" was NOT me.

I've been on this forum nearly seven years. We could, if you like, bring up previous conversations about JoAnn Watson. She has been called a racist here more times than Rasputin [[watching all the newbs go, "huh?") and BlkSoul_x combined. I was just pointing out the fact that Watson has support from white Detroiters. I kept getting email from a couple in particular... and no, I won't name names, just because people are being nasty.

Nothing I said was meant to be taken personally. Actions speak louder than words, and those with stakes in the future of Detroit are different than those who have pulled up stakes. While many of you were sitting at your computers, there were activists of all races out at the polls campaigning for their preferred candidates. JoAnn Watson's team was out at all of the polls I spent time working, passing out their literature and interacting with voters. Her opponents didn't seem very serious about getting her off the Council... they were conspicuously absent.

I'm not even a fan of the woman [[to say the least - I've got some stories of my own), but this election postmortem is absolutely ridiculous. DYes wasn't this silly even back in 2005, when it was warranted.

**English** · November-08-09, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

I thought you lived in Ann Arbor, did I miss some news about returning to the City?

Ann Arbor isn't a suburb of Detroit. It's part of the statistical area, but it is not a suburb. Therefore, I'm not a suburbanite.

Anyway, like all students, I have both a school address and a permanent address. I use that fact to my advantage.

Ravine · November-08-09, 05:44 AM

English wrote:

"I could name names, but as the Detroit election threads seem to be filled with disgruntled suburbanites who need to "C" their way out of an A-B conversation that does NOT concern them, I'll refrain."

And:

"I kept getting email from a couple in particular... and no, I won't name names, just because people are being nasty."

The same stunt, performed twice in a 24-hour period.
How transparent.
Don't cower behind a facade of phony propriety and figure on getting any respect.