This is who is controlling the money [City Council Rant]

**Crumbled_pavement** · September-16-10, 10:14 AM

This thread was inspired by the Paper Chase: 3rd Detroit council member faces foreclosure article at Detroitnews.com.

How can we allocate money for police, firefighters, EMS, 911 operators, and the equipment all of those professionals need if the people that contrrol the money can't count? First it was Kwame Kenyatta and his wife walking away from their mortgage, then Charles Pugh who became City Council President having issues with his mortgage, now Saunteel Jenkins having issues with her mortgage. And please, let's not forget the tax cheat Joann Watson.

These are the people we look to for oversight of Detroit's budget, people that can't even oversee their own budget. In the aftermath of 84 houses burning down in a city that's already ravaged with urban blight, abandoned and stripped homes, and enough desolate area to fit the entire city of Boston in, we have people that can't budget to see us through this crisis. Part of the problem with that fire was not enough resources/equipment to battle the unprecendented blaze.

How can we fix these issues if the leadership is no more knowledgable/accountable than the people they are leading? Every generation of City Council is as corrupt/incompetent as their predecessors. Someday, somehow I hope real talent actually decides to run for office in this city.

I'm starting to sound like Buyamerican, which I don't like to, but the bad news just pours into this city.

**Crumbled_pavement** · September-16-10, 10:24 AM

Here's another article in today's Detroit News that underscores why we need leadership, something Detroit simply does not have.

Detroit paramedics fear they're losing the battle to save lives

**Downtown Lady** · September-16-10, 10:47 AM

OK, something here doesn't make sense to me. The following are from the article:

Council members make $81,312 a year.
"I purchased my home when...I was in a much better financial situation than I am now," said Jenkins
Jenkins joined the council in January after working at the Mariners Inn homeless shelter.
In August Jenkins married Strategic Staffing Solutions executive Carl Bentley. [so she is now part of a two-income family]

Was she making more than $81,000 working at a homeless shelter, even if she was an executive there? Although that's possible, I can't imagine that.

So she currently has a very good income, and also now has a husband with presumably a very good income, yet she was previously "in a much better financial situation" when she was single and working at a homeless shelter. Something doesn't add up.

Either she is walking away because she simply doesn't want to honor her debt, even though she can afford to, or she had access to extra income previously. This is Christine Beatty's best friend, no?

**DetLiving** · September-16-10, 10:47 AM

Why are we letting the City Council off the hook. Their responsiblity is the City Budget. During the budget process Brown and Jenkins led the charge to decrese the Police and Fire budget and then voted to increase their individual office budget. They must be held accountable.

**MCP-001** · September-16-10, 10:54 AM

If you have people serving on city council who cannot pay their own bills, they should do the only honorable thing left to them and resign.

Walking away from your financial obligations while collecting a public paycheck is an insult to those of us still working.

It also doesn't instill very much confidence in keeping any city out of receivership.

**Det_ard** · September-16-10, 11:41 AM

Wow. She can't afford a $160K condo on a $81K salary, PLUS her husband's salary? Talk about financial mismanagement [[or strategic default).

**ct_alum** · September-16-10, 01:55 PM

Is this the same woman who asked for "donations" to pay for her wedding?

Is this the same woman who after a call to her "best friend" was walked away from a TA and the other driver was stuck with the ticket?

Is this the same woman who claimed to be Maryann Mahaffey's Chief of Staff yet the Staff doesn't seem to remember it that way?

I thought so. SSDD.

**Detroitnerd** · September-16-10, 02:07 PM

I think "strategic default" may be a better term. Like a guy in the hood who gets his car repossessed, he doesn't care, really. He got six months in a new car FREE. Now he can afford to shuffle on to the next "strategic default."

**iheartthed** · September-16-10, 02:26 PM

Pretty amusing that she owes more now than she originally purchased the condo for... 8 years ago. How exactly did she do that?

**Hypestyles** · September-16-10, 02:34 PM

bizarre.. while the mortgage crisis is vast enough to affect "anyone", it comes across as extremely curious when well-compensated individuals in public service get into this kind of trouble..

**kraig** · September-16-10, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by ct_alum

Is this the same woman who asked for "donations" to pay for her wedding?

Is this the same woman who after a call to her "best friend" was walked away from a TA and the other driver was stuck with the ticket?

Is this the same woman who claimed to be Maryann Mahaffey's Chief of Staff yet the Staff doesn't seem to remember it that way?

I thought so. SSDD.

Yes [[Tacky). Yes [[Best friend is Christine Beatty and the Detroit Police escorted her away from the accident, that she caused while driving a little "impaired", leaving the other driver to deal with the police and his insurance company), Yes [[Just one of many lies that she's told). And most importantly, yes we Detroiters, collectively, voted her in.

SSDD is an understatement.

**maxx** · September-16-10, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Pretty amusing that she owes more now than she originally purchased the condo for... 8 years ago. How exactly did she do that?

She didn't. The real estate/ mortgage bubble burst and left a lot of people owing more on their houses than they are now worth.

**kraig** · September-16-10, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by maxx

She didn't. The real estate/ mortgage bubble burst and left a lot of people owing more on their houses than they are now worth.

After eight years she owes more than she purchased the house for. That's not normal. Unless she refinanced, she should have had some kind of equity established.

**gazhekwe** · September-16-10, 03:44 PM

Yes, really. If she bought it for $160,000, she could only have borrowed up to $160,000. Even thought the condo may only be worth $80,000 now, she still couldn't owe more than she originally borrowed.

**jt1** · September-16-10, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

This thread was inspired by the Paper Chase: 3rd Detroit council member faces foreclosure article at Detroitnews.com.

How can we allocate money for police, firefighters, EMS, 911 operators, and the equipment all of those professionals need if the people that contrrol the money can't count? First it was Kwame Kenyatta and his wife walking away from their mortgage, then Charles Pugh who became City Council President having issues with his mortgage, now Saunteel Jenkins having issues with her mortgage. And please, let's not forget the tax cheat Joann Watson.

These are the people we look to for oversight of Detroit's budget, people that can't even oversee their own budget. In the aftermath of 84 houses burning down in a city that's already ravaged with urban blight, abandoned and stripped homes, and enough desolate area to fit the entire city of Boston in, we have people that can't budget to see us through this crisis. Part of the problem with that fire was not enough resources/equipment to battle the unprecendented blaze.

How can we fix these issues if the leadership is no more knowledgable/accountable than the people they are leading? Every generation of City Council is as corrupt/incompetent as their predecessors. Someday, somehow I hope real talent actually decides to run for office in this city.

I'm starting to sound like Buyamerican, which I don't like to, but the bad news just pours into this city.

We need more business people and less social services people running city gov't.

**Detroitnerd** · September-16-10, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

We need more business people and less social services people running city gov't.

Yeah, 'cause they've done such a grand job with the international economy. That sounds terrific.

**GOAT** · September-16-10, 04:25 PM

Detroit councillors honourable? Really? As for Jenkins vote to increase the office budget whle decreasing both police and fire budgets; I remember stating I thought that was horseshit and someone on here tried to tell me they need that money for their budget as it "is a part of the job."

Once again Detroiters are not paying attention and should demand to have these idiots removed. But nothing will come of it an people will defend or bitch but not do anything.

**Detwa** · September-16-10, 04:30 PM

I know we only ever speculate about other people's lives and what they go through, but its truly disgusting when you read about the huge salaries some of these people make/made and how they wouldn't even pay condo fees or affordable mortgages or even rent. I salivate at the thought of what I would pay with their salaries! And a working spouse too? I'd be sitting on nothing but BANK and a credit score of 800, lol. I manage to keep it afloat and my [[now-ex) husband and I are rarely ever working at the same time. I just don't get it.

**GOAT** · September-16-10, 04:49 PM

Detwa, incompetence breeds just that. If they can't handle their own finances with those types of salaries then they are not fit to run a city. Case closed.

**jt1** · September-16-10, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Yeah, 'cause they've done such a grand job with the international economy. That sounds terrific.

I'm not advocating for the head of Lehman Brothers, just people who have a succesfull track record of managing a budget, running a business and making rational decisions to ensure future sucess. Due to that we can eliminate many, many people.

**DetLiving** · September-17-10, 08:05 AM

Gary Brown was on the Board of Directors of Mariners Inn where Sauntel Jenkins was employeed. Remember Jenkins fired an employee for circulating a petition to recall Monic Conyers. [[I'd have given him a raise)

Jenkins must be giving Brown handies under the Council table, the fway he follows her lead. Both must go.

**English** · September-17-10, 10:06 AM

Today, many people go into public service in order to get rich. It was not always so, and we must change it so that it is that way no longer.

Those who want to earn six figure salaries ought to put in the work and go into business, law, or medicine. I never expected to earn 6 figures, and still don't. But I love working in education and would do nothing else... so I drive a cheap compact car, take in housemates, don't wear expensive clothing or shoes, and just can't go on vacation every year. However, I know people in my field who have a different mentality -- hence, folks charging granite countertops on DPS credit cards.

Why can't our public servants -- whether it be in education, government, or nonprofits -- honestly choose a live of public service? Why can't they go into the private sector if they want to indulge in conspicuous consumption? I don't get it and perhaps never will.

**pffft** · September-17-10, 10:13 AM

I see it as a problem of perception as well. Somehow granite countertops, exotic vacations, six bedroom homes and giant SUVs are perceived as "normal" and required, or you're poor and unhappy.

It's not all or nothing at all, big six figure salary or live in poverty. How about honoring the middle class lifestyle...where people buy quality, go on modest trips and pay for important things like college educations but shy away from ostentatious display of [[non-)wealth?

**daddeeo** · September-17-10, 10:47 AM

Maybe we need city council candidates to post their credit scores if they are going
to be messing with our money.

**JBMcB** · September-17-10, 11:08 AM

There was an interesting interview with Richard Ravitch on This American Life a few years ago. He's the guy who fixed NYC in the 70's when it was going bankrupt. His ideas on keeping cities financially solvent are revolutionary. As in, use generally accepted accounting practices so councils can't cook the books. Reward frugality instead of incentivizing departments to spend more and more each year. Don't assume that revenues will increase every year. Cover your existing costs before taking on new costs. Cutting non-discretionary spending [[i.e. pensions for new hires) You know, wacky stuff.

Listen to it here:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radi...ocial-contract