Mr. Bing, You Owe Me Some Change!

**Locke09** · May-13-09, 04:46 PM

Mayor Bing has announced his appointments and with just two exceptions they are the same people we had under Kilpatrick and Cockrel.

http://www.freep.com/article/2009051...revious+mayors

I understand that you don't need to replace everyone, but I don't see any of the change we were promised at all. The new "group executives" structure existed under Archer. It also existed under Kilpatrick, except they called them cabinet leaders. Same concept, different name.

Joe Harris said he found financial problems that had not been fully disclosed. So, you replace him with the man that he replaced?

Maybe I just need more patience.

**Detroitej72** · May-13-09, 05:03 PM

While it may be a shock, not all of Kwame's appointments were corrupt. As long as the holdovers are competent, I see no reason to change for changes sake.

**Locke09** · May-13-09, 05:35 PM

Of course they were not all corrupt. Nor were they all incompetent. Kilpatrick even kept some of the Archer appointees.

But Bing billed himself as a change agent and so far there is no change. These are the same insiders that keep getting recycled from administration to administration. For each of them, what were their accomplishments that justify them being brought back/kept on? That's what I lok for.

**Fnemecek** · May-13-09, 05:41 PM

Mayor Bing has announced his appointments and with just two exceptions they are the same people we had under Kilpatrick and Cockrel.

Yeah, and if they actually accomplish anything meaningful, that will be all the change we need.

Bearinabox · May-13-09, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Fnemecek

Yeah, and if they actually accomplish anything meaningful, that will be all the change we need.

I disagree.

**professorscott** · May-13-09, 06:47 PM

Ken Cockrel wasn't mayor long enough for us to know what he might've accomplished, but I haven't heard bad things about anyone he appointed so why bounce them? It's not as if Bing has a whole committee of his own, people who would be able to jump right in and try to manage DDOT and the police department from scratch.

Kilpatrick also had some decent appointees, though not all. If it wasn't for the hubris and not being able to keep his pants zipped, he might have been a very good mayor; in any case, again, not much to be gained by brooming them all out.

It will be interesting to see how it will work, with an entrepreneur/industrialist trying to manage a large, embedded civil service. This could go very well or very badly. We'll see.

LodgeDodger · May-13-09, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by professorscott

Ken Cockrel wasn't mayor long enough for us to know what he might've accomplished, but I haven't heard bad things about anyone he appointed so why bounce them? It's not as if Bing has a whole committee of his own, people who would be able to jump right in and try to manage DDOT and the police department from scratch.

Kilpatrick also had some decent appointees, though not all. If it wasn't for the hubris and not being able to keep his pants zipped, he might have been a very good mayor; in any case, again, not much to be gained by brooming them all out.

It will be interesting to see how it will work, with an entrepreneur/industrialist trying to manage a large, embedded civil service. This could go very well or very badly. We'll see.

Sorry, Professor, I disagree. Keeping his pants zipped was the least of our problems. That kid had a million ways to one to cheat the city. There were many, many reasons why he couldn't be a good mayor.

lilpup · May-13-09, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Locke09

Of course they were not all corrupt. Nor were they all incompetent. Kilpatrick even kept some of the Archer appointees.

But Bing billed himself as a change agent and so far there is no change. These are the same insiders that keep getting recycled from administration to administration. For each of them, what were their accomplishments that justify them being brought back/kept on? That's what I lok for.

Perhaps that determination is what the three additional transition execs are for - three who aren't beholden to Bing or current city politics [[though Hendrix certainly has an eye on the future) who can freely speak their mind on what they find.

**Locke09** · May-13-09, 08:24 PM

Maybe I'm not being fair, but here is my concern:

Cockrel appointed relatively few department heads. He kept most of the department heads who were here under Kilpatrick [[some of them were here under Archer as well). So actually, most of the department heads who are here now have been here for 4 - 8 years, some even longer.

People complain about various areas of city service, and lack of accountability in some areas. To me that means there are various departments that people think were not doing a good job. Well, if that is the case, their leaders are still here.

I recognize that some department heads might be doing a great job. Some of them worked their way up through the ranks and were not appointed because of "relationships". A few did come in with Cockrel and might not have had time to really accomplish anything. But some of them obviously were not doing a good job, unless you think the former mayor[[s) were the only thing standing in their way. I suppose that's possible.

Well, after waffling back and forth last week I did vote for Bing, so I'll watch and see. But I have less hope today than I had yesterday.

**heedus** · May-13-09, 08:25 PM

I am hoping that Bing appointed people from the old guard because he knows that to make real change in Detroit, he needs to build coalitions. I don't know the man, but it seems that Bing is not a corrupt man. Hopefully, his efforts to keep his appointees from being corrupted [[or further corrupted) are successful.

**Locke09** · May-13-09, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by heedus

I am hoping that Bing appointed people from the old guard because he knows that to make real change in Detroit, he needs to build coalitions. I don't know the man, but it seems that Bing is not a corrupt man. Hopefully, his efforts to keep his appointees from being corrupted [[or further corrupted) are successful.

I guess I should clarify that I'm not really worried about corruption, per se. I don't even begrudge Charlie Beckham a job because most people who know him consider him very competent. I don't believe in punishing people forever.

I'm concerned that many appointments Kilpatrick made were made because of relationships, "friends and family", quid pro quo, etc. If people are happy with the services provided by those appointees, then great.

Oh, but I do want to note that I was not aware of all the financial interests Bing had with the City before voting for him. I think I knew of the Graimark [[sp?) project, but not that he was a partner in the firm that manages pension money and used to manage city investments. I don't know what else I don't know.

Getting a little antsy because I have gotten so used to being disappointed.

**daddeeo** · May-13-09, 11:00 PM

Wow, I guess the honeymoon is over in his first week.
Give the guy a break heh?
Let's see what happens with the budget and his first wrangling with city council over the Cobo deal. That should give us an idea how he'll govern.

Toolbox · May-14-09, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by Fnemecek

Yeah, and if they actually accomplish anything meaningful, that will be all the change we need.

Is he going to get that donut shop for the chief you keep blathering on about?? Can't wait for that!

**E hemingway** · May-14-09, 07:41 AM

I am encouraged to see Saul Green staying on to run point on public safety. That makes me think Bing is less likely to replace DPD chief Barren with a Kwame flunkie like Dunlop. Bing's replacement for Joe Harris disturbs me. Harris basically brought some semblance of order to the city's disasterous finances, and who does Bing replace Harris with? The guy who messed the books up before Harris came in? An appointment like that and no place in the administration for a great public servant like Harris puts a big question in my mind about how serious Bing really is about changing this city.

**E hemingway** · May-14-09, 08:52 AM

How Bing handles this situation also will say a lot about how serious he is about changing the culture at City Hall. What will he do about the Ms. Meah, Mr. Meah and the HR manager?

Qualified or Connected?
http://www.wxyz.com/news/story/WILSO...U-kOipKfg.cspx

**Supersport** · May-14-09, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by Toolbox

Is he going to get that donut shop for the chief you keep blathering on about?? Can't wait for that!

LMAO! I'll take a half dozen jelly filled please.

**kraig** · May-14-09, 09:16 AM

We went from electing a 31 year old mayor to selecting a 65 year old mayor. There weren't a lot of viable options in between. This City has a serious leadership vacuum.

**Locke09** · May-14-09, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by E hemingway

How Bing handles this situation also will say a lot about how serious he is about changing the culture at City Hall. What will he do about the Ms. Meah, Mr. Meah and the HR manager?

Qualified or Connected?
http://www.wxyz.com/news/story/WILSO...U-kOipKfg.cspx

Mr. Meah has retired. The HR Manager is the one who went on record opposing the manager position for Ms. Meah and refusing to sign off on it. It is the HR Director who needs to do some explaining. And it's possible the HR Director was only following "orders" as well or was trying to come up with some compromise.

**E hemingway** · May-14-09, 10:23 AM

Thanks for that correction. I meant the HR director. I would like to see how the "following orders" excuse plays with Bing.

**Novine** · May-14-09, 11:34 AM

No Joe Harris? Sounds like Bing doesn't want to know the truth about the finances. I thought Cockrel was bold for bringing in Harris knowing that he wouldn't let anything slide. It sent a message. Bing sent a message too but it's not a good one.

**Fnemecek** · May-14-09, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Toolbox

Is he going to get that donut shop for the chief you keep blathering on about?? Can't wait for that!

Maybe. I mean, we've got to do something productive with those mini-stations.

But I digress.

For the benefit of those who aren't familiar with what we're talking about, on a previous thread, I let my frustrations with Chief James Barren get the best of me. I said that he wasn't qualified to run a donut shop let alone one of the nation's most important police departments. I later calmed down and posted an apology for my remarks.

But if people are going to keep bringing it up...

**Fnemecek** · May-14-09, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

No Joe Harris? Sounds like Bing doesn't want to know the truth about the finances. I thought Cockrel was bold for bringing in Harris knowing that he wouldn't let anything slide. It sent a message. Bing sent a message too but it's not a good one.

Joe Harris?

You mean the guy who spent several years complaining about one time fixes - such as the sale of City-owned property - in order to balance the City's budget and, when he got moved into a position to do something about it ended up submitting a plan that relied almost entirely on one time fixes?

That guy?

Yeah, I'm not losing any sleep over his departure.

**Novine** · May-14-09, 10:54 PM

I didn't say he was perfect. You're right that he lost some credibility with that. But it doesn't change the fact that Harris exposed the lies of Kilpatrick's financial shell game. And who does Bing replace him with?

**deweygal** · May-15-09, 01:21 AM

I was also deeply disappointed by Bing's cabinet, I mean come on of all the kwame trash you decide to keep it's the person in charge of keeping tabs on the city's finances, the same city finances that are in shambles? Yes it is true that not all of kwame's appointments were corrupt, however, I am willing to bet that the financial dept held more than a few snakes. I am really hoping that Bing will prove me wrong and he secretly knows what he is doing/

**Locke09** · May-15-09, 02:00 AM

Maybe he agrees with Karen Dumas, who was on last night's Let It Rip, that there is a pitifully small pool of literate people left in Detroit to choose from. Maybe he believes, as she seems to, that all that is left, with leadership potential, are the Kilpatrick and Cockrel appointees.