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.

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.

**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.

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.

**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...