Councilwoman Collins won't seek re-election

[OriginalG313]

Friday, May 15, 2009
Councilwoman Collins won't seek re-election

Darren A. Nichols and Charlie LeDuff / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Barbara-Rose Collins, one of the city's longtime and most controversial leaders, is calling it a career, deciding today to end her re-election bid for the City Council.
Collins, the first African-American woman elected to U.S. Congress from Michigan and a longtime member of the council, submitted papers at the city clerk's office today withdrawing her candidacy in the Aug. 4 primary.
"I'm 70 years old, and I'm not sure how much longer I have. I want to accomplish some other things," Collins told The Detroit News. "Almost my whole adult life has been in government, since I was 30 years old. It's frightening to step away from the power, the ability to negotiate from the inside. I love government, the legislative end of government."



http://www.detnews.com/article/20090...ek-re-election

[Jmil]

A great decision by the councilwoman. Thank you for your service.
Enjoy your retirement.

[detroit313]

Farewell and Godspeed Christian Solider!


<313>

[kraig]

I think I just heard Paul Revere riding down the street yelling, The Feds are coming, The Feds are coming.

[Brittz]

Good for her. Now we need three more to join her and Sheila.

[mikeinmotown]

I think I just heard Paul Revere riding down the street yelling, The Feds are coming, The Feds are coming.

By by Babs, by by. Now lets get rid of Crack Head Conyers and Martha No Brains Reeves.

[OriginalG313]

Good for her. Now we need three more to join her and Sheila.

According to the Freep:
"The deadline to withdraw is 4 p.m. today."
http://www.freep.com/article/2009051...ion+to+council

[Hypestyles]

all the aging incumbents need to go, really, though kenyatta seems to be more pragmatic than not..

and short of anything illegal, there also desperately needs to be new blood, including more cultural diversity on the council-- latino, arabic, asian, caucasian.. pragmatic, moderate voices needed.. intellectual voices needed.. what is not needed are voices of myopic ignorance, people who are prone to use bash-suburbia fingerpointing and tent-revival rhetoric more than anything else..

[raptor56]

My second least favorite council member. AMEN!

[firstandten]

I believe we are slowly starting to see a change from the old guard career politician to a younger more pragmatic politician. The playbook to get elected in Detroit is starting to change. I believe that Collins saw that handwriting on the wall and others are seeing it too. Now, will they not seek re-election, probably not, because they are taking the position that they will need to be beaten, but they must know that they will be in for a difficult race and they don't have an exit strategy in place yet. I predict that between this general election and the next general election in 4 years you will have an almost complete turnover in councilpeople.

[raptor56]

I predict that between this general election and the next general election in 4 years you will have an almost complete turnover in councilpeople.

Which will be cool, as long as the new council members aren't more ignorant than the current members.

[stinkbug]

Friday, May 15, 2009
Councilwoman Collins won't seek re-election

Darren A. Nichols and Charlie LeDuff / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Barbara-Rose Collins, one of the city's longtime and most controversial leaders, is calling it a career, deciding today to end her re-election bid for the City Council.
Collins, the first African-American woman elected to U.S. Congress from Michigan and a longtime member of the council, submitted papers at the city clerk's office today withdrawing her candidacy in the Aug. 4 primary.
"I'm 70 years old, and I'm not sure how much longer I have. I want to accomplish some other things," Collins told The Detroit News. "Almost my whole adult life has been in government, since I was 30 years old. It's frightening to step away from the power, the ability to negotiate from the inside. I love government, the legislative end of government."



http://www.detnews.com/article/20090...ek-re-election

Good, stupid old bigoted gay-hating race-baiting piece of shit. She can spend her retirement in the cooler.

[Gannon]

If we see an avalanche of non-returners, especially those on the Fed's hitlist, my bet is they went away silently as part of a plea deal.

No charges filed, their legacy is intact...even if it IS devoid of tact.

[East Detroit]

All conspiracy theories aside.... this is good news.

[diver1369]

goody good good

[daddeeo]

I feel like singing "Oh happy day...."

[Retroit]

I'll withhold my comments till I see who the current Detroit Shitty Clown Show members are replaced with.

I'm not getting my hopes up; the voters don't have a track record of electing competent leaders.

So, a cautious and skeptical "hooray!"

[MIRepublic]

I feel like singing "Oh happy day...."

And, then, you'd have more in common with Ms. Collins than you'd like to. lol

All in all, a good day. She's the oldest person on council, but, save for Martha Reeves, all of the rest are relatively young [[40's and 50's), so it's not the age that's the problem.

I actually found her rather candid admission to the intrigue of power very refreshing. Very few politicians ever admit it's about the power, but she made it clear that it's hard to walk away from it.

It's frightening to step away from the power, the ability to negotiate from the inside.

I'm just glad she got out while she still could. I'd wish folks like Kay Everett would have walked out sooner. It'd have saved both the city and her own health a world of hurt.

[rjk]

If she were really candid she'd comment about how difficult it is to walk away from flying business class on someone else's dime.
I didn't find her comments the least bit refreshing.
Of course she loves government. It's given her goodies that she probably couldn't have gotten by working in the private sector. Those who can work in the private sector. Those who can't run for office were they can BS people into voting for them.

[Locke09]

Those who can work in the private sector. Those who can't run for office were they can BS people into voting for them.

There are many brilliant and competent minds in the public sector. Many of them choose the public sector over the private because they enjoy having a job with a purpose. Many of them enjoy serving their fellow man.

And many of them do like having the power to shape their community/world. For many, the power, prestige and admiration [[when they are doing a good job) outweighs the higher earnings of the private sector.

And yes, many do like the perks. And many do BS people into voting for them. But none of that means they could not work in the private sector where the very same things you disdain occur [[traveling on someone else's dime, perks, Bs'ing mnagement into giving you promotions, etc.) In the private sector you just aren't playing with public money...well, unless you bring the world to the brink of financial ruin and require the public money to bail you out, but that's another topic.

Not defending the councilwoman, just the multitude of public sector folks, elected or otherwise, who have all been assumed to be incapable.

[reddog289]

Who will get to wear the TIARA?. Is my biggest question.

[7miledog]

..... and don't let the doorknob hit ya, where the Good Lord split ya!!!!!!!!