Raj313 Member Username: Raj313
Post Number: 8 Registered: 01-2009
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 8:33 am: | |
The Mayoral primary is less than 3 weeks away, Feb. 24th. This might be the most crucial election in Detroit's history. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Bing, but Mayor Cockrel is starting to grow on me. I am curious about your thoughts and wanted to get the ball rolling. |
Dcmorrison12 Member Username: Dcmorrison12
Post Number: 24 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 9:03 am: | |
You're right, this election is very important. I really like Cockrel and I'm pretty sure I will vote for him. I love the fact that he wants to stimulate the commercial strips and also bring in green jobs (hopefully curb side recycling!!) I think he's well mannered and he won't do any ridiculous B.S that we've been subject to under Kwame. He's a stable leader, just what we need right now and I feel that one less administration transition will do the city some good. |
Bobl Member Username: Bobl
Post Number: 467 Registered: 07-2008
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 9:42 am: | |
Cha-ching cha-ching cha-ching.... Love the smell of wasted City funds in the morning! |
Firstandten Member Username: Firstandten
Post Number: 631 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 11:02 am: | |
Cha-ching cha-ching cha-ching.... Love the smell of wasted City funds in the morning!" quote Gotta change that charter ! I know this is a unique situation but 4 elections in one year wow. BTW Mr. Bing or Mr. Hendrix we need Mr. Cockrel to stabilize the council. |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 1908 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 1:42 pm: | |
quote:The Mayoral primary is less than 3 weeks away, Feb. 24th. This might be the most crucial election in Detroit's history. Agreed.
quote:I have a lot of respect for Mr. Bing, but Mayor Cockrel is starting to grow on me. Rashes grow on you, too.
quote:I love the fact that he wants to stimulate the commercial strips and also bring in green jobs (hopefully curb side recycling!!) In contrast to all of those candidates who are opposed to stimulating the commercial strips??? Wanting to do something and actually doing it are two very different things. Please name one thing that he has actually accomplished to stimulate those commercial strips.
quote:He's a stable leader, just what we need right now and I feel that one less administration transition will do the city some good. The only stability that Cockrel provides is him consistently collecting a paycheck without accomplishing anything. Detroit needs that like New Orleans needs another hurricane.
quote:Gotta change that charter ! I know this is a unique situation but 4 elections in one year wow. I disagree. If I had my way, Detroit would run its elections like this for years to come. Every mayor would have 6 months in which to accomplish something positive. If he or she didn't do it, they'd be kicked to the curb. We've been stuck in a political limbo, waiting for something to happen, for way too long. |
Jonesy Member Username: Jonesy
Post Number: 531 Registered: 07-2005
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 1:58 pm: | |
Was anyone else surprized to see that Hendrix' fund raising efforts haven't kept pace with the other top candidates? |
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 3469 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 2:12 pm: | |
Not surprised because he doesn't seem to be for sale. |
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 3470 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 2:22 pm: | |
TWO CONSULTANTS CONSULTANT 1: Damn, I never saw such an opportunity to make money! Four different elections in one year! CONSULTANT 2: I know! We'll make a killing! CONSULTANT 1: I just hope that one guy doesn't win. CONSULTANT 2: I know! He says he's not for sale? What can we do with that? CONSULTANT 1: Nothing. CONSULTANT 2: But we get our candidates to win ... CONSULTANT 1: ... then we can ensure that the money keeps rolling in with our cronies! CONSULTANT 2: And we can start all kinds of programs to benefit our "stakeholders"! CONSULTANT 1: That's what we must do! CONSULTANT 2: OK, you take the crazy lady, I'll take the old man. CONSULTANT 1: And you take the kid, and I'll take the old deputy. CONSULTANT 2: And you take the top cop, and I'll take the minister CONSULTANT 1: What happens if our candidates lose? CONSULTANT 2: Hell, after these four elections, we'll make so much money we can retire! CONSULTANT 1: And the city'll probably be broke anyway after all this spending. CONSULTANT 2: Hey, maybe then we can leave it to that one guy, no problem! THE ABOVE IS SATIRE. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO S__ R_____, A_____ M____ OR ANY OTHER POLITICAL PARASITE IS NOT INTENDED. |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 541 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 2:48 pm: | |
I don't care for the people Dave Bing has lined up to assume control in his administration if he wins and who are now part of his campaign team. They seem to come from a vested political elite that has mismanaged public funds in the past and seem to be unaccountable. I lean towards Ken Cockrel but he too was guilty of not paying for past overlooked campaign fines until it became an issue when he announced his candidacy. I like the idea someone has floated for him to return to the Council and be a sober force for stability on that body. Freeman Hendrix has conducted himself admirably and would bring the stability and professional background needed for the Mayor's office. Considering the possibility that he may also inherit the Detroit public school system, he would have the experience to easily move into that job and responsibility. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6116 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 3:00 pm: | |
Fnemeneck, I'm hoping that Hendrix wins and Cockrel goes back to Council President. But give Cockrel a break! The city doesn't have any money to do things, and you want magic to happen in only 4 months... it took 40 years for the city to get this way, and you want magic overnight. Are you going to be equally as belligerent when Obama doesn't come thru with tangible results within 4 months of being elected? |
Detroitchef Member Username: Detroitchef
Post Number: 92 Registered: 09-2008
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 3:21 pm: | |
Hell no, I'm already pissed with Obama and what he's not accomplished in 18 days! Dammit. I thought he was gonna fix everything, bring the troops home and then we were going to go back to fixing everyone elses' problems! What's he done? Re paint the Lincoln Bedroom? Iran is sending up satellites and we're all wondering WTF is up with KK still. |
Jacqueline Member Username: Jacqueline
Post Number: 37 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 5:10 pm: | |
Thursday, October 23, 2008 Patrons paid for Cockrel parties The donations were not disclosed, staffers say, because the gatherings weren't fundraisers. Charlie LeDuff and Mike Wilkinson / The Detroit News DETROIT -- As City Council president, Kenneth Cockrel Jr. held a number of high profile parties paid for by business people whose generosity has not been disclosed, The Detroit News has learned. In one case, Cockrel's staff asked the owner of a Detroit business to pay about half the cost of a $6,000 reception in May at a Mackinac Island hotel where the former council president wined and dined about 100 political and business leaders attending the annual Mackinac Policy Conference hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber. The tab was picked up in part by George Hill, president of a Detroit firm, who had sought Cockrel's help in solving a tax problem in January. Hill confirmed that he sent a personal check to a Mackinac Island hotel where Cockrel holds an annual reception. That check was requested and written five months after Cockrel helped the business avoid late fees on $211,000 in back taxes owed to the city. Advertisement Cockrel said through a spokesman that his annual Mackinac receptions were not subject to campaign finance laws. The Mackinac parties were paid for in combination, by Cockrel and business people, said Dan Cherrin, Cockrel's spokesman. "But because they were not fundraisers, we didn't have to keep reports," he said. A national expert on campaign finance, Craig Holman of Public Citizen, said it would be impossible not to consider the businessman's payment as a campaign donation subject to disclosure. "It defies logic and certainly defies common sense," said Holman, Public Citizen's lobbyist on campaign finance reform. According to two people familiar with the financing of the parties, it was not uncommon for Cockrel's office to call people who do business in Detroit and ask them to make payments to the hotel to cover the costs of a party. Among those who made calls on Cockrel's behalf were John Clark II, his former chief of staff who resigned in June after it was reported that he was videotaped by federal authorities in connection with a sludge contract; and Cockrel's wife, Kim, who is Cockrel's campaign treasurer. No disclosures exist for any Cockrel party or reception dating to at least 2005, when Cockrel became president of City Council. Furthermore, Cherrin said that Cockrel could not recall past donors to his parties and declined to offer more information on the George Hill deal. "Have you bothered checking other people's records, like Ficano and Granholm?" Cherrin asked. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Gov. Jennifer Granholm routinely disclose how they pay for similar receptions, including those held on the island during the Chamber's annual policy conference. Ficano recently spent $2,500 at the Yankee Rebel Tavern; Granholm spent thousands of dollars holding a more lavish event at the Grand Hotel, public finance records show. Freman Hendrix, a candidate for mayor who attended May's reception for Cockrel, said it was a "nice spread" and well-attended. "He's my council president," he said. "I wanted to check it out." What Cockrel and his wife consider political appears to be a matter of shifting interpretation. According to financial disclosure statements from Friends of Ken Cockrel Jr., his political financing committee, $300 was paid to the Lake View Hotel in 2006 for "items" and $1,750 for invitations to the reception that same year. The invitations and items were considered political, the reception itself was not, and there is no public accounting of it. In 2005, Kim Cockrel, in her role as treasurer, reimbursed Clark $1,000 for paying for Cockrel's hotel room in advance. Moreover, conference fees from 2004 and 2005 were paid from Cockrel's political campaign account, but no Mackinac-related items were listed at all in 2007, though Cockrel attended the convention, held a reception, and several unnamed people wrote checks for it. At this year's Mackinac convention, Cockrel was having his hand shaken by Michigan's movers and shakers as it became increasingly apparent that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick would be swept from office in a cloud of scandal and Cockrel would succeed him. By all accounts, Cockrel held a dignified affair at the Lake View, serving fruit, whitefish, beef and an open bar with premium liquor. Attendees included Jamaine Dickens, Kilpatrick's ex-press secretary; George Jackson, the city's top development officer; and city clerk Janice Winfrey. Councilwoman Martha Reeves was there, too, taking photographs. Two weeks before the reception, Cockrel had still not paid the hotel, which is accustomed to getting paid up front a month before an event. A call was made to George Hill, chairman and chief executive officer of Diversified Chemical Technologies. Hill approached Cockrel in January, asking for help with penalties and interest in connection with a $211,000 tax bill that was past due. According to an internal memo from the council president's office and obtained by The News, Cockrel interceded on Hill's behalf, causing Hill to e-mail a note to Cockrel's office. "Please pass on my special gratitude to Councilman Cockrel for his much-needed intervention on our behalf," Hill wrote. Hill confirmed that he was contacted by Cockrel's aides five months later, asking him to write a personal check to the Lake View Hotel to cover expenses for the Friends of Ken Cockrel Jr. reception. Hill wrote a check for $3,000. Until then, Hill had contributed just $500 to Cockrel over the span of his political career. Hill said he did not attend the Mackinac reception. "It was a personal check from me to support that particular event," Hill told The News. "Was it personal or political? I don't understand the legal difference. I was contacted by a staff member. I don't remember who it was. It was my understanding that they needed financial support for the party. Beyond that, I don't know why they called me." Cockrel has until early January to file his 2008 political contributions and expenditure reports. For his part, Hill is alarmed that his gesture could be construed as anything but good will. "I care about the city," he said. "I'm delighted by the transition. It's a metamorphosis, a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Detroit deserves to be that. If I can help it get there, so be it. I would not get there by being inappropriate." News Staff Writer David Josar contributed to this report. |
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott
Post Number: 1773 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 5:35 pm: | |
Sheesh. If you're looking for Mother Teresa to be Mayor, best just move out of town. Everybody running is going to have some kind of a past. We will know more about the more well-known candidates, obviously. The only questions should be: can he/she run the City as it is today, and does he/she have a vision for a better City of tomorrow? |
Baselinepunk Member Username: Baselinepunk
Post Number: 95 Registered: 03-2007
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 6:14 pm: | |
" I love the fact that he wants to stimulate the commercial strips and also bring in green jobs (hopefully curb side recycling!!)" My city makes money off of recycling. We pay about 20 some dollars per ton (I think) for the service, yet get around 48 bucks per ton for the material. Recycling is Revenue! |
Jacqueline Member Username: Jacqueline
Post Number: 38 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 6:56 pm: | |
Bing and Hendrix come a lot closer to being Mother Teresa than Cockrel. To much of what Cockrel is proposing to do to reduce the deficit is a rerun of what the former mayor proposed. Cockrel says he is not going to lay off any uniformed police officers. That's good. But, is he planning to hire any replacments for those that retire or leave? That means the city has less than the present 1,900 uniformed office. When he sells the revenue from the tunnel, PLD and Municipal Parking, how does he plan to replace this revenue in the 2009-2010 budget? And then there are the proposals on the special election ballot. Another one of the former mayor's ideas. When posters say Cockrel is doing okay, is that good enough? We need better and if a vote for someone who is doing okay is your criteria for mayor, then so be it. To those who say give him a chance, Cockrel had his chance to prove his worth when he was President of City Council but did not prove his worth. Should we expect any more of him as Mayor? Move out of town? Sounds like CAY. Too many people who could have helped have already done that. Thanks for the encouragement. |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 1909 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 7:06 pm: | |
quote:I'm hoping that Hendrix wins and Cockrel goes back to Council President. But give Cockrel a break! The city doesn't have any money to do things, and you want magic to happen in only 4 months... it took 40 years for the city to get this way, and you want magic overnight. No one expects Cockrel - or anyone else - to work magic overnight or in a matter of months. It will take several years to get Detroit back on track. However - and this is the most important part - we will never reach that position if we don't get started eventually. My problem with Cockrel is that he hasn't accomplished anything substantial. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. There's an old proverb that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Cockrel isn't willing to take the first step. I don't expect anyone who to change the world in 4 months, but I do expect them to accomplish something. People say that the City of Detroit is broke; we can't afford to do anything. In spite of how "broke" we are, the City - with Cockrel as President of the City Council - spent $19 million of City funds on the Harmonie Park/Paradise Valley project. In spite of how "broke" we are, the City is spending $15 million of City funds to operate the 9 member City Council. In spite of how "broke" we are, the City is operating 5 different City agencies that are tasked with promoting economic development. None of them are doing a very good job of it. In spite of all this, we can't deploy enough police officers to make sure that every 9-1-1 call gets answered. In spite of all this, we can't get our streets plowed. In spite of all this, we can't make sure that our streetlights work. I know that no mayor can solve all of these problems in just a few months. I also know that if we don't start trying then we'll never get there. But Ken "Virtuallyuseless" Cockrel still wants a paycheck - even though he isn't getting anything done. |
Jacqueline Member Username: Jacqueline
Post Number: 39 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 7:16 pm: | |
P.S. to my 7:06 pm post: BaselinePunk: You want to buy my house? Or maybe take over my house payment so that I can move out of Detroit? With crime on the upswing Detroit is not a safe place in which to live. |
Jacqueline Member Username: Jacqueline
Post Number: 40 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 8:27 pm: | |
Sorry BaselinePunk. My last comment should have been directed at Professorscott. |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4086 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 9:32 pm: | |
I was rather hazy on who I favor (and, it doesn't matter, at all, because I'm not a resident), but after the Detroit News endorsed, it became very clear who I wasn't going to favor. The Detroit News hasn't had the city's best interest in mind for many, many years. |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1670 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 11:49 pm: | |
Bing's a carpet-bagger, but I'm leaning toward him because he's an outsider. Carter-esque, if you will. ... Granted, Carter didn't work out too well either. Bing also knows his way around a business and, hopefully, can keep a tight shop. |
Firstandten Member Username: Firstandten
Post Number: 635 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 12:10 am: | |
after the Detroit News endorsed, it became very clear who I wasn't going to favor. The Detroit News hasn't had the city's best interest in mind for many, many years." quote I really want to know what was behind that endorsement. It really didn't tell me why Bing was better than Cockrel and/or Hendrix. I've heard but don't know for fact that the business community wants Bing and wondering if the News is in bed with the business community on this election. |
Firstandten Member Username: Firstandten
Post Number: 636 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 12:16 am: | |
The schools issue is a real hot button item with me. I was very,very disappointed with Cockrel's response to a question asked to him by Rev Wendell Anthony on his TV show. Anthony asked him about the mayor taking over the schools and his response was he had so much on his plate that wasn't something he wanted to address. With that response its now between Bing and Hendrix for me. |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4090 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Saturday, February 07, 2009 - 12:51 am: | |
Bing, the News has always been in bed with the business community; they are the metro's right-leaning newspaper. As far as I'm concerned, a News endorsement is a kiss-of-death. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6124 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 1:19 pm: | |
So the Sunday Freep has announced that it's narrowed its list of who they will endorse for mayor in about 2 weeks. And the final list (no Cockrel) is Hendrix, Bing and Evans... with a finalist coming shortly... |
Danny Member Username: Danny
Post Number: 4466 Registered: 02-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 2:21 pm: | |
KEN COCKEREL IS GOING TO WIN YAY! |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 1911 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 3:17 pm: | |
Don't get too excited, Danny. Cockrel might make it past the primary this month. However, he is still a long way away from continuing to collect a paycheck without doing any work. It's going to take a lot more than some newspaper endorsing his opponents. The man might actually have to do some work. And we all know how much he hates doing that. |
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 3475 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 3:30 pm: | |
Fnemecek, who are you fronting, er, I mean, supporting for mayor? |
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 277 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 4:39 pm: | |
Anybody but Evans (well, except McPhail, but she has no shot thank goodness). |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 1912 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 11:22 pm: | |
quote:Fnemecek, who are you fronting, er, I mean, supporting for mayor? Still not sure. Either Bing or Hendrix. And if they don't get something done within their first couple of months on the job, I'll start arguing to have them tossed aside in November. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6129 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 12:40 pm: | |
Think of all the voting chances the "instant gratification NOW generation" will get at changing their minds... February, May, August and November... With all that campaigning to do in such a short time, who's got time to actually govern and produce results? |
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 3493 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 12:42 pm: | |
I dunno. Seems to me that the one boon of the extraordinary schedule of elections would be you could test-drive Cockrel and see if those short-term results you want appear. My 2c. |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 1913 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 1:35 pm: | |
quote:With all that campaigning to do in such a short time, who's got time to actually govern and produce results? If a candidate produces results, he doesn't need to campaign. If he doesn't produce results, all of the campaigning in the world won't make a difference. |
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 3494 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 2:18 pm: | |
How does a candidate produce results? I'm confused. |
Pam Member Username: Pam
Post Number: 5008 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 8:10 am: | |
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dp p/news/local/candidates_trade_ jabs Not so friendly exchange between Hendrix and Cockrel. |
Jonesy Member Username: Jonesy
Post Number: 542 Registered: 07-2005
| Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 9:04 am: | |
Wow, Ken was pissed. |
Foxyscholar Member Username: Foxyscholar
Post Number: 275 Registered: 12-2007
| Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 9:26 am: | |
I was at the forum last night.... That exchange happened very fast... like it came out of nowhere from where I was. I glanced away momentarily while Freman was talking and when I returned my attention to the front, people had started standing up and both were shouting in their microphones... it was chaotic for a couple of seconds until the pastor spoke up and talked about having a civil campaign and he prayed and the forum concluded after that. |
Swingline Member Username: Swingline
Post Number: 893 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 12:19 pm: | |
The Metro Times has endorsed Mr. Cockrel. http://www.metrotimes.com/news /story.asp?id=13700 (There's no need for responding posts to dismiss this endorsement by venting various tired complaints about the perceived inadequacies of the Metro Times. It is a professionally run alternative weekly with a highly experienced editorial staff. A Metro Times endorsement carries plenty of legitimacy.) It's not a glowing endorsement and rests in large part on a claimed need for stability in the office through at least the real election in November. They said some nice things about some of the other candidates as well; Hood, Evans and Hendrix. But here's what they said about Mr. Bing: quote:The one "major" candidate who left us largely unimpressed is businessman Dave Bing. A former star for the Detroit Pistons and a successful entrepreneur, Bing, in our interview with him, was frustratingly vague in detailing how he'd lead Detroit's rebound at this crucial juncture. The business community may be solidly behind him, but Bing's success in the private sector is no guarantee he has the political savvy to run a city facing as many problems as Detroit. Despite his contributions to the city as a business owner and developer, he came off as someone still learning the city he proposes to lead. Hmmm. |
English Member Username: English
Post Number: 443 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 12:35 pm: | |
At this rate, Hendrix and Bing are going to split the anti-Cockrel vote. |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 1915 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 8:48 pm: | |
quote:A Metro Times endorsement carries plenty of legitimacy.) It's not a glowing endorsement and rests in large part on a claimed need for stability in the office through at least the real election in November. Bah! Detroit needs stability like New Orleans more hurricanes. We need dramatic change and we need quickly. Cockrel had his chance. He blew it. It's time to hand the ball to someone else. |