 
Southwestmap
Member
Username: Southwestmap
Post Number: 599
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 11:01 am: |    |
I've heard that there was a huge fight last week in the Council chambers. The Council is discussing going to a "committee" structure - having committees study and recommend action for Council. Maybe such a work structure (common in corporate Boardrooms) would break the logjam caused by endless Council discussion of every single topic.
Anyway, not sure who is in favor of it and who opposed, but S. Cockerel and J. Watson had an immense and disgraceful arguement.
The interesting thing is that the newspapers never reported on it. They never say anything about city government anymore.
I don't really care about the argument - just about the issue and who is opposed to a method that may make the Council more effective and efficient, and why.
I'm wondering if their's some sort of coverage ban about city leadership imposed behind the scenes by the power brokers Nicholson and Penske. Why the lack of coverage of the Mayor and Council recently? |
Wash_man
Member
Username: Wash_man
Post Number: 124
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 11:11 am: | |
Petty arguing and childish antics by the council are old news. Nobody cares to read or hear the same old story over and over. Let them do something positive to get in the news. |
Ha_asfan
Member
Username: Ha_asfan
Post Number: 36
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 5:59 pm: | |
You can FOIA the minutes and all records of the meeting. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4530
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 6:05 pm: | |
You mean to tell me the council doesn't already have committee designations? Even in my smaller city of Lansing I couldn't imagine how slowly council meetings would go without them. The whole council structure needs a restructure, IMO. |
Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 59
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 8:15 pm: | |
Another thing I haven't heard about lately is the financial situation of the city. Are they going to go into receivership after the elections? |
Chitaku
Member
Username: Chitaku
Post Number: 790
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 9:43 pm: | |
who voted for these jokers! |
Mayor_sekou
Member
Username: Mayor_sekou
Post Number: 49
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 9:49 pm: | |
Good question Paulmcall, it seems that issue disapeared after Kwame got re elected. The threat of recievership is something that wouldve be at the forefront of the city's issues everyday if it really was a problem |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4531
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 11:31 pm: | |
It's really not so much the members as it is the unorganized council structure. I had no idea they didn't have committees. That always just seemed like a given for me, and particularly for any city over 50,000 persons. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4533
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 1:11 am: | |
Yeah, because Detroit's government structure needs to reform, because it's perfect as is, right? A very large part of Detroit's problems can be traced directly to the organization of the city government. Detroit can continue to do business as usual out of spite, and they can continue to see the fruits of that labor, too. |
Detroitej72
Member
Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 321
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 1:50 am: | |
What Detriot needs to do first and formost is to go back to the ward system for city (clown) council; i.e. do away with our at-large system.
That way council members will be responsible for thier own constituants. This will force our council member to answer only to said district, thus eliminating city- wide curruption and influence.
This may be but a pipe dream for me, but it would help the council to stay true to thier core constituants.
Most of the current clowns on council are opposed to this idea, but that is because they have grown 'fat' on the current system. Also most of them live in the same neighborhoods, and this would pit them against each other.
As far as I'm concearned, the only ones that are worth 2 cents are: Ken Cockral Jr., Sheila Cockral, Alberta Tinsly- Talabi, and Martha Reeves.
Detroitej72, hopes to change the current "system" |
Zephyrprocess
Member
Username: Zephyrprocess
Post Number: 54
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 8:03 am: | |
In addition to the issues Detroitej72 mentions, above, the at-large model is also used by council members as an excuse to maintain larger-than-usual staffs, "because we have to serve the entire city." |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4534
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 8:14 pm: | |
I've said this before, but it doesn't have to be either/or concering wards. Here in Lansing we have four council members elected from the city's four wards, and four members elected at large. The at large positions are there to give often overlooked neighborhoods a greater chance to elect a member to council. |
Kiplinger
Member
Username: Kiplinger
Post Number: 33
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Friday, October 06, 2006 - 2:25 pm: | |
LMichigan, I have to disagree with you - it is the Council members AND the system. Most of the members don't have any corporate experience so they are probably not familiar with the efficiency of working in a committee structure. Even if they were to implement this it probably would't work because this type of system requires the buy-in of the members to let the committee do their work and to accept their recommendations. Most members of the City Council think far too much of themselves to let this happen.
I agree with that we need a system where each council member represents a specific area of the city. Then maybe there would be more accountability. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4544
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 06, 2006 - 6:23 pm: | |
I'm not sure where you're from but maybe only one person on my cities 8 member council has ever been part of a corporate setting (thank God), and that has in no way hampered the meetings or the committee set up. I'm tired of people wanting to make the Detroit City Council out as the worse public body in the United States. It's not even close to the case. I'll call out a council member when they say or do something stupid, but the heaped on, unnecessary criticism is getting old and tired, and especially when the same people never have anything good to say about them when they do a great job. I'm all for watchdogs and gadflies, but, my God, give credit where credit is deserved and criticism where it's deserved. |
Kiplinger
Member
Username: Kiplinger
Post Number: 35
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 11:39 am: | |
I am from Detroit. Is that relevant? Aren't you from Lansing?
I do give credit when it's deserved and ask questions and make suggestions when I think it is necessary. As "Westsidemap' stated pettiness and childish antics of the council are old news but I am hoping that we can make some positive change on the council so they can efficiently and porductively conduct the business they were elected to conduct. I am not sure who you have me confused with but I am for action and have no problem helping solve a problem rather than just b#*#%ing about it. While you may be sick of what you term "unnecessary criticism" I am sick of the excuses I hear whenever someone suggests a "change" in current policies or procedures. This is even before the idea or suggestion has been properly veted. Using committees as a function to increase productivity is a positive suggestion. It is has merit and is worth discussing. I don't think anyone has stated anything about the council in comparison to any other political body in the US rather, I stated they may not be familiar with functioning in this way. Given the reaction the Council has had to most suggestions of change, their predicted response isn't hard to imagine.
How familiar are you with the Council? |