Category: Politics
Posted by Joel Kurth (The Detroit News) on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 2:47 PMKilpatrick: $1 billion, one green helmet
Like most folks, the City Hall Insider rushes to the mailbox every day in hopes of receiving mass mailings from politicos with franking money to spare. We weren't disappointed the other day when a 16-page glossy brochure came from U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick's brochure had a lot of photos, reproductions of congratulatory messages from local leaders and one overriding message: "One districts, One Dream, Over One Billion Dollars" in funding.
It also included one interesting photo:
That's her "inside of a military helicopter ... during a trip to Iraq," according to the brochure. The snapshot brings to mind another famous pol who liked to wear helmets:
Category: Suburbs
Posted by Joel Kurth (The Detroit News) on Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 11:25 AMTweet o' the Day
Uh oh. There's more fallout from the state's most pressing controversy: Gov. Granholm's proclamation of Saturday as 'Michigan Meatout Day'
The City Hall Insider calls that a typical Tuesday. Call us cynical, but we suspect L. Brooks won't go into withdrawal if he skips Swiss chard and macrobiotic Italian stewed lentils for the day.
Category: Detroit Police Department
Posted by Jonathan Kinloch on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 11:08 AMPols want Ella Bully-Cummings to make bid for bench
Detroit's 36th District Court's primary elections are usually sleepers. This year, one name being thrown around might make it interesting. The City Hall Insider has learned that high-placed political consultants are trying to recruit former Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings into the race.
It's an intriguing proposition. With no expected judicial retirements from the bench, Bully-Cummings would be taking on the pack of incumbents.
But with bigtime name ID, she could stand a better chance than any in recent memory who have faced Mission Impossible: Breaking into a pack of incumbent judges who have significant built-in advantages. Not only do they each carry ballot designations under their name, but they have unfettered ability to raise moolah from trial lawyers and other law enforcement types.
Bully-Cummings, who is in private practice as an attorney, is well known. But some question whether a candidacy would be haunted by the ghost of Gary Brown, the former deputy chief and current councilman who sparked the text-message scandal that unraveled Bully-Cummings' former boss, Kwame Kilpatrick.
Category: Corruption probe
Posted by Jonathan Kinloch on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 6:28 PMCarolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is ready: Bring it
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick may be facing two simultaneous challenges -- a subpoena to testify in the grand jury and a re-election faceoff against state Sen. Hansen Clarke -- but she's not sweating either.
In fact, she welcomes both, Kilpatrick said Saturday at a 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization meeting.
To loud applause, she challenged the crowd to "speak up for me."
"You know me. I'm proud to have been asked to testify. I don't know what questions they will ask, until I go. I will answer truthfully and to the best of my ability. Then I will report back to my district."
Kilpatrick and a top aide, Andrea Bragg, are expected to testify in the long-running federal grand jury into City Hall corruption. The probe seems to be closing in on what sources say is its main target: Her son, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. His mother is not believed to be a target.
"We have a new U.S. Attorney (Barbara McQuade), and it appears that we are getting to the end. She wants them to wrap it all up," the congresswoman told the gathering Saturday.
Despite the heat -- and a close re-election two years ago -- Kilpatrick warned that anyone expecting her to roll over and give up her coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee should expect a fight.
Kilpatrick acknowledged Clarke's entrance into the race, but her demeanor reminded the City Hall Insider of that "Put 'Em Up, Put 'Em Up" scene from the "Wizard of Oz."
"I welcome Hansen Clark and his people in the back," Kilpatrick said. "But, I'm going to beat you."
Fun fact: Clarke's folks say he wasn't in the audience. Either way, the Insider hasn't been this excited since the "Wizard of Oz" was restored for its 70th anniversary. Those flying monkeys and ruby slippers have never looked better.
Kilpatrick not on Facebook ... yet
Kwame Kilpatrick and Dave Bing now have another thing in common: Social networking dopplegangers.
Kilpatrick's new spokesman, Mike Paul, today put to rest scuttlebutt that the former mayor has taken to Facebook. At least nine pages exist claiming to belong to the former Hizzoner, most notably this one that chronicles his efforts to pay restitution, life in Dallas and hopes for Detroit. The profile describes Kilpatrick as "one of the best Mayors Detroit has ever had," has 1,224 fans and is a forum for lively debate among "haters" and those who blame his problems on race, the media and zealous prosecutors.
"He's aware of the pages, of course," says Paul, who noted he discussed them with Kilpatrick last week. "There are a lot of people who still like him in Detroit. Every time we go to court, people say, 'Hang in there. We're praying for you.' We assume it's a supporter."
It's an issue that more than a few politicos and celebrities have faced. Bing spent more than a year trying to shut down a phony Twitterer. Kilpatrick's Wikipedia page is frequently hacked and changed, Paul says.
But Kilpatrick sees the value of social media and is considering launching an authentic Facebook page, Twitter account or Web site soon that could solicit money for his defense, Paul says.
"If you're not doing all of the above today, it's just not wise," Paul says. "People want to know what you are doing and they want to support you."
Category: Charles Pugh
Posted by Joel Kurth (The Detroit News) on Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 3:42 PMPugh makes T-shirt debut
If parody is flattery, Charles Pugh has hit it big. The City Council president whose money troubles continue to make headlines has joined Ken Cockrel Jr., Monica Conyers and Kwame Kilpatrick to become immortalized on apparel by www.tabloidtshirts.com. The Pugh shirt features what appears to be a stack of eviction notices.
The Insider has been reluctant to buy parody gear ever since we spent $15 on a "Quit Buying Prostitutes, Fat A--" T-shirt featuring Kilpatrick a few years ago from another site, but to each his own:
Money isn't Pugh's only problem. He went to Washington D.C. this weekend for the National League of Cities confab and to rally for moolah for mass transit. But he took to Twitter on Sunday to complain that an airline lost his luggage and was taking its sweet time getting it back to him.
Category: Life in Detroit
Posted by Joel Kurth (The Detroit News) on Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 3:00 PMBrits tune to telly for look at Detroit's 'dytopia'
Call it ruin porn or decay worship, but the Euro fascination with Detroit continued Saturday with the debut of director Julien Temple's documentary, 'Requiem for Detroit?' on BBC2.
Aging hipsters no doubt recall Temple from numerous documentaries of the Sex Pistols, Joe Strummer, music videos for Whitney Houston and David Bowie and forays into Hollywood including "Earth Girls Are Easy."
The movie isn't yet available in the states, but judging by the few clips that have trickled out on YouTube and elsewhere, it looks like a familiar tale: Bloody 'ell. The city that invented the working class sure is dodgy, all right?
The film is getting good buzz on the Internet, but Temple may not have done himself any favors with an op-ed last week in The Guardian that the Independent Film Channel dismissed as 'shockingly naive.'.
The piece reveals that Temple didn't know of Detroit's decline until he visited the city and he relies on language that some might consider purple prose:
"Detroit is an Alice-like journey into a severely dystopian future. the giant rubber tyre that dwarfs the nonexistent traffic in ironic testament to the busted hubris of Motown's auto-makers, the city's ripped backside begins to glide past outside the windows."
Temple draws pat conculsions to complex issues. He blames racial problems on the "greed-fuelled willingness of the auto barons" who "siphoned" black workers and "treat(ed) them like subhuman citizens." Some might quibble with that description, arguing the Great Migration saved African-Americans from economic despair, Jim Crow and the boll weevil and helped create a new middle class.
Judging from the article, it's also unclear whether Temple set foot in the Renaissance Center or MGM Grand Casino. If he had, he could have sipped a Venti Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte and avoided this sentence: "People have virtually nowhere to buy fresh produce. Starbucks? Forget it." City Hall and the Census may also take issue with his claim that "The population of Detroit ... is almost two-thirds down on its overall peak in the early 50s. The city .. cannot afford to cut the grass or light its streets, let alone educate or feed its citizens."
Really? In fairness, Temple is known as a far better better director than writer, and the early clips indicate the documentary includes a Who's Who of Detroiters, including activist Grace Lee Boggs, Heidelberg Project maestro Tyree Guyton, hippie agitator John Sinclair, Detroityes guru Lowell Boileau and ex-Councilwoman Martha Reeves.
Here's a few quick peeks that have emerged online:
Category: Monica Conyers
Posted by Joel Kurth (The Detroit News) on Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 2:11 PMThe wit and wisdom of Monica Conyers
The moment of truth comes Wednesday for Monica Conyers, who is set to learn whether she'll do hard time for accepting cash for her deciding vote for a $1.2 billion sludge contract. Since pleading guilty last summer, Conyers has remained remarkably quiet leading to her sentencing.
And that's been a loss to those who, like Karl from "Sling Blade," like the way Conyers talks.
In honor of her Big Day, here's a look back at the Wit and Wisdom of Monica Conyers. Perhaps there's a self-help book in here somewhere, like "All I Really Needed to Know in Life, I Learned from Monica Conyers":
On Money: "You better get my loot, that's all I know," to former aide Sam Riddle, accoring to wiretaps.
On Respect: "You're not my daddy! You do that at home, not here. Give me some respect 'cause I'm tired of that. You may not do that at home, but you gonna do it up in here. Grow up! Control your house and you'll know how to treat women better. Shrek! Shrek!" to former Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. during a famous screaming match that went viral online and helped make Conyers a household name.
On God: "If you aren't praying for me, you are just adding to the problem," on TV, as her legal troubles mounted.
On the Weather: "If it's raining outside and it's only raining in one spot, Monica Conyers made it happen. It's always Monica, Monica, Monica, Monica. I guess they like my name," to a radio reporter, about the public's fascination with her.
On Self-Worth: "There's nothing wrong with me. They say all black women have mental problems," after another blow-up with colleagues.
On Remorse: "I don't regret nothing I ain't done nothing worth apologizing for. I don't deal in the past."
On Neighbors: "We are not monkeys that can be put in a cage," in response to Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's suggestion that the council should be placed in a zoo.
On Mercy: "When you are sick, some people take everything out on everyone else. Knowing if he was sick, that would help me deal with him a little better and that would make me have a little empathy for him rather than thinking he's just plain evil," explaining that she could better understand Councilman Kwame Kenyatta if he had cancer. He doesn't. Conyers also made fun of his hearing loss and general-equivalency diploma during a private argument.
On Love: "Shut the (expletive) up ... You need a man" to former Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel during a closed-door argument. Conyers also once accused Cockrel of being a "drunk."
On Restraint: "You egg people on to blow up. I'm working on not letting you guys push my buttons," to the media in the days leading to her indictment.
On Family:"My brothers (will mess) you up," to former mayoral aide DeDan Milton, during an argument at a pension board. Conyers claimed Milton threatened her.
On Knowing Thyself:"I am not one of those people who hold grudges. I am a no-nonsense person. Either you like me or you don't. It's not about individuals; it's about the citizens of Detroit."
Category: City politics
Posted by Joel Kurth (The Detroit News) on Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 11:50 AMCan council by districts co-exist with downsizing?
A few months ago, Detroit voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to elect council members from districts, rather than citywide. Proponents promised it would improve accountability, end gridlock and return democracy to the people.
Reformers are making the same promises now in San Francisco -- with a plan percolating to dump representation by districts.
Like Detroit, San Francisco elected its equivalent of the council -- the Board of Supervisors -- from the city as a whole for decades. But 10 years ago, voters switched course and embraced districts. The result: "Winning is easier and campaigns cheaper, thus encouraging greater numbers of ideologues, extremists, and wackos," according to a San Francisco State University professor.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist C.W. Nevius wrote last month that neighborhoods are better represented, but districts cause gridlock and thwart "big-picture thinking about the city." Huge decisions facing San Francisco -- from redeveloping two Navy bases and trimming its budget by $500 million -- are left in the hands of "small-time politicos," according to a Feb. 28 editorial in the Chronicle.
That could give pause to good-government types in Detroit, which soon could wrestle with the ultimate big-picture idea: downsizing the city. Mayor Dave Bing has said he's committed to relocating residents from downtrodden neighborhoods into condensed, more viable communities.
A majority on the Detroit council supports the concept in theory. But the plan could take years, and by 2014, the council is expected to be elected by districts.
That could add another obstacle to what Bing acknowledges would be a controversial and litigious process. After all, what are the chances a council member representing Brightmoor would vote to move her own constituents?
It's a prospect that hasn't escaped folks such as Francis Grunow, an organizer for Detroiters for City Council by Districts that pushed the November initiative.
Grunow figures the simultaneous push for downsizing and districts could be a "perfect opportunity" -- or a perfect mess. If officials are able to form district lines to mesh with plans to downsize neighborhoods, it could clear the way to reshape the city and its government. If not, new districts could be an impediment, Grunow acknowledges.
"It's potentially something we will have to be very careful about, but the potential is huge," says Grunow, who adds he's "optimistic" the two movements could complement each other.
"We're going to have to change. The writing is on the wall. It seems like this is a good push to get things right. But if we don't do it right, it could be bad."
Getting it right could involve rewriting the city charter to incorporate the districts, approving the districts and the current council embracing downsizing before giving way to a panel elected by districts drawn to reflect a contracting city -- all within the next four years.
That could sound like catching lightning in a bottle, but Bing, Grunow and other reformists say nothing less than the future is at stake.
Detroit's topless clubs have lots of 'friends'
Topless dancing fans of Detroit, unite! Aficionados of the fine art of pole dancing -- who no doubt go to clubs for artistic inspiration, not unlike those who read Playboy for articles -- are flocking to Facebook.
As of this afternoon, the "Save Detroit Gentlemen Clubs" Facebook page has attracted 440-plus followers -- and, like the religious community, they're none too happy nowadays with the Detroit City Council.
It's a forum for fans -- USUALLY IN ALL CAPS!!! -- to express frustration that Detroit leaders are cracking down on clubs, which they argue provide good jobs and tax money .... not to mention fantastic conversation.
A sample, from Rob Hensel:
"Nice work Detroit you've managed to take away the one thing that brings me into your city. Nice job on losing even more revenue to Canada. Who the hell is going to pay for overpriced drinks, valet, and cover charges and not be able to feel on some (almost rhymes with cuties)? I'll tell you who won't, this guy right here."
John Sitkiewicz is urging members to lobby Mayor Dave Bing to veto the changes:
"Flood Mayor Dave Bing's office with phone calls and encourage him not to sign this abomination into law!"
No word yet from Bing if he'll be bowing to Facebook pressure. And the City Hall Insider is on the lookout the equivalent Facebook pages: Pastors for Pasties and Can this Moldy Fig Get More Fans than a 250-Page Ordinance Regulating Adult Entertainment.
