Dear Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi,
I recently received a copy of your spring 2009 community update. Any delay cow five specific reasons why you could not support the proposed transfer of the Cobo exhibition center to a regional authority. I would like to address these five stars that you laid out because I disagree with all of the reasons the layout. In your first reason you claim that the parking revenues from the Cobo would have a negative impact on the Council's ability to deal with the city's budget deficit. First off the reason why we're still in the budget deficit is because the Council continues to spend money that we don't have. Instead of making the tough choices such as eliminating departments at combining departments which would make city government more efficient the Council continues to allow business to go on as usual. Secondly, money from a parking structure is not a good way to stabilize the city budget. Creating a better economic environment in the city for small-business tax cuts and property tax cuts would create a better economic environment in Detroit so that small businesses can grow. This will be a better way to permanently address the city's budget deficit.
In your second reason why you could not support the deal you question the government structure that the Cobo would go to. In many other cities across this country, exhibition centers such as the one we have in Detroit I not only by one city they are in the hands of a regional authority or some sort of nonprofit organization. This specific argument that you may a similar to one previous mayors transferred management of the Detroit Institute of arts, the Detroit zoo and other similar venues around Detroit. The fact is the city of Detroit is not have them signs to continue to operate these venues. If I were to go to New York today it will be the same story the city of New York would go bankrupt if they try to own every museum that is their. Your third reason that you provide it claim he that there was no timeline I thought was the weakest excuse of all of them. We are no timeline if you were to get this money and the deals happen the time I would be by the in 2011 or 2012 auto show.
The fourth reason you provide it state that you could not support any deal that did not include at least a minimum of 30% geographical preference for Detroit residents and businesses. I would think that if anyone was going to run the Cobo they would want the experience of much if not all of the current staff that work there. Councilwoman let's just be honest some people may get laid off some of them probably will deserve it. I have all the times that I have gone to Cobo for different events there have always been at least one person that has not had any very nice attitude. Or some of the prices they charge are completely unfair. It's just like on the buses a number of the drivers have rotten attitudes. Especially when you ask them why they're late coming to your stop or they get mad at you if you tell them where you need to go. And your final reason you claim that you would not know the full impact of the transfer on city employees. Councilwoman for some reason many Council members believe that government is supposed to be all to everyone. This thinking is outdated, the city of Detroit cannot employ every single person in this here. We should be focusing our efforts on creating an environment where business can grow. We should also be encouraging citizens to go back to school to get retrained so that when the economy starts to turn around they would be able to find good paying jobs. The days of working in a factory and then retiring has ended. People must look at other industries if they want to make a living for themselves. A large part of that is going back to school and getting some sort of certification or degree.
Councilwoman I do not write this letter out of disrespect I write it as a concerned citizen who believes that are city is on the wrong path. Out of all of the other Council members you are one of the few that has my respect. You conduct yourself type of grace and dignity that one would expect from a public official. For that I thank you. I just disagree with your vote to kill the Cobo deal. I hope that you will reconsider your position.
Sincerely,
Donald L. Stuckey II
Precinct Delegate
D-Detroit,MI
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
We need Smart talk
You know there's been a lot of buzz about the field of candidates for this year's Detroit city Council election. In all honesty I have seen very little difference from past election cycles. The field of candidates still have no idea of what they're talking about. It boggles my mind because many of these folks have worked has graduated from very good schools and have worked in industries for good number of years. Yet they still do not know how city government works. Take for example former Fox 2 Detroit news reporter Charles Pugh who was interviewed on May 3, 2009 on the PBS talk show American black journal. He spoke about how is Council was to be placed in the district they should have more control over city services in their area. It is very difficult for a legislator to have specific control over what type of city services take place in your specific area. Even a congressman or a US senator would have very much trouble trying to convince the military to open or close a base in their state or community. But as part of the lawmaking body of the city you can legislate how most city services are conducted. It's just like what the Congress of the United States does, if they want access to row build and their legislation is passed through both houses and signed into law by the president then you can best believe that is going to happen. The city Council has the same authority, the only thing that they need to do is pass an ordinance saying what is going to happen with a certain city services.
With the fact that many of these candidates for city Council not understanding how city government works many of them don't even have on what they would do if they got elected. Now has to admit I'm person who looks for actual policy proposals, and other words what are you going to do about the issues facing Detroit. Now in my quest for information I ran across a piece of campaign literature from Lawanda Harrison who is running for city Council. I some time to read through her website and she talks about her background and has had some very general statements about jobs and a variety of other issues. The problem is that she had no specific ideas about what she would do to bring jobs in Detroit. And it continues to please me scratching my head and wondering why would you run for office and not know what you want to do when you get there? Certainly if it was me running for office and someone asked me a hey Donald would are you going to do to bring jobs into Detroit? Well my response would be maybe we should think about cutting local income, property, and small business taxes so that businesses will be attracted to move into Detroit. Secondly, work with our partners in the state and federal government to get our workers into training and education programs so that Detroit will have a highly skilled workforce. Now I'm a college student and I came up with that all by myself. Candidate should not be afraid to offer specific policy ideas while they're out campaigning. I can tell you from experience it works. In 2008 now state representative Fred Durhal Jr. D-Detroit offer specific policy ideas. He talked about them on the campaign trail now he's in a position to try and get them past through the state legislature.
Now my goal is not to set up and badmouth candidates who are running for city Council. I'm simply asking that you give the voters specific ideas on what it is that you want to do to address some of Detroit's toughest issues such as public safety, and job creation. We don't need candidates telling us what the problem is we have but to look at our pocketbooks and the evening news and understand clearly what is going on in our city. Now I'm going to be fair I'm going to post this same article on my blog page and if any candidate for Detroit city Council would like to respond I'll be more than happy to read your comments. That will be an excellent time to tell me exactly what it is you would like to see done in this city. All are welcome to post their comments. My blog is Don’ Views Go to dlstucke.blogspot.com.
With the fact that many of these candidates for city Council not understanding how city government works many of them don't even have on what they would do if they got elected. Now has to admit I'm person who looks for actual policy proposals, and other words what are you going to do about the issues facing Detroit. Now in my quest for information I ran across a piece of campaign literature from Lawanda Harrison who is running for city Council. I some time to read through her website and she talks about her background and has had some very general statements about jobs and a variety of other issues. The problem is that she had no specific ideas about what she would do to bring jobs in Detroit. And it continues to please me scratching my head and wondering why would you run for office and not know what you want to do when you get there? Certainly if it was me running for office and someone asked me a hey Donald would are you going to do to bring jobs into Detroit? Well my response would be maybe we should think about cutting local income, property, and small business taxes so that businesses will be attracted to move into Detroit. Secondly, work with our partners in the state and federal government to get our workers into training and education programs so that Detroit will have a highly skilled workforce. Now I'm a college student and I came up with that all by myself. Candidate should not be afraid to offer specific policy ideas while they're out campaigning. I can tell you from experience it works. In 2008 now state representative Fred Durhal Jr. D-Detroit offer specific policy ideas. He talked about them on the campaign trail now he's in a position to try and get them past through the state legislature.
Now my goal is not to set up and badmouth candidates who are running for city Council. I'm simply asking that you give the voters specific ideas on what it is that you want to do to address some of Detroit's toughest issues such as public safety, and job creation. We don't need candidates telling us what the problem is we have but to look at our pocketbooks and the evening news and understand clearly what is going on in our city. Now I'm going to be fair I'm going to post this same article on my blog page and if any candidate for Detroit city Council would like to respond I'll be more than happy to read your comments. That will be an excellent time to tell me exactly what it is you would like to see done in this city. All are welcome to post their comments. My blog is Don’ Views Go to dlstucke.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
More than protests
You know I find myself getting into pointless debates with extremist activists. It's almost like talking to a brick wall. It is always over the same thing which is better trying to force the government to change through citizen protest and violence or actually changing the government from the inside out. Now for my purposes I am going to change the word citizen protest to community organizing and completely remove the word violence. The only thing that violent needs to is unnecessary bloodshed. Now I have no beef with community organizers, and other activists is just that if we think that the only way to change things is through community organizing we would not see effective change. If we examine recent history will find that the most effective community organizing strategies have been developed that were part of a much bigger plan to effect change. Example in 2005 many organizations throughout the country were trying to force the federal government and state governments to pass increases in minimum wage. In Michigan Democratic attempts to get this done increasingly met defeat in the state legislature. But because of the strong movement in the progressive community which was put together by political strategists, politicians, leaders of civic organizations and many community leaders the governor of Michigan was able to sign a minimum wage increase into law. If it did not happen that way is very likely that an amendment to the state constitution would've been added saying that minimum wage was to be increased anyway. This successful campaign took place because it had to key components one there was a strong push in the community to there was a very clear policy goal in place. This is the best way to affect change.
Unfortunately, this strategy that we know works is not something that many extremist racist activists do not want to use. This digest of their strategy talk about how much the government is corrupt complained and didn't take no action. Now some of these activists may think the best way is to educate the community. Educating the community is very important but if it does not follow action day you are just throwing rocks against the wall. In the 1960s Dr. King led a very successful effort to pass civil rights legislation in the United States. Dr. King had a very clear goal and he clearly understood what desired outcome he was looking for. This is why he was successful. Extreme racist activists do not have the same thinking in my. The only thing they do is complain. Understanding politics is the best way to be able to change policy. President Obama when he was running for president understood this. He understood that people in America want a new direction this is why he was successful over other more season Democrats and over and he Republican who had more than 20 years in Congress and was a former naval officer. Detroit city Council is a poster child for what happens when you do not have clear policy goals and good strategic community involvement. More than 40 years the Detroit city Council has set back and allow Mayor after Mayor to do whatever they want without stopping them. The only thing the Council has been able to do is continue to call other people races and complain about how the mayor is doing this that and the other. Now with all of the lawyers that work for the Detroit city Council in the season political advisers that many of these council members employ you would think that they would have or would give themselves the tools to hold administrations in check. Unfortunately that has not been the case. This is why many in the rest of the state of Michigan look at the Detroit city Council as a joke. And it is a well-deserved label.
Now extremist racist activists I talk a lot about how the American justice system is corrupt and is designed to keep the black man in jail. This is a good point to rally the community or around. What they have offered no solutions on how to fix it. I have I say at one of the first things that can be done is to reform the public defender system so that they have the necessary resources to properly to see and their clients. Many extremist racist activists complained that most of the wealth in this country is in the hands of the rich, the white, and the powerful. Yet these same critics has offered no solutions on how to fix it. I have, I have said one of the first things that we can do at least in Michigan is one making sure that every school district is receiving the same number of dollars are student that other schools are being given. To, reforming the way institutions of higher education in Michigan use taxpayer dollars so that we can be sure people are not being priced out of a college education. These two simple reforms would help to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. But we have seen no policy recommendations from any of these activists. The most successful community activists and community organizers are the ones who have been able to advocate in the community and in front of policymakers. If we look at history some of the most successful military campaigns have been when the one group of people have been able to get behind or inside of their enemies lines and destroy them from the inside out. That is the way that you are going to see the most effective change in the least amount of time. Complaining about the government is going to do no one any good if you do not have a effective plan by which to accomplish your goal. Now as much complaining that I have her many of these extremist activist have openly admitted that they have not voted. The most effective tool that any citizen in this country has to effect change in their community is by exercising their constitutional right to cast a vote in every single election that is hailed in their community. In my opinion you cannot complain if you do not vote. Now I would like to discuss one more example of where clear policy goals and strategic community organizing has produced legislative victories. In 2008 a friend of mine who ran for state representative in Detroit had been lobbying for Detroit city Council for a number of years to move to a greater portfolio. He sat on the Council President Green task force. Not only did he lobbied the council he worked with many community activists and organizations to get his local community involved. Because of his efforts the Council rejected renewing a trash incinerator contract that they have had for more than 20 years and also the city of Detroit began a new curbside cycling program for 30,000 housing units in the city. These are some very significant victories they were not done just by protest, citizen uprisings in other extreme activities. They were accomplish through a combination of direct policy oriented lobbying and strategic community organizing.
Now I have heard of no significant victories that have come through violent protest and community uprisings. The race riots that occurred in Detroit only resulted in the National Guard having to come in and a city's image being completely destroy. Back in 2006 many of these extremist believed that they will be a new round of riots because the voting rights act required action by Congress for its renewal. What they did know was that during a time when Republicans controlled the house and senate voting rights act would renew with large bipartisan support. 98 Senators in 2006 voted to renew the voting rights act. Even today smart intelligent attorneys are defending the voting rights act before the United States Supreme Court. This cannot happen if the only strategy was to protest outside of the court hall. So I leave my extremist friends with this if you really want change there is a proven that it to get it. You may find that you're both will be accomplished much quicker.
Unfortunately, this strategy that we know works is not something that many extremist racist activists do not want to use. This digest of their strategy talk about how much the government is corrupt complained and didn't take no action. Now some of these activists may think the best way is to educate the community. Educating the community is very important but if it does not follow action day you are just throwing rocks against the wall. In the 1960s Dr. King led a very successful effort to pass civil rights legislation in the United States. Dr. King had a very clear goal and he clearly understood what desired outcome he was looking for. This is why he was successful. Extreme racist activists do not have the same thinking in my. The only thing they do is complain. Understanding politics is the best way to be able to change policy. President Obama when he was running for president understood this. He understood that people in America want a new direction this is why he was successful over other more season Democrats and over and he Republican who had more than 20 years in Congress and was a former naval officer. Detroit city Council is a poster child for what happens when you do not have clear policy goals and good strategic community involvement. More than 40 years the Detroit city Council has set back and allow Mayor after Mayor to do whatever they want without stopping them. The only thing the Council has been able to do is continue to call other people races and complain about how the mayor is doing this that and the other. Now with all of the lawyers that work for the Detroit city Council in the season political advisers that many of these council members employ you would think that they would have or would give themselves the tools to hold administrations in check. Unfortunately that has not been the case. This is why many in the rest of the state of Michigan look at the Detroit city Council as a joke. And it is a well-deserved label.
Now extremist racist activists I talk a lot about how the American justice system is corrupt and is designed to keep the black man in jail. This is a good point to rally the community or around. What they have offered no solutions on how to fix it. I have I say at one of the first things that can be done is to reform the public defender system so that they have the necessary resources to properly to see and their clients. Many extremist racist activists complained that most of the wealth in this country is in the hands of the rich, the white, and the powerful. Yet these same critics has offered no solutions on how to fix it. I have, I have said one of the first things that we can do at least in Michigan is one making sure that every school district is receiving the same number of dollars are student that other schools are being given. To, reforming the way institutions of higher education in Michigan use taxpayer dollars so that we can be sure people are not being priced out of a college education. These two simple reforms would help to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. But we have seen no policy recommendations from any of these activists. The most successful community activists and community organizers are the ones who have been able to advocate in the community and in front of policymakers. If we look at history some of the most successful military campaigns have been when the one group of people have been able to get behind or inside of their enemies lines and destroy them from the inside out. That is the way that you are going to see the most effective change in the least amount of time. Complaining about the government is going to do no one any good if you do not have a effective plan by which to accomplish your goal. Now as much complaining that I have her many of these extremist activist have openly admitted that they have not voted. The most effective tool that any citizen in this country has to effect change in their community is by exercising their constitutional right to cast a vote in every single election that is hailed in their community. In my opinion you cannot complain if you do not vote. Now I would like to discuss one more example of where clear policy goals and strategic community organizing has produced legislative victories. In 2008 a friend of mine who ran for state representative in Detroit had been lobbying for Detroit city Council for a number of years to move to a greater portfolio. He sat on the Council President Green task force. Not only did he lobbied the council he worked with many community activists and organizations to get his local community involved. Because of his efforts the Council rejected renewing a trash incinerator contract that they have had for more than 20 years and also the city of Detroit began a new curbside cycling program for 30,000 housing units in the city. These are some very significant victories they were not done just by protest, citizen uprisings in other extreme activities. They were accomplish through a combination of direct policy oriented lobbying and strategic community organizing.
Now I have heard of no significant victories that have come through violent protest and community uprisings. The race riots that occurred in Detroit only resulted in the National Guard having to come in and a city's image being completely destroy. Back in 2006 many of these extremist believed that they will be a new round of riots because the voting rights act required action by Congress for its renewal. What they did know was that during a time when Republicans controlled the house and senate voting rights act would renew with large bipartisan support. 98 Senators in 2006 voted to renew the voting rights act. Even today smart intelligent attorneys are defending the voting rights act before the United States Supreme Court. This cannot happen if the only strategy was to protest outside of the court hall. So I leave my extremist friends with this if you really want change there is a proven that it to get it. You may find that you're both will be accomplished much quicker.
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