Mayor Crusty Is A Real Clown...

I am pretty much convinced that if  I don’t stop watching local politics I’m going to stroke out. Now Mayor Crusty, I mean Mayor Dave Bing, wants the governor to appoint an Emergency Financial Manager to the City of Detroit. Further, he has stated that he wants to be said “EMF”. Is he serious? When an EMF is appointed the Mayor or School Board Superintendant is relieved of their duties. What is essentially being said is that you have done an awful job. We have no faith in your abilities to turn things around. You have neither vision , nor the creative fortitude to bring about change. So that being said what makes Mayor Bing think for one second the governor would appoint him?

I remember back in April of this year the Mayor held a news conference during the back and forth haggling of the budget process with the City Council. He said then under no uncertain terms would he support the appointment of  an EMF. He went on to say that an EMF would be devastating for the city. Also, during the same time period City Council wanted to make further cuts to the budget his office submitted. He told the public that those cuts were draconian and would greatly impact the quality of life for the citizens of Detroit. Now here he stands today wanting to do the very things that he said he was against. What gives?

The Mayor would have you believe that the public service unions are the problem behind the city finances. He has said over and over again that unions will not come to the bargaining table to make the necessary cuts. My question is how can you ask a city employee that makes only $24,000/ year to take another 10% cut in pay on top of  the 10% already taken?  How do you expect that same person to pay an additional 20% of their health care? He wants retirees on fixed incomes to take cuts to their pensions. Money they worked for and depended on in their golden years. Once again politicians are trying to solve the mismanagement of public dollars on the backs of the working class and seniors.

Why doesn’t the administration lead by example?  Let’s get rid of the countless appointees.  Let’s trim the city council down from a 9 member board to 5 members. Let them take a 25% cut on their office budget and a 20% pay cut. They could share staff like many other private sector business do.  No cars or security team should be needed for council. I mean really, who’s out to get Charles Pugh???

It seems odd that no one in executive management or any mayoral appointees have been asked to accept a cut in pay or participate in the Budget Reduction Furlough Days(BRF). I wonder why??? Mayor Bing is a rich man, why can’t he work for free? Show us his real dedication to the city.

We’ve sold every asset we have except the DWSD.  Is our Mayor sounding the final horn before he prostitutes our treasured jewel to the highest bidder?  Sadly the Mayor and City Council have no vision, creativity, fortitude or economic development sense to take the City of Detroit to world class status. It is unfortunate that we will forever be the joke of Southeastern Michigan.