Detroit Mayoral Primaries

August 3, 2005

Today marks the first time in Detroit history that the incumbent Mayor came in 2nd in the primaries. Kilpatrick 35%, Hendrix 44%. McPhail, Clarke, DNF.

Please bear with the long-windedness…

I was born in Detroit, towards the end of Coleman Young’s reign of mediocracy. Shortly thereafter, my parents moved to the suburbs, primarily to be closer to my father’s work. Ten years later, my grandmother, who had lived in the same house since the early 1950s was forced to move after a string of robberies, rapes, and car-jackings on her block, which was mostly aging, retired 2nd generation immigrants of the “greatest generation.”

Although I haven’t lived in Detroit since I was an infant, I had, several months ago, considered investing in the city, buying a condominium near the New Center area, in close proximity to Wayne State University where I attend courses several nights each week. Something stopped me though.

That something was Kwame Kilpatrick, incumbent Mayor of Detroit. I don’t like incompetence and I run from it whenever it rears its ugly head. In this case, its head was perched atop a 350 pound, self-proclaimed, “hip-hop Mayor” of Detroit.

His youthful demeanor is only surpassed by his hip-hop stylings. He travels with a security detail (read:entourage) of 12-20, just about everywhere, including the Nation’s capital where nobody would recognize him from any other 350 pound ex-college football player, if it weren’t for the entourage. Despite the fact that he is significantly more noteworty, and noticeable, Chicago’s Mayor Daly travels with a security detail of TWO. I haven’t heard the details, but I’d wager that 12-20 security guards, especially in a city that is in danger of going bankrupt, and a city which has recently laid off many police officers, is head and shoulders above what is actually necessary.

He fails to properly account for THOUSANDS of dollars charged to his card on the City’s expense account, including a dozen rooms and related expenses at Superbowl 39 in New Orleans.

Records indicate that he was aware of, or otherwise at least partially culpable for securing a ONE-YEAR lease (which doesn’t exist, so the city was billed for two-years) on a Cadillac Escalade, to the tune of $24,995.00, Five dollars below the price limit which would’ve required board approval.

In the face of tough questions, his favorite response is “Asked, and Answered.” Despite the fact that the question at hand has never been answered. He is a proficient user of the “repeater” technique, whereby you repeat one thing over and over again, louder and louder, until your opponent gives up.

nepotism. need I say more?

He has basically accused the media of being racist, or otherwise biased against him.

His campaign has held mandatory meeting(s) for police officers, during which deputy chiefs asked [were prompted to purchase] $300 tickets for a re-election fund-raiser for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in light of the fact that Kilpatrick has suggested cutting many policy/fire jobs in the city in an attempt to prevent it from hemmoraging cash at an ever increasing rate.

Hendrix is a former deputy mayor under the Archer administration, which is actually responsible for many of the good things that have occurred in Detroit in the last 5 years, most of which Kwame Kilpatric attributes to his stellar tenure. Such as: the construction of Casinos, the luring of the Superbowl 40, 2005 All-Star Game, 2007 Final Four (I think it’s ‘07?) and the renaissance of the New Center area.

Kwame has launched a smear campaign against Hendrix, which has for the most part been laughable. Give Hendrix the reigns, and young, open-minded people like me may be willing to invest in the city. It would be a great thing to turn it around. Here’s to hoping the primary figures are a good predictor


Posted in: Potpourri

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