Decades of the unaccountable leadership and the same government model has placed Detroit among the highest ranking cities in Crime, Poverty, Unemployment, school dropout rate and decaying neighborhoods.
My plan for Detroit .
- Safer and cleaner city
- More police in the neighborhoods
- Support charter revisions
As a councilmember it will be my responsibility to make sure funds for public safety and redeveloping neighborhoods are allocated appropriately to reach the needed areas.
A Safe CityPublic Safety/Crime
In order for Detroit to be a prosperous city, a healthier city it must be a safe city. Detroit has ranked close to the top if not the top of every list of major crimes for many years during the past decade. Crime is rampant because there is not a healthy respect for authority and that can be traced to the fact that in most neighborhoods the citizens hardly ever see a police car. Detroit lacks the manpower and the police presence to adequately secure the city and give citizens a sense of security and safety.
Several things must happen before Detroit can begin to turn around the cycle of violence.
•Open police mini-stations and increase police patrol presence
Open police mini-stations and increase police patrol presence•Increase staffing levels of gang squad and the narcotics units.
Increase staffing levels of gang squad and the narcotics units.•Fund and support crime reporting and crime reporting programs.
Fund and support crime reporting and crime reporting programs.•Improve community and police partnership.
Improve community and police partnership.•Strict enforcement of city ordinances, particularly loitering and traffic violations.
Strict enforcement of city ordinances, particularly loitering and traffic violations.•Augment police personnel with reserve officers specifically for traffic and special events
Augment police personnel with reserve officers specifically for traffic and special events A Clean City
Increase fines
Detroit has codes of conduct on the books as it relates to illegal dumping and taking care of your property. Citizens rightly complain about the amount of trash and filth permeating our city. The moderately successful Detroit Clean Sweep has subsided but even when at its zenith didn’t address the problem long-term.
•The illegal dumping ordinances must be returned to the previous level where a major fine or jail time was a real possibility. Those who chose to dump in our city will know that the punishment for such actions will not go unpunished.
The illegal dumping ordinances must be returned to the previous level where a major fine or jail time was a real possibility. Those who chose to dump in our city will know that the punishment for such actions will not go unpunished.•The courts must work in concert with the police and the prosecutors to make this happen. Citizens and business owners will be ticketed and fined for not properly taking care of their property including not cutting the grass or picking up trash around the domicile. Businesses that allow graffiti or too much signage will be ticketed.
The courts must work in concert with the police and the prosecutors to make this happen. Citizens and business owners will be ticketed and fined for not properly taking care of their property including not cutting the grass or picking up trash around the domicile. Businesses that allow graffiti or too much signage will be ticketed. •Detroit has an abundance of party/liquor stores that become hang outs for loiters a havens for crime and drug activity. Cleaning up Detroit should include limiting the number of liquor, beer and wine stores and making those that chose to operate in the city provide a more attractive place of business.
Detroit has an abundance of party/liquor stores that become hang outs for loiters a havens for crime and drug activity. Cleaning up Detroit should include limiting the number of liquor, beer and wine stores and making those that chose to operate in the city provide a more attractive place of business.The city must do a better job of (1.) coordinating programs to reduce littering, (2.) Conduct and encourage educational programs on environmental quality, (3.) Encoruage, assist and distribute pertinent information to people organizations and interested groups about beuatification projects.
A Family Friendly CityEliminate vacant and abandoned buildings
There are currently 31 topless bars in the city of Detroit. The entire State has 81 topless bars. Detroit has almost 50% of the topless bars located within its 138 square mile radius. In order for Detroit to become a city that’s full of life culturally and economically we must make it vibrant and viable for families. We do this by addressing the many quality of life issues first. Street lighting, cleaning up parks , opening recreation centers and educating our children better. Detroit has between 70-80,000 vacant or abandoned dwellings. There's another 10,000 homes in foreclosure. Eliminating these dangerous and ugly structures will change the face of the city.
A Fiscally Responsible CityEliminate tax abatements. Offer vacant properties for sale
Detroit has an increasingly declining tax base. The rate of abandoned and vacant properties must be slowed. Offering the thousands of vacant properties to city employees and residents for 50% of their value and re-evaluating our property tax system could help stem the tied. Right now Detroit is relying to heavily on Casino revenues for its survival, that can't continue.Our leadership has just about given away everything of value the city owned in order to fill budget short falls. If we continue with the poor man's mentality Detroit will never recover, grow and prosper.
In Detroit we have two extremes with our City Council with respect to legislative duties. A majority either rubber stamps everything the executive body request or the opposite end of that extreme is gridlock. We lack accountability in our current status as an at-large council therefore it is for those reasons that City Council by District should get consideration.
•Of the nation's 15 largest cities, Detroit is alone with an entirely at-large council. Among all cities with more than 500,000 people, only Seattle and Columbus also have all at-large councils.
Of the nation's 15 largest cities, Detroit is alone with an entirely at-large council. Among all cities with more than 500,000 people, only Seattle and Columbus also have all at-large councils.•Nationwide, the most popular council structure for large cities is a mix: a majority of council members elected by district, with a few at-large members.
Nationwide, the most popular council structure for large cities is a mix: a majority of council members elected by district, with a few at-large members.•As a candidate for City Council I support Council by District. Council by District is needed in order to insure that our City Council fully represents every citizen of the city of Detroit. The people of Detroit need leadership that’s fully accountable and responsive.
As a candidate for City Council I support Council by District. Council by District is needed in order to insure that our City Council fully represents every citizen of the city of Detroit. The people of Detroit need leadership that’s fully accountable and responsive.•As a candidate for City Council I support removal of the illegal trash tax. Residents are charged the fee but when it comes time to claim the fee to reduce their taxes it’s not claimable. However the city will take your home for non-payment of the fee.
As a candidate for City Council I support removal of the illegal trash tax. Residents are charged the fee but when it comes time to claim the fee to reduce their taxes it’s not claimable. However the city will take your home for non-payment of the fee.Instead of bickering and fighting constantly City Council must become proactive instead of reactive to solving Detroit's problems. As Councilperson the first two resolutions I will push to get passed are placing a Charter Revision question on the ballot and forming a task force so that Council can convene a group of experts for no more than 10 weeks to author a comprehensive plan, a living document for the long-term future of Detroit and expeditiously put that plan in motion. Supporting our neighborhoods and the organizations and community groups in those neighborhoods will be paramount to Detroit's survival. Even though my focus will be on the interests of the community, that does not mean that I will not work positively with the business community to save, redevelop and promote economic growth in Detroit.
Rev 5/09
