Michiganians (or as some of us prefer, Michiganders) have a HUGE ballot to consider on November 6, 2012. National, State and local offics to be determined, Judgeships, State University elections, and of course the issues that are getting more TV advertising time than even the Presidential race, the State Proposals.
First, Proposal 12-1 which is called the 'Emergency Manager Law'. I'm in favor of this proposal. Units of government that can't maage their finances will eventually need to be bailed out by the State. That means EVERY residet will be affected, not just the residents of that municipality or school district. Opponents claim that it strips local control of elected officials and for that reason should not be allowed.
I would prefer that those residents keep an eye on the local governments, speak loudly when things are not going right, and not wait until there is a financial emergency. But of course, that takes time and effort. You might have to read the local paper, attend meetings, or take valuable internet and entertainment time to stay abreast of these things, then call or write the appropriate officials to make your feelings known. Hmm, I guess that is a lot of work. Easier to zone out and watch the tube.
Personally, if my municipality (actually a Charter Township) were in an economic situation as bad as some Cities and School Districts are now, I would welcome an Emergency Manager.
Without going into long details or essays on the remaining proposals 12-2 through 12-6 (which I'd gladly do if I thought anybody were interested), I'll summarize using the commonality of them. I'm voting "NO" on Proposals 2 through 6 because none of these warrant inclusion into the Constitution of the State of Michigan.
Our Constitution is a very 'clean' document, even though it runs 80 or so pages in length. A Constitution is a set of fundamental principles by which we are governed. Regardless of the other merits of these proposals, none of them should be added to the Constitution. They are best handled by creation or revision of State Laws. If you think that repealing a law or recalling an elected official is tough, wait until it's necessary to amend a portion of the Constitution. (Look at, or better yet actually READ, the Michigan Constitution here.)
And let's not forget how a badly worded ballot proposal can create havoc - legalized medical marijuana ring a bell, anyone? It makes me cringe to think what a badly worded amendment to our Constitution would do.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Detroit, the 'Region' - and the State
There's no doubt in my mind that a strong, vibrant Detroit is needed for the growth of SE and South Central Michigan - or for the State as a whole, for that matter.
In the 'old days', it made sense for some municipalities to provide a lot of services themselves - lighting, water, transportation. I remember a time when Wyandotte did its own lighting (or electricity), too. But that model doesn't work any more.
As a Detroit-born and raised guy, it pains me to see the problems of my 'home town'. Government is needed, but politics often is used for petty, personal and unscrupulous reasons that tears down the good aspects of government.
The historic demise of Detroit Public Schools is a great example of how a large organization infiltrated by cronyism and nepotism can destroy a valuable asset. Decades of unchecked malfeasance and inefficiency took them into receivership. Now the City is there,too. Except that the City representatives are fighting more earnestly. And I don't think that's a good thing.
A former Mayor on trial right now (after a conviction and served time on other counts), appointees convicted or on trial, a former Councilperson in jail - where does it end?
The 'local control' issue is a smokescreen for not giving up power. If I lose power, it's a 'power grab' by the other side, some City officials seem to think. Or maybe they don't. Maybe they just see the loss of their personal power. A couple of points to show that Detroit losing some of it's 'power' isn't all that bad for the residents.
First, DDOT, the transportation system. In Janury 2012 they were privatized and since then ridership has increased, they've retired some older buses which allows them to concentrate on keep the rest of the buses in service, and they've added GPS to most of the vehicles in service.
The "415" plan gets buses running every 15 minutes on the City's four busiest routes, but it was also criticized at first. When a something is as broken as Detroit's transportation system was, nothing can happen quick enough, but this is a privatization success. The real solution is a regional sytem, as long as this dysfunctional municipality doesn't have veto or controlling power over it.
The Belle Isle initiative proposed by the state would require a long term lease for its operation, but again, City Council balks under the premise of 'losing local control'. Guess what? The City has mismanaged, neglected and ignored this resource for (again) decades. That is it's sad history, and the sad history of City governance. Restore this almost 1000 acres to something that the City and the State can be proud of. Get the lights back on for the residents and provide basic police and fire protection. Einstein famously said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result was the definition of insanity. Apparently, Detroit's leaders are insane.
In the 'old days', it made sense for some municipalities to provide a lot of services themselves - lighting, water, transportation. I remember a time when Wyandotte did its own lighting (or electricity), too. But that model doesn't work any more.
As a Detroit-born and raised guy, it pains me to see the problems of my 'home town'. Government is needed, but politics often is used for petty, personal and unscrupulous reasons that tears down the good aspects of government.
The historic demise of Detroit Public Schools is a great example of how a large organization infiltrated by cronyism and nepotism can destroy a valuable asset. Decades of unchecked malfeasance and inefficiency took them into receivership. Now the City is there,too. Except that the City representatives are fighting more earnestly. And I don't think that's a good thing.
A former Mayor on trial right now (after a conviction and served time on other counts), appointees convicted or on trial, a former Councilperson in jail - where does it end?
The 'local control' issue is a smokescreen for not giving up power. If I lose power, it's a 'power grab' by the other side, some City officials seem to think. Or maybe they don't. Maybe they just see the loss of their personal power. A couple of points to show that Detroit losing some of it's 'power' isn't all that bad for the residents.
First, DDOT, the transportation system. In Janury 2012 they were privatized and since then ridership has increased, they've retired some older buses which allows them to concentrate on keep the rest of the buses in service, and they've added GPS to most of the vehicles in service.
The "415" plan gets buses running every 15 minutes on the City's four busiest routes, but it was also criticized at first. When a something is as broken as Detroit's transportation system was, nothing can happen quick enough, but this is a privatization success. The real solution is a regional sytem, as long as this dysfunctional municipality doesn't have veto or controlling power over it.
The Belle Isle initiative proposed by the state would require a long term lease for its operation, but again, City Council balks under the premise of 'losing local control'. Guess what? The City has mismanaged, neglected and ignored this resource for (again) decades. That is it's sad history, and the sad history of City governance. Restore this almost 1000 acres to something that the City and the State can be proud of. Get the lights back on for the residents and provide basic police and fire protection. Einstein famously said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result was the definition of insanity. Apparently, Detroit's leaders are insane.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Desires, Energy and Efforts
I'm a new golfer by most standards. I started in 2009. Took a few lessons, bought some cheap clubs and joined a league. I was extremely embarrassing to watch. But I had the desire to learn the game, even though at 56 years of age I should have stuck to other activities.
Last year I missed a lot of golf due to work and community commitments. It bothered me a lot, but first things first. Responsibility can be a bummer sometimes. I got word that my league was informally starting a month early for those that wanted to participate and with the recent spate of nice weather I thought I’d give it a whirl. Never mind that we went from sunny and 80’s to windy and 50’s. I wanted to golf.
So I showed up, paid my fee and went out to play. Not totally miserable conditions, but 20 mph winds with 40 mph gusts are not the best conditions for a mediocre player like me. But I wanted to golf. So I did. My shots were not great and by the end of the 9-hole round I was ready for a hot shower, not happy with my effort and feeling a bit like I wasted that time.
I tell this story because sometimes we do things that maybe we shouldn’t. I really have been in a busy stretch of work and I could have caught up a bit on some of those things that we all defer with those two hours. But I wanted to golf. And by god, I golfed. Misspent energy? Perhaps. Mini-reward for working hard since last Fall? Maybe. But I didn’t really enjoy the round as much as I thought I would, even though it felt great to swing the clubs, see the familiar faces, and kidding around with the guys was fantastic.
I let my desire to golf divert my energy and efforts, even with poor playing conditions. That was the mistake. I will make a better decision next time and I believe that the golf will be sweeter and I’ll be more focused with my game. A good energy policy!
Which leads me to a whole different energy thought. How is it that there’s such a disconnect between crude oil prices (barrel) and gasoline (gallon)? I looked up crude oil prices on the Bloomberg website and gasoline prices on the U.S. Energy Information Agency website and got these figures:
Last year I missed a lot of golf due to work and community commitments. It bothered me a lot, but first things first. Responsibility can be a bummer sometimes. I got word that my league was informally starting a month early for those that wanted to participate and with the recent spate of nice weather I thought I’d give it a whirl. Never mind that we went from sunny and 80’s to windy and 50’s. I wanted to golf.
So I showed up, paid my fee and went out to play. Not totally miserable conditions, but 20 mph winds with 40 mph gusts are not the best conditions for a mediocre player like me. But I wanted to golf. So I did. My shots were not great and by the end of the 9-hole round I was ready for a hot shower, not happy with my effort and feeling a bit like I wasted that time.
I tell this story because sometimes we do things that maybe we shouldn’t. I really have been in a busy stretch of work and I could have caught up a bit on some of those things that we all defer with those two hours. But I wanted to golf. And by god, I golfed. Misspent energy? Perhaps. Mini-reward for working hard since last Fall? Maybe. But I didn’t really enjoy the round as much as I thought I would, even though it felt great to swing the clubs, see the familiar faces, and kidding around with the guys was fantastic.
I let my desire to golf divert my energy and efforts, even with poor playing conditions. That was the mistake. I will make a better decision next time and I believe that the golf will be sweeter and I’ll be more focused with my game. A good energy policy!
Which leads me to a whole different energy thought. How is it that there’s such a disconnect between crude oil prices (barrel) and gasoline (gallon)? I looked up crude oil prices on the Bloomberg website and gasoline prices on the U.S. Energy Information Agency website and got these figures:
August 2011
|
$100.46/barrel
|
$3.64/gallon
|
November 2011
|
$105.26
|
$3.37
|
February 2012
|
$112.71
|
$3.64
|
March 2012
|
$102.37
|
$3.84
|
Now, we’re seeing $4.00+ prices but the crude prices haven’t risen dramatically. An acquaintance said that it’s all because of speculators. I’m speculating, too - every time I buy a $10 worth to get me back to a place where gas prices are a nickel cheaper per gallon for a fill-up. It doesn't get me much profit, but I feel better about the effort.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Big Shaking in Michigan
Nope. Not the earthquake type, although we do occasionally feel a small temblor around here. I’m talking more about the political shakings. And right now, that’s mostly about Detroit’s financial crisis.
An ill-considered statement by a Detroit minister leads the news reports. “Before we let you take over our city, we’ll burn it down first,” said Malik Shabazz during an open meeting of the financial review team in Detroit. Hold the quips, it’s too easy. Certainly there’s a lot of emotion surrounding the Governor’s necessary intervention into the affairs of a municipality that can’t keep its street lights on, its citizens safe or even in collecting its own income taxes.
Yes, things have come to a head in the last few years under Mayor Dave Bing. They may have happened regardless of who was mayor. The groundwork for this crisis has been laid over a couple of decades at least. And there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Detroit has a Department of Human Services that was totally ineffective, even irresponsible, in its duty. It misspent monies badly needed by the residents and had to forfeit millions of dollars in federal aid. Emergency response times are deplorable and the bus system is totally, totally broken. The list could drag on, but I’ll stop there.
The real issue now is the culture of denial – ‘We can still run the city ourselves’. It’s followed closely by the culture of entitlement – ‘Just give us some money and we’ll make it all work.’ The Governor is wise to not just open the pocketbook. There has to be a third party that will be responsible for management and oversight. It doesn’t matter what you call him or her - emergency manager, court appointed receiver, or even pillager of the democratic rights of the citizens (as some activists insist).
And why, if the citizens are so concerned about their city did they show up in such embarrassingly low numbers (10%) for a ballot that decided whether there would be a new City Charter? I don’t get it. But I do get the fact that in this country you are always allowed to complain. And there’s no shortage of that commodity around this issue.
Detroit has a long and proud history. I hope we’ll once again see it as a vibrant urban center.
On a brighter note, Michigan tourism was up 8% in 2011. It’s estimated that for every dollar spent in the ‘Pure Michigan’ advertising campaign, $4.90 came back to the State. I thought the reduction of the Pure Michigan effort was short-sighted and I’m glad to see that the increased budgeting has paid off. And that was in a colder, wetter summer than normal.
An ill-considered statement by a Detroit minister leads the news reports. “Before we let you take over our city, we’ll burn it down first,” said Malik Shabazz during an open meeting of the financial review team in Detroit. Hold the quips, it’s too easy. Certainly there’s a lot of emotion surrounding the Governor’s necessary intervention into the affairs of a municipality that can’t keep its street lights on, its citizens safe or even in collecting its own income taxes.
Yes, things have come to a head in the last few years under Mayor Dave Bing. They may have happened regardless of who was mayor. The groundwork for this crisis has been laid over a couple of decades at least. And there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Detroit has a Department of Human Services that was totally ineffective, even irresponsible, in its duty. It misspent monies badly needed by the residents and had to forfeit millions of dollars in federal aid. Emergency response times are deplorable and the bus system is totally, totally broken. The list could drag on, but I’ll stop there.
The real issue now is the culture of denial – ‘We can still run the city ourselves’. It’s followed closely by the culture of entitlement – ‘Just give us some money and we’ll make it all work.’ The Governor is wise to not just open the pocketbook. There has to be a third party that will be responsible for management and oversight. It doesn’t matter what you call him or her - emergency manager, court appointed receiver, or even pillager of the democratic rights of the citizens (as some activists insist).
And why, if the citizens are so concerned about their city did they show up in such embarrassingly low numbers (10%) for a ballot that decided whether there would be a new City Charter? I don’t get it. But I do get the fact that in this country you are always allowed to complain. And there’s no shortage of that commodity around this issue.
Detroit has a long and proud history. I hope we’ll once again see it as a vibrant urban center.
On a brighter note, Michigan tourism was up 8% in 2011. It’s estimated that for every dollar spent in the ‘Pure Michigan’ advertising campaign, $4.90 came back to the State. I thought the reduction of the Pure Michigan effort was short-sighted and I’m glad to see that the increased budgeting has paid off. And that was in a colder, wetter summer than normal.
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