Can Detroit afford its City Council?

[Ramcharger]

Detroit City Council wants 23% budget increase

While residents cope with the elimination of city services and layoffs in the police and fire departments, those incompetents on the City Council are living in a fantasyland. Since it doesn

[detroitfan]

Council better wake up a state takeover is the last thing we need. I supported the takeover DPS we saw how that worked out.

[tapezord]

i think the city would be better off if we had 9 coins and just decided on things by throwing them in the air and counting heads and tails....

One side of me keeps saying just to let it keep going down this track to doomsday, a state takeover could be what the city needs with such inept leadership. What does everyone else think?

[Michi]

I saw on the 12 o'clock news that the D city council are among the highest paid in the country as it is. And for what? Screwing up our city...mostly socially.

[speck76]

You could always vote them out of office

[Michi]

But who would replace them? I know, let's go find Lonnie Bates!

[tapezord]

i believe that Jackie Currie is now unemployed... she should fit in well.

[Zissou]

Im amazed, well actually I shouldnt be. I think the answer is very clear. Elect the members by district. I believe Cockrel Jr. was quoted in the piece saying that much of his work is due to the fact that he has to oversee the whole city. Solution: give him a certain area to watch over. Less staff, less cost, and the way im thinking more voices will get heard if hes representing a specific area. After looking at all the salary numbers which put Detroit ahead of places like New York and Chicago im starting to think that a state takeover might just be what this place needs.

[RustTown]

Michi hit on a point that I wanted to talk about, and that is that Detroit City Council is one of the highest paid in the country, which is just criminal considering the state of the city's finances. I propose and immediate pay cut. They need to change the council as if it was just a part time job. For instance, Lansing City Council is pretty much a part time job layout with the council members being paid $20,000, which the president of the council being paid another $1,000, or so. I don't think that the fact that Detroit is a "big city" should mean any different. It kind of weeds out those looking to get into local politics for the money. I hope they all remember what happened to Nero. BTW, the cost of leadership in Detroit is just staggering. I had no idea it was that much.

[tapezord]

Im amazed, well actually I shouldnt be. I think the answer is very clear. Elect the members by district. I believe Cockrel Jr. was quoted in the piece saying that much of his work is due to the fact that he has to oversee the whole city. Solution: give him a certain area to watch over. Less staff, less cost, and the way im thinking more voices will get heard if hes representing a specific area. After looking at all the salary numbers which put Detroit ahead of places like New York and Chicago im starting to think that a state takeover might just be what this place needs.

Very intersting quote. It makes a lot of sense and it is no surprise that it came from one of the Cockrels. Both Ken and Sheila seem to be what is right with the City Council. Remember that in the initial zoo vote, it was 7-2... old guard 7, cockrels 2.

[Michi]

Where's Super Nanny Maffy when we need her?

[RustTown]

It was funny, reading this again, I was just thinking about Mahaffey. I don't think she has much time left. Doesn't she have some kind of cancer, or other terminal or debilitating disease?

[Zissou]

Very intersting quote. It makes a lot of sense and it is no surprise that it came from one of the Cockrels. Both Ken and Sheila seem to be what is right with the City Council. Remember that in the initial zoo vote, it was 7-2... old guard 7, cockrels 2.

The Cockrels seem to be the only ones that are still somewhat in touch with reality.

[Ka3kab]

On a much smaller scale, the State takeover of Flint was what that city needed. A 30 million dollar deficit when the state tookover and today, being out of recievership (basically) they finally have a budget surplus of a couple million bucks. Everyone hated it, but it worked.