What about the terrorists? What about the union busting Detroit democracy destroyers? What about this naïve maybe stupid new leader of the Michigan Dems? What about the price of car insurance? Does the ex-Detroit City Council really believe that their ho-walk-around cash is for anything but to legitimate the illegitimate EM? Is anyone running for Detroit mayor worth a damn? Does sex education matter or is t ...

A recent Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) decision will result in a $7 million net loss of bus funding for Detroit. The SEMCOG changes will give 51.5 percent of federal dollars for capital improvement to SMART and 48.5 to Detroit. SEMCOG Executive Director Paul Tait says this year the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) required a change in the funding formula that hadn’t been revised sin ...

In many ways, the route Bonita Rex took to college is not unusual. After graduating from high school in 2007, family issues forced her to delay enrolling in college. Two years later, thanks to Pell grants and an improved family situation, she enrolled in the Community College of Philadelphia with a focus on general studies in cultural science and technology. After Rex earns an Associate degree, while holdin ...

It is past time for the Detroit City Council to rethink its role under occupation. Their most recent vote to approve the no-bid contract for the Jones Day law firm is one more indication that the Council has no moral compass. Even Detroit’s most consistent voice of the business community, Crain’s, acknowledged the conflict of interest inherent in the city hiring the former law firm of the current Emergency ...

“Shameful” is how many Detroit residents described the 5-2 City Council vote April 16 to approve a controversial $3.5 million contract with Jones Day law firm. Council members JoAnn Watson and Brenda Jones voted no. Council President Charles Pugh, Pro tem Gary Brown and members Saunteel Jenkins, James Tate and Andre Spivey voted in favor of the contract. Members Kwame Kenyatta and Kenneth Cockrel Jr. were a ...

Section 19 of the new Emergency Manager (EM) law, Public Act 436, promises a whole new set of lawsuits such as have plagued the courts and enriched attorneys since the state first targeted struggling cities with emergency management. Section 19 requires the EM to submit a plan of action to the elected board for the closing of any school or sale or transfer of any asset valued at $50,000 or more, Detroit Pub ...

Mind snacking on what is the difference between Columbine, Oklahoma City, an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre, Newtown or 9/11 (two numbers that have become a world-wide lexicon for terrorist killings), USA Middle East drone strikes with “collateral damage” and now, the really not so unthinkable, “Boston Marathon?” I reached a 313 conclusion. ...

Detroit’s young people have been counted out more times than one cares to imagine yet, they continue to beat the odds. Through it all they’ve continued to set their sights to attain and achieve unprecedented goals. A group of six students, who have fought long and hard along with a collectively devoted and active group of teachers, administrators and community leaders, will display that resilience Detroiter ...

These are unprecedented times in Detroit. One man has the absolute power to make every decision about the public life of our city. The Emergency Manager has complete authority over every single aspect of civic responsibility. ...

“It’s been a long, long time coming but I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will.” Sam Cooke sang it, and the Detroit Works Project (DWP) quoted it to frame their blueprint for Detroit’s future, “Detroit Future City (DFC),” released in January. However, the Sierra Club says the blueprint is flawed and “fundamentally contradicts the principles of environmental justice.” ...