Insurers can use credit score to determine auto insurance rates

WTF!~!@#$%^&*( What bright light bulbs on the bench believe a credit score is germane to your driving record? They seem to be leaving the door open to consider the credit scroe for other aberrations of economic justice. Appeal... Appeal ...Appeal ...Michigan court: Insurers can use credit scores
www.detnews.com
Lansing -- The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Thursday that insurance companies can consider credit scores when setting auto premiums.

Candidates in the 5th House District offer no real substantive websites!

Canddiates without websites are not in keeping with the ways in which a growing constituency demand access to their representative. Snail mail takes to long, and there is no written record via a phone call-that's if you get through. Many candidates in the fifth Michigan House District don't have websites nor do they in... most other district races-yet they say they want to represent the people and give them access to their deliberations and doings. Social media places one in direct contact and not having a website to me is a tell tell sign of what kind of bedside manners you will have in office.

Kilpatrick failed to get a plurality of the votes in 2008 and statistically will falter in 2010 delivering Hansen Clarke just that-a plurality of the votes as a signal to her failed leadership.See MoreU.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick faces tough race in 13th District | freep.com | Detroit Free Pre
www.freep.com
Have two years dampened the anti-Kwame Kilpatrick sentiment toward the former Detroit mayor's mom, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick?

Charles Pugh "Let city run schools?"

Pugh has got to be joking-right??! He cannot get his own department in line with best practices nationally-last I check the President of the Coucnil was the Administrator of the group? He cannot seem to get the the grass cut and he wants to take on that behemouth of a task of managing the Detroit School with no experis...e in the field: Everything is not a sound bite. The man has failed to report an accident in which he destroyed city property in a timely fashion and he is calling for City of Detroit ran schools when we are so far under debt we cannot see air! 37 Departments and agencies( and the State has only 23)-no audit-Pugh could call for an audit but has not and will not but wants to take over the schools! urggggghhhhhh~!@#$%^&*()

Rochelle Riley: Charles Pugh: Let city, not mayor run schools | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
www.freep.com
Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh said that the mayor of Detroit should oversee the Detroit Public Schools -- but not the current mayor. And not by himself.

Obama will visit Holland, MI battery plant

Detroit needs to suppy battery plants with key parts that are not being made Vertically by the same plant. If Michigan State University would acquire the old Highland Park Community College and adjacent properties it could open a specialty campus that specializes in renewable energy technology and then help to transfer... the technology into a real world application in the form of new start ups that could take root in Highland Park's Oakland corridor. American Axle could do a joint venture since auto suppliers are trying to horizontally integrate new green technology into its operations by way of venture capital.

Obama will visit Holland battery plant Thursday | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
www.freep.com
Holland's mayor says he expects the president will tour the LG Chem factory during his visit.

A Better Lesson Plan for Parents

I agree with Kathy Yanich of Rochester Hills on the necessity of Libraries. How do we expect kids to do their homework in Highland Park whose library has been closed for nearly ten years!!!! In a title I school district? Also, I concurr with Patrick Pierce of Clinton Township who didactically admonishes Parents to encourage and direct their children to be more studious. His examples of mastering the multiplication tables and to learn to read more (practice makes perfect).

A better lesson plan for parents, teachers | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
www.freep.com
In response to your July 8 article 'DPS tries something new: A school run by teachers': At last -- a school run by teachers with guaranteed parental input. Who, other than the teachers and the parents, knows what is best for students?

30,000 Signatures versus 70,000 who said NO!

The Power is in the People: if so then the People have already spoken. I am not impressed with 30,000 signatures when twice as many Detroiters have already said Flat-out "NO" when asked this same question, by ballot, less than four years ago!

Detroit council told to put school control issue on ballot | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
www.freep.com
Detroit City Council members said Monday that they need more information about how mayoral oversight of Detroit Public Schools would operate before putting the issue on the November ballot. Change for Better Schools has collected 30,704 signatures supporting mayoral oversight and is to present the p...

First Archer-Now Bing Supports Dillion: But The Citizens have disagreed

Archer backs Dillion who says he would not have voted for Barack H.Obama's healthcare plan: Hmmmm? Archer does not back the 13th or 14th Congressional choice of Bernero: Hmmm? I believe Archer, Dennis W. is out of touch with the pulse of the community. BTW, Mr. Archer what is the Dillon Urban Plan? He states in this ar...ticle you gave him the endorsement because of his urban plan-what is it about Dillion's urban plan that is worthy of rejecting the party's choice, who backed you. Granted I differ on some issues, but not the issue of the next gubenatorial office holder in the 26th State of the Union. Vote Bernero for Governor of Michigan in 2010

Archer endorses Dillon for governor | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
www.freep.com
Saying Michigans next governor needs to be a bridge builder, former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer endorsed Democrat Andy Dillon for governor this morning.

DPSD seeks Write-in Candidates ....

John Olumba and LaTrelo Sephers should run as write-in candiates for the Detroit Public Schools. Mr. Olumba ran for Charter Commission, State Rep in 2008, but has no idea about the governance of the State of Michigan as his website says nothing in substance about that office he is currenly vying for. Both of these gent...elmen failed to do an important video interview with MIVote.org! Maybe their lack of preparedness would blend in well on the DPSB!See MoreDetroit Public Schools board gets no candidates | Write-in campaigns for fall vote needed to fill tw
detnews.com
Nobody wants to run for two available seats on the Detroit Public Schools board. The deadline to get on the Aug. 3 primary ballot passed May 11 without anyone filing, meaning only a write-in candidate can be elected this fall.

Tough Leadership Needed in Lansing, Michigan

I agree that the State is a symbiotic state of "lassitude" due to ineptness on the part of the "paymasters" who influence bad governance. I agree with a multi-year budget. I even like a UniCarmeral Legsilature and reducing the number of politicians from 148 to 74. I especially support increasing funding in safety net ...programs like HIgher Education and Community College funding. Lastly I think the Department of Correction can be merged with the State Police and operational changes could be made in the MDOCs to encourage rehabilitation of those with release dates of 5 to 7 years by encouraging them to pursue a community college credential and early release of non-violent offenders as well as outsourcing non-core services at the Prison. Daniel Howe is right on this one!

It's simple: Same old, same old in Lansing, or tough leadership
www.detnews.com

The choice really is simple: Michigan can opt for a would-be governor and legislators who recognize the dysfunction and move systematically to correct it, or they'll get more of the same. That would deliver more decline in population, property values, personal income, educational attainment and jobs...

Council Rejects Resolution Opposing Mayoral Control

This is a great litmus test for how the city is to be managed from within: Whoever supports Mayoral Control is going against the dictates of the people and should be removed from office!

Detroit City Council rejects resolution opposing mayoral takoever of Detroit Schools | freep.com | D

www.freep.com

The Detroit City Council voted today against a resolution proposed by Councilwoman JoAnn Watson that would have officially opposed mayoral governance of the Detroit Public Schools.

Bill May Electriy Green Car Growth

I like this Senate initiative. It can be improved though by offering a further incentive to those who buy E85 vehicles to also help transform the infrastructure. 50% electric vehicles is a solid goal-but what about the other 50%: why not aim high and say 100% Alternative Energy Vehicles in 8years.

One way to drive the demand for they ...Hybrid vehicles has been listed on my website under the Clark-Hill Great Debates Question. I suggested that the incoming Governor use their Executive Powers under Emergencies to declare a State Wide Energy Emergency mandating that all gas stations in the State of Michigan offer multiple E85/Elec. Car Recharge Stations or face a hefty energy penalty for not fostering best practices.

One year ago this August 2010 I competed for Bio Mass/Clean Cities Grant for retooling the nation's infrastructure. My firm Future Energy (SM) presented a business plan for the nation's first all renewable energy gas Station, e.g., wind, solar, LED lighting and alternative bio mass fuels like E85/B85/E90/B90, Bio-Diesel (GM® Clean Diesel Technology), and Electric Recharge services or products.

It would be wise to offer E85 vehicles purchasers a rebate that they can apply to their State taxes as a write off to help push the demand for the products and foster thousands of jobs!
----
Bills may electrify green car growth | Senate panel wants to boost retooling loans and promote plug-in infrastructure and alternative fuel retooling nation-wide

detnews.com

Washington -- The Senate Energy Committee approved a pair of bills Wednesday that would boost the development of vehicles powered by electricity and other alternative sources of energy.

The MI. Manufacturing Assoc.: The Great Debates

1.) Recognizing that manufacturing remains by far the largest sector of the Michigan economy and is fundamentally different than other sectors of the business community, what is your strategy to grow the Michigan economy? How will you design a competitive tax strucutre and economic development efforts to attract and retain high job multiplier effect industrial capital investment in Michigan, compared to the tax policies and aggressive incentive efforts of other States and nations?

First and foremost since one of the jobs of a State Legislator is to act as a liaison to the Federal government I would ask Congress-inclusive of the U.S. Senate to demand fair trade and if the American auto industry does not get fair trade, e.g., less stringent measures to sale U.S. automobiles in foreign markets, the U.S. should protect its markets with higher tariffs to protect manufacturing jobs that seem to have disappeared with a combination of free-trade/unfair trade imbalances and policies that prohibit a USA penetration into foreign markets.

Next I would promote from Lansing to transform the State Fair Grounds into a Research Park specializing in the Life Sciences and Green Technology, inclusive of bio-mass. Leveraging 143 acres of viable land into a high wage job center. Similarly, I would call for the closure of the Detroit Municipal Airport and transform it into a mega outlet/retail complex, e.g., bringing a CostCo, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart and several major national franchise eateries.

2.) With a per capita income that is about $6,000 lower than the national average, ranking 37th, Michigan must crub its historic spending trend. How ill you address the chronic structural deficit problem in Michigan?
Again, one way to curb spending is to shrink the size of the bureaucracy from 23 Departments and Agencies to about 17 or so and then to privatize non-core services like Housekeeping at Universities, Food Services and Housekeeping in Prisons, and mandating service sharing amongst municipalities like Hamtramck and Detroit and Highland Park, e.g., the school districts. Besides, holding a Con. Con. to determine how to shrink the size of the legislature to a UniCarmeral legislature to reduce the number from 148 to 74 and save tens of millions in the process.

3.) What changes would you propse for the regulatory system to improve Michigan's business climate and make Michigan manufacturers' more competitive?

I would like to speak to the the Michigan Manufacturing Association to determine issues that might be specific to their sector that I could advance meta what I have already advocated.

The MI. Ed. Assoc.: The Great Debates

Key Questions

Specifically, how would you fix Michigan's antiquated tax structure and the failed school funding systems to ensure adequate, equitable, stable funding for public education?

See my MI Platform

What is your position on recent school reform efforts and what is the appropriate role for educators, parents, lawmakers and others in ensuring Michigan provides quality pulbic education for all?

I like the current reforms, again see my MI Platform on this important issue.
Do you oppose outsourcing schol employee jobs to private, for-profit companies?
No, non support services should be outsourced this speaks to the creative way to include business into service providing that is not core to the business operation of the government entity and partners businesses with Government for a market based approach.

Brandy Vaughn, Substitute Teacher; Associates of Arts; BA Candidate, Teacher Education: "First of all, parents have a responsibilty and a priority first to see that their children are educated and attending school like they should. Parents set the foundation for failure or success. It is up to them! The educators priority is to make sure and enforce the grade level expectations and continue to have high expectations for all of their students personally and professionally! The GPA requirement for a teacher should be a 2.75 or higher and likewise the standard for a substitute teacher should be a completed Associates or higher degree."

MI. Assoc. Health Plans: The Great Debates

1.) Currently Medicaid represents nearly one in five Michigan citizens. With federal health care refrom, those numbers will increase to one in four. What approaches would you support to fund this increasing caseload? A cut-only approach will reduce provider rates and drive up costs to other payers. Are you willing to support other revenue to fund Medicaid, or do you think we should continue to cover health care for Medicaid through underfunding and uncompensated care (hidden taxes) that increase health insurance premiums?

Mandating an individual perform some type of community service for 48 hours per year would help earn a return on services rendered in a different way. In lieu of the community service one could pay 500.00 a thousand dollars as a type of goodwill tax. Also allowing companies to advertise in centers where medicaid dollars are being sent to generate revenues.

2.) Federal reform will result in the same obligations for all insurance carriers. Will you support insurance reform in Michigan that will amend the BCBSM legislation and Insurance Code to create the level playing field envisioned under the federal reform?

Yes!

3.) Do you support an active State policy to implement federal reform in Michigan or, a policy through default to the federal government?

I support federal reform in Michigan.

The Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce: The Great Debates

1. Do you support the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax and the Personal Property Tax?
No, just the reduction from double digits to single digits.

2. Do you support reducing public sector employee benefits to align them with private sector benefits?
No, I am not for hi-jacking benefits of public sector employees, but would agree to imposing higher co-pays.

3. Do you support legislation to encourage and enable local governments to consolidate and share services?
Yes, first the State of Michigan should set the example by mandating that the University System of the State be a one system-system likened to the University of Texas, University of California and University of North Caorlina systems. This will allow for the capture of synergies in the supply chain and thereby add value and equalize pay, e.g, if you are a full professor at U of M you will not be paid more than a full professor at MSU or WSU or EMU or CMU, etc.

Clark-Hill: The Great Debates

1. As Michigan continues to lead the nation in unemployment and job loss, what economic poicies should the State's political leaders embrace in order to turn Michigan around?

From what sector do you believe Michigan's new jobs will be created and what can State leaders do to help incentivize those businesses to invest in the State? I believe the economic policy that can help Michigan are encouraging local government to streamline their business licensing and inspection into a centralize online e-z step process, to encourage them to compete for the Malcolm Baldridge Prize for efficiency sponsored by the U.S. Government. I think the three sectors that will see amazing job growth is the fields of healthcare management (LTC facilities-the graying of America), Green Jobs (Renewable energy products and educational training), and the Wet-science in the fields of bio-technology.
2. Do you think Michigan's current tort laws are adequate to promote a strong business sector, if not, what reforms do you think are necessary?

I am not in agreement with limiting punitive damages so companies can continue to take shortcuts with minimal backlash.

3. Do you believe Michigan's business tax structure should be reformed and, if so, what system should replace it? For example, do you favor a broader tax liability that includes a sales tax extension to services?

Yes, the tax structure can be reformed, e.g., there should be an increase in the gas tax for roads and mass transit, the business tax should be cut to single digits, and Property taxes should be lowered across the State for every home owner and the new car tax as well to spur more home purchases and vehicle orders of new hybrids especially and credits given for retrofitting homes with LED lighting and renewable energy products to help drive the demand for the technologies.

Business Leaders For Michigan:

1. During the past three fiscal years, Michigan has over-projected revenues and has twice failed to pass budgets by October 1, making it difficult for schools, local government, and others to plan tehir own budgets. Will you support measures to help provide more predictability to the budget process, including:

Multi-year [strategic] budgeting and long-term financial planning;
Forming an independent private/public economic forecasting council; and
Implementing a pay as you go policy to adopt no new program unless others are cut or revenues grow?

2. Michigan has gotten smaller and poorer in the last decade and cannot sustain its current size of government. Will you adjust State employee pay and benefits to bring them in line with national averages, reduce the State workforce, and transition all new teachers to a defined contribution plan?

I do not think hi-jacking pensions and making teachers pay higher contributions other than co-pays would be sanguine. Teachers are already underpaid. However I do agree that teachers could be ask to rise to higher standards academically to be licensed automatically, that student teaching could be exchanged for Substitute teaching and substitutes could be asked to have at least 60 credits at a B average or have a completed Associates degree with a B average. We need our best minds in front of the classroom.

3. Michigan's tax structure is unattractive to job providers. Will you support measures to make Michigan's business tax structure more competitive and one that reflects our changing economy by significantly reducing the Michigan business tax and reducing the sales tax extending it to services?

Yes, I support reducing the business tax to single digits from double digits which should signal that Michigan is business friendly.

Law makers must craft policy to keep up w/development

I would support this legislation by amending it Wind Mills should be solely regulated by the State and no local authorities to keep the pending policy 'coherent' to drive the technology transfers and energy diversity while stimulating growth in jobs and income aided by Research & Development in Detroit, Michigan for biomass and green technology.Editorial: Lawmakers must craft policy to keep up with development of windmills in state

Wind farms in the Great Lakes, once considered a far-fetched idea, now have become a more realistic possibility and should be moving onto the state Legislature's radar screen.

detnews.com

ArtServe: the Great Debates

1. In 2010, State funding for the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs is at its lowest level of funding since 1974. What is your position on whether and how increased arts and cultural funding should be part of Michigan's economic strategies for the future?

I believe Art and Culture should be merged with Libraries and History to preserve our Record for posterity and future generations. EMU's preservation of the historical marker programme is great, but the State needs to fund something for a State wide festival say at the Wayne County Fair and concomitantly for the Detroit Cultural District by offering some programs that can be free to the public likened to what is done on first Sundays at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, but could extend to the DIA and other cultural venues.
2. Arts and culture, education, entrepreneurship, transportation, phyusical design and walkability, recreatiion, green initiatives, and public safety are among the critical building blocks for sustaining vibrant and strong Michigan communities. Will you commit to supporting new revenue strategies, and what strategies would you employ, to ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of Michigan's communities?

Likened to the Appalachian Trail that goes North to South in the USA, Michigan could develop a trail that goes from the Detroit Riverwalk to the U.P. corporations could partner with the State and government entities that the trail would traverse so that companies could poster attractive LED (new technology bill boards along the path that could be powered by renewable energy).
Describe the priorities of public investment, in addition to building a competititve tax structure, you believe are critical to creating and sustaining vibrant communities and quality of life that would attract and retain talent, businesses and families in Michigan.
See above

AARP: The Great Debates

What Steps can and should Michigan take to prserve essential safety net services in the midst of this budget crisis?

The Legislature could prioritize based on a MDM baseline: Increase Higher Education/Community College funding and drecrease funding in PUblic Safety: the ending sounds counter productive but when I say Public Safety I am talking about re-assessing the Department of Corrections budget.
2. What revision of Michigan's business tax structure can help resolve the State's structural and cyclical budget crisis?

I believe lowering the Business tax to a single digit from a double digit is the right getsture to current businesses and emerging producers.
3. How will you address yet another nearly $2 Billion budget deficit, requiring a revenue solution that involves business, sales and income taxes and that preserves efficiencies in current spending that do not harm our safety net programs?

Being more frugal and even tying outcomes to funding to ensure a proper ROI

Accident Fund(R): Re-doing term limits a priority

Term limits took effect in 1994. Since then many political insiders feel much of the partisanship and legislative inability to reach agreements on issues like the budget stem from the relative inexperience of the legislators "Yes, I agree with the opinion and would support eliminating the current term limits by at a minimal- extending the time say 10yrs for Reps instead of only 6yrs. and 12yrs for a Sen in-lieu of 8yrs."

10 Best Cities: What Detroit could learn!

What is awesome about this city at the number one slot is that it-unlike the other cities has a population well over a million residents and tipping towards two-million. This is an excellent case study on What Detroit needs:

"Austin is arguably the the country's best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs. Now overlay that net with a dozen venture-capital funds and 20 or so business associations, plus incubators, educational opportunities and networking events. Mix all these elements in what many call a classless society, where hippie communalism coexists with no-nonsense capitalism, and you've got a breeding ground for start-ups.Don't discount the fun factor: In the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, music and business creativity riff off one another. The city's famous South by Southwest festival, where concerts, independent film screenings and emerging technology overlap, is a prime example."realestate.yahoo.com

President Obama Seeks More Oversight of the Auto Industry

The POTUS is correct in his analysis. Part of what cause the economic crisis was predatory lending-subprime mortgages is predatory in its spirit. I don't see why the President does not scare the bejesus out of these lawmakers by saying he will use his Executive Order authority to ensure that automakers comply by heaving a severe penalty, but why the automaker would want to make more unstable financial conditions on the American public does not sit well with me it would clearly demonstrate that they have no honor amongst thieves: LOL, simply do what is right credit wise...and above all stop using credit scores in employment decisions should be a Presidenital posture!See MoreObama urges oversight of auto lending

Two Democratic senators and the wife of Gen. David Petraeus urged Congress to reject efforts to exempt auto dealers from oversight from a new consumer watchdog agency.

www.detnews.com

Judge Dismisses Pulte Suit Against Union

I cannot believe Pulte who merged recently with Centex homes took this stance instead of personally squashing the case, re-hire the employee, and make amends and start to build and market affordable first time home buying opportunities??? SMH?Judge dismisses Pulte suit against union

Romulus -- A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit brought by Pulte Homes Inc. against the Laborers' International Union of North America as union officials planned demonstrations outside the homebuilder's annual meeting.

www.detnews.com

Kilpatrick says he failed as Mayor!

I can appreciate the former city executive's candor, but he's wrong the city needs to heal in regards to what has happened-it needs to start acting like it understands what is neccesary in government to spearhead change instead of acting aloof from direct responsibility, a propos the Mayor's office-currently, and the c...urrent City Council. See my other posts in re: Bing and his budget.See MoreKilpatrick says he failed while mayor in magazine interview.

Kwame Kilpatrick gave an hour-long interview for a Jet magazine story that just hit newsstands in which he admits he failed while serving as Detroit's mayor but said he shouldn't go to jail.

www.detnews.com

Senate Lets Fed Retain Oversight of Smaller Banks

If this is so, then I would ask that the Feds move with its oversight of Flagstar Bank a Michigan based Depository and help to right that ship. Flagstar holds too many accounts to go belly up. I think their current management team may be able to get things going in the right direction, but the Michigan Senate and House... Finance arms ought to work to get that Bank on the right side of a balance sheet-that would be all we need to lose the auto industry to a near catastrophe and then lose a bank on top of the Bank bailouts!See MoreSenate lets Fed retain oversight of smaller banks.

Washington -- The Senate has overwhelmingly voted to let the Federal Reserve retain its supervision of smaller banks. The measure changes a financial regulation bill that would have given the central bank oversight only over large financial institutions.

www.detnews.com

Wayne County to Raze 450 Detroit Structures

At the 14th Congressional Democratic Meeting this past Saturday it was mentioned how the Prencinct Delegates could play a more integral role in neighborhood revitalization as "Captains" in a Community Organizing Sense. I then offered the idea that I would write both Home Depot and Lowes to ask for free plywood and materials to Board up 1,000 homes in 100 days using competitors in political races as motivators to have other groups, e.g., cultures and races and neighborhoods to work today by coalescing into a vibrant network of concerned citizens over this summer using Block Clubs as the catalyst to change.See MoreWayne County to raze 450 Detroit structures in 45 days.

Detroit -- Wayne County leaders joined the city's fight against blight, unveiling an aggressive initiative that partners with faith leaders to tear down 450 structures in 45 days.

detnews.com

A Michigan Success Story

I like the story for two reasons: it takes place in Michigan and it is Michigan's third largest city-although, Warren may be bigger by population.A Michigan success story: A small city has reinvented itself for the 21st century. Can Detroit learn anything from Grand Rapids?

money.cnn.com

A Vicarious Resolution in Support of the Candidacy

Whereas, the citizens of District 5 in the Michigan House of Representatives encompassing all of the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park, and a Northeast quadrant of Detroit, Michigan, should mandate that any candidate for the office be a stern advocate for the people as evidenced by attendence at town hall meetings ...or public forums, and speaking out on issues concerning public questions of magnitude, e.g., The DDOT Transit issues, the DPSD issues, the City of Detroit issues, and the creation of jobs, the lowering of taxes, the elevation of standards for teaching, the fostering of entrepreneurship aimed at both Green Technology and Life Sciences industries,

Whereas, the citizens of District 5 in the Michigan House of Representatives encompassing all of the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park, and a Northeast quadrant of Detroit should demand prospective candidates for the office to be competent, cognizant and concerned as evidenced by the candidate's presence on the World Wide Web, using social media, and evincing the aura of professionalism and persistence to be heard on be behalf of the people,

Whereas, the candidacy of Burgess Foster for the Democratic Nomination by the people, for the people, and of the people in District 5 has shown the aforementioned with manly firmness,

Be It Resolved, that the citizens of District 5 do hereby vicariously support TEAM (T.rying to E.levate A.ll of M.ichigan) Burgess Foster for the August 3rd 2010 Democratic Primary by this affirmative resolution.

A Message to Governor Granholm on FaceBook 4/2010

Governor, what can we do to have an entrepeneurship conference in Detroit aimed at jump starting small businesses in Detroit with a State Credit of some kind that will spur the process, e.g., matching state confiscated properties with entrpreneurs or state property not confiscated with entrepreneurs-ecouraging Counties and cities that turn over vacant parcels to Entrepreneurs to a set rate increase in reveneu sharing-something creative-something ingenious to act as a catalyst to economic activity.

My name is Burgess Foster the candidate for the Michigan House of Representative for District 5. Vote TEAM (T.rying to E.levate A.ll of M.ichigan)Burgess Foster on August 3rd 2010 in the Democratic Primary.

What should be done to the Detroit Pension Funds?

Here is what Burgess Foster State Rep candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives for District 5 thinks about the recent Pension Fund fiasco. Detroit needs better leadership appointed to the Pension Fund Boards. The Scandal that has rocked the public sector nation wide on 11 on a 10 point richter scale at its epicenter in Detroit should warrant a grave discussion of what to do!

But I vehemently disagree with Dave Bing.

I recommend a professional Mutual Fund manager like Oppenheimer to take over the Detroit Pension Fund. It would add value, by creating more efficiency due to the commission driven performance. No positive returns-no commission.

I think if this was to be done-Detroit should mandate that it stays with an Oppenheimer branch in the Metro Detroit area.

I would recommend Gail Perry-Mason the Director of one such branch. A native Detroiter who holds the coveted series 7 licensure.

She is proof that the last bastion of power and prestige can be penetrated by the talented and dedicated African American leadership in our area.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100330/METRO01/3300410/1409/Council-hears-protest-over-Bing-s-overhaul-of-Detroit-pension-funds

From the Motor City to the Electric City?

Detroit should become Electric city. The Detroit City Council, the Mayor's office, the Detroit delegation in Lansing and D.C. should work to "aggressively" attract new car producers or Domestics to expand its production of electric vehicles in the "motor city."

In about 25 years all cars made, and trucks-conceiveably will be Electric Powered. Detroit should seek to tranfer by emminent domain or through direct transfer of industrial space like the Old Packard Plant in the Russell Industrial Complex to firms like Tesla Motors or Nissan or even GM to hire Detroiters! Forget the property taxes, mandate that workers live in Detroit!

Deroiters have given GM Tens of millions in concessions on taxes but has not seen a commitment to hire Detroiters in manufacturing jobs.

Detroit has no silver and gold, but what it does have it could offer liberally-land, vacant industrial land!

I would want to spear head an advisory in Lansing that would identify tracks of land to be either transferred from the State or that the State could emminent domain to a venture between WSU and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for the exclusive development of a "Drs. Park" that would employ knowledge workers for the creation of products aimed at the life sciences and Green technology renewable energy sectors.







http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100330/ap_on_bi_ge/nissan_electric_car

Drs. Park?

You all may recall my describing a vision I have for Detroit called "Drs. Park." Taking Industrial Space Near Techtown-East of Woodward and allowing Caraco Pharmaceutical to anchor a Research Park, akin to what they have in Research Triangle Park, Raleigh-Durham, NC. I call it "Drs. Park" because it would house 1,000 P...hDs doing research in both the life sciences-or wet sciences and Green technology. This recent news about the University of Michigan buying the former Pfizer facility bodes well for such a feeder instition that could partner in a strategic venture with WSU the only Carnegie Research 1 university in Detroit, doubly so since Michigna just opened its footprint in Detroit in WSU's neighborhood: Mid-town at Woodward and MLK, Jr. Avenue.

http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/university-of-michigan-moves-first-employees-to-ex-pfizer-site/

The diS-TAsTe of the City Address

Funny how this Mayor or Executive is talking about reinventing Detroit but has not re-tooled his administration or the structure of governance in Detroit. On my profile I give concrete ways on how to generate 4B in revenues and right size the city to 10,000 workers down from 12,000 workers by only permanently laying of...f about 500 workers and transferring another 1,600 or so.




Yet, not one mention of a Forensic Audit. Granholm may be delaying the inevitable but Bing's denial of a total Forensic Audit will mandate



1.) Bankruptcy-which I am not for or,


2.) Receivership, which I prefer if there are no Forensic Audits of all 37 departments and agencies!

All aboard!

Mr. M&M himself ought to do what is right by this town if he wants to have a happy relationship with the Council by District which will be totally different that what you have now! Totally! As time looms, you will start to find Council members who want to fight for their jobs moving if all the Council members currently represent only two districts because they are all on the West side mainly-then that means all but one will have to move! No matte what side of town you live on Detroit needs to do something with the Train Depot.

They may be delaying this, but they are opening a can of Whoop ... on themselves by moving slow and keeping perks to boot, delivering less services but running up expenses!

That Train Depot could be developed into a multi-stage project that has the State and the Feds giving money to turn it into another Union Station in D.C. Using Green Technology; e.g., LED lighting, Solar Panels, a Wind Turbine or two, closing down the Amtrak on Woodward and moving it to SW Detroit.

Creating jobs in Detroit for Detroiters!

First the city Council needs to take the land from Mr. M&M!

How the Big Three can Compete even further!

It is unhead of its time to think in this manner-but then again-its overdue ... but what if the Big Three coalesced together and rallied against the Asian Tigers! That would be nation against nation-products versus products...sharing technology but also competing against the Asian Tigers for Continental manufacturing supremacy!

Now, I think this is the time for the US Auto companies to start stressing quality, customer service, and hiring Americans to answer customer service calls.

I read about an African American younglady who got a call center contract with a major fortune 500 firm last year or the year before. Thusly, the Big three can us American contracted labor to compete more efficiently. Quality is at home!

GM, Ford and Chrysler should stress better quality by hiring a younger, more educated work force at cheaper wages and retire more older employees who are not knowledge workers. They still will be Union but the cheaper wages will allow the firms to put more into the car's quality until the learning curve and can exceed the hourly wage once the wages go up!

Winfrey, Benson, Robinson, Coleman and Me!

An Open Posting to Danyelle A. Coleman, Candidate, State Rep. District 9

Danyelle, Danyelle, recently you made a reply on your Wall about a small matter regarding Janice Winfrey and Jocelyn Benson for Sec. of State. I think your gripe was that Janice like many candidates won election for her current office, but now see...ks to become SOS. I like both candidates; I know them both, and tried to bring harmony to a disagreement you were having with Isaac Robinson of the Teamsters and the Young Democrats' national Vice President about your stern position against Janice. Personally, I don't like folks to run for one office while over 50% of their current term has not expired.

Ergo, I interjected a debate would be wholesome between the SOS candidates because you brought up Ms. Benson and Ms. Winfrey. You claim Ms. Winfrey should not be running for office-is that correct?

I was saying the best way for the citizens to decide is for them to see the two candidates square of in a debate-now is that not reasonable since you are talking about candidates running for office?

Besides, do you analyze the intent or spirit of an entire message before you put in writing your knee jerk reaction and offensive tone-you can take issue with Burgess Foster, but the manner in which you did, showed a lack of class. For everyone to see. Allowing readers to conclude you rush to judgement which says something about your euristic skills or your comprehension level on a particular point about something as mundane as 'candidates debating'.

I am not talking about a complex surgical procedure or rocket science that can be misconstrued like a multi-pronged law suit.

Also, if you follow the posting thread or discussion thread on your profile you said to Isaac is this "legal or fair"-referring to Janice Winfrey-right. Then, I said I want to see them in a debate-trying to bring closure to two disjointed views on Ms. Winfrey-yours and Isaac's.

Moreover, Isaac replied "is what legal or fair" (he did not understand what you were talking about-now that I think about it neither do I now-LOL). Ms. Winfrey as the law reads and Ms. Benson the Election Law expert will tell you is well within the scope of the law. Again, you argue that Ms. Winfrey should not be allowed to be in her office-and run for another office, since she was just elected to-to campaign for another position.

As a matter of course, Burgess (moi) suggested as a way, again to bring closure, why not have the two of them debate-let the voters decide-not you, but the voters. You have an opinion for your one vote, and for your candidacy, but you should try to be more objective.

In addtion, I surmise you did not like the friendly notion that you debate Shanelle Jackson--the sister has just received a promotion within the Democratic Party Leadership-and would make a formidable debater against your lack of nuancing, based on your irrascibility. I wanted to help you prepare, but I think you are not coacable or affable.

Lastly, at any rate, you write back the most unthoughtful comments to someone who has recently tried to help you and who tried to spur you along. You owe Burgess an apology. You stated "Burgess, do you read and then think about what you say before you start talking."

Danyelle, Danyelle, Danyelle.

Finally, in summary for you: intially the conversation was not about a debate-it was about you complaining about Ms. Winfrey-right or wrong? I for the last time was trying to bring harmony and closure by simply suggesting may the best lady win at a debate!

Now, that is both a legally fair, and a well typed response!

You Go Lead! March 26th 2010 @ UMD

"The Mission of the Institute for Local Government at the University of Michigan-Dearborn is to increase the capacity of locally-elected officials to govern effectively and address local needs with a regional perspective." Although the email message said ideally it is looking for folks 35 to 18 to attend this informational (you have to be 18 to run for office), it is not imposing an age limit restriction-meaning you can still come if you are over 35 like me! LOL Lordy Lordy, I am a tad bit over 40~

I think anyone interested in leading in Lansing or Downtown Detroit at the City or County levels should attend. I am doing my part to pass on the information-unilike some folks who go to such forums and do nothing to share information.

In the end, I think Dr. Dale Thompson and his organization can help serious candidates seeking to add to their knowledge base.

Benchmarking the Four Best Cities!

What Detroit could learn from Minneapolis, Buffalo, Oklahoma City and Rochester-all cities with over 1,000,000 residents but had the lowest aggregate of joblessness in the last 24 months. In order to achieve best practices, knowledge workers like the Council and Mayor need to be constantly having their staffs scan the ...environment for data like this and find a way to engraft what is transferrable into Detroit's operations and policies.

Detroit 2008-2009 Budget Allocation w/Recommendation

2008-2009 Appropriation by City of Detroit Departments


Airport agency 10: in millions of $; # of employees; % of Budget

($5,554,765) 8 0.18%

Budget agency 12 ($2,850,987) 24 0.09%

BSE agency 13 ($35,761,155) 334 ...1.14%

CC agency 14
($19,299,980) 36 0.62%



Debt agency 18($77,007,286) 0 02.46%
PW agency 19 ($162,022,360) 730 05.18%

DDOT agency 20 ($183,968,594) 1,523 05.88%

DWD agency 21($58,427,320) 131 01.87%

En.Af. agency 22($4,702,313) 60 00.15%

Fin. agency 23
($41,111,963) 365 01.31%

Fire agency 24
($192,695,695) 1,535 06.16%
Health agency 25($89,265,218) 404 02.85%
HR agency 28
($25,235,395) 281 00.81%

Rights agency 29 ($1,378,633) 12 00.04%
HSrvcs agency 30 ($65,420,570) 139 02.09%

I.T.agency 31
($24,853,470) 110 0.79%

Law agency 32
($22,723,896) 148 0.73%
Exec agency 33
($12,953,330) 106 0.41%
Parking agency 34($40,298,343) 118 01.29%
Non-D. agency 35
($462,096,011) 47 14.77%
Planning agency 36($56,149,226) 177 1.79%
Police agency 37
($458,665,876) 3,794 14.66%
Lighting agency 38($71,827,195) 218 2.30%
Rec. agency 39
($30,146,539) 194 0.96%
Water agency 41($348,375,330) 1,922 11.14%
Sewerage agency 42($432,555,618) 1,151 13.83%
Admi.Hrngs agency 45($2,207,840) 6 0.07%

HSec.agency 46
($604,861) 5 0.02%
GS agency 47
($71,925,926) 643 2.30%
Auditor agency 50($3,836,118) 23 0.12%
Zoning agency 51($881,130) 6 0.03%
Council agency 52($16,134,403) 105 0.52%
Ombuds agent 53($1,524,904) 11 0.05%

36th Dis agency 60($44,191,898) 392 1.41%
City Clerk agency 70($3,857,582) 29 0.12%

Elections agency 71($9,667,725) 72 0.31%
DPL agency 72
($48,458,126) 467 1.55%

The foreign invasion of G-cars!

Chrysler and GM and Ford could learn from Tesla Motors the Italian company who makes the amazing fully electric car. This car gets 160 miles on a full charge. GM's hybrid version vehicle will only get 50miles. Europe and South America have been ahead of the U.S.A. in terms of Green Technology, e.g., Alternative Fuels a...nd Renewable Energy.

If the Clean Energy and Climate Bill folks have been asking Senators Levin and Stabenow to support to create "Made in America Jobs" by the millions then we have to start re-tooling the infrastructure.

I spoke with an enlightened citizen who said in Israel they have a station where a car can pull and exchange the dead or dying batter for a fully charged one in under 3 minutes-this all happens mechanically. You just pull over a pod, the wheel weight must actuate the process and you are in an out.

Another platform is to have Stations in Wal Mart , CostCo and Sam's clubs and mall parking lots where you can plug in, shop, and come back and viola-you're outta there.

Detroit, as I have said should be a proving ground for wet-labs dealing with bio-technology and Green Technology. We have WSU and U of D and the DMC and we have plent of capacity in under utilized warehouse spaces like the old Packard Plant part of the Russell St. Industrial Complex.

We need to make sure that those dollars at the federal level finds entrepreneurs in Detroit!

Cutting the Legislature in Half Before asking for pay cuts!

Common Sense tells us that six years is way too short to be providing benefits-most folks have to work at least ten years to become vested in a pension. I recommend cutting the Legislature in half to 74 members, e.g., 19 Senators and 55 State Reps. Reps would serve 10 years and Senators would serve twelve and this much... smaller size government would qualify for a complete a pension. You get more from them, you have a right size governmental structure and thusly you have improved the process.



My nick name is the idea factory.



Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, History, Minor in Government; Mater's of Science-MGMT



I am Burgess Foster. I am a candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives for District 5. Vote TEAM (T.rying to E.levate A.ll of M.ichigan) Burgess Foster on August 3rd 2010

Music Video or Movies: Mo-movies or mo-videos?

Bad Idea, music video production will not add nearly the revenues of a movie set and production!

Those monies could have been added to the movie industry and even promoting a Mo-Movie Festival where you invite film-makers-to shoot and do a movie fully in Detroit, Michigan in particular and then have the movie screened ...here during the summer and viola-you have an industry with an achor event!


Free of Charge from the Idea Factory: Mr. Foster, MS, MGMT; BA, Cum Laude History, Minor, Government



My name is Burgess Foster. I am vying for the Michigan House of Representatives in District 5 (N.E. Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park, Michigan).



Vote TEAM (T.rying to E.levate A.ll of Michigan) Burgess Foster on August 3rd 2010

High Speed Rail in Detroit or Light Rail: We need speed

So, this proves the nation is listening to my voice on my blogs and my FB postings. Many readers read my posts weeks and months ago about the stupidity of the light rail project: I called it a People Mover that goes Straight. Folks in Michigan and Detroit know what I meant. It was a waste of money!

We needed to connect Detroit to Chicago by way of Lansing, Ann Arbor/Ypsi and possibly even Kalamazoo. Linking Eastern, Western, Michigan, MSU, and WSU driving technological research into the Detroit domain.

Kilpatrick has switched!

Hansen Clarke or Carolyn Kilpatrick should contact me for my polciy idea writing ability and my valuable insight into articulating a vision of various creative components that will drive producitivity in Detroit (Read my postings today and older posting and blogs to get a flavor of my salient notions).

98% Graduation IN the DPSD promised by Bobb

Overall I would give Rob Bobb a B+ I promise you on the academic which he is fighting for I will give me an A for euphoria! If he thinks that this district will produce 98% of graduates by the time he leaves office +/- 2% he is dellusional and it sets the school district on an unrealistic path. It is pure hype. My ques...tion is this-if you are going to be that bold and 98% why not say 100%?

Look, He should have shot for the national average-then every year increase it from that point-that would be sound manageable change.

I am affraid of his judgements now. Steve Wasko the PR guy for the District should retract this and say it was really 89% and that would have been a stretched but it would have been closer to the national average than 100% +/- 2%

In closing, unless the company he is planning on replacing Safeway with is a Michigan based company or a Detroit based company Jennifer Granholm needs to have a talk with Bobb and so does Melton, Chair of the Education Committee for the State of Michigan.

When I am elected to the Michgian State Legislature I will do what I can to help the District if it is making sound decisions-this sounds like B.S. a 'brilliant sideshow'-yall know what I mean.

The School Board is Failing or is it Robb Bobb?

I think Rochelle Riley is off the mark. I don't believe what we have is Bobb failing to meet and greet with the School Board its lambasting in the papers and sending broadsides across his bow at close range is not how you engender team work. Where is a concise plan from the board that disallows the Union from using the...m as bait to sneak and hit Bobb so they can get re-elected with Union support. When does the Union say we have not been critical enough about the poor performance-where is the Union's press release on that?

Attendance should be tied or linked to student aid from the state-it is what I will require as a State Rep. I want parents to do the minimum at best-make sure you child is in school and behaves well. Then let the teachers take it from that point. Then, when the child goes home the parent needs to inquire and check the home work for completiion-at minimum and if they can't tell if its mastered or not-then take a trip to the library on Saturday or Sunday to WSU and you can get a Reference Librarian to point you in the right direction.

I have shared ideas about how to use WSU's academic units to bolster the DPSD but I have not had any takers. Bobb has taken my tutoring idea or volunteering idea I communicated to him and used it in his own way, but it lacks grant funding and other creative out of the box thinking.

Volunteers are great, but you need to have an army of paid workers at 10.00 hr called college students who are performing well at a 3.0 or better working year round. This is not a fix over the summer problem-its a daily grind!

I suggest paying high performing Juniors and Seniors in college 10.00 an hour to tutor by the 100s throughout the DPSD in the study halls. Study hall is a facet that must be developed-it is so simple we overlook it!

Staff study hall with a cadre of multidisciplinary skilled college students so that one study hall monitor is not overran-which they will be-if you only place one person in a study hall-its a model of failure.

Don't listen to me then, and miss out on the good ideas I am sharing.

My name is Burgess Foster. I am vying for the Michigan House of Representatives for Dstrict 5. Vote TEAM (T.rying to E.levate A.ll of M.ichigan) Burgess Foster on August 3rd 2010.

Bobb to close down 45 Schools in Detroit

Just how many buildings is he left with? If we have 100,000 students and only have 100 buildings then we have 1,000 students per buidling average. If you break that down further he may be limiting the capacity of the district too greatly-all at once.




He may need to go to smaller classes which will mean opening more buildings-retrofitting buidlings with green technology to save on operational risk (grants are available for government entities to retrofit buildings. We lost the race to the top because we are not demonstrating enough innovation and transformational change.


Reducing fixed costs will make the operation more efficient from an operational stand point-in addition to limiting the student body size of an elementary or middle school or highschool. HSs 600 students, MSs 800 students, and Elementary 500 students. This type of structure would greatly reduce the class size.



Bobb needs to add to his out of the box approach a strategic way to improve performance

Roxborough, Charles Anthony (1887-1963)

Mr. Roxborough was born in Plaquemine, Louisiana on November 25th Claude and John W. were his brothers.

He was a mentor to Joe Louis the famous Heavy Weight Champion of the World who was a native Detroiter.

He served one term in the State Senate of Michigan (1931-1933) and was th...e first Black so elected to that chamber.

Charles Anthony graduated from Eastern High School, now closed due to a shrinking population in Detroit, Michigan. He was a varsity basketball star, along with his brother-John W., they were City Champions in 1905. He was the Personal Messenger as a Senior in High School to Governor Chase S. Osborn. The Governor was responsible for his interest in law and politics.

He graduated the Detroit College of Law in 1914. His father was also an attorney. He was a founder; of Alpha Phi Alpha, Legal Fraternity Gamma Lambda Chapter; Michigan Bar Association and Detroit Bar Association.Charles Anthony ran for the U.S. Congress seat in the First District three times; 1934, 1936, and 1936 earning the Republican Nomination each time, but losing to the Democrat.

By 1932 Blacks had started joining the party of FDR.

He served on; the Michigan Compensation Appeal Board; The Detroit City Plan Commission in 1937 appointed by Mayor James Couzen and two years as its President; the Mayor Commission for Rehabilitation of Narcotic Addicts; Wayne County Board of Supervisors; Detroit House of Correction Commission appointed by Mayor Cobo. He had a thriving law practice.

Charles Anthony went into semi-retirement in the early 1960s. He moved from Detroit, Michigan to Milford, Michigan where he owned a farm. He died at Grace Hospital in Detroit on October 18, 1963 from short bout with an illness.

Sources
The Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Main Library, Charles Anthony Roxborough, Vertical File.Contributor, Burgess Foster, Norwich University

Ferguson, William Webb (1857-1910)

Mr. Ferguson was born in Detroit, Michigan; the son of Dr. Joseph Ferguson, a pioneer of Black Detroit. As a child he peddled newspapers on the streets of Detroit. His life, from his birth, was shroud in test cases concerning civil liberties. He was a precocious learner of the three Rs: Reconstruction, Reunion, and Reading the law.

He attended the only school for segregated Blacks, in 1865, in Detroit; the Colored School No. 2, taught by Fannie Richards, the only Black teacher of the State at the time. He was the head of his class in all grades. He graduated the Detroit High School.

William Webb, plied the skill of a printer. In 1883 he founded the Ferguson Printing Co. He brought suit in Ferguson v. Gies (1890), contesting racial discrimination as a social construct. In court, he was Represented by the D. Augustus Straker of South Carolina who was elected to the SC State Legislature three successive times beginning during Reconstruction.

His defense weighed heavily on a Michigan Statute of 1885, No. 130 enacted, which outlawed discrimination in accommodations, buttressed by the 14th Amendment, according to Attorney Straker that expressly forbid such practice, and the case was put on for locution. The case made national news and was dubbed at the time the Great Civil Rights Trial. The Michigan Supreme Court Judge in both cases decreed that Ferguson was treated unjustly-though the jury in the first sided with the defended Mr. Geis. Judge Gatner derided Chief Justice Taney in this trial, as “fallacious and contrary to the principles of law then claimed to exist.” Then in the second trial, the court concluded that in “Michigan there must be and is an absolute, unconditional equality of white and colored men before the law. The white man can have no rights or privileges under the law that are denied to the black man,”socially or politically. It would seem that the Michigan jurist, Judge Morse disregarded the protean words of Justice Taney.

In 1892 Ferguson made history and became the first Black elected to the Michigan State Legislature serving in the Michigan House of Representatives gaining 22,000 votes. He Represented the 1st District encompassing then what was known as the Black Bottom community in Detroit on the lower eastside of town, from 1893-1897. He died January 6, 1910 in Detroit, Michigan.

Sources
J. Clay Smith, Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993; Paul Finkelman, Martin J. Hershock, and Clifford W. Taylor, The History of Michigan Law (Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2006); Dictionary of African American Biography by Rayford Logan. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1982; The Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Main Library, William W. Ferguson, Vertical File
Contributor, Burgess Foster, Norwich University

Transformational Change or more Incremental Change!

Tranformational Change needs to occur in the School District. That means deep change, and not surface change. I have been a proponent of Tranformational Change for the last year. My ideas are being gleaned like the tutoring program, but not be fully used which renders the initiative ineffective. I shared an idea of how to include WSU in the performance improvement quest. Then I have said no more school aid with out an improvement in school attendance in Detroit's District and thirdly, I have called for a complete Charter District or site based managed district!

Receivership to Refine the Leadership

More of a reason to consider Receivership or Bankruptcy. The city's attorney needs to investigate which formation will dispose of law suits the best. I contend that if this can be done in Receivership it should be chosen over Bankruptcy because of the inseparable stigma that causes over being in Receivership.


One is government driven and the other is a legal admisssion to being in dire straits with creditors. Either will be imposed by 2011!If the city settles this case it will have to be for more than Gary Brown got because of the severity of the charges of obstructing a murder investigation.As a State Representative I am for the City of Detroit going into receivership to help balance its books, to right size the government structure and to weed out corruption that has run rampant throughout the city! Why should Michiganders have to pay taxes in the form of revenue sharing to a city steeped in inefficiency and corruption and over spending.

Longevity: Historical Memory vs. Living Memory

My hat is tipped to the gentelady from Detroit. Conyer and Kilpatrick should do a resolution in Congress on her behalf. State Reps should as well and the Detrot City Council and refer to a her as a Human Institution.

Her Living Memory brings to an end a chapter of history where there are now no one living from the 19th Century who is an African American.

This moves history of African Americans, of the South, and of the nation during this period called the Gilded Age, into what historians call Historical Memory.


What a shame no one interviewed her thirty years ago before her memory started to fail to record an oral history of her experiential life. She was a baby When Mckinley was elected and Grover Cleveland was leaving office after 12 years in the White House. Grover Clevleand served at the end of the 1880s and much of the 1890s.

Big Talk

During Slavery time two ole niggers wuz talkin' 'an' one said tuh de other one, "Ole Massa made me so mad yistiddy till Ah give'im uh good cussin' out. Man, Ah called 'im everthing wid uh handle on it."
De other one says, "You didn't cuss Ole Massa, didja? Good God! Whut did he do tuh you?"
"He didn't do nothing', an' man, Ah laid one cussin' on 'im! Ah'm uh man lak dis, Ah won't stan' no hunchin'. Ah betcha he won't bother me no mo'."
"Well, if you cussed 'im an' he didn't do nothin' tuh you, de nex' time he make me mad Ah'm going' tuh lay uh hearin' on hiim."
Nex' day de nigger did somethin'. Ole Massa got in behind 'im and he turnt'round and' give Ole Massa one good cussin' an Ole Massa had 'im took down and whipped nearly tuh death. Nex' time he saw dat other nigger he says tuh'im. "Thought you tole me, you cussed Ole Massa out and he never opened his mouf."
"Ah did."
"Well, how come he never did nothing' tuh yuh? Ah did it an' he came nigh uh killin' me.
"Man, you didn't go cuss'im tuh his face, didja?"
"Sho Ah did. Ain't dat whut you toel me you done?"
"Naw, Ah didn't say Ah cussed 'im tuh his face. You sho is crazy. Ah thought you had mo' sense than dat. When Ah cussed Ole Massa he wuz settin' on de front porch an Ah wuz down at the de big gate."
De other nigger wuz mad but he didn't let on. Way after while he 'proached de nigger dat got 'im de beatin' an' tole 'im., "Know whut Ah done tuhday?"
"Naw, whut you done? Give Ole Massa another cussin'?"
"Naw, Ah ain't never goin' to do dat no mo'. Ah peeped up under Ole Miss's clothes!"
"Yes, Ah did too. Ah looked right up her very drawers."
"You better hush dat talk! Somebody goin' hear you and Ole Massa'll have you kilt."
"Well, Ah sho done it an' she never done nothn' neither."
"Well, whut did she say?"
"Not uh mumblin' word, an' Ah stopped and looked jus' as long as Ah wanted tuh an' went on 'bout mah business."
"Well, de next time Ah see her sittin' out on de porch Ah'm going tuh look too."
"Help yo'self."
Dat very day Ole Miss wuz settin' out on de porch in the cool of the evenin' all dressed up in her starchy white clothes. She had her legs all crossed up and de nigger walked up tuh de edge uh de porch and peeped up under Ole Miss's clothes. She took and hollored an' Ole Massa come out an' had dat nigger almost kilt alive.
When he was able tuh be 'bout again he said tuh de nigger; "Thought you tole me you peeped up under Ole Miss's drawers?"
"Ah sho did."
"Well, how come she never done nothin' tuh you? She got me nearly kilt."
"Man, when Ah looked under Ole Miss's drawers they wuz hangin' out on de clothes line. You didn't go look up in'em while she had'em on, didja? You sho is uh fool! Ah thought you had mo sense than dat, Ah claire Ah did. It's un wonder he didn't kill yuh dead. Umph, umph, umph. You sho ain't got no sense atall."

Zora Neale Hurston. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature by Henry Louis Gates, Jr, General Editor and Nellie Y. McKay, General Editor. "Folktales," Mules and Men (1935). New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 105-106 Note the deliberate [satire] of the white "Massa" by the [superficial] respectful "nigger."

DETROIT: A SUPER SIZE CITY NEEDS TO RIGHTSIZE!

Mr. Bing had been told by the Brookings institute to rightsize government. The Mackinac Policy Institute has told Kwame and Kenneth to rightsize government. Yet, Bing has not eliminated one department by axing its budget-killing the department by not funding it or effectively laying off a unit indefinitely. He is stalling while money will be wasted on a light rail project, while the city seats by and allows the State Fair Grounds to be coverted into another park while the city is selling parks, Bing's Executive unit's budget is 12M and the Legislative unit's budget is 16M that's 28M of a 280M deficit!



If I were Wall Street I would clearly say to the State: if you put into place an Emergency Financial Manager at both the County and city I will forgive 25M in debt to each unit of government saving the taxpayers of Detroit and Wayne County 50M.

DETROIT PENSION FUND: "PAY" ATTENTION 2 FORD STOCK!

Ford again captures the imagination of the investor with a pent up demand for the Mustang! The stock was 2.00 a little over a year ago and today @ 3pm it was trading at nearly 12.00. This is a good time for the Detroit Pension Funds to once again invest in Ford while its stock performance is improving and to make up fo...r the plunging 80M down the drain on more riskier investments that the city has entangled itself in with Pension fun mismanagement.

BOB'S LAWSUIT: AIMLESS or taking Aim!

Privatizing transportation and the like is a way to cut costs and the city of Detroit and Wayne County should take note that this type of business model is what is necessary and the difference is that Bobb is the Quarterback, and the GM and VP of operation of this team and the buck stops with him, and this is the type ...of autocratic management that is necessary until the books are balanced and performance improves both in the school district in the providing service to the citizens of Detroit via is local government.

After attending the Detroit School Board Meeting on Monday, 8th it came to this writer's attention that the firm Bobb plans on replacing Safeway, a Detroit based school transporations service for what we use to call the chese buses-the bread boxes, and other terms of endearment is about to be replaced with a non-Detroit/non-Michigan based company. THAT MAKES NO CENTS TO DETROIT OR MICHIGAN!

IT SEEMS BOBB IS TAKING AIM AND PURPORTING THAT THE LAWSUIT IS AIMLESS AND WASTEFUL, WHEN DEFENDING JOBS IN AN ECONOMY THAT'S DOING DOUBLE DIGIT UNEMPLOYMENT PUSHING THE 20 MARK IS COMMENDABLE. GIVING JOBS IN DETROIT TO AN OUT OF STATE FIRM IS WOEFULLY IGNORANT OF THE ECONOMIC MILIEU. BEAT SAFEWAY WITH BETTER SERVICE AND A BETTER PRICE TO THE DISTRICT WHILE KEEPING THE JOBS IN DETROIT-THEN I WOULD SAY OUT WITH SAFEWAY-UNTIL THEN I AM SAYING THE SAFEST BET IS SAFEWAY TRANSPORTATION AND ITS CEO PATRCIA WHITLOW.

EARLY RELEASE: VIOLENT CRIMINALS VS. NON-VC

I figured Jennifer Granholm was talking about non-violent offenders, e.g., shoplifters, drug users, DUIs, etc. I am whole heartedly against freeing violent offenders early and will say so and challenge anyone for State Rep who believes otherwise. You commit a violent crime against society and then are freed early is no...t a good signal to send to miscrenats. However, I am for instituting a good behavior credit to give an incentive for appropriate actions: postively reinforced.

Penology vs. PRODUCTIVITY

Let us face the facts. Michigan prison do a horrible job of rehabilitating prisoners as does the rest of the penal colonies called States! Until Republicans and Democrats at the federal as well as State levels figure out how to give federal financial aid for a two-year college education for those doing 5 years or more ...up to 10 years what good does it do to release them if they are not going to be productive members of society by being indoctrinated with a skill set and basic computer literacy and keyboarding and communications skills necessary to assimilate back into the mainstream?

Promoting the city first, by the city for the city of the city!

Although I don't care for the News or the Free Press much based on their coverage of the Mayoral and City Council race last year and their unwilling to even carry the logo of U of D or WSU in its sports section but carry the logos of MSU and U of M-Annie. I like them for sponsoring this spelling B. But when will the school District realize it does not have to wait for the national spelling B or even the Detroit News which is obviously biased against Detroit Institutions of long standing-they can have their own Social Studies B, Forensic Festival, or Oratorical city wide competition.

We have public T.V. and I am sure the R. J. Watkins would support this effort by placing the competition for the DPSD on his station live. This is what we can do to foster greatness that is present in our district-while concomitantly achieving some efficacy educationally. Celebrating our Champions-academically speaking or atheletically speaking.

The PSLs could be placed on T.V. next year and R.J. Watkins would be the first to do it nationally! BET might even give him some love which is owned by viacom for listening to me!

All Day Kindergarten: A good sign for MI future.

I taught at Parcells in Gross Pointe and immediately was engrafted into their way of doing things and what they tolerated at the Schools: no sagging, no outlandish profanity to be heard from one end of the hall to the next while Teachers said nothing as they do in Pontiac, and most DPSD schools-even in the middle schools!

All day Kindergarten will help to foster social skills, reinforce learning from the half day segments to full day segments and in the end should allow for testing of 4 year olds who are capable of starting Kindergarten-why hold back a precocious learner!

New Charges Against Kilpatrick

Why not have all the charges moved over to the Feds so the State can rest from the expenses of the case and pass them on to the alphabets! It was reported that the whole Kilpatrick clan is on trial, to wit, Bernard Kilpatrick. The irony is you will have two U.S. Congress persons in the House-our only two in Detroit, sp...ouses, a propos, husband and wife of the U.S. Reps under federal scrutiny for crimes. It should be noted that Carolyn-Cheeks is no longer married to Bernard Kilpatrick. But it is still ironic!

Who will be the Next Michigan Governor?

The question has been posed to Andy Dillion how he can get the gubenatorial nod if he is having trouble with the Organized Labor money. I would have answered that I support labor but the kind of labor that wants management to make better decisions. If management makes the sacrafice that should get the respect of Organized Labor and it does not, then Organized Labor needs to ask is it doing what's best for Michigan. We need to be more critical of management and I agree with labor in that instant: is what Burgess would have said.

Also, The state of Michigan has Millions of voters and all of them are not labor. Andy needs to say what he thinks about Detroit as the key to turning around the State: that Detroit needs an Emergency Financial Manager and when the city can be turned around in about two years and have it books in order along with Wayne County-they the State will be in a better position when its largest County and City both are on a more solid footing for job creation and revitalizing an ailing economy with entrepreneurial stimulus from all sectors of government not just the Feds!

Detroit Research Park (Drs. Park)

CaraCo should be the anchor to wet-lab job creation in the city by expanding its operations East of John C. Lodge into a new corridor: the Detroit Research Park (Dr. Park) as a magnet for Ph.Ds doing bio research in the Detroit Medical Center for advancing science and palliation globally.

Detroit Federation of Teachers anti-Teach for America

The DFT sees these volunteers as threats in the fast tracking legislation! Substitutes, and highly educated volunteers such as these-many who hold degrees in teachable subjects are prime candidates for fast tracking into licensure which I am sure will allow for a non-union clause for workers for 24 months or so to make the District financially more bouyant.

National Franchise Expansion

I wrote a couple weeks back about Detroit being a veritable proving grounds for national franchise expansion. Detroit produces about $10,000,000,000.00 in GDP every year. National franchise systems at key locations across the city will prosper! I forecast several millions in profit per multiple unit operations. I envis...age several multi-unit brands or about 14 to 20 new service sector companies doing $2,000,000 each, profiting over a million each if you watch the Food, Paper, & Labor or variables costs.

Where are the jobs?

The key to building jobs in the State of Michigan is understanding the dynamics of industries. Because Semi-conducting is losing jobs in one State does not mean you cannot grow those jobs in your state. The question is what industries we can attract and what competitive advantage they need that they are not getting in their previous states.

Detroit Needs either An All Department Audit or an EFM!

If a forensic audit can be dirven by a $19,000.00 shortfall in the upscale community of St. Claire Shores, why come the City of Detroit with a 280M deficit, with Administrators being carted off to jail for defalcation and other malfeasance and others pending FBI prosecution has not been a catalyst to prompting a through Foresnic Audit.

How can Detroit brook asking for one iota of money further from Municipal Bond deals or from the gratuity of the feds when their books are so "RED." You would think that an all out Audit would save the need of an Emergency Financial Manager but in the likelihood that an Audit has not been ordered nor is on the horizon, it makes sense for whoever the Executive of this State is coming in, to do just that-appoint an Emergeny Financial Manager which is better than filing Bankruptcy!

Burgess in Competing for an Oscar (one day soon)?

This was welcome news from not only a State Rep candidate for 2010 who is running on commerical property redistribution, home equity acceleration via government agency help, improve educational standards and rewriting the State Constitution to reflect the change in the economy over the last 20 years, but I am also a contestant in this years Gee Nicholl Fellowship for Screenwriting sponsored by the Oscars. (http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/index.html)

Light Rail vs. High Speed Rail to Chicago

There are three stories about MDOT in the Detroit News and yet no one on the Transportation Committee from Detroit is talking about fostering a merger between DDOT and SMART. This would be one of the greatest undones of the Gubenatorial legacy of Jennifer Granholm. As our President is attempting to attack Healthcare in his first term, and will get it done in some fashion before he leaves office, Governor Granholm has had the issue cross her desk, but seems to be condigned to letting it fade away. Light rail, High speed rail, and other so called trails to rails or rails to trails project should be complemented by a merger of the mass transit bus system. It gives another modality of usage to one of the largest metro areas in the country!

Citizens have to vote!

I agree with Mr. Howe here. We elect these people to create solutions to our public problems or questions and it seems they take us collectively out of the fire and into the frying pan! Graft, Defalcaction, Malfeasance, Mismanagement, and Incompetence! We have to blame the voters who didn't vote as much as the ones that did though!

Fair Trade in the Balance?

The U.S. Trade Representatives of the past should have done more to impose penalty on on imports of nations that are closing off U.S. Competition. Buidling plants here is one way to assauge or appease but it only suppresses the real problem-fair trade abroad, trade imbalances that have been so long standing they are in...stitutional and and have grown customary. The U.S. Economy is hobbling on one leg to the finish line abreast of the competition not leading it as we are used to.

Less than 60days in office!

This is hogwash! Why did he fail to make a police report for three days and the city's property was severly damaged. Ostensibly because he was on I-75 at 10pm and this was cause? But hold on, he waited on I-75 for 45 minutes didn't he. Why not go by a police station on the way home?

NEXT: The scene is consistent with the report?
The conclusion to this political contusion:
No city owned vehicles driven by Council members-it places too much lability risk on the city!

Charles Whugh!

If Mr. fleeing the scene of a car accident thinks taking the strip club debate to the hood is high-jinks then he should walk in Palmer Woods, and University District, and Rosedale Park, and West and East Outer Drive and Russell Woods and ask homeowners who pay exorbant property taxes what they think!

Don't wait three days to go into the well kept neighborhoods. Don't wait until the cloud of suspension has past. Incriminate the effort by asking home owners what they think not folks who are not registered voters!

Crime Fighter of the year!

The top cop on the job! I must say Warren Evans' tenure has been marked with key arrests and a safer Detroit. Warren Evans, should get with the Federal oversight person and work on really eliminating the demerits assigned to the PD and thereby elevate himself worthy of Chief of the year!

Conyers and Dingell Running for Re-Election!

It has become a paradox that these two are the most powerful men in Congress and yet, neither have ever advanced to Speakership. Nor have they been able to parlay their seniority into palpable policies and pork for the district on a consistent basis nor offer leadership in this national crisis called a faltering elongated economy?

Sizzle but no Steak!

Unfortunately this is more sizzle than steak. Some of the changes can be done by following best practices right now.

Decreasing the Council staff budget/and concomitantly its overall budget from 16M to 6M. Decreasing the Executive Budget from 12M to 6M. This can happen by eliminating Departments like the Senior Departm...ent and the Youth Department and allowing a liaison, the former director, to work as a specialist within the Human Services Department.

In addition, the city of Detroit could eliminate the Airport and use that land for development or major retial as well as oppose giving the State Fair Grounds to Metro Parks and using it as a Major Retail development-both sites could create over 1,000 jobs each at minimum! I have mentioned the ideas already!

The Honorable James E. O'Hara (R-NC)

James E. O'Hara was an African American Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1887, representing North Carolina during part of the Reconstruction era. O'Hara was elected to the 48th & 49th Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1886 to the 50th Congress ...(Furnifold M. Simmons was elected), and resumed the practice of law in New Bern, North Carolina.

The Honorable Henry Plummer Cheatham (R-NC)

In Congress, Cheatham (then the only black North Carolina congressman) supported federal support for education, the McKinley tariff, and a bill to safeguard the voting rights of African Americans. He tended mostly to the needs of his constituents (of both races), but was largely unsuccessful getting his own bills passed. In 1890, Cheatham defeated Democrat James M. Mewborne, with 16,943 votes to 15,713.

http://www.detroittitans.com/news/2010/3/1/MBB_0301100522.aspx?path=mbball

Four Srs. went out in style with a win, and points on deck: Woody Payne-with a double double, Thomas Kennedy, Eulius Stephens and Eugene Blue! In my opinion TK and WP will go to the NBA Development League and do well! Look for these guys to give a 10 day contract in the NBA next seaon. If not late this eyar! TK and W...ood Payne's game should be elevated because of the competition around them every night! Blue and Stephens may join corporate America and potentially could become multimillionaires. They have to become students of the annual report or business world now! Game Over-Business on!

Kilpatrick as Humpty! His supporters: the King's men.

And all the Kings men could put Humpty back together again! It seems that the wall has come crumbling down around Mr. Kilpatrick. I have always tried to be objective and critical of our fomer Mayor. For example, some residents wrote in using profanity in the Detroit News or called he and his mother sobriquets that were... distasteful. But I have been more than critical as a citizen and candidate for Detroit City Council. This story clearly alleges that Bernard Kilpatrick acted in many ways as Sam Riddle did. It begs the question did Riddle attend the Bernard Kilpatrick School of defalcation, malefeasance, and unethical governance. It seems both are Graduate of the programme and have reached doctoral levels-for they both can write a book on how to scam from the government and can take the theoretical aspects of how to swindle the taxpayers to a new level of praxis: putting theory into practice if they are proved guilty. The question remains everyone who is proven innocent in a court of law is not true innocent. Think about the countless number of individuals freed for lynching Blacks! I surmise that if they are exonerated and if they really did do it-well-they just lynched JUSTICE!

John Mercer Langston (R-VA)

John Mercer Langston (December 14, 1829 – November 15, 1897) was an American abolitionist, attorney, educator, and political activist. He was the first dean of the law school at Howard University and helped create the department. He was the first president of now Virginia State University. In 1888 he was the first Afri...can American elected to the U.S. Congress from Virginia and the only one for nearly a century.

High Expectation for Improvement!

The Obama administration is listening to my sense of education policy and I believe my voice resonates in Washington, D.C. I have called for a 2.3 GPA to graduate from Highschool with an endorsed H.S. Diploma. Personally my diploma was not endorsed: many of you know my phenomenal story of how I claim Malcolm X and King, Jr. and Paul Robeson and Langston Hughes and WEB Dubois inspired me. Books were a passport of sorts for me. I graduated with a 1.1 GPA from H.S. but scored over a 550 on my verbal on my SAT and nearly a 900. There is research aimed a SAT scores and propensity to graduate that suggests that students who score under 1,000 graduate over 65% of the time from college.


I understand that everyone will not have a 3.0, but everyone can be average and for those who fall slightly below average there is a chance they too can make it. But I believe a H.S. diploma should also be weighed against the SAT/ACT scores.

A bold rebound in the economy is looming!

With the recent interest by the New Chrysler company to buy more of the assets in capacity building from the Old Chrysler car company and the welcome news of new plants being built or shifts added to existing plants-it signals that the Barack H. Obama plan is working its way to more productivity in the economy.

More than a Name is Stake!

The ad attempting to get folks interested in his campaign by creating an interest Snyder for Governor is clever. His confession of not beng able to pronounce the Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice may have been a failure at recall and his response of not being able to pronounce her name should not have connoted to the party opposition that Mr. Snyder is not intelligent or credible. Maybe, Mr. Snyder could have said my memory fails me at this time but do you believe I don't know what the Supreme Court of Michigan does? if so, Mr. Brewer would better serve Michigan on posing more tougher questions to the governor and doing a better job himself of righting this economy.



Mr. Snyder if you win I have to work with you in the legislature. If Dillion and Berneo wins I have to work with them. Policies and Ideas about policies and law and other such cogitation is what Michigan needs, not a referree for rancor!

Smart on Crime!

I think the logic used herein is seriously flawed: "Michigan's harsh prison sentences have produced a costly prison buildup that is unsustainable with current revenues and hasn't delivered a corresponding drop in crime ..." first of all, I believe stiff penalties may be a neutral detterant but to lessen penalties cannot be said to be a positive action on the moral and safety of citizens! Next, what deters crime is rehabiitation, and this is the component that needs to be bustressed in the correction budget. So, if you are giving good behavior credits but not rehabilitating convicts you have folks pulling the wool over people's eyes from the stand point of both view points: the prisoner and the prision industrial complex!

Practice what we need!

Best Practices dictate that Emergency Financial Managers or a Forensic Audit is imperative to good governance! Detroit and Wayne County should be appointed an Emergency Financial Manager from outside of Michigan with a proven track Record.

Executive Greed!

I read recently that companies are trying to justify the high bonus packages for their CEOs. This is part of the problem why our economy faltered. Overpaying, profit stealing, and neglect to invest in Human Resources that are non-managerial thereby robbing the U.S. and said companies from added value and competitive advantage!

Taking Credit!

It seems that good ole' credit card companies want to treat the customers with as much disdain and deleterious debt that derails our financial designs to use credit in a good way. They have sneaked and slipped in excessive fees and hidden agendas into the fine print-this is definitely a good policy enacted by the Barack H. Obama Administration. What I would like to have done is eliminate the need of having a Master Card or Visa in order to cash a check drawn on a bank that you take the check to. So, I have a Bank of America check, draw on that bank, as a payroll check, but I can't cash my payroll check b/c I don't have a credit card? I do have a Driver's License or State ID but that is not good enough?

Creating Jobs in Haiti!

I have heard from hundreds of people who think my idea of employing unemployed skilled labor by deploying them to Haiti to be paid with U.S. funds so allocated was a brilliant idea. Haiti will need to be rebuilt using the latest technological advancements in building safety, the latest heavy equipment, skilled project managers, plumbers, carpenters, millwrights, electricians, civil engineers, etc that are w/o work in the U.S. The State Department should work to expedite these types of workers at the double step/quick step.

Stripping the issue!

Charles Pugh's PR effort to hit the streets and so called ask the people what they think is an attempt to hype the horrible idea of allowing Strip Clubs to operate with shoddy licensure, condone VIP rooms where lewd sex acts take place, and where liquor induced sex feins start trouble outside that results in more policing that takes away policing from other areas. If the Hon. Council President wants to see what the people thinks about this lurid legislation that he is already in favor-including more homosexual establishment for those of the same sex variety as well as the hetero variety-he should ask the voters, the home owners. Start knocking on the doors along Outer Drive, University District, Palmer Woods, Rosdale Park, Conant Gardens, Boston Edison, etc. In other words: home owners who are likely voters. Asking non-voters what they think is a joke! And the punchline is Pugh is trying to be funny! And he really does not have to try hard.

Trying to Elevate All of Michigan!

There very well may be a backlog of complaints with fewer officers on the beat and a city strained by senseless spending and poor management over a decade-now! But one cannot ignore the great work Warren Evans is doing by reading the numerous 'collars' being made! I was a victim of an armed robbery, they caught the guy... within in two-three weeks. He had been on a crime spree. Now he's doing 17 years in prison.
Citizens have to help solve a third of those crimes that are on so called cold case status-so to speak. But again, Warren Evans is doing a good job and this was the best decision Dave Bing ever made!


It is unfair to talk about a backlog of cases. It is a negative reinforcement for a positive Police Chief inheriting a department in shambles-federally speaking-whose crime lab had to be closed-and we wonder why there is a backlog of cases. But to Kym Worthy's credit she had to close the lab or have those cases that are pending to be overturned on appeal "ab nitio" implying the case was falty when it made it to the court because of the crime lab work!


What Detroit needs and this is another one of my IF (Idea Factory) productions: a federal grant for 160 million for four years. This would put 700-800 new officers on the streets.
I wanted to assign 175-200 per targeted closed down school. I called this my mini-school station programme. Two recently closed down elementary schools on the East side and two on the West side. Each building is already equipped with parking, offices, classroom, a cafeteria and gymnasium. Since it was recently closed it was in operable condition. No monies can be used for improvements to the building minus maintenance.


This will take four eye sores of an elephantine size and place officers in the 'hood' where schools are generally located. Every mini-school station could use monies to purchase new Green patrol cars that use alternative energy that can help drive the demand for the vehicles (fleet sales). Imagine an order for 400 new Green cars (about 8-10M) made in Detroit! For police stations nation wide.


We need to think out of the box!


My name is Burgess Foster. I am a candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives for District 5 this August 2010. I have a Master's of Science degree in Management. I have a BA degree Cum Laude in Goverment and History. Vote

TEAM (T.rying to E.levate A.ll of M.ichigan) Burgess Foster!

Detroit: Franchise City!

I wrote a couple weeks back about Detroit being a veritable proving grounds for national franchise expansion. Detroit produces about 10,000,000,000.00 in GDP every year. National franchise systems at key locations across the city will prosper! Several millions in profit per multiple unit operations. I envisage several multi-unit brands or about 14 to 20 new Restaurants doing 2,000,000 each, profiting over a million each if you watch the Food, Paper, & Labor variables.

Executive Order: Drive Green Fuel!

These maestros of meta data are missing the decline in gas prices over the same period that has fallen: Gas is still cheaper than it was a month ago. What needs to happen is more orchestrated effort to stimulate the economy with policy and meta-management-the ability to manage by influence and posture and direct outcomes. The POTUS could and should sign into Exec. Order mandating that all gas stations-all 117K of them to offer E85 pumpS-plural at all Gas Stations by next year or face sever gouging by the Government for their gouging the citizens. This will help drive down prices with more options.

President Obama and Operating On Healthcare!

It is time to take off the surgical gloves. The POTUS could find out the detractors bring them in for a thrashing and tell them how they are putting themselves in jeopardy back home for re-election and how its time to POLI-up/Man UP/Woman UP! Give the nation and the Hoi Polloi healthcare and dignity. A party divided cannot stand! Then victory by veto is the only way to go!

The Honorable Thomas Ezekiel Miller (R-SC)

Thomas Ezekiel Miller (June 17, 1849 – April 8, 1938) was an American politician, educator, and lawyer. An Afr.-Amer. from SC, he was a prominent leader in the struggle for civil rights in the American South during and after Reconstruction. He was a school commissioner, state legislator, U.S. Rep., lawyer, and college president. Miller was born in Ferrebeeville, South Carolina, to Richard Miller and Mary Ferrebee.

Bouchard: Unoriginal

Bouchard's plan to focus on Michigan companies is nothing new-a governor should focus on Michigan companies-what would be the opposite-focusing on Ohio companies? Redoing the MEGA grant process might need to be overhauled and if regulations don't put the public at risk why not do that as well. But Bouchard lacks specificitiy. I have spoken to redistributing commercial property that the State, Counties or cities own and place them in the hands of Entrepreneurs. My CPR programme: Commercial Property Re-distribution is designed to complement the POTUS' small business capital tax reduction.

Michigan already has provisions to give credits for hiring those on State food-stamps, or on AFDC. Why aren't companies being held to answer for getting tax credits for supposedly hiring Detroiters in particular by the City Council's largess and fail to hire those citizens but reep the credit.

Bouchard's plan to focus on Michigan companies is nothing new-a governor should focus on Michigan companies-what would be the opposite-focusing on Ohio companies? Redoing the MEGA grant process might need to be overhauled and if regulations don't put the public at risk why not do that as well. But Bouchard lacks specif...icitiy. I have spoken to redistributing commercial property that the State, Counties or cities own and place them in the hands of Entrepreneurs. My CPR programme: Commercial Property Re-distribution is designed to complement the POTUS' small business capital tax reduction.

Michigan already has provisions to give credits for hiring those on State food-stamps, or on AFDC. Why aren't companies being held to answer for getting tax credits for supposedly hiring Detroiters in particular by the City Council's largess and fail to hire those citizens but reep the credit.

The Honorable Geo. Wash. Murray (R-SC)

George Washington Murray (September 22, 1853 - April 21, 1926) was born a slave and served as a Congressman from South Carolina.He was born a slave near Rembert, Sumter County, South Carolina on September 22, 1853. Murray attended the public schools and the University of South Carolina at Columbia for two years.

Employee Stock Ownership Manufacturing: The Answer!

Why does GM not allow its employee groups to purchase defunct auto lines and keep a stake in the possible marketability of said makes and models. Does it fear that GM employees could manage a firm better than say-management? Pontiac, Olds, Hummer, and any other line, inlcuding Saab could have been managed by an ESOP.

Shovel Ready Projects?

This was good news! But they need to ensure that unemployed Detroiters get the jobs, not just folks who are friends of Union bosses. They need to use the Michigan Talent Bank as a source of referrals, e.g., being registered with the service liken to how it used to be the MESC. My question is when is the State going to do this for the Stimulus monies earmarked for putting Detroiters to work on shovel projects, like road work in Detroit up 7mile, down 6mile, up Van Dyke, down Gratiot, up Grand River, down Livernois, etc.

State Constitutional Convention!

Ending the benefits of State Legislators does not make sense, it rids the symptom but not the disease-the problem is in how long the term limits are and how many there are in the legislature-correct both of these triggers-and you have good government. Six years is wayyyy too short. Instead of using this as a political football or political capital-the people need to vote for a Constitutional convention and reduce the number of State Legislators by half and then make them serve 40% longer in the House: 10 years and 50% longer in the Senate: 12 years. This would save more and add value to their offices, in terms of how long they serve before they qualify for said benefits!

The Honorable George Henry White (R-NC)

George Henry White (18 December 1852 – 28 December 1918) was a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1897 and 1901. He is considered the last African American Congressman of the Reconstruction era. No other black American would serve in Congress until Oscar De Priest was elected in 1928.

Where is the Town Hall Meeting?

To Buzz Thomas, State Senator, District 4: An open blog:
When did you have a town hall meeting about this Buzz? When did you ask the citizens if they would rather have some jobs created with this land or another place for them to laugh away their troubles, at another carnival like park, instead of rolling up their sleeves and going to work and rebuilding their community byway of the dignity that being gainfully employed proffers! No, you come out and tell the citizens in Detroit you-YOU-concur with Hertel about giving our land away. You are carrying his water Buzz! Where did you go to college so we can have your transcripts evaluated

Parks, and Carnivals instead of Retail and Jobs!

An open blog to State Senator, Buzz Thomas, 4th District:
Buzz you have unequivocally lost your mind! You support a Metro Park on the land that is 140 acres called the State Fair Grounds in a prime area for retail development in the city-who is running against you so I can support them! When and where can I debate you and this lunacy! John Hertel ought to be grateful that folks like me believe in the merger of DDOT and SMART DDOT and SMART but if you think that this is a smart idea you do not have one dot of vision in your cerebral cortex or your optical system. Anybody who supports this has Burgess Foster for State Rep District 5-the people’s champion-as their foe!you think that this is a smart idea you don't have one dot of vision in you cerebreal cortex or your opitcal system. Anybody who supports this has Burgess Foster, the people's champion, as a foe!

Detroit Destined for Downsizing!

Mr. Bing had been told by the Brookings institute to rightsize government. The Mackinac Policy Institute has told Kwame and Kenneth to rightsize government. Yet, Bing has not eliminated one department by axing its budget-killing the department by not funding it or effectively laying off a unit indefinitely. He is stalling while money will be wasted on a light rail project, while the city seats by and allows the State Fair Grounds to be coverted into another park while the city is selling parks, Bing's Executive unit's budget is 12M and the Legislative unit's budget is 16M that's 28M of a 280M deficit!

If I were Wall Street I would clearly say to the State: if you put into place an Emergency Financial Manager at both the County and city I will forgive 25M in debt to each unit of government saving the taxpayers of Detroit and Wayne County 50M.

What can Detroit privatize? DPSD leading the way?

Privatizing transportation and the like is a way to cut costs and the city of Detroit and Wayne County should take note that this type of business model is what is necessary and the difference is that Bobb is the Quarterback, and the GM and VP of operation of this team and the buck stops with him, and this is the type of autocratic management that is necessary until the books are balanced and performance improves both in the school district and in providing service to the citizens of Detroit via its' local government.