Suggested Solutions by Politicians
Mayor Dave Bing recently announced that Detroit was in a serious financial crisis and that the city government was broke. He also suggested that the city could run out of money by April of 2012. In his attempt to address the city's financial crisis he is proposing that many of the city workers take some serious pay cuts. City Council President Charles Pugh is suggesting that the city lay off as many as 1,700 workers. These solutions, suggested by the two most visible political leaders of Detroit, will bankrupt this city of its morale. City workers are fighting every day between hope and desperation from the many challenges they face in working in hostile work environments which come from the top down. If these solutions become concrete as suggested by our mayor and City Council President, Detroit will officially become a city of hopelessness and helplessness, lead into these conditions by our city political leaders who are backed by many of our religious leaders.
Where Is the Love?
Leadership is inspired by love and leading by example. Mayor Dave Bing and City Council President Pugh both have professed how they love Detroit and want to lead Detroit back to its glory days. Creating a chaotic shit-uation for the city workers and an environment of hostility for the city in general is accelerating the demise of this great city. Before they ask any city worker to take a pay cut, they should lead by example and take a significant pay cut themselves and ask their colleagues to follow their example. That is what leadership is, making sacrifices.
Mayor Bing once promised if he was elected as the mayor of this great city that he would only take $1 dollar per year and donate the rest of his salary to the Detroit Police Department. It was recently reported that back in July of this year he began collecting a salary of $158,558. That is dishonest politics or as a matter of fact, his actions continue to have Detroit bathing in "politricks."
I am by no means suggesting what a city official should do with their money; however, on the campaign trail many of these "politrickians" profess how much they love Detroit and that they are in this fight for the long haul and to see her rebirth. However, when things get tight, it's the people they seek to make the sacrifices, while they continue to profit off our misery.
This past summer Mayor Bing raised 10 million dollars for his "I'm A Believer Campaign," which he and his administration spent all 10 million dollars on advertisement. Yes, that is the type of leadership that we have elected to Detroit. They are so far out of touch with the people that it don't make sense, and many of the City Council members are riding on the same boat with him. He and many of the City Council members don't love Detroit enough to ride the same buses that we ride, attend the same gas stations or corner stores that we shop at because we can't afford to shop in Metro-Detroit. They don't walk the same city streets that we walk because many of them have their nose so far up in the air that they think they are better than us.
2013 Detroit Mayoral & City Council Elections
Detroit, we need leadership who believe in the people and are willing to demonstrate their love for us through their actions. We need leadership who are willing to represent that we all are one because what impacts one impacts us all. We need leadership that will not hesitate to make the sacrifices to lead us back into glory. We need bold and honest leadership that is rooted in serving the people. So, as we look forward to the 2013 elections of mayor and City Council members for Detroit, keep those criteria in mind. Where is their love for Detroit, should be the question we should ask ourselves as potential candidates seek our vote? Detroit we can't afford to get it wrong again!