|
| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
terrybankert
F L I N T O I D
|
Mr. Croom sign the oath and take the job, we need you!!!!!!!!
FLINT CITIZEN- By: Terry Bankert 03/12/03
The City of Flints reputation on line after ombudsman circus.
[Comments of Terry Bankert are BANKERT- in the cited article. Deleted text is shown by ...-trb]
..begin cited article...
Flint debacle
Council's reputation on line after ombudsman circus
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
EDITORIAL
Friday, March 10, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/columns/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1142002473247200.xml&coll=5#continue
After a seven-hour session of political horse trading run wild, the Flint City Council may, or may not, have done something sensible early Thursday morning by choosing activist Tyrone Croom as the next city ombudsman.
BANKERT- I was there for the 7 hours. The horse trading was a series of backroom meeting where the open meetings act was clearly violated with the city attorney present. It happened in the old committee of the hole room immediately behind the council seats. Clearly throughout the night during every recess city business was being conducted in this back room. Look closely at channel 17 when the meeting is played, if it is not cut out.-trb
But alas, any ability Croom might have for that job will never be tested because the bizarre machinations so engulfed the selection that Croom resigned a few hours after being appointed. Having fought hard for the job, Croom must have been so appalled by the realities of what he was about to undertake that he lost the stomach for serving.
BANKERT- Only Mr. Croom knows. I have spoken to Mr. Croom twice in my life. Once I said hello and another I said congratulations both on the night of the council vote. But I watched him for 7 hours. What I saw was an honorable man. When I approached him to give my congratulations he was speaking with Council president Buchanan privately. I think a good man made an honorable decision. An Ombudsman has to control his own office. By his resignation he has shown his integrity and independence. He now has my 110% support. Mr Croom please reconsider.-trb
One need not have been privy to all the hallway caucusing at council chambers to perceive why. A standout reason was stubborn support for felon Donna Poplar rendered by 2nd Ward Councilwoman Jackie Poplar, who is her sister-in-law. Family ties aside, Poplar had other promoters in the fray - despite the fact that the former Genesee County official's conviction involved public corruption, which constitutes the very kind of conduct the position of ombudsman is supposedly designed to ferret out.
Rumors swirl that Croom was put under pressure to appoint Donna Poplar as his assistant, which would dash whatever credibility remains of a deeply discredited position. True or not, something repulsive must have occurred to discourage him so thoroughly so fast.
The episode makes it clearer than ever that the $200,000 budgeted for the ombudsman's office is a wasteful drain on Flint's budget, and would be much better used to put a few additional police officers on the street. But that prospect was defeated by Flint voters last week who came down 53 percent in favor of retaining the ombudsman, which has not functioned at any credible level for years.
BANKERT- You say wasteful, the voters of Flint have 3 times said the office is needed.-trb
The voters having spoken, the least to be demanded of the City Council is that it choose an ombudsman of flawless reputation with a superior investigative mind who does not flinch from truth no matter where it leads, and has no personal ambitions riding on the office. Without that kind of character, there is no ombudsman, but only a political wannabe paid $70,000 per annum because of connections.
Croom apparently decided that serving as such a hack was not what he had in mind. Now the City Council will either correct whatever went awry Wednesday night and act with integrity and respect for city government, or discredit itself completely.
BANKERT- The situation can be corrected, if Mr. Croom so chooses, by his simply taking the oath of office. His appointment does not occur until that oath is signed. I will direct City Attorney and others to the Flint City Charter. The Community should ask Mr. Croom to reconsider. The council should say publicly there is no deal. All Mr. Croom has to do is say there is no deal, sign the oath and give it to the city clerk He then is ombudsman for 7 year. The community should demand that the ombudsman not be pressured to hire political friends. I though him a good man on the night of his appointment. I think he is a great man after his rejection of the offer. The offer is still on the table until the next council meeting. The ball is still with Mr. Croom.-trb
Flint councils have lived down many mistakes, but malice in the hiring of an ombudsman would be an albatross this council could not shake loose.
...end cited article...
The Flint Citizen is a publication of Attorney Terry R. Bankert (Family Law ) of Flint Michigan USA.
Weekly blog on issues of interest http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/
Legal Advice attorneybankert@yahoo.com
vita: http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/post/2005-11-08_04:52:35/
Posts on http://www.flinttalk.com/
Flint Citizen Internet Advocacy http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flintcitizen/
Terry R. Bankert P.C., 1000 Beach St., Flint MI 48503 810.235.1970 fax 234-508 |
|
|
Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:37 am |
|
|
Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
|
Terry,
Either I'm sounding like you or you’re sounding like me. OR it could just be Common Sense!
Your response is almost word for word what I would have said. Without the "RUN ON" sentences. (LOL)
The article identified the very thing that has proved my distrust if this new council as a whole. There are some good individuals. But as a whole, they have proved themselves incompetent. The lack of leadership in all areas of Flint Government from City Hall to the City Council has proven itself, in my opinion to be the worst Flint has ever had. I made a prediction about this council. That Don worked to get this council elected so he could run ruff shod, over procedures and his own best interest, instead of the City's. By having a council that is in disarray.
The best point of this article was my MAJOR problem. This council wanted.
quote:
A standout reason was stubborn support for felon Donna Poplar rendered by 2nd Ward Councilwoman Jackie Poplar, who is her sister-in-law. Family ties aside, Poplar had other promoters in the fray - despite the fact that the former Genesee County official's conviction involved public corruption, which constitutes the very kind of conduct the position of ombudsman is supposedly designed to ferret out.
Ms. Poplar and Council President have lost all credibility.
I would like to post your comments on my website www.cityofflint.net. I am asking your permission to do this. Even though this is public domain. I would understand if you didn't want it posted there. As I've become very controversial. So I would understand if wouldn't want me to post it there.
I would Post it with it's own page entitled "machinations" With your message below exactly as written with the Flint journal story inserted directly below it.
Please let me know. |
|
|
|
Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:03 am |
|
|
terrybankert
F L I N T O I D
|
Ted
Please post my articles to your site, anytime. Cross posting with links helps us all when the spiders run by.
We need to help keep up the community awarnes on the topic of an indepedent ombudsman. The next council meeting is my target. Lets get as many speakers as possible. We need a good cross section of the community to voice a variety of opinions.
Terry Bankert 3/12/06 |
|
|
|
Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:45 pm |
|
|
Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
|
| I may actually be able to be there. I'll see what I can work up for the Meeting. |
|
|
|
Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:21 pm |
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
