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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Be ready for the FBI to enter the council fray at some point in time. Just as Donna Poplar threatened BB Nolden for not voting to put her on the Hurley board instead of Gilcreast, threats are still being made. Poplar tried to unseat Nolden by paying for people to solicit signatures for AC Dumas and backing Dumas in the race.
This time the threats are by Mays who really wanted to be council president. Some deals were cut early in the race as Mays told those present at a meeting in the north side precinct. Mays said he was helping other candidates with absentee ballots and they in return had promised to make him president. At least one candidate admitted their vote was because of that promise. Mays allegedly tried blackmail on another candidate for some unsubstantiated allegations and the threats did not work.
Sure deals have always been made over who would be officers and sometimes they were broken. But I fear a more sinister motive lies behind this deal. Behind the belief that city council will regain power, some may have ulterior motives, motives that may not benefit the remaining citizens of Flint.
Now imagine this kind of deal making when it comes to granting zoning changes, liquor licenses and other routine matters. What will the going price be then?
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Nov 13, 2013 12:52 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:14 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Last night's council meeting lasted until almost 11 pm because Mays insisted on addressing each speaker. Is Mays next gambit a run for Mayor next year and is that why he was so determined to be President? |
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Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:18 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| Is the meeting you're talking about to be aired on Channel 17 on Sunday? |
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Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:08 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I was wrong and the council meeting lasted until almost midnight, not 11 pm. North end residents who waited to speak say they won't return to council unless Mays shuts up. Scott Kincaid obviously has been told the same thing as he addressed this issue on the Mike Kilbreath show on 1470 this morning(8am to 9am). Kincaid stated council was the only way the residents could be heard and they won't come unless they can be heard without waiting for many hours.
Kincaid emphasized the importance of the most recent audit and he and others are waiting for it to be released. He noted the main concern of Dillon and the Financial Review team was the violations of federal law in the manner in which the Walling administration misused the water and sewer funds. The state's number one concern, said Kincaid, was that the city was using these funds for general fund services.
Kincaid and Terry Bankert discussed changes to the City Charter. Kincaid said changes should be made in the manner in which the Finance Director, City Assessor, Purchasing Director and City Attorney are selected. Kincaid believes they should not be mayoral appointees and they should be more accountable to the residents of the city. |
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Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:38 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Mays approached friends of John Carpenter and asked them to convince John Carpenter to drop his lawsuit against Jackie Poplar for slander. It seems he thought he could get her vote for him as president of council if he could pull this off. Carpenter will not quit until he receives a public apology. |
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Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:41 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
Kincaid emphasized the importance of the most recent audit and he and others are waiting for it to be released. He noted the main concern of Dillon and the Financial Review team was the
violations of federal law
in the manner in which the Walling administration misused the water and sewer funds. The state's number one concern, said Kincaid, was that the city was using these funds for general fund services.
Are violations of federal law the only reason the lawsuits filed by Kincaid in the Genesee County Circuit Court over W&S charges the only reason those lawsuits were dismissed? I.e., violations of federal law, not state law? The service charges on W&S bills are worse than outrageous. |
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Wed Nov 13, 2013 7:56 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Ryan Eashoo Show
"My first instinct is to think that Raymer and the papers politics reporter, Dominic Adams, should resign in embarrassment or be fired. That still may be the case. But in fact, incompetent as their work was, this isnt entirely their fault... Society -- or at least the huge corporations who own newspapers -- doesnt value the role of journalism the way we once did."
Journalism failure in Flint
michiganradio.org
We have a new winner in the contest for journalistic understatement of the century. And that is Marjory Raymer, the editor of the Flint Journal, who last
Opinion
12:28 pm
Wed November 13, 2013
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Journalism failure in Flint
By Jack Lessenberry
Lessenberry commentary for 11/13/13
We have a new winner in the contest for journalistic understatement of the century. And that is Marjory Raymer, the editor of the Flint Journal, who last week wrote these immortal words: We didnt do good enough.
Flint elected a new city council last week. Among the winners were a man who served 19 years in prison for murder, and another convicted of felonious assault. Plus two women who filed for bankruptcy. One said she didnt pay her bills because she needed to give her mother a nice funeral, and added, If I had to do it again, I would.
Now, before you raise an eyebrow at the voters, consider this: The Flint Journal, which is supposed to be that towns newspaper of record, never reported any of this before people went to the polls.
Not that the candidates kept this stuff a deep secret. Patrick Clawson, a former investigative reporter for CNN, is the closest thing Flint has these days to a civic watchdog. He informed me that the fact that councilman-elect Wantwaz Davis was a murderer had been broadcast on local talk radio.
In any event, it is easier than ever to find out information about candidates by getting on the internet and researching them. Indeed, a simple google search quickly turned up a story about a lawsuit Davis filed while he was in prison.
Raymer, the newspapers editor, wrote on a blog that she was sorry about all this, that she doesnt want it to happen again, and that her staff is, developing a process to ensure it never does, she said. One is tempted to ask whether that means taking a basic reporting class at a local community college.
This comes, by the way, at a time when Flint is struggling persuade the state to remove the citys emergency manager and to allow the city to return to local control. Asked about this, longtime political analyst Bill Ballenger, himself a Flint native, said my reaction is that this is not good for Flint. No kidding.
My first instinct is to think that Raymer and the papers politics reporter, Dominic Adams, should resign in embarrassment or be fired. That still may be the case. But in fact, incompetent as their work was, this isnt entirely their fault.
Society -- or at least the huge corporations who own newspapers -- doesnt value the role of journalism the way we once did. To save money, Advance Publications, the parent company of the Flint Journal, laid off more than a third of the staff four years ago. They cut home delivery to only three days, later four days a week.
Reporting is labor-intensive work that requires intelligence, diligence and curiosity. Sometimes the results are relatively expensive, painful and/or boring. Sort of like medical tests. But both things are vitally necessary, for the health of individuals and society.
It is possible that Flint voters would have elected Wantwaz Davis if theyd known he shot a man three times. Or that theyd elected Eric Mays if the paper told them he had pled guilty to felonious assault. But their newspaper never told them.
Democracy doesnt work perfectly. But without informed citizens, it cant possibly work at all.
Jack Lessenberry is Michigan Radios political analyst. Views expressed in the essays by Lessenberry are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.
Politics & Government
Flint's controversial new city councilman sworn in |
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Wed Nov 13, 2013 8:08 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The financial review team did focus primarily on the state violations including violations of the Michigan Constitution.
There has been a long standing case of federal violations involving Detroit involving the Clean Water Act. Judge Cox recently stated Detroit had made substantial improvements in clearing their issues and this was used by a Detroit Water and Sewer official, Bill Johnson, in a public letter criticizing the KWA. Flint was cited in 2002 for violations.
City of Flint Water System - Interactive Database - The New
projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters/.../genesee/mi0002310-city-of-flint
Flint, Michigan. Serves 124,943 people. 2 contaminants above legal limits. In some states a small percentage of tests were performed before water was treated, and |
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Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:15 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint emergency manager setting up "blue ribbon" group with eye toward end of takeover
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on November 14, 2013 at 5:00 PM, updated November 14, 2013 at 5:07 PM
FLINT, MI -- Flint Emergency Manager Darnell Earley on Thursday laid out plans for "blue ribbon" group to study the city governance and restructuring the planning and economic development department.
The 21-member committee will include stakeholders, residents, business leaders, civic leaders and others, Earley said.
It's also precursor to talks about a transition advisory board that would help move the city back to local control.
"I want a broader voice of individuals to share in that dialogue before we start talking about transition, that facilitates the discussion on transition because a lot of things that would have to be discussed we will have already identified a group that will be able to assist in and partake in that discussion," said Earley, who must file a 45-day report with the state next week.
The process could include some focus groups and town hall type meetings.
"We want to get it right this time," Earley said. "I think that what has to happen is we have to have a broader dialogue about what it will take to sustain the city of Flint once the emergency is over."
There's been discussion on reshaping Flint's charter to change who is in charge, their responsibilities and other regulations that determine how the city is run.
Under the current city charter structure, the mayor is the elected leader of the city and has 21 mayoral appointees -- that could change if the current strong mayor form of government were changed to a city administrator form.
How many people run the finance department and who hires them also is under discussion.
There's also been talk of reducing the size of the city's nine-member elected council.
"The department is supportive of the discussions Mr. Earley is having with city officials and others in an effort to determine what governance structure might work best for the city of Flint, its long-term financial health, and for the greatest benefit of residents there," said Michigan Department of Treasury Spokesman Terry Stanton.
The reorganization of the planning and economic development department comes on the heels of the city approving a new master plan.
In 2011, Flint received a $1.57 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to complete the master plan. Chief Planner Megan Hunter's salary of about $89,000 was funded by the grant. The project includes a citywide, comprehensive master plan, a capital improvement plan and a full zoning code revision by 2014.
"The department of planning and economic development are being restructured to better position implementation of the master plan," Earley said. "There was a definite cry to make sure that the plan is implemented and is not just set aside as just another study."
Hunter led a team of four other employees as the city's chief planner, but will now be the head of a department of about 20.
Earley said the move will save the city money as services are combined and because the previous department director retired last month.
"Her new position will certainly broaden the scope of her responsibilities, but I'm confident that her background in planning and familiarity with the components of the department made her the logical choice for moving the master plan forward rather than bringing someone in from the outside," he said.
Earley said Hunter's salary hasn't been determined because the city is still finalizing her exact responsibilities.
"I'm confident that (Hunter) will be able to undertake these new responsibilities and lead a coordinated and effective planning and development process," said Mayor Dayne Walling. "Everyone we're talking to is asking about the implementation of the master plan and that starts with having a strong staff team in place and having a clear organizational structure. We have to give this master plan everything we've got and this is a clear indication that the city of Flint, with the support of the emergency manager, is prepared to make that effort."
Hunter, who previously worked in Los Angeles, was not at Thursday's news conference because she was out of town.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
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Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:51 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Donna Poplar called in to the Mike Kilbreath Radio Show (1470am, 8 to 9 am). She must still be mad about her inability to control council and their elections. From what Mike says she is not a Walling supporter anymore. Remember when she spoke for Sister's United and was angry that the general election for Mayor was between 2 white men? (Walling and Williamson-Sisters United supported walling and lost)
Now she believes that the council president should be black as we have a white Mayor. Mays, Galloway, Davis and Neeley voted for Mays to be council president. She was said to be unhappy when Kilbreath pointed out that Kincaid was elected by a black-white-Hispanic voting block.
Mike Killbreath
2 hours ago
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It's 2:23 pm and my phone is still blowing up after today's appearance on the radio show by Donna Poplar. She called for a boycott of The Flint Journal by advertisers and readers. She called on the Flint City Council to rescind tax breaks given to the Newhouses, who own the Journal after cutting jobs here and moving their press to another city. She also blasted Bill White, Tim Herman, Bob Emerson, Aoine Gilcreast and Woodrow Stanley for working behind the scenes to "ruin the city for their special interests" .... calling on them to raise the curtain and come out in the open. Wow. She took on the billionaires who own the Journal plus five pretty powerful people in local political circles --- all in one show! Stay tuned next week! |
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Fri Nov 15, 2013 5:09 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Many blacks refuse to buy the Journal already because of their biased reporting, I have had some people tell me they read the Journal because they "want to know what the enemy says about them." Isn't this sort of a boycott already.
True the Journal did not keep their word when they had their tax abatements, but that ended some time ago and the lies should have been dealt with by the administration (Walling) then.
Her argument with the Gilcreasts seems to be nothing more than sour grapes because she could not get the votes to kick Frances Gilcreast off the Hurley board of Directors and replace her. She did some mighty lobbying for it. |
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Fri Nov 15, 2013 5:16 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Mike Killbreath
Monday's guest speaker at the Flint Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon will be newly-elected Flint City Councilman Wantwaz Davis. He made national news last week because he is a convicted murderer. The story not told in The Flint Journal was that he was 17 when shooting a man who had raped his mother. Wantwaz believes God sent him to prison 19 years to prepare him to help inspire and motivate young men in Flint to give them hope. As the political commercials say, I strongly approve of his message!
Mike Killbreath Monday's luncheon is at Foutch's Pub from noon until 12:30. Councilman Davis will be the guest speaker from 12:30 pm until 1:15 pm. Foutch's Pub is located at the corner of Linden Rd and Corunna Rd in West Pointe Plaza behind Foutch's Auto Wash. NO MEDIA INTERVIEWS UNTIL AFTER TH E PROGRAM! |
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Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:35 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Root
Journalism Fail: Michigan Voters Elect Felon
Wantwaz Davis, who served 19 years in prison on a murder charge, beat a Flint, Mich., incumbent city councilman by 71 votes, after the media missed the story.
By: Richard Prince
Posted: Nov. 16 2013 1:52 PM
edia Missed It: Winning Candidate Served Time for Murder
"We've been hearing the warnings for years now," Vincent Duffy, chairman of the Radio Television Digital News Foundation, wrote Thursday. "At journalism conferences, in the trades, and amongst ourselves we've heard some variation of this: 'If newsrooms keep cutting reporters, while demanding higher story counts, and measuring story success by web-hits, important news is going to start falling through the cracks.' Admittedly when we say it, it sounds more like, 'With fewer people and more to produce, when are we supposed to cover the news?'
"The election results last week in Flint, Michigan provide a perfect example of what can happen when 'the media' [don't] do their job well. On election day, voters in Flint's fifth ward elected Wantwaz Davis to be their representative on city council. Davis beat the incumbent by 71 votes.
"The day after the election, the Flint Journal reported, for the first time, that Davis was a 'convicted killer' who served 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in 1991.
"Yes, you read that correctly, a convicted murderer was on the ballot for city council, and the local newspaper/website, and the local ABC and FOX affiliates, never reported his past until the day after Davis won. (Full disclosure as a nearly statewide radio station, Flint is also in my station's listening area. We do not have a reporter there and have been trying unsuccessfully to raise money to create that position.)
"Newly elected Councilman Davis makes no effort to hide his criminal past. In fact, helping felons who served their time find employment was one of his campaign issues. All a reporter had to do to discover his past was Google his name and scan the items that came up on the first page. Davis also told one of my reporters that he told voters about his past when he canvassed door-to-door, and it came up during a debate sponsored by the NAACP.
"But it never came to the attention of the newspaper or its political reporter. It wasnt even mentioned in a now comical looking story by Dominic Adams that the newspaper published under the headline: Everything you need to know about the Fifth Ward Flint City Council race. . . ."
The story is not without its racial component. A website called trunewsusa ran the headline, "Colored Flint Michigan voters elect two convicted Negro felons, two others colored folks with bankruptcies to city council."
The Detroit News reported Monday, "Davis has said he discussed his conviction openly with Flint residents.
" 'The council people are elected. They're going to get sworn in on Monday. Nothing you write about it is going to change it now,' Council President Scott Kincaid said. 'It's not something that was hidden or should be a surprise to constituents in the Fifth Ward,' which Davis will represent.
"Davis, who was 17 in 1991 when Kenneth S. Morris was fatally shot at his home, said Morris 'went and reached in his pocket, so I reached in my pocket and I shot him. When I found out he later died, I turned myself in. I never intended to shoot Mr. Morris. To this day, I am very remorseful.'
"Released on parole in 2010, Davis said he does not shy away from his past and that it will help him on the council.
" 'The elders and youth are looking for someone who actually understands what they're going through and who has rebounded and made something of themselves,' he said. . . ."
Dominic Adams, mlive.com: Flint voters elect two convicted felons, two others with bankruptcies to city council (Nov. 6)
Carrie Healey, the Grio: Flint elects 2 felons to City Council
Jack Lessenberry, Michigan Radio: Journalism failure in Flint
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Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:43 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Journalism Fail: Michigan Voters Elect Felon - The Root
Journalism Fail: Michigan Voters Elect Felon
theroot.com
8 hours ago
Nov 16, 2013 Journalism Fail Media Missed It: Winning Candidate Served Time for Murder "We've been hearing the warnings for years now," Vincent
..
Black Blogs - The Root - Black News, Opinion, Politics and
www.theroot.com/blogs/journalism
... the Root: End of White America: ... Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education ... "Or when you fail, ... |
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Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:46 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
00SL2 schreef:
Is the meeting you're talking about to be aired on Channel 17 on Sunday?
It is on now. |
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Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:27 pm |
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