Detroit Mayor Election

[Dave from Michigan]

Sorry if this was posted elsewhere.

The Detroit Mayor election is heating up Kwame "the crook" Kilpatrick is way down in the polls.  The primary is Aug 2nd where the top 2 candidates face each other in the general election in Nov.  the latest one releasted today are

All Candidates

Kwame Kilpatrick (Mayor)
Freman hendrix (former Deputy Mayor under Archer)
Sharon McPhail  (crazy city commissioner)
Hansen Clarke (state Senator)

All Candidates   May 24th-31st    mar 30th-apr 3rd
Kilpatrick                 24%                      31%         
Hendrix                   33%                       31%
McPhail                    22%                      29%
Clarke                       4%                    not running yet

Head to Head matchups against Kilpatrick (although kilpatrick could lose in the primary.)

              current poll                  Mar 30th-Apr 3rd

Hendrix    56%                                 49%
Kilpatrick  29%                                 37%

McPhail     41%                                 42%
Kilpatrick   36%                                 41%

Clarke        44%
Kilpatrick     36%                Clarke was not a candidate

if you don't follow Detroit city politics i will fill you in
the city is facing a 230 million dollar deficit and laying off 700 employees which is necessary but at the same time Kilpatrick leased a brand new Lincoln navigator SUV for his wife at the city's expense which he at first denied.  Also he charged $210,000 on city credit cards.  Also there are allegations of wild parties but they have been unfounded. The news media has been all over these scandals it also didn't help when one of Kilpatrick's large security team assulted and pushed a news reporter on live TV.  Lots of people view Kilpatrick as a thug. There has been some other smaller scandals too.

Personally I hope hendrix wins and it looks like he could
he seems like a decent candidate he has reached out to the suburbs for help since Detroit needs there help and money if Detroit wants to make a comback (to and is reciveing a nice amount of campaign funds from them.)

Of course Kilpatrick is down but not out and it if history has shown us anything it looks  like the us vs. them (city vs. suburbs) and the race card will likely come up.  If fact Kilpatrick already has one of his political advisors out on the radio and TV decrying the racist suburbanites that are trying to ouster Kilpatrick.  hendrix will most likely be attacked for taking campaign money from people in the suburbs.

[Cashcow]

Detroit needs an actual human being running the city.

[AkSaber]

the city is facing a 230 million dollar deficit and laying off 700 employees which is necessary but at the same time Kilpatrick leased a brand new Lincoln navigator SUV for his wife at the city's expense which he at first denied.  Also he charged $210,000 on city credit cards.

Whoa! I did not know that. Could he be the reason Detroit has hit hard financial times?

[Dave from Michigan]

the city is facing a 230 million dollar deficit and laying off 700 employees which is necessary but at the same time Kilpatrick leased a brand new Lincoln navigator SUV for his wife at the city's expense which he at first denied.  Also he charged $210,000 on city credit cards.

Whoa! I did not know that. Could he be the reason Detroit has hit hard financial times?

Detroit has hard financial times due to years amd years of mismanagement and not cutting government services as the city lost population.  Census 2000 numbers show 951,000 people in 2000
right now projections show 890,000 people, the city of Detroit is running as if it still had 2 million people.  There are very high taxes in the city both property and income.

[AkSaber]

Detroit has hard financial times due to years amd years of mismanagement and not cutting government services as the city lost population.  Census 2000 numbers show 951,000 people in 2000
right now projections show 890,000 people, the city of Detroit is running as if it still had 2 million people.  There are very high taxes in the city both property and income.

Yikes! Well big-city life is somewhat a mystery to me. No wonder people are moving away in droves.

[Cashcow]

As I understand it, most are just moving to the suburbs in southern Oakland and Macomb counties, both of which are entirely under the influence of Detroit. The only difference is less crime, and no Kilpatrick. Not a bad deal.

[King]

I find it funny that Detriot has less people in 2005 than it did in 1924.

[Cashcow]

I find it funny that Detriot has less people in 2005 than it did in 1924.

About a million less. At that time, it was one of the most prosperous cities in the nation. 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I find it funny that Detriot has less people in 2005 than it did in 1924.

No. It isn't funny. Not at all. Quite the reverse.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I find it funny that Detriot has less people in 2005 than it did in 1924.

About a million less. At that time, it was one of the most prosperous cities in the nation. 

The words "spiral of decline" come to mind...

[King]

I find it funny that Detriot has less people in 2005 than it did in 1924.

No. It isn't funny. Not at all. Quite the reverse.

It means more people are leaving their lives in poorer inner city neighborhoods for a richer life in the suburbs.  It is an improvement to the quality of life unless we are trying to compete with the sweatshops of Malaysia.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It means more people are leaving their lives in poorer inner city neighborhoods for a richer life in the suburbs.  It is an improvement to the quality of life unless we are trying to compete with the sweatshops of Malaysia.

...but the poor souls left within city limits are well and truely f***ed

[they don't love you like i love you]

I heard Minneapolis had about half a million people in the 50s. Damn suburbs.

[King]

It means more people are leaving their lives in poorer inner city neighborhoods for a richer life in the suburbs.  It is an improvement to the quality of life unless we are trying to compete with the sweatshops of Malaysia.

...but the poor souls left within city limits are well and truely f***ed

Blame bad city management as the city limit population began to crumble and the taxes/spending stayed the same.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Cities like Detroit are stuck in a pretty depressing cycle as far as finance goes; if they cut taxes etc. they lose revenue... and things get worse. If they don't cut taxes more people leave the City and they lose revenue... and things get worse.
Nowt they can do about it without outside help, and a lot of it.

[WalterMitty]

detroit is an abyss of urban blight and forced unionism.

the city is beyond the point of rescue.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

the city is beyond the point of rescue.

Not really; very few places are beyond the point of rescue. On it's own it is though.

[Dave from Michigan]

If anyone cares the Detroit Free press has endorsed Freman Hendrix for mayor (which was expected).

http://www.freep.com/voices/editorials/emayor5e_20050705.htm

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I find it funny that Detriot has less people in 2005 than it did in 1924.

Actually, it's hardly unique. That might be true (too lazy to see if it's true for all of them, but it's close, anyways) for all of
Buffalo, NY
Hoboken, NJ
New York county, NY
and probably almost everywhere in rural prarie states, paritucularly North Dakota

I checked Buffalo, it was lower in 2000 than any census since 1890.

[MaC]

of course government control of crime/economics has led to the downfall of many big cities, but the main point is Kwame sucks.  Horrible mayor, (and stealing the WalterMitty catchphrase) Kwame Kilpatrick is a horrible person (because of the Navigator scandal).  Lousy leadership between him and Coleman Young have led Detroit down this path.

I'm incredibly doubtful he could win.  I hope the best for Detroiters, that they choose a good mayor, (but chances are it won't be much better).

[Dave from Michigan]

The runoff is tommorrow  (top 2 candidates advance)

the last poll  (four way primary race)

Hendrix  38%
Kipatrick 23%
McPhail  14%
Hansen   88%

Kilpatrick job approval  36%

46% of Detroiters would leave the city if they could

By Race (Kilpatrick vs. Hendrix only)

White voters   78% Hendrix  2% Kilpatrick
Black voters    53% Hendrix  31% Kilpatrick

The suburbs poll (Wayne without Detroit, Macomb, Oakland)

Kilpatrick approval  9% approve  80% disapprove
37% embarrassed to be from the Detroit area
59% support state takeover if Detroit can't solve it's budget crisis.

So it looks like hendrix and Kilpatrick willmove to the general election.  Although If I'm not mistaken if Kilpatrick comes in second in the runoff it would be the fist time in like 50 years the incumbent mayor came in second.

after tommorrow the election will get interesting.

[Jake]

Detroit always comes to mind as the place I would least like to live in America. A massive urban shithole for lack of a better word. Hopefully, they will have the sense to elect someone not incompetent, but I can think of alot more likely scenarios.

[Dave from Michigan]

Detroit is pretty bad but Hendrix appears to be much better, everyone I know is hoping he wins. this race will get ugly though Kilpatrick will use the race card and Us vs. them.  Downtown Detroit is improving but the rest of the city is very bad.  Don't underestimate Kilpatrick remember Detroit is 82% Black his strongest support is among blacks.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Thats the cycle that Memphis is in, on a smaller scale.

Cities like Detroit are stuck in a pretty depressing cycle as far as finance goes; if they cut taxes etc. they lose revenue... and things get worse. If they don't cut taxes more people leave the City and they lose revenue... and things get worse.
Nowt they can do about it without outside help, and a lot of it.

[Max Power]

Hendrix  38%
Kipatrick 23%
McPhail  14%
Hansen   88%

I had no idea Hansen was soooo popular!