Election Time -- including Troy Michigan

Tomorrow many of us across the country will go to the polls to decide everything from governors races to city council races. The city of Detroit has an important set of elections, as they will vote into office a mayor for a full 4 year term. In the year and a half I've been around here I've seen the former mayor exit in disgrace, an interim mayor appointed, an acting mayor elected, and now we would assume a fully elected mayor. There will be nine city council members elected, and an amendment that will provide for council members elected by districts rather than at large.

That's to my south in Detroit. But Troy Michigan also has an important set of elections. There is a school board election, that will allow us to choose who will oversee the shrinking receipts that come into the district. We will also be electing three new city council members. This is a truly important election for the people of Troy. We have to decide whether we want to elect so-called "tax fighters," whose decisions quite likely will lead to the closure of important community assets, or leaders willing to take on the future, stem the slide, and help the community revive itself.

I am concerned that our community has taken on the mindset that the future is bleak, and that nothing can be done. We're doomed to unending decline of receipts and services. The question is, why should we simply assume this to be true?

So, tomorrow, I'll be voting for Maureen McGinnis, Dane Slater, and Will Molnar. I'd like to see them have the opportunity to help forge a new future for Michigan's "City of Tomorrow Today." My sense is that these three are moderate to conservative in their views, but they're not ideologues. They're willing to put all the options on the table. I'm a relatively liberal Democrat -- left of center at least -- but I grew up in a Republican family. My parents were leaders in the party -- my Dad was Central Committee Chair for Siskiyou County. CA . The party I grew up with is not the party that exists today. It's as if the John Birchers of yesteryear ultimately got control of the party.

So, while I know that I'm a minority voice in this community (as a Democrat), I don't think most of the people here are right-wing ideologues. May that voice, the one that is moderate and considered, come out to vote tomorrow so that Troy can have good leadership for the future.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I was looking to separate out the conservatives running and the liberals - are there any liberals running in Troy? Thanks for the info. I say a big "no thank you" to ill-considered tax cuts - particularly when I think of Highland Park, and their CLOSED LIBRARY - that's just now (because a movie was filmed there?) in the process of reopening - and so now TROY is going to close its library?

makes no sense...YES to literacy, and efforts to increase literacy, throughout the Detroit area.
Unknown said…
I will be voting for Wade Fleming, Carmen Johnson, and Doug Tietz. They are our best hope to hold the line on increased taxes. In these tough times, we all have to cut back, in our personal lives and as a community.
As far as closing the library, I have run the numbers and I am quite certain that it would be less expensive to simply ordered books from Amazon and let each patron keep the books. (I am not suggesting doing that...I am making a point.)
Also, as a pastor, I simply cannot support a Democratic Party that increasingly has become pro-abortion, anti-Bible, anti-Christian, and lately anti-American. From now on (unless I see real change in the Democratic Party) consider me, for now, an automatic anti-Democrat vote!
Robert Cornwall said…
Bruce,

How is the Democratic party anti-Bible, anti-Christian and especially anti-American?

Your statement simply boggles the mind. But, as an American you are welcome to your beliefs. I just think they are short sighted.

As a pastor who believes in social justice, I cannot support a Republican party that is totally unconcerned about the poor, the marginalized, the environment and more. You say the Democrats are pro-abortion -- the fact is that the party includes people of both perspectives, but what they do provide is a platform that is concerned about the quality of life that people have once their born! That's what I call pro-life.

Once the Republican Party was the party of equal rights and pro-environment -- remember Teddy Roosevelt. Now, it's the Party of a increasingly narrow pocket of right wing enthusiasts. So, from my perspective, as a Christian, the Democratic Party represents the values that I hold!

Oh, and as for the library. I hope you don't intend to sell your house anytime soon, because a city of our size without a library won't see increased property values anytime soon!
Unknown said…
I stumbled across your blog looking for the results of the Troy Board of Ed election. I am intrigued, and in somewhat the same boat. I am a liberal Democrat (yellow dog) but raised that way by parents and the liberal clergy of my Catholic community. I am now a Unitarian Universalist.

I am so disturbed by the conflation of "anti-tax" with righteous religious belief. I think about the great good heart of Jesus, and cannot believe that he would be happy with the priorities we've set in our society.

On a different, secular note, I guess I believe that we will pay for services one way or the other. Either we put our money together and create real viable communities with services that make our lives better, or we pay individually, when we can, and lord it over our neighbors who cannot.
Just some thoughts.

Paula Talarico, Troy

Popular Posts