  Ltorivia485 Member Username: Ltorivia485 Post Number: 1592 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 69.217.229.79 |
Familiarity carries election By Bankole Thompson The Michigan Citizen DETROIT — Name recognition drove the voting in the Aug. 2 city council race. Out of a pool of 120 candidates, three new candidates — singer Martha Reeves, Ortheia Barnes, a minister and Monica Conyers, wife of Detroit Congressman John Conyers — all made it to the Nov. ballot because of what some are calling “their names and associations,” without providing any clear platform for running. “I’m not happy. Our people don’t seek out the issue,” said Charity Hicks, a community activist. “ We have to vote the issues, the background and track record a integrity.” The celebrity trio made the top ten list of council members. Incumbents Kenneth Cockrel Jr. came in first with 10.3 percent of the votes followed by Council President Maryann Mahaffey with 9.4 percent. Two-year incumbent councilwoman JoAnn Watson came in third, leaving members Sheila Cockrel, Alberta Tinsley-Talabi and Barabara- Rose Collins trailing behind. Wayne County Commissioner Kwame Kenyatta who ran an aggressive campaign with an “empower the vision,” mantra also made the top ten cut. Councilman Alonzo Bates whose hiring of outside workers on council is the subject of a federal grand jury investigation ranked sixteenth in the race. That means he would run in the general election in November but on ropes. “This is not a referendum,” Hicks said. “It’s a sad excuse for a primary.” Detroiter Sandra Johnson said she could not comprehend the results and why voters could not go beyond name recognition and elect candidates who had a clear cut positions on issues as privatization, taxes among others. “What is her [Reeves] platform? Is she going to have all of us in the streets dancing?” Johnson asked about Reeves platform. “That is not a platform. The seriousness of what is taking place is going to require people to hit the floor running.” Johnson said Detroit’s problems are many and too grave for any candidate who lacks the understanding of how city government works. “No one has time to teach Martha Reeves anything,” Johnson said. “No one has time to train anybody. You’ve got to hit the floor running.”39-year old Monica Conyers refuted the idea that her husband’s name got her elected. “I’ve been married to my husband for over 16 years. And I have a right to use it,” Conyers said. “That’s my name.” She said if name recognition was a plus she would not have lost the race against State Sen. Buzz Thomas three years ago. “If it was about name recognition I should have beaten Buzz Thomas.” Conyers said she has her own credentials as a law school graduate and a platform to remove red tapism at city hall for residents to have access to services and attract businesses. Sam Riddle, a political consultant working with Conyers said “it is not as simple as pimping someone’s name identification.” Riddle said Conyers distributed literature outlining her platform. He said some of new members on council who were voted in because of their name are better than those members on council who have still not delivered on their campaign promises. Hicks said members like Bates should not have even gotten in the 18 cut to run for the general election without the help of certain political slates. “The slates were embarrassing,” Hicks said. “We got to stop doing slates and vote the issues.” The Black slate endorsed Bates and was charging $1200 for endorsement according to Hicks. The Community Coalition, another slate, charged $500 for endorsement while Rev. Wendell Anthony’s Fanny Lou Hamer political action committee reportedly charged $7,000 per endorsement. Hicks said such endorsements with monetary gain have diverted the attention of the election from issue-oriented campaigns to who has the most money to give. She calls it “electioneering by slates,” because “We have unsavory people on them.” Council member Watson said with the election results showing a strong mandate from the people she would continue to fight issues such as privatization at council table. “It’s my honor to be in a position to continue to serve.” http://www.michigancitizen.com /default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1 &twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1996&wp age=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=& ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reop tion=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=& rebed=&rebath=&subname= |
