  Yvette248 Member Username: Yvette248 Post Number: 471 Registered: 10-2006 |
Two positive news articles about the Mayor in the past two weeks? What in the world is going on? I'm afraid that The End may be near! Detroit's hip-hop mayor grows into his job Charismatic Kilpatrick matures and learns from his past mistakes to build and improve the city. www.detnews.com | ||
Adamjab19 Member Username: Adamjab19 Post Number: 762 Registered: 11-2003 |
My fiance said that on All My Children on Monday afternoon that one of the characters said something along the words of you don't want to become cocky like the mayor of Detroit... Kind of random, but there is some rain on the parade. Catch the re-run Saturday afternoon on Soap network at 2PM. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 2628 Registered: 02-2005 |
Those two headlines are quite loaded, and really stupid, IMO. But, the News is probably discovering that Kwame is a closet conservative...in favor of tax cuts, traditional incentives-based economic development, and, most recently, more charter and private schools. You know why I like him so much. I think this piece from the News tells the story: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20070312/O PINION03/703120365 I noticed some praise for the mayor in the conservative press here at UM (yes that does really exist.) I would definitly give a positive approval rating to Kwame if someone asked me today or anytime since 2004. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5316 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yeah, It's the conservative News falling all over themselves to compliment him. The Free Press has usually always been more objective on him not leaning one way or the other. I wish the News could find that healthy middle. | ||
Bpjeff Member Username: Bpjeff Post Number: 35 Registered: 01-2006 |
I agree Mackinaw. As a Republican and a 2-year resident of Detroit (former suburbanite), I have seen big improvements in his second term. He realizes that the road to prosperity is not through increasing taxes nor placating the unions. Granholm should take note! | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 2629 Registered: 02-2005 |
Indeed, Granholm and him have taken vastly different paths. Granholm has been anything but rational in her repeated railing of corporations/big business and her talk of raising taxes. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 841 Registered: 10-2003 |
LMich, From your perspective, I understand the comment about the News. From my side, there is plenty of room for the News to head towards the right before ir is the conservative paper that this town deserves. Now for the Free Press' far left of center opinions... | ||
Bpjeff Member Username: Bpjeff Post Number: 36 Registered: 01-2006 |
I almost choked on my Cheerios this morning when I read today's editorial page in the Freep. In summary, they agreed with Kwame's position regarding increasing charter and private schools. They concluded that an increase in competition would do the DPS good! Are they moving from the far left? One can only hope. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 2630 Registered: 02-2005 |
Well when you have a Democrat city mayor who doesn't even have faith in the management of the public schools, neither should the newspaper. | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 120 Registered: 02-2007 |
For what it's worth I am one that has long believed that K-K was another example of demagoguery run amok, hip-hop mayor for a hip-hop town, etc. And for a long time that fool proved me right. Well, for at least a few minutes I am willing to admit that my opinion has shifted: I heard his remarks tonight at a dinner honoring Roger Penske. Hizzoner was glib and thought-provoking. Who'd a thunk? | ||
Yvette248 Member Username: Yvette248 Post Number: 474 Registered: 10-2006 |
As a tried and true lefty, I don't think there is anybody who's not getting a paycheck that has faith in the current DPS structure. Perhaps Detroiters made the wrong move in not giving oversight over to the mayor. I understand their reasoning, because he was being pretty immature at the time, but still, I think Kwame could do a much better job than what they currently have. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5321 Registered: 10-2003 |
A few points... Irish, I was specifically talking about the papers' take on Kwame. I honestly don't think the News is extremely conservative in its reporting, but it's enough to rightly discern that it does lean right of center pretty consistently. Still, I think it's more anti-city than anything else; that much is clear. I think Kwame has hardly changed, and I don't think this represents some massive move in ideology to the right. What I see is a man that's always been ideologically and politically in the middle of things, finally moving his weight around for something good. He's shifting policy not because of some conservative epiphany. He's shifting policy out of sheer practicality and circumstance. The fact of the matter is that the mayor realizes (like MOST do), that in order to retain families, he has to open up the floodgates for more private schools, or risk continuing to lose these tax dollars to surrounding communities. This isn't some epiphany, this is being practical. And, as left as I may seem, I'm far more of a centrist than any of you will give me. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8748 Registered: 10-2003 |
KK is showing a great deal of maturity on the right path to improving things in this city. Now if people would only have an iota of respect and drop names like 'the Hip hop mayor' and 'hizzoner'. Craig - What is 'hip hop' about Detroit? Are my hard working neighbors 'hip hop', are the 30% of the citizens and children living in poverty 'hip hop' How about we just give a second term mayor credit for growing as a person and a mayor without using the loaded nicknames. | ||
El_jimbo Member Username: El_jimbo Post Number: 61 Registered: 12-2006 |
Jt1, I agree that the nicknames should probably start going away, but I think reminding people of his nicknames highlights just how far he has matured as a person and as a public servant during his time in office. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8753 Registered: 10-2003 |
I think the nicknames are disrespectful and would not be accepted in most communities. I don't see the media calling L Brooks 'The drunk executive' or calling Mark Steenburgh 'The teen beating, racial slurring Mayor' I am warming up to KK because I was very disappointed in his first term. I however would think that the media and people in SE Michigan should give him just an iota of respect. | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 11444 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote:  | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 565 Registered: 04-2006 |
I think he has matured but I don't agree that he should have been given oversight of DPS. I think the way that the school board is elected needs to be overhauled ASAP. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8761 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: I think the thought process of many of our citizens during election time needs to be overhauled ASAP. | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 129 Registered: 02-2007 |
Jt1 - give up ideological rantings. Reread my post and then reflect upon how media pundits characterized the Mayor during his first term. I don't know or care where you live or whether your neighbors tire of your all-or-nothing, evidence-be-damned demeanor, but I stand by the tenor of my post: the man started as an unpolished youngster with more "street" than "state house;" I'm the one who shared the sentiment that he's grown, and this growth is to the benefit of his constituents. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8771 Registered: 10-2003 |
Craig - We agree on his growth and maturity. I am very happy that he is starting to lean much more towards the right. I just ask that he receive the level of respect that other politicans in this region do. I think that a term like Hizzoner when posted in an otherwise positive sentence is just silly. As I see it this is like talking positively about an employee while calling him a jackass. The positive part is still there but the other commentary is unecessary. I will continue my ideological rants as long as you continue to post your comments like this. (Message edited by jt1 on March 30, 2007) | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 131 Registered: 02-2007 |
^Grrrrr. OK, work with me. Is it possible that "Hizzoner" is a diminutive or an affectionate diminutive for His Honor? Is it wrong to refer to the President of the US as prez? See where I'm going? Not everything spoken or written is meant as an insult or evidence of a conspiracy. Related point: ever meet someone with a PhD? Did they tell you about it ("I'm Dr. X"). Do you ask yourself: why did this jackass tell me that he's a PhD? I'm democrat enough to want to pull down all, even elected leaders, to a common level because I feel that we're better as a society with uniformity in our outward "appearance." Cool, commrade? | ||
Granmontrules Member Username: Granmontrules Post Number: 56 Registered: 01-2007 |
OK. Why don't people just call him Mayor Kilpatrick. That is the respectful thing to do. I think when people say "Kwame" it is disrespectful. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 2632 Registered: 02-2005 |
Agreed...and 'hip-hop' is kind of condescending because the people calling him that are outsiders who really don't know anything about hip hop, but Kilpatrick is young and black so he must be 'that.' | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5322 Registered: 10-2003 |
That's always gotten me, too. Every other mayor in the country is called 'mayor' of referred to as his or her last name, just about. But, it shouldn't be a surprise, and we know exactly why. | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 741 Registered: 11-2004 |
Kilpatrick really hasn't changed that much policy wise from his first term, he was always business friendly. The biggest change seems in his role as a responsible leader, though I wonder how much is true change and how much is he's just gotten better hiding his indiscretions. | ||
Kenp Member Username: Kenp Post Number: 373 Registered: 03-2006 |
He be the mayor #1 in Detroit town He's always on the social scene pullin up on his limosene he'll eat, drink, talk and chat cut deals behind the councils back he's the one with all the clout thats what being mayors all about |
