A Vision Beyond the February Recall, an open letter from Dick Ramsdell and Dean Yeotis
Flint faces a mayoral recall election on February 24th. There are many of us who oppose recalls. They can be divisive, confrontational and personal. However, given the current situation in Flint, with this mayor, at this time, a successful recall of Don Williamson trumps all reservations.
The discussion surrounding this election should focus, not on what happens to Williamson, but on what Flint needs and is capable of achieving as a community. Much has been made of the mayor's personality. He is vulgar, he is bombastic, and he is vindictive. Many people in the city are afraid of him. None of these qualities is desirable in a responsible public official. But they are not the issue.
The issues are [the] serious and on-going mismanagement of city finances; misguided administrative appointments; and the obstruction of almost every project moving our city forward.
Despite the national economy, the Michigan economy, and the demise of the local auto industry, positive things are happening in Flint. And make no mistake about it, they are happening in spite of our current mayor. The downtown "revival," which has most recently added the renovation of the Durant to its "can do" list; the fuel cell research at Kettering and the prospect of the growth of a national bio-fuel industry with Flint as an epicenter; and UM's vibrant embrace of student housing and the continued success of Mott College and Baker College all demonstrate that we may be down, but we're far from out.
These exciting developments are evidence that a strong spirit of hope and a desire for change have been alive in our town long before they became a 'call to arms' in our recent national election. Unfortunately, our city administration has not led the charge, or even cooperated as a willing partner. Rather, despite the mayor's false claims of credit for these ventures, Flint City Hall has been an ongoing hindrance to progress.
Some are understandably concerned that a negative, mudslinging recall campaign could set our city back. We suggest, however, that the act of recalling Mr. Williamson need not be a negative, vindictive act, but rather a positive first step toward the emergence of a coherent, productive vision of our city's future. Flint should recall Mayor Williamson and elect someone who will draw us together to pursue a vision which will once again make us proud of our community. We simply can't afford to waste three precious years.
Imagine with us, what Flint can aspire to in 2010:
A PRODUCTIVE CITY: We have known for many years that our city needs to diversify its economic base. Whether the work is in green industry, health care, or higher education, any candidate for mayor must be willing to cooperate with local, state and federal government and our universities, and be aggressive in pursuing state and federal grant opportunities. Our current mayor has been long on promises, and short on delivery. He has no idea of funding possibilities through state and federal channels, and has caused millions of federal dollars to be forfeited to Washington because he had no plan for their use. With his lay-off of city employees, including massive police cuts, he has created a net negative employment rate during his term.
AN EDUCATED CITY: Our higher educational institutions are leaders in Flint's current revival: Kettering with fuel cell research and leadership in the bio-fuel initiative; UM with its enthusiastic commitment to downtown; and Mott and Baker with their development of affordable programs tailored to the needs of individual students. These institutions and our struggling public school system need to know that City Hall is there to cooperate with them as they strive to fulfill their mission, not to ignore them or act as obstacles in their attempts to grow.
A SAFE CITY: Flint ranks as one of the most violent cities in the nation. Sadly, the determination of the current mayor to place his cronies in key positions, including a now criminally charged Police Chief and appoint his father to "Super Chief," while laying off almost 50 patrol officers, does nothing to make our citizens safer. Gimmicks like the saggy pants crackdown are all too common with this administration and fail to address the grave seriousness of Flint's crime problem.
A HEALTHY CITY: Flint is blessed with a superior medical community and excellent hospitals. But our rates of obesity, diabetes, teen pregnancy, and infant mortality are numbing. A mayor is not responsible for these issues, but as we establish a vision for our community, wouldn't it be exciting to have a leader joining as a partner with the medical community in raising awareness on these issues? This would be a welcome alternative to the mayor's well-publicized fights with our local leader in public health care - Hurley Hospital.
A FIT CITY: Flint prides itself on being the home of many famous athletes. Today, expansive plans for the Crim and a beautifully renovated Atwood Stadium offer very positive images for our city. Beyond the Crim and Atwood, plans are being made for biking and walking trails, and a possible river kayaking course. The mayor's office should assist these efforts rather than calling press conferences on inner city drag strips.
A GREEN CITY: From President Obama to Governor Granholm, leaders around the nation are urging that our nation's future lies in changing our patterns of energy production and consumption. Flint can be a leader, whether in green building, the introduction of new solar and wind industries, the new bio-fuel plant, or the transformation of Land Bank property into productive sources for food and energy. Unfortunately, our current mayor does not even support recycling, much less understand the potential of attracting innovative green pioneers to Flint.
AN ARTISTIC CITY: The artistic creativity in this community is amazing. Our Cultural Center is the showcase, but whether in theatre, music or the arts, Flint continues to produce exceptional talent. While not necessarily tied to City Hall, no vision of our city's future would be complete without identifying the arts as a major contributor to an urban culture which is much richer than Flint's image would suggest.
We offer these ideas as a starting point for the citizens of Flint to imagine what our city can become. Many groups and institutions are already hard at work advancing their own parts of Flint's future. But City Hall is AWOL. The citizens of Flint deserve a mayor capable of articulating a viable plan for our future and offering the city's services cooperatively to partner with those who can help us realize it. Our current mayor is incapable or unwilling to do either. If the citizens of Flint want to support the creativity and vitality of those who truly believe in our community, then we need to recall Don Williamson on February 24, 2009, knowing that our vote will lead not to dysfunction and instability, but to a brighter future for the city we love.
Sincerely,
Dick Ramsdell
Dean Yeotis
Dean Yeotis, attorney, and Dick Ramsdell, manager of the Flint Farmers' Market, are leaders of the political action committee Flint Michigan United.
The discussion surrounding this election should focus, not on what happens to Williamson, but on what Flint needs and is capable of achieving as a community. Much has been made of the mayor's personality. He is vulgar, he is bombastic, and he is vindictive. Many people in the city are afraid of him. None of these qualities is desirable in a responsible public official. But they are not the issue.
The issues are [the] serious and on-going mismanagement of city finances; misguided administrative appointments; and the obstruction of almost every project moving our city forward.
Despite the national economy, the Michigan economy, and the demise of the local auto industry, positive things are happening in Flint. And make no mistake about it, they are happening in spite of our current mayor. The downtown "revival," which has most recently added the renovation of the Durant to its "can do" list; the fuel cell research at Kettering and the prospect of the growth of a national bio-fuel industry with Flint as an epicenter; and UM's vibrant embrace of student housing and the continued success of Mott College and Baker College all demonstrate that we may be down, but we're far from out.
These exciting developments are evidence that a strong spirit of hope and a desire for change have been alive in our town long before they became a 'call to arms' in our recent national election. Unfortunately, our city administration has not led the charge, or even cooperated as a willing partner. Rather, despite the mayor's false claims of credit for these ventures, Flint City Hall has been an ongoing hindrance to progress.
Some are understandably concerned that a negative, mudslinging recall campaign could set our city back. We suggest, however, that the act of recalling Mr. Williamson need not be a negative, vindictive act, but rather a positive first step toward the emergence of a coherent, productive vision of our city's future. Flint should recall Mayor Williamson and elect someone who will draw us together to pursue a vision which will once again make us proud of our community. We simply can't afford to waste three precious years.
Imagine with us, what Flint can aspire to in 2010:
A PRODUCTIVE CITY: We have known for many years that our city needs to diversify its economic base. Whether the work is in green industry, health care, or higher education, any candidate for mayor must be willing to cooperate with local, state and federal government and our universities, and be aggressive in pursuing state and federal grant opportunities. Our current mayor has been long on promises, and short on delivery. He has no idea of funding possibilities through state and federal channels, and has caused millions of federal dollars to be forfeited to Washington because he had no plan for their use. With his lay-off of city employees, including massive police cuts, he has created a net negative employment rate during his term.
AN EDUCATED CITY: Our higher educational institutions are leaders in Flint's current revival: Kettering with fuel cell research and leadership in the bio-fuel initiative; UM with its enthusiastic commitment to downtown; and Mott and Baker with their development of affordable programs tailored to the needs of individual students. These institutions and our struggling public school system need to know that City Hall is there to cooperate with them as they strive to fulfill their mission, not to ignore them or act as obstacles in their attempts to grow.
A SAFE CITY: Flint ranks as one of the most violent cities in the nation. Sadly, the determination of the current mayor to place his cronies in key positions, including a now criminally charged Police Chief and appoint his father to "Super Chief," while laying off almost 50 patrol officers, does nothing to make our citizens safer. Gimmicks like the saggy pants crackdown are all too common with this administration and fail to address the grave seriousness of Flint's crime problem.
A HEALTHY CITY: Flint is blessed with a superior medical community and excellent hospitals. But our rates of obesity, diabetes, teen pregnancy, and infant mortality are numbing. A mayor is not responsible for these issues, but as we establish a vision for our community, wouldn't it be exciting to have a leader joining as a partner with the medical community in raising awareness on these issues? This would be a welcome alternative to the mayor's well-publicized fights with our local leader in public health care - Hurley Hospital.
A FIT CITY: Flint prides itself on being the home of many famous athletes. Today, expansive plans for the Crim and a beautifully renovated Atwood Stadium offer very positive images for our city. Beyond the Crim and Atwood, plans are being made for biking and walking trails, and a possible river kayaking course. The mayor's office should assist these efforts rather than calling press conferences on inner city drag strips.
A GREEN CITY: From President Obama to Governor Granholm, leaders around the nation are urging that our nation's future lies in changing our patterns of energy production and consumption. Flint can be a leader, whether in green building, the introduction of new solar and wind industries, the new bio-fuel plant, or the transformation of Land Bank property into productive sources for food and energy. Unfortunately, our current mayor does not even support recycling, much less understand the potential of attracting innovative green pioneers to Flint.
AN ARTISTIC CITY: The artistic creativity in this community is amazing. Our Cultural Center is the showcase, but whether in theatre, music or the arts, Flint continues to produce exceptional talent. While not necessarily tied to City Hall, no vision of our city's future would be complete without identifying the arts as a major contributor to an urban culture which is much richer than Flint's image would suggest.
We offer these ideas as a starting point for the citizens of Flint to imagine what our city can become. Many groups and institutions are already hard at work advancing their own parts of Flint's future. But City Hall is AWOL. The citizens of Flint deserve a mayor capable of articulating a viable plan for our future and offering the city's services cooperatively to partner with those who can help us realize it. Our current mayor is incapable or unwilling to do either. If the citizens of Flint want to support the creativity and vitality of those who truly believe in our community, then we need to recall Don Williamson on February 24, 2009, knowing that our vote will lead not to dysfunction and instability, but to a brighter future for the city we love.
Sincerely,
Dick Ramsdell
Dean Yeotis
Dean Yeotis, attorney, and Dick Ramsdell, manager of the Flint Farmers' Market, are leaders of the political action committee Flint Michigan United.