Detroit, A City in Financial Crisis
- Lying Lawyers
- Rhyming Preachers
- Corrupt Voting Process
- Voter Apathy
- Uninformed Voters
- Weak Mayor
- Lack of Accountability and Integrity in Local Government
- Dysfunctional, Incompetent and Inept Elected Officials i.e. Mayor and Council
- Poor Leadership in Government
- Mismanagement in City Government
- Nepotism in Local Government
- Cronyism in Local Government
- Collusion
- Corruption
- Political Corruption
- Judicial Corruption
- Mayor Bing should immediately create a “Crisis Turn Around Committee”. This committee should consist of Retired and Current City Personnel who understand Budgeting and Finance, Best Practices in Municipal Government, 21st Century Budgeting Concepts and Dynamics of City Government (Detroit) and have a Working Knowledge of Detroit Government and City Departments. Ideally, committee members will be Residents of Detroit.
- Forensic Audit of Police, Fire, D-DOT, DPW, Library, Dept of Human Services and Library.
- Performance Audit of Department Heads/Appointees and Departments.
- Immediately Terminate Employment of Certain Department Heads i.e. Police Chief, Fire Commissioner, D-DOT, Dept. of Human Services and Library.
- Obtain services of a Operational Auditor
- Re-Engineer City Government
- Reduce amount of Mayor Appointee’s
- Reduce Council Staff by half
- Flatten City Departments
- Eliminate City Departments
- Consolidate City Departments
- Eliminate Current Fire Department Executive Organization Structure
- Revisit and Amend City Budget (Immediately)
- Institute Program, Performance and Zero Base Budgeting Concept for each City Department (42)
- Focus on Core Services of each City Department
- Allow City Unions to Bid on Contracts
- Allow Competition for Public Employee Medical and Health Care
- Create Department (Internal) Account Receivable Section
- Re-Open and adequately fund Mystersky Power Plant to generate revenue by selling electricity.
- Invest in Employee Training Program
- Invest in Retiree Resource.
- Initiate Legal Action against the State of Michigan for minimum $220,000,000.00 and Legal Fees.
- Initiate Legal Action against DPS for minimum $15,000,000.00 and Legal Fees.
- Initiate Collection of Income Tax and Property Tax from Business Owners (Past and Present)
- Freeze all Tax Abatements
- Create City Car Pool for Nonemergency use.
- Discontinue Automobile Stipend
- Emergency Financial Manager in Detroit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Hood Research
Contact Person Henry Teutsch
313.931.2700, contact@hoodresearch.org
www.HoodResearch.org/pressrelease
http://www.facebook.com/HoodResearch
November 8, 2011
Did Jenice Mitchell Ford, abuse her elected office,
misuse government property and violate the code of ethics?
On Friday, October 28, 2011 Ford sent an email to a Hood Research volunteer. This email directly asks for recipients to vote yes on proposal C on the November 8, 2011 ballot. This is a campaign letter. However the email obtained is one of many apparently supplied at the community meetings organized by the Charter Commission. This volunteer does not know Ford personally and did not work on her political campaign. The email address was not shared in any circumstance other than the community events organized by the elected and sitting charter commissioners.
Did Ford then take the personal contact information gathered at the charter commission meetings, collected at taxpayers’ expense and as part of a government sponsored activity, and use this information for her personal campaign as a proponent of proposal C? If true and it appears likely, this would be a clear ethics violation. Ford was the former vice chair of the ethics board for the city of Detroit under former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. If true, this would be a violation of campaign laws as sitting elected persons are not allowed to use government resources for personal campaigns. Further, government resources are not allowed to be used to campaign for or against political issues. Finally if true this would be a criminal act as this would mean that government property was taken for use for non-government work. This would be theft and if true this is a serious crime.
Citizens of Detroit seeking to participate in our government, having provided personal information for our benefit to be informed of activities related to official government activities should not be subjected to unrelated or otherwise personal political messages by special interests based on our own interest in our government. We should not have to fear participation if our personal contact information will then be used to further a particular point of view. Federal laws exist to protect personal and private information. Political campaigns must abide by those laws and accumulate emails or phone numbers by means outside of and separate from government activities.
This was wrong and if Ford obtained this email as part of her work as a charter commissioner she should have known better. There needs to be an investigation to determine the source of the email list and how the email of a Hood Research volunteer became known to Ford and the proponents of proposal C. If Ford followed her own campaign motto she would be striving to uphold ethics in government and apparently not use her position for personal interests. Money used to fund the charter commission should not also then supplement any political campaign. The effort to collect emails and conduct mailing lists cost money and takes time. This does not appear to be the method used to support this mailing.
See Email HERE: http://www.hoodresearch.org/downloads/Chartcomm_Nov-08-11a.pdf
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DFD Decision Making, Destroys Lifes
Report by Reginald D. Amos, Deputy Chief (ret)
(Last week a fire struck a residential home with the result of a three year old girl losing her life.)
The fire was at 5167 Cooper and the first fire truck on the scene was Tac-2 which replaced Engine 46 which was out of service for two weeks due to mechanical problems. Tac -2 is not designed to fight structural or dwelling fires, it is designed to get into areas where a normal size fire truck will have difficulty manuvering or can’t get to. Tac-2 is equipped with pumps and has its own water supply. This particular truck was purchased with funds from the casinos [taxes] and delivered in 2008 to battle auto fires in the parking structures.
It was initially reported that the firefighters assigned to Tac 2 upon arrival could not fight the fire because the pumps were broken and they had to wait until another fire truck arrived. A second fire truck arrived on scene and according to the family, a third fire truck arrived on scene before fire lines (hose) were pulled to fight the fire. Firefighters utilized a ladder and entered the front upstairs bedroom window where the 3 year old was found and was handed out the window to other firefighters barely breathing but alive. She was transported to the hospital where she made her transition.
The second report was Tac -2 pumps were disconnected. The day after the tragedy Tac 2 was taken to the training academy where Fire Commissioner Donald Austin , Deputy Fire Commissioner Fred Wheeler and other Fire Department Personnel were assembled; the vehicle was inspected and the pumps operated fine.
Commissioner Austin said the pump had been disengaged because anyone expected to use Tac -2 has to be certified. “We did not have to my knowledge a certified driver on that rig”
September 16, 2011 viewing of Let It Rip, News Reporter Charlie Leduff produce a copy of an order instructing Firefighters not to use Tac 2 Pumps.
The following is the troubling concern:
Tac -2 should never have been used to replace Engine 46 or any other fire vehicle.
The fact Engine 46 been out of service for repairs 2 weeks is unacceptable. Why?
No Back -Up or Replacement Vehicle is unacceptable. Why?
No Certified Driver’s for Tac -2 is Unacceptable.
Note: Fire Department Leadership made the decision not to spend over time funds to train and certify personnel to drive and operate this vehicle.
Commissioner Austin statement “I believe to the bottom of my heart everything worked as it should”.
Commissioner Austin statement “It would not have made any difference at all if a regular pumper had been in service”.
Commissioner Austin statement ” Booster Lines are not designed for interior firefighting”.
Commissioner Austin statement ” We made the decision to put the smaller tactical unit in the firehouse that day to be certain firefighters could be carried quickly to any possible rescue attempt which is usually attempted before hoses are used to douse a blaze”.
Commissioner Austin is being ill-advised by Deputy Fire Commissioner Fred Wheeler and 2nd Deputy Fire Commissioner Cheryl Campbell who neither have Fire Command Experience or Fire Service Supervisory Experience. Before Wheeler received his political appointment to 2nd Deputy Fire Commissioner by the urging of Carolyn Kilpatrick to Kwame Kilpatrick, Wheeler was a Fire Engine Operator (Driver). Campbell was a Captain in EMS Training. Both are members of the prior Fire Leadership Team that created major problems for the fire department and is the reason the fire department is in the dysmal condition it is today.
It is interesting Commissioner Austin can find funding to create a New Organization {Chart} with new positions and appoint two new 2nd Deputy Fire Commissioners with staffing but cannot find funds to repair or replace fire equipment in a acceptable time frame. What is the cost? and where did the funding come from? Clearly the Fire Department is “Top Heavy”.
If this is the best Commissioner Austin can come up with after nearly four months as Fire Commissioner, Mayor Bing need to cut his losses and immediately fire Commissioner Austin and the Entire Fire Department Executive Leadership Team along with the Civilian Advisory Fire Commissioners. If Commissioner Austin made the above statements and initiated the above actions in L.A. California, he would be immediately fired.
Reasons:
- Incompetence
- Gross Negligence
- Malfeasance
- Misfeasance
- Nonfeasance
Contributing Factors:
• Commissioner Austin failed to properly assess the Detroit Fire Department.
• Poor Management Decisions, Key Missteps and Dysfunctional Ineffective Leadership.
Commissioner Austin is an outsider who doesn’t know the Detroit Fire Department dynamics.
Austin was brought in from Los Angeles, California to serve as Executive Fire Commissioner to correct Incompetence and Mismanagement in Detroit Fire Department Leadership and address Negative Response Time and Equipment Issues of EMS and Firefighting Division. How can he effectively address those concerns keeping members of the previous incompetent leadership team and appointing individuals with absolutely no Fire Service Knowledge oe Experience.
At this point I question Commissioner Austin ability to effectively lead the Detroit Fire Department.
The Citizens of Detroit cannot wait for Austin to OJT (On the Job Train).
read more…
By Chief Reginald Amos, Ret.
This is a report about the three year old that died from smoke inhalation and how the Detroit Fire Department dispatched a truck which arrived first on the scene without working fire pumps.
Initially it was reported the pumps were broken, then it was reported the pumps were disconnected the truth of the matter is the pumps worked but the firefighters were ordered not to use the pumps because of the following:
Per Fire Commissioner Donald Austin “we did not have certified drivers to operate the vehicle”. It must be noted the reason there are no certified drivers is the Fire Department Failed to train the personnel. The three year old vehicle was delivered in 2008.
Fire Department sources say fire department administrators did not want firefighters to damage the vehicle.
This vehicle was taken to the fire academy the day after the little girl died, Fire Commissioner Austin and Deputy Fire Commissioner Wheeler were present and the truck pumps were tested and the pumps worked fine.
On “Let It Rip” this past friday (9/16/11) news reporter Charlie LeDuff produced a copy of the order that the pumps were not to be used.
This is Gross Negligence, Malfeasance, Misfeasance and Nonfeasance and Criminal.
If this is the best Commissioner Austin can come up with after nearly four months as Fire Commissioner, Mayor Bing needs to cut his losses and immediately terminate Fire Commissioner Austin and the entire Fire Department leadership Team. If Commissioner Austin was in Los Angeles, California as Fire Chief he would have been fired immediately.
Contributing Factors in a case for Immediate Dismissal:
• Commissioner Austin failed to properly assess the Deroit Fire Department.
• Commissioner Austin is an outsider and does not know or understand the dynamics of the Detroit Fire Department and is being advised by Deputy Fire Commissioner Fred Wheeler and 2nd Deputy Fire Commissioner Cheryl Campbell both of whom were members of the leadership team that created the problems. I must add that neither of which have Fire Command Experience or Supervisory Experience.
• Poor Management Decisions, Key Mistakes and Dysfunctional Ineffective Leadership.
Commissioner Austin has designed and implemented an Organization Chart creating two additional 2nd Deputy Fire Commissioners who have absolutely No Fire Service Experience or knowledge which by my estimation will cost taxpayers approximately $750,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 (Salary and Benefits).
The fact of the matter is, Austin was brought here to correct Dysfunctional Leadership, Mismanagement, Firefighting and EMS Response Time and Apparatus and Equipment Issues.
The question is: How can Austin be successfull with the Deputy Fire Commissioner and three 2nd Deputy Fire Commissioners not having Successful Fire Command, Supervisory Experience or Knowledge of the Fire Service. read more…
Our money is missing, we know who took it but we don’t know where it is. The Michigan Constitution governs our state. Our constitution is the highest legal authority and establishes our rule of law in our state. All actions by the state officers both elected, appointed and hired must follow the rule of law.
- In 1994, Detroit voters approved a Capital Improvement Program that authorized the then elected Detroit Public Schools Board to sell $1.5 Billion in bonds over a planned 15 year period.
- In 1998, the Michigan State Legislature and then Governor John Engler passed legislation that disbanded the elected Detroit Public School Board.
- in 1999, the state’s Reform Board was installed, the elected board was dissolved, none of the CIP bonds had been issued at this time
- The Reform Board, as it was called in the state legislation, produced deficits in their school budget in all of the years of their existence
- The Reform Board also spent over $1 Billion during its five year existence, spending approximately $400 Million on two schools, Cass Tech and Renaissance High Schools in addition to it’s yearly budget
- Detroit residents and property owners continued to pay billions of dollars in property taxes attributed to the support of the Detroit Public Schools during this time even as the Detroit Public School Board had been suspended by state law
The question is what happened to that money? The estimate is roughly $10 Billion with interest.
If everyone involved followed the law, then the money collected as taxes from Detroiters since 1999 with interest is available for our schools. The bond funds that were not issued by the elected Detroit Public School Board is available to be used per voters approval.
The debts incurred by the states Reform Board and Governor Engler’s appointees are the responsibility of the state. These debts are not owned by Detroit residents and the debts are not owned by the elected Detroit Public School Board.
Our state constitution states; “The state is prohibited from requiring any new or expanded activities by local governments without full state financing,from reducing the proportion of state spending in the form of aid to local governments, or from shifting the tax burden to local government.” Article IX section 25.
Follow the money and we will see who did what. If laws were broken then the prosecutors and those who’ve sworn to uphold the law and the Michigan Constitution must act. Doing nothing is to violate the Oath of Office and to vacate the positions granted by the voters.
Bobb’s deficit is covered by the Headlee Amendment, as is Engler’s Reform Board
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