Progressives of Washtenaw

Recently a draft version of this article was inadvertently posted by POW!.  POW! apologizes for this error.  The correct version is below.

The Truth About Parks Funding: Hieftje and Company’s “Half Promise”

The John Hieftje for Mayor campaign mailing just arrived.  It contains a claim that Hieftje fought to increase the general fund allocation for parks.  Here’s the real story.

When the city asked voters to pay more taxes for parks, Council passed a resolution saying that future parks general fund spending would increase or decrease at the same rate as all other general fund spending.  The purpose of the resolution was to reassure voters that there would be more money for parks by preventing council from shifting parks expenses paid from the general fund to the new millage.

Voters subsequently approved increased parks funding through a ballot proposal that increased the millage. Instead of utilizing these funds approved by voters to increase overall parks funding, the next budget moved parks expenses for things like maintaining athletic fields and playgrounds from the general fund to the new millage. That freed up general fund money for other things, essentially turning the increased parks millage into a tax for non parks spending.

Council member Johnson introduced a budget amendment in May 2007 to restore $638,900 in parks general fund spending. Only council members Steve Kunselman and Ron Suarez joined him in voting to keep the promise made to voters. Mayor Hieftje and other council members voted no. Council members Mike Anglin and Sabra Briere were not on council at that time.

<http://www2.a2gov.org/legistar/detailreport/Reports/Temp/7242008144444.pdf>

The public refused to believe the council majority’s assurances that everything could be explained by the city’s method of accounting. In the August 2007 primary, voters chose Mike Anglin and Sabra Briere over candidates backed by council veterans. Two months later, council member Johnson was able to get council support to restore $287,586 of parks general fund spending. Mayor Hieftje co-sponsored the Johnson resolution. In other words, Mayor Hieftje and the council majority restored only half the amount they had promised to deliver for parks even after primary losses to grass roots candidates Anglin and Briere.
Additionally, the parks millage lasts for five years but the “half promise” is good for only 2 years.  The latest budget documents call this funding a one-time expense.  That’s budget speak saying the “half promise” will be cut from the next budget.  Don’t be surprised if the next budget also revives the proposal to spend parks millage money for police.  Whether the council majority gets away with spending the extra parks millage money for other things will depend on how many of the grass roots challengers (Vivienne Armentrout, Stew Nelson and Pat Lesko) get elected in August.  They are all running against candidates endorsed by Mayor Hieftje.

(Karen Sidney is a local political activist and special guest writer for POW!)

POW! encourages all progressives to contact  the Ann Arbor Democratic Party and volunteer to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States:

734/480-4986

aadems@comcast.net

aadems.org

Tim Colenback, Coordinating Committee Member

Vivienne Armentrout clearly cares about Ann Arbor.  In this regard she is hardly unique, but she is unusual in that her affection for the City, her positive vision for its future, and her progressive values are complemented by extensive experience in government, sound practical knowledge of how government functions, and a proven ability to define issues, discover the facts, get down to work, and transform values and vision into policy and reality.

Vivienne shares POW!’s commitment to social equity, affordable housing, diversity, human-scale development, neighborhood viability, historic preservation, and the arts.  She believes deeply in governmental transparency, citizen participation, and thoughtful planning.  She is pledged to help our local businesses thrive, to promote our local food system, to fight irresponsible spending on the part of city government, and to stop the erosion of our city services.  She has long supported environment protection, clean water, green spaces, and flood control.  And a review of her record reveals that she practices what she preaches.

Vivienne served on the City’s Solid Waste Commission from 1992 to 1997 and on the Ann Arbor Budget Review Committee in 1995.  She served as the County Commissioner for northwest Ann Arbor from 1997 to 2004.  During this period, she was a member of the Planning Commission, the Board of Public Works, and the Agricultural and Open Space Task Force.  In recognition of her efforts toward farmland preservation, the Huron Valley Chapter of the Sierra Club named her an Environmental Steward of the Year in both 1998 and 1999.  Having organized the Planning Advisory Board, she served as its first chair and helped produce the County’s first Comprehensive Plan in over twenty years.

Vivienne Armentrout is a true public servant.  Self-advancement does not motivate her.  She cares about is Ann Arbor.  POW! enthusiastically endorses her for the Fifth Ward City Council seat.

(Charles Lewis enjoys traveling abroad and playing classical music in his own mind when he’s not doing political organizing for POW!.)

For the past several years Progressives of Washtenaw (POW!) has been concerned by the actions and attitudes of the prevailing council majority.  Over the past two years POW! Has been a part of community-wide efforts to bring a change in leadership to our city.  As part of our continuing efforts to open up our local governmental processes, and to facilitate citizen participation in local governmental decision making, we have endorsed four council candidates:  Pat Lesko a write-in candidate in the First Ward, Stew Nelson in the Second Ward, Steve Kunselman in the Third Ward and Vivienne Armentrout in the Fifth Ward.  We are convinced these are the best choices for Ann Arborites interested in changing the direction of the city government to be a more inclusive and transparent entity, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

We believe these candidates will be strong supporters of small business and neighborhoods as members of council and deserve our progressive support in the primary election.  They will also be hard working advocates for responsible expenditure of tax dollars.

Unfortunately, advocacy for greater citizen participation is seen as a threat by the large corporate business owners and the city administrator.  These special interests see greater citizen participation as a barrier to meeting their goals within our community.  For example, the city administrator and “veterans” on council supported the building of a palatial new $50 million courthouse at a time when foreclosures have skyrocketed in Ann Arbor and our high tax rates have caused an even greater burden on homeowners — especially those on fixed incomes.  All of the candidates we endorse actively supported efforts to find and implement less costly and more efficient alternatives.

Over the past two years, the councilmembers POW! has supported )Councilmembers Mike Anglin, Sabra Briere and Ron Suarez) have stood up to fight the corporate and bureaucratic special interests in our community.  While McKinley properties and other large landowners have pressured our council into approving large out-of-scale buildings that threaten the very nature of Ann Arbor, POW! supported councilmembers have fought for the interests of neighborhoods and a smart growth strategy. We believe that if POW! endorsed candidates are successful this year, a new council majority can be forged to support the interests of the entire community, not just the well connected and well heeled.

Strong corporate interests have recruited and are supporting candidates to oppose the POW! endorsed candidates.  These special interests are against the interests of  neighborhoods and taxpayers.

Don’t be fooled by any of the rhetoric.  The opposition to POW! endorsed candidates  is fueled by a desire to silence the voices of neighborhoods, small businesses and citizen activists.  There are those that long for the old days when the city bureaucracy and the business elite of our community could do business unfettered by councilmembers looking out for the best interests of the entire community.  Rest assured that if the POW! endorsed candidates are elected we will have a council allied  in further opening up our governmental processes enabling everyone in our community to understand the goals and the plans of city government.  If the moneyed special interests are successful in defeating the POW! endorsed candidates and other like minded councilmembers, we will return to the day when most city business was conducted in secret and the citizens, for the most part, were kept in the dark.

We need your help this Tuesday, August 5.  Please vote to increase the  voice on council for the citizen, the homeowner, the small business person, the future of Ann Arbor.  Please cast your vote for council for Pat Lesko (write-in), Stewart Nelson, Steve Kunselman or Vivienne Armentrout on Tuesday, August 5.

(This article was written by the POW! Coordinating Committee.)

By Conan Smith
In the city, we haven’t paid much attention to the Sheriff’s department in the past.  We contrast the challenges of policing an urban area (murders, drugs, moribund skateboarders) with the bucolic and charming malfeasances of the rural parts of our county that the Sheriff’s department handles.  The distinction is sort of Hill Street Blues versus the Dukes of Hazard.  The men and women in brown, however, are playing a bigger role in Ann Arbor – and the governance decisions of their leadership are impacting our ability to maintain a high quality of life.  Over the past eight years we’ve watched Sheriff Dan Minzey ignore the concerns of city residents and further distance himself from the Ann Arbor electorate that assured his victory in 2000.  Beyond that, Minzey put in a shameful performance over the past eight years, dividing county residents, running grossly over budget, and allowing discipline and pride to dissolve at the department.

This year, we have a rare primary race for County Sheriff that has the potential to restore the relevance of the Sheriff’s department to Ann Arbor – and put the office back on the path to excellence.  Our choice in that race is Jerry Clayton – a twenty year veteran of the Washtenaw Sheriff’s Department with a track record of elevating civil rights, ensuring excellent management and providing leadership to the entirety of the Washtenaw County community.

Clayton, an African American from Ypsilanti Township, served under long-time Sheriff Ron Scheible where he worked with the county’s public defender to develop a robust racial profiling training to combat a disturbing emergent trend across all levels of law enforcement.  Known for his integrity and firm discipline as a commander, Clayton was sidelined by Minzey who slowly dismantled the progressive programs Clayton had built.  The lack of appreciation evidenced in his home county was not echoed across the country (or the world for that matter) and Clayton soon retired from the department to become an international consultant on peace and justice issues.

Ask Clayton what prompted his run for Sheriff and you’ll likely hear an impassioned defense of his fellow men and women in uniform who he feels are suffering from Minzey’s strikingly poor leadership.  He argues that law enforcement officers need resources – he won’t say definitively that the department has appropriate funding from the county – but they also need to have a strong system of accountability.  He believes that delivering Sheriff’s services is about more than just the hours a patrolman spends in a community and must strategically, efficiently and effectively address the residents’ needs recognizing the limitations of shrinking government budgets.

Broad shouldered, Clayton stands an easy six feet and could be an intimidating figure if it weren’t for that engaging smile that resonates in his eyes and his voice.  His eagerness to be a partner with every county and community leader and a role model for the department staff and the citizens is immediately evident.  He readily talks about the value of actively engaging neighborhoods, businesses and community organizations in defining the Sheriff’s role.  He argues that openness and transparency, matched by effective public involvement, will provide the best solutions to the county’s law enforcement issues.

In Jerry Clayton, Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County will have a Sheriff who will shoulder the responsibility of managing a major department in ways that evidence a commitment to progressive values.  Our tax dollars will be spent cautiously but with an eye to direct community services.  The policies elevating human dignity would be restored.  The budget will be managed in cooperation with other county leaders, ensuring that critical human services are no longer sacrificed to pay for the unnecessary waste and inefficiency in the Sheriff’s department.

We have longed for the leadership that Jerry Clayton offers.  It can only be delivered with a big progressive turn out from the City of Ann Arbor.  Be sure to vote Clayton and help him restore the commitment to excellence in the Washtenaw Sheriff’s Department.

(Conan Smith is a Washtenaw County commissioner and guest writer for POW! .)

When encountering Stewart Nelson on the campaign trail one is struck by the earnestness with which he is pursuing election in the Second Ward.  More than any candidate running for council this year, Stew is committed to involving people and constituencies into the local political process.  While he will most likely be in the moderate mainstream of his Second Ward district, POW! has been impressed with his desire to include a diverse set of voices in our political process in Ann Arbor.

Stew set out to speak with 100 diverse leaders within our community as part of his campaign.  He not only succeeded in meeting this goal, but indeed surpassed it.  Stew hands out cards with his personal cell phone number as a demonstration of his commitment to accessibility.

For many years Stewart Nelson was an airplane pilot.  Its clear that this experience prepared to take on whatever tasks he will face as our Second Ward representative.  We are especially impressed with Stew’s ability to effectively communicate his disagreements with the current council and City Administrator Roger Fraser.  We need a Second Ward representative willing and able to work for change even when the mayor and prevailing council majority resists.  Stew has the intellect and the courage to successfully lead on issues as diverse as implementing open government, tax fairness,  efficiencies in the provision of governmental services, green initiatives and arts funding.

Many in the Second Ward were quite upset when the city administrator and others sandbagged the community with a secret plan to sell the Huron Hills Golf Course to developers.  One of the common complaints when this issue first came to the public’s attention concerned the lack of communication between council representatives and citizens affected by the proposed development of the golf course.  Also, the lack of care, concern and connection the community experienced with their council representatives was clearly apparent.  POW! feels strongly that these connections between councilmembers and citizens must be established throughout our community.  Stewart Nelson will develop these connections in the Second Ward.  That’s why POW! believes Stewart Nelson deserves the votes of Second Ward citizens in the Democratic Primary August 5.

(You can find Tim Colenback at Knight’s Steakhouse when he’s not leading the revolution that will not be televised.)