Progressives of Washtenaw

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! .)

Along with Judge Nancy Francis, POW! endorses Eric Gutenberg for 15th District Judge.  Eric was rated the highest of all candidates for 15th District Judge for technical qualifications including legal ability, legal knowledge, and legal experience in the Washtenaw County Bar Association’s Judicial Candidate Poll.

According to our most progressive local jurist, Judge Francis, “Eric has shown excellent judgment about when to choose compassion and when to push for the fullest disposition of the law. I believe he would be a very good judge.”  POW! Encourages Ann Arbor citizens to cast a ballot for Eric Gutenberg for 15th District Judge.

By Conan Smith
Since his election in 2000, Dan Minzey has presided over a Sheriff’s Department rife with budgetary and disciplinary problems. Unfortunately, Minzey has proven unable to handle these problems with any grace or efficacy.
Since taking office, Minzey has run more than $13 million over budget. That averages out to just over $1.7 million a year between 2000 and 2007. During that same period, the county has steadily increased the Sheriff’s budget to keep up with his overspending; but it never seems to be enough. In 1999, before Dan Minzey was Sheriff, the budget for running the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department (WCSD) was $21,784,861 (this was the last year that the Sheriff’s Department spent less than was budgeted). The 2007 budget for the WCSD was $35,976,210, (an increase double the rate of inflation) but Minzey still spent over 1.8 million more than that.
The greatest portion of Minzey’s multi-million dollar budget surprises have been for employee overtime. Of course, law enforcement is an unpredictable enterprise. Consequently, every year the county budgets for substantial amounts of overtime. However, under Minzey overtime expenses have routinely been well over expectations. One significant cause of this unbudgeted overtime is the unusually high number of Sheriff employees sidelined for disciplinary problems. Through much of 2007, eight deputies were on administrative leave and seven were still collecting paychecks while under investigation for various criminal charges. As a result, other deputies worked up to 70-80 hours a week; that’s a result that is destructive to both our finances and to the quality of public safety.
Unfortunately, our Sheriff has also lost some expensive legal battles. Minzey has racked up six figure legal expenses related to the two lawsuits he initiated, one of which he withdrew and the other of which he lost. Perhaps most frustrating is that these lawsuits were against the county itself, guaranteeing that the people of Washtenaw were on the losing side of the transaction. Also, as a result of an incident that ended in the death of Clifton Lee, Jr., the County and our insurers settled out of court for $4 million. Minzey’s missteps, and the actions of his team, represent a pattern of budget-busting blunders.
In addition to Minzey’s skyrocketing expenditures, he has steadfastly refused to answer even basic questions posed by the taxpayers about that spending. Most obvious is his continued refusal to address the questions of the Board of Commissioners.  During the spring of 2006, when Minzey was unilaterally sending inmates to county jails as far away as Leelanau County, the Board of Commissioners requested that Minzey attend a public meeting to discuss why so many inmates had to be sent so far away.  More precisely, the Commissioners were concerned that these inmates were being housed without contracts and outside of the county’s procurement policy. When Minzey would not attend a meeting, the Board prepared questions in writing – questions that Minzey never answered. Overspending and poor fiscal control in the Sheriff’s department is a problem, but nothing is more troubling than a public official who shirks his responsibility and refuses accountability for decisions made on our behalf.
Minzey’s disrespect doesn’t end with refusing to answer the Board of Commissioner’s questions about his spending. Minzey has similarly shirked his responsibility to answer questions from citizens. Throughout 2007 and 2008, a group of citizen volunteers – organized as the Citizen Review Board for Law Enforcement – has been attempting to get answers from Dan Minzey in response to citizen complaints to their body. Unfortunately, their repeated attempts to garner answers to simple questions have been met with silence or outright refusal to dialog. Perhaps most strikingly, Minzey has been absent from every public candidate forum during this election. His repeated reluctance to take accountability and offer answers to the public is troubling.
Of course, if you need a Sheriff to show up at the parade, he’ll be there. He’ll arrive all decked-out; complete with horses, police cruisers, armored personal carriers and plenty of glad-handed-pleasantries. However, if you want a Sheriff who can keep on budget, handle disciplinary issues appropriately and run a department that we can be proud of every day, Vote CLAYTON.
(Conan Smith is a Washtenaw County commissioner and guest writer for POW! .)

By Dana Barton

POW! endorsed  one of Steven Kunselman’s opponents in his first race for council in the 3rd Ward two years ago.  However, POW! enthusiastically endorses him this election cycle.

Steven Kunselman is a breath of fresh air on City Council.  While the “veteran” council members often vote in “lock-step” on most issues, Steve is not afraid to challenge the majority.  POW! respects that he is willing to take unpopular stands and pay the price of sometimes being ridiculed by his own colleagues.  Such was the case when he proposed that Ann Arbor citizens have the right to keep two hens in their back yards for fresh egg laying purposes.  The uproar was palpable.  And, a lesser person might have caved into the political pressure.  But, Steve stood by his principles and the constituency that asked him to bring this measure forward.  And, finally, with community support, he prevailed.  POW! applauds his courage!

While POW! doesn’t always agree with Kunselman’s positions on issues, we do endorse his stands on transparency in government, the need for downtown affordable housing,  the importance of preserving funding for parkland maintenance and his strong support of keeping recreational opportunities affordable for all Ann Arbor families.

Here’s to you, Chicken Man!

(Dana Barton is looking forward to having two hens in the backyard and fresh eggs for her omelets.)