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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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In the past I have always supported the Ombudsman office because I knew what it had been and could be. Now the office has sunk to such political lows, that I can no longer support the office or the selection process.
When the previous Ombudsman was selected, everyone knew it was to be a black female. No emphasis on credentials, just on race and gender. Coming from lansing, she was a disaster. I was in the office when a tv crew arrived and could be seen through the window. This silly woman thought they were for her and panicked while running for her office. Like Buchanan, she wanted an advisory body to help make her decisions for her. You don't share confidential information with an outside group.
The selection of the current Ombudsman was marred and flawed from the beginning. Jackie Poplar kept the audience waiting for hours as she refused to vote for anyone except he sister-in-law. Enter Eric Mays who moved between candidates and politicians in order to broker a deal. Clawson, former CNN investigator and Ombudsman candidate, sat in front of Donna Poplar and later complained about what he overheard. Clawson was white and the wrong color.
It is said the deal was brokered to give Croom the position and Donna Poplar would be make his deputy. Poor Croom stood near the back of the room and Mays stopped him every time he tried to find out what was going on. He was clearly distressed and upset. I don't believe he knew all that was transpiring. He was selected and resigned the next day after the brokered deal became public thanks to Clawson and others.
Purifoy was selected in the second selection process and has been a disappointment. She started with 2 good investigators, one a former State Police, and Anita Brown. The investigative work was good until it came to the conclusions. The style of writing changed and it became obvious it was sritten by a different person. A thorough investigatin into a complaint against David Dicks and an incident of intimidation of a respected commmunity person and mini-station volunteer at Howard Estates was deep sixed.
An investigation into political candidates ( all Democrats) campaigning and leaving their campaign literature in the building was deep sixed, although other mini-station buildings are forbidden to allow camppaigning. On October 19, 2010 aftet the complaint was filed, the Judicial candidate pace-Byrd was place on the agenda of the North Side restoration Group and allowed to campaign, ask for volunteers and pass out literature. Her conduct and verbal assault against Dowd was unbecoming of sucha candidate and never should have been llowed. But then Dowd is white.
There are no significant findings coming out of this office and the chief investigator appears to be incompetant of any meaningful and important results. Staff could handle the water bil land other complaints in a far cheaper manner. The office has become redundant.
Don't let the Civil Service and Human relations offices disappear. However Human Relations needs an overhaul. Few can ever match Cleora McGee for her excellent job, but at least one person in that position was clearly a political appointment. Complaints were made to the mayor that the loud religious singing and prayers emanating from the Executive Directors office were interfering with the meetings and business of the office next door. Under Mcgee the office worked late hours to relocate individuals after their apartment buildings were condemned. These were multiple unit buildings in complexes and that office worked diligntly.
Charter revision expected to be part of Flint mayor's State of the City Address
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 6:00 AM
By Kristin Longley | Flint Journal
FLINT, Michigan -- Its purpose is to address the state of the entire city, but Mayor Dayne Walling's speech today also is expected to take a particularly hard look inside the walls of Flint City Hall.
In his second State of the City address since taking office, Walling is expected to call for a radical revision of the City Charter that would downsize city government - including reducing the number of council members and eliminating some offices.
It's just one piece of a larger plan he will roll out during the 5 p.m. address at Flint City Hall, 1101 S. Saginaw St.
"I call it shrinking City Hall," he said this week.
The mayor's bold suggestion comes as a proposed state budget would wipe out $8.1 million in state aid to Flint - a huge chunk for a city with a deficit nearing $17 million.
The state also has declined to consider Flint's request to borrow $20 million to cover its deficits, leaving the city with a cash flow problem over the next few weeks.
Walling's speech is expected to touch on the city's dire financial condition while calling for long-term reform that would reduce costs down the road.
He said City Hall needs to be a "building block," rather than a "stumbling block," as the city deals with its budget crisis and makes plans for the future.
Walling also is expected to come out strong against having the state appoint an emergency financial manager to run the city.
"I absolutely am committed to Flint staying in control of its own destiny," Walling said. "It's a far better scenario than handing the keys over to an outside emergency financial manager."
As for shrinking the City Council, Walling said "now is the right time" to visit the issue as the city prepares to receive its 2010 U.S. Census population count.
Council members represented about 20,000 residents each when the charter was approved by voters in 1974. Today, each member represents about 12,300 residents, based on 2009 population estimates.
Walling said he also would like to look at reducing the number of allowed mayoral appointees and eliminating the offices of the ombudsman, civil service commission and human relations commission.
The offices already operate on a shoestring, but Walling said they are a luxury as the city works to cut costs.
Revising the City Charter, the governing document for the city, first would require putting a ballot proposal calling for a general revision before voters.
If the plan were approved, a nine-member charter review commission would have to be elected by voters within 60 days, according to the state's Home Rule City Act. The commission would get up to three years to have a revision approved by voters.
Walling's ideas for charter revision likely will be met with opposition.
The City Council in June voted to drop discussion of reducing its numbers on a split 5-4 vote. It also opted not to explore eliminating the ombudsman's office.
In 2007, voters soundly rejected a ballot proposal to abolish the office.
Ombudswoman Brenda Purifoy has said it is an "office of the people," designed to help residents wade through bureaucratic red tape and issue opinions on city government conflicts.
Flint and Detroit are the only two communities in the state with an ombudsman, and some City Council members over the years have advocated for eliminating the office to save money.
Walling said all of these issues still need to go before the public for discussion before they're explored in depth.
"This charter-protected category of service has to go," he said. "We've been paying for those things every year since the charter was adopted."
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:56 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:22 am |
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tmonahan01
F L I N T O I D
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| Now there is a commission I would like to sit on. Not only cut council down to seven, axe the ombudsman, human relations and the new HUD program officer who isn't doing anything anyway but don't stop there, get rid of the City Administrator since that is what the mayor is elected to do. We also don't need a "Communications Director" and several other overblown positions. Where do I get a petition to run? Well, we will see if Dayne has any balls left. Doubt it but would be pleasantly surprised! |
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Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:09 am |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Would have been nice if the derelict city of Flint had more literate people running it in the last 30 years. Wasn't Walling a Rhodes Scholar? Seems like he should have been able to understand and enforce the charter for once. Guess not.
I guess if we do revise the charter we should take out things like having a master plan, appointing a chief planner etc that are apparently too complicated.
Maybe we should just get rid of the charter and do what we want. lol
Unincorportation? |
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Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:03 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Why do we need a charter when anarchy is rapidly approaching? |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:42 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Another reason to end the Ombudsman office. When an incident of "contract rigging" was taken to the Ombudsman office, they told the individual the complaint was "out of their purvure". That is exactly what they should be investigating. If enough evidence is found they should report it to the proper authorities, including the FBI.
This is a useless office and they only handle minor complaints that could be dealt with in a less costly fashion. I haven't seen any stunning reports out of this office. |
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:34 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| This office has not been effective since Ramona Sain was an acting Ombudsman. The current Ombudsman says the office cannot be as effective because the money and staff are not there.The real problem is the office is afraid to address the real issues. |
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:01 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Many north end residents are upset about the possible loss of the Ombudsman office. The issue is how can we afford an office which has given so little for a number of years. The office was barely funded under the previous Ombudsman and when she was ill the office was closed for nearly 2 years.
There are no real critical reports coming from the office. I see some cases of officers being disrespectful to the public. The police department should be able to handle that. Complaints are made on a regular basis and the Captains deal with them. However, it seems the chief has interjected himself on more than one ocassion and has attempted to discipline officers who are following departmental policy. The union will deal with that as the chief cannot have different rules for officers depending on how he likes them.
The office was created at a time when police abuse was prevslent. Purifoy was sued when a white prostitute testified she was dealt with more harshly than her black counterparts. The Chief at that time was trying to deal with prostitution and the police were taking them outside the city limits and making them walk back to Flint. A bad idea as the department had a major lawsuit during the time Buchanan was Ombudsman whena man officers transported to Carpenter and Bray was struck by a car and severely injured. Even back then the jail refused to keep some drunks.
The NAACP and other groups have brought the police department under scrutiny by the agencies that govern police activities. I have no doubt they will step up to the plate again if need be.
Maybe the time for the Ombudsman office is over. Issues that make headlines in other communities are dismissed by this office.
The issue of disclosure is a serious issue ona federal level, state level and even in other cities. Not for Purifoy. Individuals on council who don't disclose their business interests, their representation on nonprofit boards,etc. are all given a pass. Communities with strong ethics policies don't play that game. This could be one reason our area has so much corruption-we don't have or follow strong ethics policies and rules of disclosure and transparency.
Whe my friend reported a criminal act to the office, they wouldn't investtigate because it allegedly was not in their purvue. More like they were afraid the administration would cut their budget again.
When the office was threatened before, it came out in council that the office called individuals asking them to save the office. The city paid for the time spent calling for help.
Sentiment and remembering what the office was cannot justify saving the office which has become blatantly ineffective. You could say the office represents the very inefficiency it was created to investigate.
I do not apologize for my position and I will fight to get this office closed. In my opinion, the office is totally useless as it is. |
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:47 pm |
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