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Steve Myers
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Recall of mayor Don Williamson would not help Flint right now
by Rickey Hampton | The Flint Journal
Saturday September 27, 2008, 12:22 AM
There is a move under way to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson.
Flint Journal's
Rickey Hampton
Read more by him.
http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/opinion/rickey_hampton/
I don't agree with that.
My reservations over recalling Williamson don't mean I agree with the policies and decisions he makes.
Williamson is like everyone who has been in that position and will be in that position. Every decision he makes is going to draw criticism from one group or another.
What I am really defending here isn't the person in office, but the title and responsibilities that go with the office.
First and foremost, Williamson was elected by the citizens of Flint and deserves the chance to do his job.
Sure, I understand the recall allows citizens to do that very same thing. The difference here is the recall undermines the position for future officeholders. The person elected has to be allowed an opportunity to implement his or her plan regardless of how much some people disagree.
You shouldn't be able to recall a person because you don't agree with his political philosophy or style of governing. And you certainly can't make him the fall guy for every bad thing that goes on in the city.
That is why I felt the recall of former Mayor Woodrow Stanley was utterly ridiculous. You would've thought Stanley single-handedly destroyed the city, as if it were a utopia before he took office.
In case you haven't noticed, the same problems that plagued the city then -- crime, unemployment, reduction of city services and violence -- plague the city now and plagued the city before Stanley even took office.
The problems here are a lot larger than who sits in the mayor's office.
The heart that pumped life into this city for years has been ripped away with General Motors' downsizing. As Stanley knew, and Williamson has come to realize, repairing that damage is no easy task. The next mayor will have to learn that lesson as well.
The concern here is what recalls and the dirty aspect of politics do to future public servants.
I'm convinced it keeps them away.
There is no way to prove it, but I believe the volatile environment that exists in politics today keeps some of the most talented people on the sidelines.
Why would anyone want to get into a business that is so divisive? The moment you step into office, there are people planning a way to get you out and hoping you will fail, even to the detriment of the community.
Who is going to do business in a town where its previous two mayors were recalled?
There are certainly instances when a politician should step aside. Kwame Kilpatrick should've stepped down as mayor in Detroit long before he made a deal with the court. Kilpatrick used public money to try to cover up a personal issue. In order to keep that personal issue private, he became involved in illegal activities that undermined the city of Detroit.
Williamson hasn't been involved in such matters.
The mayor should be allowed to do his job. At the end of his term, if you don't like the direction he is leading the city, or there is a better candidate, vote him out of office.
Really, it's that simple.
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/09/recall_of_mayor_don_williamson.html |
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Steve Myers |
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Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:14 pm |
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andi03
F L I N T O I D
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| He's had a plethora of years to get his act together and lead the city. He hasn't done anything that he's promised and now he wants to run for Gov.? hahahaha.......ahem. |
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Build a bridge and get over it! |
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Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:46 pm |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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[/quote] He hasn't done anything ,now he wants to run for Gov.? hahahaha.......ahem.
quote:
Reminds me of a current Prez candidate. 
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Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:58 pm |
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