Another Body Blow for Detroit - Over 5,000 Teachers Get Layoff Notices

The emergency manager appointed to put Detroit’s troubled public school system on a firmer financial footing plans to send layoff notices to all of the district’s 5,466 unionized employees.

In a statement posted on the website of Detroit Public Schools, Robert Bobb, the district’s temporary head, said notices were being sent to every member of the Detroit Federation of Teachers “in anticipation of a workforce reduction to match the district’s declining student enrollment.”

Bobb said nearly 250 administrators were receiving the notices, too.

The district is unlikely to eliminate all the teachers. Last year, it sent out 2,000 notices and only a fraction of employees were actually laid off. But the notices are required by the union’s current contract with the district. Any layoffs under this latest action won’t take effect until late July.

In the meantime, Bobb said that he planned to exercise his power as emergency manager to unilaterally modify the district’s collective bargaining agreement with the Federation of Teachers starting May 17, 2011.

Under a law known as Public Act 4, passed by the Michigan legislature and signed by the state’s new Republican governor in March, emergency managers like Bobb have sweeping powers. They can tear up existing union contracts, and even fire some elected officials, if they believe it will help solve a financial emergency.

Robert Bobb

“I fully intend to use the authority that was granted under Public Act 4,” Bobb said in the statement.

He was appointed emergency financial manager for Detroit’s schools two years ago by then-Governor Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, to close chronic budget deficits brought on by declining enrollment. Over just the past year, Detroit’s population has dropped 25 percent, according to census data.

Bobb has closed schools, laid off workers and taken other steps to cut spending but the district still faces a $327 million deficit in its $994 million budget.

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Soulclap to Black Politics on the Web via Reuters

Detroit: City on the Move (1965)

Soulclap to Tonya for sharing this remarkable archive video promoting the Detroit that existed in 1965. Did you know that Detroit was the American city considered for hosting the 1968 Summer Olympics? That is one of the things you'll learn from this archive video.





Do any villagers have favorite memories of Detroit that you care to share?

Birth of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce

I lived in Detroit for eight (8) years. In many respects it is my favorite American city. As such, I have been very frustrated with the continual bad news that has been coming from the city in recent years. The tide may be turning.

I was smiling from ear-to-ear when I saw the Super Bowl commercial that starred the city of Detroit.





The good news continues this week with an announcement that Black business leaders in Michigan have come together to combat the challenged Michigan economy for African American businesses by establishing the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC).

MBCC's new board was sworn-in on February 9th by the Honorable Craig Strong, Judge of Wayne County 3rd District Court. The new board members are William Brooks (Chairman), Charlie Beckham (Chairman Elect), Ken Harris (President/CEO), Pamela Rodgers (Vice President), Wayne Phillips (Treasurer), Reuben Munday (Secretary), Louis Green (State Advisor), Rod Rickman (National Advisor), Douglass Diggs, Natalie King, Mark Douglas, Dennis Archer, Jr., Dr. Geneva Williams, Cheryl Richardson, Hiram Jackson, Robert Chavis, Andrew G. McLemore, Jr., T. A. El Amin, Rumia Burbank, Eric Hardy and David Burnley.

The MBCC is Michigan's first statewide Black chamber of commerce. The Black chamber's creation is the culmination of efforts by a network of business organizations called the African American Business Alliance. In 2010, the Alliance refocused its advocacy efforts to establish and transition into the first African American statewide business organization – the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce.

According to Ken Harris, the chamber's president and CEO, "The Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce will aggressively advocate for the economic gardening, growth and capacity building of Michigan Black-owned businesses. As a mission-based member driven organization, the Black chamber will provide quality resources, benefits, services and access needed to help stimulate economic viability throughout Michigan. Our efforts will nurture an environment of economic parity helping Black businesses to expand and create jobs, jobs, jobs in the community."

Obama Considers Judge Ann Claire Williams -- a Black Woman -- for Supreme Court

Elections have consequences. President Obama selected a wise Latina for the Supreme Court last year. He recently added a wise Sista to the mix this year.

Multiple sources say that the White House added a federal judge from Chicago to its working list of potential Supreme Court nominees to fill the upcoming vacancy.

Judge Ann Claire Williams, who became the first African American appellate judge in the federal Seventh Circuit, has joined a working list of about 10 other candidates.

One of the things that caught my attention about Judge Williams is that she is a native of Detroit MI. That is one town that could sure use some good karma in 2010! Her dad was a bus driver in Detroit and she dreamed being a Motown star.

Here are some other tidbits about Judge Williams:

• Named to federal bench by Presidents Reagan, Clinton
• Former 3rd-grade teacher in Detroit
• Considered a moderate on the court
• Third African American woman named to a federal appeals court (NOTE: who were the first two?)

Have you heard about this sista-Judge before? I never heard of her until today.

It does seem that she has that 'real-world' experience that President Obama seems to like. What are your thoughts on Judge Williams or the whole SCOTUS selection process?

Police Taser 15-Year Old Robert Mitchell to Death

Some of the shyt in the news is almost too outlandish to be true. Did you hear about the 15-year old youngster sitting in the passenger seat of a car with an expired license plate. The teen had no outstanding warrants or other issues with the police. The other two people in the car -- a 19-year-old female and a 37-year-old man -- cooperated with the police on this traffic ticket situation.

However, for some reason, the youngster ran away from the scene.

The police chased the teenager into an abandoned house. One of the police officers enters the vacant house ... pulls out his taser ... and shoots 50,000 volts of electricity into the young boy.

"He was Tasered once by one of our officers," Deputy Commissioner Gere Green said. "After that, he became unresponsive."

{No shyt Sherlock}.

The teenager died at the hospital a few hours ago.

"It just turned bad, fast," Green said. "It's a sad situation."

Villagers, can you please explain to me why the police still feel that this policy of extra-judicial execution is the right thing to do. Since when does running away from the police earn a death penalty for any teenager in America? This wasn't a gang-banger and the car wasn't engaged in drugs or other violent activity.

The police feel so much in love with their tasers that some of them take them home.

What is the point of having a 'use of force continuum' if the police are going straight to the taser for runaway teenagers? Can someone 'splain it to me?

(Th)ink by Keith Knight: Have I Got a Deal For You...

(Th)ink is an editorial cartoon written and drawn by cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles).

Kwame Kilpatrick Resigns as Mayor of Detroit

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, the 38-year old charismatic but scandal-scarred mayor, has packed his boxes at City Hall and pled guilty to two felonies this morning.

The plea deal calls for the following:

• 5-Year Probation
• 120 Days in Jail
• Resignation as Mayor of Detroit
• Pay $1,000,000 fine to the Detroit treasury

Kilpatrick agreed to forfeit his state pension as part of the payment of the fine. Kilpatrick packed up his possessions for the move out of the mayor's office. It appeas that this puts an end to a tragic and historic fall from power.

Under the city charter, City Council President Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr. would be mayor until a special election is held.

Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers, who received the second-most votes of all council members when she was elected in 2005, would take over as council president. She is the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit.

Under the city charter, City Clerk Janice Winfrey would have 90 days to hold a special election to fill the rest of Kilpatrick's term. The cash-strapped city would have to pay for the election.

The mayor, his wife and three sons live for free in the Manoogian Mansion and have the use of a GM-donated Escalade. The Kilpatricks have no private residence in Detroit.

Kilpatrick was charged with eight felonies and his former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty with seven felonies related to their testimony at a police whistle-blower trial and their actions in removing deputy chief Gary Brown as head of internal affairs. Kilpatrick was later charged with two more felonies for allegedly shoving two police officers who were attempting to serve a subpoena on a friend of the mayor.

The plea discussions involved only the perjury, obstruction of justice and other felony charges stemming from the text-message scandal. Kilpatrick pleaded 'no contest' to a felony charge for shoving the two police officers. The settlement for this case was based on the agreement shown above.
It's unclear how Kilpatrick would be replaced. Some believe the City Council is required to hold a special election to fill the post. The earliest that could be done would be with a special primary election in February and a special general election in May. But others believe the City Council could skip a special election because of the $3 million cost, and that it would be too close to the regularly scheduled mayoral election in November 2009. In that case, Cockrel would serve out Kilpatrick's remaining term until December 2009.

Most villagers know that I lived in Detroit for a number of years. I'm very sad to see how far this young brother has fallen. However, his resignation is necessary in order for the city to embark on its renaissance. The big winner in this case are Kym Worthy ... the prosecuter that brought the charges against Kilpatrick that led to today's deal.

It is a sad day for Detroit. Tomorrow is the first day of the rebirth. We wish Mayor Cockrel luck in his efforts to lead the rebuilding of Detroit.

Kwame Kilpatrick Indicted; He Should Resign

I was very pleased to bring a national convention to Detroit in 2005. We tried unsuccessfully to get Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to drop by and participate in the event. We thought he would be a great role model for the young people and IT professionals at the event. I guess it was a good thing that he didn't get featured at the conference. Today, I watched Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit's youngest elected leader, get charged with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages surfaced that appear to contradict his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, 37, who also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick shared a romantic relationship in 2002 and 2003, was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice.

"This case was about as far from being a private matter as one can get. Honesty and integrity in the justice system is everything. That is what this case is about," Worthy said at a news conference. "Just when did honesty and integrity, truth and honor become traits to be mocked, downplayed, ignored, laughed at or excuses made for them? When did telling the truth become a supporting player to everything else?"

Kym Worthy has been in the national spotlight before from a police beat-down given to citizen named Malice Green shortly after the Rodney King riots.

A perjury conviction could bring up to 15 years' imprisonment and force Kilpatrick to relinquish the mayor's office. It appears he won't be giving up the office without a conviction. No Spitzer-like resignation from Kilpatrick ... which is too bad for the city of Detroit. I lived in Detroit for 8 years and my eldest daughter still lives there. As such, I think that Kilpatrick should resign in the best interests of the city and its citizens.

Sheesh, didn't any politician learn from Bill Clinton? His issues didn't come from putting stains on Monica's dress ... they came when he lied about it afterwards. Mayor Kwame, was it worth it?

Detroit is Crap - News for White People

I miss Keith. He is an Original Villager that supported us when we first started this blog last year. He had a great flow on his blog about Detroit. He hasn't been an active blogger for a number of months. My prayers are with him and his family. Anyhow, I miss him. I would be interested in what he would say about a blog entitled, Detroit Is Crap - News for White People.

I lived in Detroit for eight years. My parents were married in Detroit. My maternal grandparents lived in Detroit for their entire adult lives. So, perhaps this negative shot at a once-proud city hits home more than most. Young brother pointed it out to us. What message does this send when a young brother or sister sees this type of nonsense? Personally, I'm very disappointed to know that this type of bigotry still thrives in America. Actually, it is depressing.

How should we respond to this type of thing? Should we simply ignore it once it has been pointed out to us?

Without A Trace: Latisha Rutledge and Two Children

Drumbeats from Deidra Robey alerted us to the story of a pregnant woman with two children missing for two weeks without a peep from the mainstream media (MSM) or law enforcement.

Latisha Rutledge, 22, is 8 months pregnant and has two children ages 4 and 2 are gone without a trace. She had been living with her uncle in Florida for a few months trying to start her life over, but things didn’t work out. Two weeks ago, the uncle dropped her and her children off at a Greyhound bus station so that they could take a two day trip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to downtown Detroit. It’s the last time they have been seen.

Rutledge’s mother Marsella Satchel said that Latisha has no money and she has not been able to file a missing persons police report yet, because police told her she must contact every hospital in Fort Lauderdale and Detroit before it can be filed. Latisha’s baby was due any day. Greyhound does not require photo identification at all its terminals so there is no way to know if Rutledge even boarded the bus and they will not release passenger information unless law enforcement requests it.

Villagers, why can a woman and two children be missing for over two weeks without the law enforcement officers in Ft. Lauderdale and Detroit getting active? Has anyone questioned the uncle on his knowledge about the missing family?

NAACP Seems More Relevant Today

I questioned the relevancy of the NAACP here and here over the past year. Today, I feel much better about them. It turns out the the NAACP Detroit Branch created a public education program called the George W. Crockett Jr. Community Law School. Classes are taught by attorneys, judges, civil rights advocates, and community leaders.


George W. Crockett, Jr.

of you knew him as a legendary civil rights leader, a brilliant attorney, and outstanding constitutional scholar. He defended labor unionists and civil rights activists when such causes were unpopular. He represented the late Coleman A. Young, when Young was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

Many of you knew him as one of the first African American judges to sit on Recorder's Court. When Detroit Police Officers randomly arrested 142 people after the infamous New Bethel Church incident, Crockett ruled they could not be held indefinitely without probable cause, and released most of them.

Many of you knew him as a congressman elected to represent the old 13th Congressional District, where he became one of the House's foremost experts on foreign affairs and the U.S. Constitution. In Congress, he introduced the Mandela Freedom Act, which eventually passed. He also sued President Ronald Reagan under the War Power Act for unauthorized military actions in El Salvador.

I knew him as 'Granddaddy'.

All of a sudden the NAACP seems more relevant to me.

Fox News Debate Fades to Black

Village drumbeats from the African American Political Pundit tell us that Fox News and the Congressional Black Caucus decided to cancel the Sept. 23 Democratic presidential debate in Detroit. The campaigns of U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards had said they would not participate in the debate. The AfroSpear, Color-of-Change and other criticized Fox as biased against Democrats.

The debate was to have been held in the D Spot's Fox Theatre.

Institute chairman U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said:

"The overwhelming number of party presidential debates has created a scheduling challenge. Revisiting the CBC Institute's debate schedule will allow the time necessary to complete all debate logistics in an effective manner," he said. The group had said it planned to sponsor two Democratic and two Republican presidential debates."

[Villager note to Bennie for consideration in future statements on this topic. Bennie, think back to when we were kids and you were in this type of situation. You can reduce your statement to a single word:

UNCLE!!!