Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick doesn't seem to realize there are a lot of people in the city who want to feel the same sense of security as he does. The Detroit Free Press reported last week that Detroit's police chief is refusing to assign more cops to Kilpatrick's personal bodyguard squad. The mayor's request for more soldiers in his little army is beyond belief. In Milwaukee, a city of about the same size as Detroit, the mayor has just one guard per eight-hour shift. In Chicago, a much bigger city, 10 to 15 guards are assigned to Mayor Richard Daley. But Kilpatrick already has 21 cops in his security force, and he wants six more who'd have to be pulled from the streets. The mayor owes the people of Detroit an explanation for this arrogant and insensitive outrage. All this from a Mayor who Declared during the Detroit Piston's celebration that "This is my City". Typical...

A son of Detroit Indeed...

We here at Liberalscum.com had so much hope for Detroit's native son. We hoped he could break the seemingly never-ending cycle of corruption and power abuse that the city of Detroit has seen since 1973 when Coleman Young was in office. Young was mayor of Detroit from 1973 to 1993 and oversaw the city through years of “white flight” and massive plant closures, which resulted in the economic devastation of the city. We hoped that he would be the anti Gill hill. We hoped that the neighborhoods that once were full of hope could reclaim some of their past glory. We hoped that the downtown would show some signs of life and that the public school system from which the mayor sprouted would be fixed giving it's students at least some hope for the future.

What's replaced hope is the same old cynicism that fuels Detroit politics and has for over three decades. He has made every attempt to alienate the police force and stand behind the corrupt Jerry Oliver as Chief of Police. The same police force where his buddies get cushy jobs on his security detachment guarding the mayor's mansion during his wild and raucous parties that he denies having. He treats the city like some kind of gilded jewel in his crumbling crown. He proclaims himself the nation's first Hip-Hop mayor. Not exactly a badge of honor. He is trying to put his cronies in charge of a morally bankrupt school system to further it's demise. He has masterminded no new developments downtown are anywhere for that matter in the city. The city no only has one K-Mart because of the crime rate. As a matter of fact just this year Detroit ranked as the most dangerous city in America. Good Job on that mayor.

The news isn't all bad per say. Detroit will be hosting the Superbowl in 2006 and the 2005 MLB All-Star game. In preparation for the Superbowl roads have beem re-paved and not a whole lot of of anything else. Having been to many football games downtown already I can only say that I am ashamed for Detroit because of what a sad shape the city is in. If you drive down Woodward (The main strip in Detroit) you see mostly boarded up stores with the occasional wig shop or pager shop. No shopping of any kind that will appeal to anyone who comes downtown for an event. In his bio he says his Biggest achievement was Becoming mayor of Detroit, something he had dreamed about since he met former Mayor Coleman Young when he was 10. Not an idol one should have if they want become anything other than a man who destroyed the 4th biggest city in America. He also says his Current goal is To make Detroit a destination for families, visitors and businesses and to halt the 50-year exodus of population from the city. The city's population continues to spiral downwards under his regime. Nobody comes to visit Detroit they way they come to visit Chicago or New York or L.A. When people do come to Detroit it is because they have to not because they want to.

Detroit has been mired in a slump of it's own volition for the past 35 plus years. What Detroit needs is leadership that isn't out to make a name for himself. Detroit's Mayor needs a reality check so that he can see what a shit hole he presides over and that unless he provides the hard working men and women of Detroit with some real solutions to the problems that he helps fester he will be out of office come next election cycle. That may or may not be true seeing as Coleman Young destroyed the city and the people kept him in power to do so. Maybe they will let king Kwame keep his dirty little jewel in his crumbling crown for as long as he desires to feed his enormous ego.
 

True Story about his ego:

Opening Day at Comerica Park 2002, We were standing in front of the Fox Theatre on Woodward across the street from the stadium when up Woodward came two Oldsmobile's. Inside car one was the Governor's Security detail and in the second car was then Governor John Engler. 3 Minutes later a convoy consisting of 2 Lincoln Town Cars, Two Cadillac Escalade's and 4 motorcycle cops came up the strip. Kwame was in the second Escalade. Just to recap; Governor of a state of 9 and a half million people comes in a two Oldsmobile convoy, New Mayor of a crime ridden corrupt city of 925,000 comes sporting Cadillac's and Lincoln's and a police escort. I guess they need the other vehicle to hold his ego.

Let me know your thoughts.
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