Fires are happening all over the Detroit Area

Those who own their homes should make sure their insurance policies cover fires. Those who rent their homes should add to their auto insurance policies renters insurance. Without this type of coverage you have no way to replace the things you lose.

And yes you can replace the pictures you lose by having them digitized and stored elsewhere. Such as in a bank security vault like where you keep extra money and your will. You could also let someone else keep the pictures for you on their computer, if not in the bank vault with your other valuables.

I offer this information so that you can start over with assistance and still have memories from times before.

Detroit Metro Area Wake Up!

Since the month of May came upon us, there have been two murders, two-three car accidents and a police raid that has brought the death of children; school age children. The perpetrators have been young and old. Come on now, we have got to get our acts together and fix this atrocious attitude some resident in the area have.

We all know what to do about earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. Why can’t we figure out what to do about this disastrous condition the metro area seems to be in? How long before we get tired? How long before we take control of our lives again? You tell me. I grew up in the metro area when racism was the problem and gangster we aplenty but, we fix that. Why can’t we figure out what to do now?

Here is my suggestion. Stand up and stand tall. Remember that old movie that ran the line, “I’m mad as hell and I am not taking it anymore.” People you need to get mad again. And I mean really mad. Too long this has been building because you can bet money this didn’t just happen. It started a while ago. But we turned our heads and said, “Not my problem.” Well guess what, it is your problem now. All of you need to start at home and explain to your children this is not the way to resolve disagreements. Shooting a gun and running wild is not the answer.

Are you with me? Are you ready to put your two cents in? Or do you want to live in fear behind barred windows? Stop and think about it, this is the future. It makes me think of the movie in which cars were burned and people were slaughtered. I can’t remember the name of it but if you can drop me a line because I know you know what movie I’m talking about.

Again I ask, when are you going to jump in and take control again. Run the show and get rid of the hooligans. Take charge. Do the right thing as Spike Lee said. Detroit Metro Area it’s your turn.

It’s Time

The mayor has resigned. He has owned up to the things he did wrong. He will have to pay a considerable amount of money back to the city. On earth, as it is in heaven, thine will be done, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

So be it is all we can say now. It’s time to move on, time to repair the damage, reinstall the hope and look to the future. There is plenty of soap in the bathroom, so go wash your hands and get busy. This will not be an easy task but must be accomplished at the speed of light. We waited too long to fix it, so the only choice we are left with is full speed ahead. This disaster is like a hurricane. Citizens of Detroit have been misunderstood, under served and forgotten. It’s time to get everything running again. Yes, this is a sad chapter in the book of life in Detroit. Yet, we’ve been down before and rose up and we can do it again.

Unfortunately, I was not able to see what happen but, I saw the news. Hopefully, the news media reported it right and left it up to me to decide if things were handled with tact. So long protestors, so long advocates, so long headaches. We must all realize hanging on to what can’t be undone would be foolish. Let’s drop the, who said, she said crap. Let’s accept we all have a responsibility now to shine a new light on the city. Let’s rebuild the ladder to the sky. Let’s show the country and the world that it is over. We have moved on to bigger and better things to do.

How do we start? We start with each other. No more discussion of the rights and wrongs of the mess. Let’s talk who helps lay the new foundation, who constructs the buildings, who install the electrics, who installs the plumbing, etc. You see, Detroit is like building a new house. You start from the ground up, making sure that each step is taken with precision so you only have to do it once. No house of straw, mud, or cards. One built solid. Solid like that old song we all loved, Solid Like a Rock.

It’s a new day in a new season. If nothing else, to thy own self and the rest of the world, be true

It’s About Time

Finally, the mayor of Detroit is going to see what it is like to be treated like an ordinary citizen and not like a king. It’s about time is all I can say. Too many times Mayor Kilpatrick has felt he was above the law. The rules of a nation did not apply to him. Too many times Mayor Kilpatrick felt he should be given special treatment because is the mayor. Way too many times he saw himself and a deity and nothing less.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he took his children to court with him seeking sympathy. Not!! How could a father expose his young children to a court hearing that could possibly make a fool out of him? By the way, where was his wife Carlita? Did she not care how her children would react to seeing their father face a judge with no empathy whatsoever for a law breaker? My, my, my, this is one family that needs to seek counseling if for no other reason than the children’s well being.

The best part to this fiasco by Mayor Kilpatrick is his finding out what it is like to spend a night in jail. He has been processed, he will be suited in a prison jumpsuit, he will have to go straight to sleep when it is light’s out time and wake when he is instructed too. He will no longer be in charge. Like everyone else he has to take orders instead of giving them. Yes, there is a God and it ain’t Kilpatrick.

My hopes for the mayor are that he finally wakes up and really smells the coffee. That he accepts the fact that he is responsible for all his actions, good and bad. That he realizes he is not a God and never was. That he recognizes the job is just that, a job, and not a dictatorship. If nothing else I hope that he acknowledges he is not the only person in the world that can run the city of Detroit. In the long run all can be repaired if he just let it go.

On another not, the judge did what he had to do. Think about it, he will be up for reelection and his image is just as important to him as any other political individual. Do I hear an Amen?

More Musings from Sylvia

Ok, so I stretched the truth. You didn’t hear from me the week after my last rant. I have been busy. Sue me. My blog today is a short and simple one.

Detroit
Enough all ready Kilpatrick, step down like a man so the city can move forward. As I see it, you are hanging by a thin thread and can’t hear the music. Your days were numbered a long time ago and you just hate to admit it. Is it because you are afraid you won’t get your pension? Spare me please. Unless you are actually convicted of various crimes, they have to handover the retirement money. I wish they didn’t but it is the law. So take your money and run will you? Give us all a break from the merry go round so we can stop spinning in circles.

McCain and his Supporters
The attack ad is a disgrace. Comparing Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton with Barack Obama, are you kidding? Are you having trouble with Obama having the ability to reach the masses? I don’t think you realize that this country’s citizens are just plain tired of the war, being jobless, losing their homes, high gas prices and a host of other things they feel is the result of a Republican being in office. It is as simple as that. Another eight years of Republican rule scares the heck out of people. They were doing well when a Democrat ran the ship and it went downhill when a Republican took over. Their attitude, fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, I deserve it. Nobody plans on being fooled again.

Kwame, Kwame, Kwame

Perjury (noun) the offense of deliberately telling an untruth in court when under oath.

Okay, we here in the Detroit Metro area are now given more evidence of more lies. The question becomes, can Detroit still be ran efficiently with this new distraction. Funny I just posted on this blog the distraction concerning Obama and now there is one concerning Kwame Kilpatrick. All I can say is, “Lord, give me a break please.” It is no surprise to me that most people are probably tired of the same old bull going back and forth in local and national politics.

The reason being, whether the President admits it or not, we are in a recession. We need to get to work fixing this country’s financial woes. The state of Michigan is in a worse state than the rest of the country. Michigan never really recovered after 9/11. I know, because I took a leap of faith and started a new career of writing in 2002 and the results have not been good. Don’t get me wrong. There have been ups but mostly downs for me. Bad timing on my part. The recession started in Michigan in 2002and continued on until the whole country is now affected. Blame it on the war, blame it on politics, blame it on whatever you want, it’s here now and needs fixing.

This makes it hard for the rest of the country to understand or have any desire to come to Michigan. Kilpatrick’s issues don’t help either. Detroit is the biggest city in Michigan. It is the home of the Big Three and the rest of the auto industry. When people think Michigan, they think Detroit, not Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Pontiac. This puts Kwame Kilpatrick in a precarious state as mayor. Should he stay or should he go is the question?

Here’s what I think and why. Yes, he should resign. But what you may have not thought of is this. If Kilpatrick resigns, he collects no unemployment here in Michigan. The state changed that law back in the 1980s. If he is let go by the city council, then unemployment can be disbursed to him. Now think about it. Kilpatrick has mounting legal fees, a family to take care of, and who knows how many other bills coming every month and no home of his own. With a foundation set up to help him with his legal cost, how would all the other expenses be covered if he gets no unemployment. So, I think he is hanging in until he is let go to be able to receive some money without a job. By the way, if you were an employer, would you hire him after this scandal that has surfaced? I don’t think so. That is why Kilpatrick won’t quit. It’s a money thing.

I Am All Worn Out Now

Well, I have tried to look at the entire mess from every angle I could think of. I looked from the left and the right. I looked up and down. I even looked at it from the outside and the inside. No matter where or how I looked at the city of Detroit’s mess, I still was disappointed.

First, Mayor Kilpatrick gave the most beautiful speech on the State of the City. He reminded us all how much has been accomplished and how much is still to be done. He gave credit where credit was due and took a little for himself. Yet, when it was over, all anyone will ever remember is the last three to five minutes. Why? First, picture the city of Detroit as you would the city of New York on 9/11. Then like New York, picture someone dropping a bomb on the city. Then think about what you did then. You cried then and so did I after Mayor Kilpatrick’s speech.

I don’t know about you but I am so frustrated now I feel as if I might as well give up. As a Black woman who grew up during the fifties and sixties, I can only think of how hard so many fought for the right to be heard. Many died and sacrificed during that time to be listened to. Then Mayor Kilpatrick set us back a hundred years. How? By conducting himself in a manner that many still believe is what Black folk do.

You see, even though we have reached the younger generation of Whites, the older generation is still waiting to see what happens when Blacks are put in control. As the old saying goes, sometimes it is not what you do but what you say when under pressure. Trust me when I tell you, too many still believe Blacks and women cannot handle the job of being the boss. It is why there is so much conflict between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Most look at them with the thought of, which are the lesser of two evils. So they pick Obama because at least he is of a mixed race.

You know like I know, the power is in the money and the money is controlled by what is called a White old boy's power structure. If they could have their way, the money would never be controlled by a Black or a woman. New York Mayor Eliot Spitzer has shown us how the old boy’s network is still in the game, like it or not. So what do you think they are talking about in the back room about Detroit? It definitely is not, “you go boy!”

Maybe it is time Mayor Kilpatrick looked for another line of work. He does have credentials as a lawyer. Maybe he should revisit what the law is and is not. Maybe he should redo an etiquette class. However it goes, he should think about getting out of the game before he messes it up some more.

Behind Closed Doors No More

It’s over. The door has been opened to the public. Kilpatrick can leave it alone now. In other words, let it go. The Michigan Supreme Court said the bucket argument doesn’t hold water. There is a hole in the pail.

I am so glad that all that was said and done is finally available to everyone and anyone to view. Hopefully, now what the h#@$ was carried out in the name of justice can be seen by all. We will all be able to see the pile of sh#@$ that was dropped in our laps and told to deal with it! Your money and my money has in the past and now in the future will be paying for this mess for a long time. Lies, lies, and more lies are now going to be brought to the light. I don’t know about you, but I am ready to SCREAM as loud as I can in Kilpatrick’s ear. WHAT THE H#$@ WERE YOU THINKING? DO YOU THINK I AM STUPID?

The sad part to all this is, Kilpatrick and his posse still think it was a political campaign. I got an e-mail that tries to blame the newspapers for “his” fiasco. As I said before, I am a journalist and I know better when it comes to what is legal and what is not. It’s part of being in business as a journalist. Picture this scenario. I just cut off Kilpatrick’s hand when I caught him with it in the cookie jar. As we stand in the kitchen - face to face - with the bloody hand in mine, Kilpatrick is swearing to God, it is not his. That I am imagining things.

We all know the old saying, “too much, too little, too late.” I wonder if Kilpatrick has ever heard it before. Lord knows I have tried repeatedly to give Kilpatrick the benefit of the doubt, being young and all, but this just shows how arrogant the brother was and still is. What was read on the news this afternoon from the documents was appalling, one deal to cover another deal and no explanation to the city council on the details. If they don’t take it upon themselves - as the charter allows - to remove Kilpatrick from his throne, then it will be time to give them a look over. But that’s another story that I am sure will be told soon.

To all of you out there in Metro Detroit, you better start demanding your rights, like the newspapers did. If you don’t, then we might as well continue fighting in the Middle East for somebody else’s treatment and forget about our own.

Give me a Break

Okay, the sh*** has hit the fan and Mayor Kilpatrick needs to let it go. Let go of what you ask? Let go of the bull he is trying to mislead the public with. No, the news media did not gather their information illegally. If they had, they would have been no different from the news media of yore. Remember back in the day we - the Black Americans - would say the news media never let us have a voice. Now that we are the voice of the people, the mayor wants us to believe we don’t know how to tell the truth.

As a former newspaper columnist, I know for a fact that I, nor any other news reporters could possibly write untruths and not get caught. I know that we would do prison time if we did. Let us not forget the Black women - whom I will not name here - in Washington that told the lies about the kid in the ghetto. She wrote a week long expose on the child, won awards and then was discovered to be lying about the whole thing. Believe me when I tell you; a good journalist is not stupid enough to do a repeat job, especially, when it comes to government leadership and tax dollars.

Here is what I believe is Mayor Kilpatrick’s problem. It’s called an ego. Although his has been bruised somewhat, he still has an obsessive preoccupation with himself in the sense of “I made an egregious error but so what,” I am still the best thing running Detroit. I really don’t think he realizes just how much damage he has done or how to deal with it. His ego won’t let him face the music with grace. Instead, he’d rather face it with the “in your face” attitude of the streets.

It is so amazing to me that the Detroit mayor has no clue as to how much harm he has committed or the price he will have to pay for it. If I remember it correctly, it goes, “too much, too little, too late” having been exposed to continue hiding what one has done. Whatever went on between the mayor and the fired police officers have to be reckoned with and continuing to pretend it won’t, is just plain stupid. Mind you, I have never thought of Mayor Kilpatrick as stupid but, the way he is dealing with all this is showing me he has bad days just like the rest of us. In other words - like us - sometimes we don’t think before we speak or act then get upset when we get caught.

My suggestion to the mayor, stop, take a deep breath, think on it, look in the mirror, then ask yourself, how would I feel if the shoe was on the other foot and I was the one who had been duped? Then he should think that old refrain, I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. Amen.

Detroit Mayor’s Troubles

I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of the mess the city will have to deal with. I mean the city residents. That’s because the mess looks to involve tax dollars. What do I personally think? Well, here goes.

What many in politics seem to not understand is the old say, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” City residents and business proprietors look to a mayor to lead by example. If a mayor wants respect and trust, a mayor must practice respect and trust toward its residents and business owners. So far it looks as if trust has been broken due to possible perjury. It also looks as if respect has gone out the window due to no response.

Now I think it is imperative Kilpatrick comes out of the dark and into the light with a strong message as to why. Without doing so, the scandal and alleged perjury issues will just get blown out of proportion. Yes, text messages say there was an affair. The questions are who paid for it and was it related to the dismissal of Gary Brown, Harold Nelthrope, and Walt Harris from their jobs. Was there a connection with a party at the Manoogian house? I sure do hope not.

I totally agree with a person’s antics having nothing to do with taking care of business. But this extra marital affair - however long ago it was - seems to be directly connected to the firings. That is what I think pisses people off. Most people in this country know power that politicians obtain occasionally lead some into relationships that are not acceptable. So what’s new? That part of this is no real surprise. It’s the attempted cover up that destroys the trust and respect. Especially when it also causes the destruction of people’s lives just doing what they are paid to do.

What can anyone believe when dots, that were once scattered, are now coming together? What can anyone believe when tax money spent unofficially is supposedly unavailable for repairing a city? What can anyone believe if those in a court room say no when the true answer is yes?

We all know that eventually this will become history like all other scandals do. Yet, until then, we the citizens are asked to do the math. I don’t know about you but, the numbers are not adding up for me.