by Cave Canem at FlickrA judge ordered scandal-plagued Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to jail today for violating the terms of his bond. If you aren't familiar with this story, Kilpatrick and his former Chief of Staff were indicted recently for a bevy of charges after they allegedly lied under oath about having an affair and firing a police official. It's a long sordid story. You can find more details about the whole hot mess here.
Suffice it to say, Kilpatrick and his boo have been accused of all kinds of shenanigans over the past few years. Apparently still believing himself to be above the law, Kilpatrick took a forbidden trip to Canada last month even though he was prohibited from leaving the state.
Sigh! For nearly 20 years living in the Chicago area, I have remained a staunch defender of my Detroit hometown. Sure, it's has always been little rough around the edges and I must admit that memories of my happy childhood there may have clouded my view of the burned out buildings and aging infrastructure. Still, anytime anyone spoke ill of my native city, I would quickly remind them that Detroit was the birthplace of the Motown sound and Madonna. Depending on who I was talking to, I also mentioned Eminem.
I could always boast about the thriving auto industry that employed many of my family members and friends. I remember fondly the bragging rights I had living in Chicago back when the Detroit Pistons dominated the NBA. That was before Michael Jordan put an end to their reign. Those were truly good times for the city and those of us with roots there.
Since Kwame took office, however, it has become increasingly more difficult to defend the Motor City. I had been hopeful that the influx of casinos would provide the needed revenue to turn the city around. Yet the ragged neighborhoods indicate that the gaming revenues must have evaporated into thin air or hidden pockets. Perhaps the city council has been too busy bickering and the mayor too busy sending freaky text messages (allegedly, of course) to use it to do what was best for the city. The negative attention generated by both has been a definite blow to the city's already troubled image.
Hopefully, Kwame's arrest today will be the catalyst the Michigan governor needs to use her power to remove him from office. My prayer is that the next mayor has more common sense, less arrogance and strong viable plans to dig the city out of the mires of this scandal and give us Detroit natives something to brag about again.
1 comment:
Never ceased to be amazed by the antics of elected officials.
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