Whether you’re a Paul Schreiber supporter or detractor, or find yourself inside or outside the Pierce camp, I’d like to remind you that the Ypsilanti Democratic primary is to be held tomorrow. (Polls, I believe, open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM.) As it seems almost a certainty that the local candidates winning the Democratic primary will win their seats in November, you really should get out and vote tomorrow if you’d like for your voice to be heard. (And remember – Not only is voting your civic duty – It also makes you feel good.)
And, just a reminder — any registered voter in Michigan can vote in the primary. If you’re not sure where to go to vote, you can check the State’s voting site or call the City Clerk’s office at (734)483-1100.
And, for all of you who have yet to make up your minds, I’d like to remind you that audio and video of our mayoral debate are now available online. Listen if you get a chance… And, while you’re listening, check out the really incredible campaign funding maps posted at Arbor Update.
Best of luck making your choices.
18 Comments
Has Lois pulled out of the race?! I don’t see her name mentioned.
No, she’s still in as far as I can tell. I was just looking around local blogs for endorsements that I could link to and I didn’t find any for her. One of the problems with Lois’s campaign, in my opinion, is that there wasn’t much of an online presence. From my perspective, the race, as least as it’s shaping up here in cyberspace, is between Paul and Steve. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Lois can’t win. I just think that an overwhelming percentage of my readers, who tend to be pro-choice, pro-gay and pro-technology, are either voting for Steve or Paul. With that said, I feel as though I have done everything in my power to bring Lois into the local blog world, through the debate and the subsequent podcasts and such… Anyway, by linking to those pro and anti Paul and Steve posts up front, I hope I didn’t give the impression that there aren’t other races and candidates to be aware of. There are. And they very well might win.
And I should point out that Lois’s strategy from the beginning has been to let Steve and Paul fight one another and to let their battle take center stage. (At least when I mentioned this to her she didn’t disagree.) My guess is that she thought that they would knock each other out. It’s not a bad strategy, and she might very well be able to walk away with a victory because of it. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Friends and neighbors … please vote today. And when you do … think long term … forget the past .. think about where we want OUR city to be 10, 20 years out … and the tone, tenor and ways we want OUR city to work within itself and work WITH other units of government in the county and the state. Imagine the Ypsilanti that preserves its history and its funkiness. Imagine a walkable, bikeaable, boistrous downtown. Imagine that WE and EMU form a virtually seamless community where knowledge and knowing and searching are truly valued. Imagine that every Ypsi high school grad goes to college. Imagine health care for all of Ypsi’s citizens. Imagine all of the rainbow possibilities … including Rev. Dr. Jesse’s dreams … and the dreams of our gay neighbors. Dream multi-cultural. Dream beyond wi-fi to connectivity within our neighborhoods and betweeeeeen neighbors, helping to promote safety, trust and friendships. Think process, not personality. Then, vote.
What the hell is that letter on the Trusty Ghetto site?
“Steve shares my values.”
Yah, okay.
“Steve is committed to working closely with our school district. . .” and “. . . include all stakeholders. . .”
I hate that phrase “working closely.” Yucky politician cliche.
“Steve is a team builder and a consensus builder. . .”
Eh, so was _________ (fill in the blank with name of evil dictator).
“Steve knows that real leadership requires humility as well as a keen ability to listen. . .” and “positive and creative leadership”
Ad hominem, ad hominem, ad hominem. I don’t give a crap about character–I just want to know what the candidates will actually do if elected. This letter says little about that.
Anyway, I was disgusted to see such manipulative malarky in a local election. Even the locals have mastered political hogwash. Asswipes.
I’ve been called many things on blogs, but this is the first time I’ve been referred to as an asswipe. :(
My last name is “Getto,” btw, not “Ghetto” (it’s Northern Italian in origin). Having grown up in the Detroit area, I have heard most of the “Cam Slum” jokes, but if you can think of any more, I’m all ears.
At least he didn’t call you a “ball-shaving ass-wipe.”
Here’s my endorsement of Steve Pierce. Maybe I’ll attain “ball-shaving ass-wipe” status — I’m all about reaching for that brass ring, you know.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~touch/2006/08/ypsilanti-vote-for-change-on-august-8.html
Sorry. In retrospect that was awfully rude of me (I had a brainfart when spelling “Getto”–honestly). I meant to be lashing out at the political propaganda machinery that is the system. Manipulation, even for a good cause, is a bad thing in the long run–it just ensures that more and more will follow.
I think that was a manipulative letter. But I’ve been guilty of my own transgressions. . .
“honestly”
Oops, ad hominem.
You know, I really could have gotten behind the Ball Shaving Ass Wipes for Pierce campaign. Too bad I’m just hearing about it now.
Does anyone know when we should expect to hear results?
I can give them to you now. I just voted for: Schrieber, Johnson, Namatevs.
Given my unexplainable penchant for picking losers, I just doomed all three candidates to failure.
I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to see how Wards 1 & 2 turn out.
Dirtgrain: Lashing out at the political propaganda machine is an honorable and noble pursuit, so have at it. It’s one of the ironies of winning an election: how does one not become a part of the machine while trying to effectively accomplish objectives within it. Finding balance is a challenge.
As to the letter, I was trying to be relentlessly positive in a campaign I felt was characterized by negativity. I didn’t see it as manipulative. I’ll have to ponder your critique and keep it in mind next time (if there is a next time, that is).
There sure weren’t many choices on the Republican side, especially out in the Township. I wanted to vote on the Democratic side, just because I want to see William D. Willams (Billy D) as Parks commissioner. I can just imagine the Colt 45 flowing at the victory party.
Staying “relentlessly positive” is a fine ambition. Seemed to me that Paul S. was really trying for that, seems genuinely good, but some of his supporters went negative. Not such great support after all.
Congratulations to Paul Schreiber. The work has just begun. It’s a batter than 50-50 chance nmow that we can make Ypsilanti OUR city. We have a lot of work ahead of us … from our neighborhoods on up to city hall and into the townships. Congrats, as well, to Brian Robb, Bill Nichols, and other winners in the city and county. Ypsilanti needs all of you to listen to us and to keep this city and eastern county area healthy.
What disappointed me most was the extremely low turnout. With all the blogging, news articles, candidates’ efforts, neighborhood association debates, debate coverage, and everything else that was done to get the dander up and motivation churning … most voters stayed home and sat on their hands. Is it apathy? Did the low turnout reflect lack of voter interest in any of the three candidates? Loss of faith in government … no matter who is in the administration?
The citizens have not spoken here. I am concerned that the lack of broad support for the process itself is weakening with every election cycle. This was a good racve. A well-run race. And most missed out. We don’t lob rockets back and forth here. We vote. I voted. Why didn’t you?
Hear, hear.
I, too, was stunned by the low turnout, wanting to disbelieve the lack of interest, but knowing that these numbers don’t lie.
My precinct only had 41 voters; I was #13 at noon. I expect much of this is related to my experience flyering from the debate – over here in the student-heavy neighborhood, less than 1 in 10 doors was answered, and more than half the buildings looked too empty to be worth leaving a flyer. EMU doesn’t seem to be a year-round school, which means we lose a lot of potentially energetic young voters to travel, internships, cheap rent with the ‘rents, etc. As I’ve said other places – the elections that pull a lot of attention are the State and Federal offices, and we should try to put our local elections at the same time as those. I’m betting there were people in town who didn’t know that the “real” election happens in August.