Akindele Akinyemi has an incredibly long list of public supporters of Kwame Kilpatrick who should not, under any circumstances, be supported and who must be ousted as swiftly as possible. The long list of Christian ministers supporting the thuggish mayor is shocking in itself. Check it out yourself.
I myself remain skeptical about Detroit's chances. Image means a lot, and the image most people come away from Detroit with is that of a burned-out, unsafe city. The new riverwalk is nice, but it won't fix anything. The governance is hopelessly corrupt and not likely to improve anytime soon; to me, that corruption is almost a part of Detroit's culture. Money is swiftly leaving the city, since anyone who gets any of it uses it to leave. Crime is rampant, and unless there is a sincere effort to throw criminals in jail and uphold all the laws without making apologies, that will continue.
Yes, it is important to sack the City Council and the mayor's entire staff. But it's just as important to raise wages and benefits for policemen, to recruit them more aggressively, and to take back the streets and throw criminals in prison. Yes, it is important to stop corruption and stealing of public funds, but it's just as important to use what money is spent wisely. Instead of creating the appearance of a prosperous city by building nice-looking parks that will be littered by used needles and condoms in two years, Detroit must lay the foundations for the reality of a prosperous city by cleaning up the streets, cutting down on crime, and providing private school vouchers to encourage competition in education.
Most of all, this is a social issue. Top-down solutions are almost never the answer; the best cure is to spread the message of following the law, getting educated, and taking responsibility for your own life and your own actions.
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