The Coolest City in Michigan

My campaign run for Mayor this Fall is just a logical next step in the twenty years that I have lived in this cool little city. Many of the suburbs that surround Detroit look pretty much the same. Homes in subdivisions built in the last century, streets laid out in grids that do not encourage walking or bike riding, and struggling downtowns, if there is a downtown at all, are repeated in mind-numbing repetition. Ferndale is helping change all that.

Twenty years ago, Ferndale was at a crossroads. The storefronts downtown were mostly empty. Wig shops and nail salons were about all there was. Shoppers had flocked to the malls, built further and further out in the exurbs. Residents were fearful of crime and blight. An adult theatre and a massage parlor were sitting on Woodward in the middle of the town.

That has all changed. And that change came steadily and methodically. No single person can take all of the credit. The Ferndale Police Department kept the city safe. Mayor Goedert opened up city government to progressive ideas, and increased parking, including on-street parking downtown. Little bars and clubs opened up. Mayor Porter led efforts to repair our infrastructure.

The gay community had a huge role to play as well. Without a gay neighborhood or community center to call home, the Detroit GLBT community found itself in a diaspora. Palmer Park was abandoned in Detroit due to horrendous and violent crime. Birmingham was too expensive for many, and Royal Oak looked to become the "Boystown" or "Castro" of Detroit. But that city was not overly welcoming, and Ferndale had unique and affordable housing, and a downtown that showed great potential.

The rest is history. Young couples, singles, and gays moved to the city. Everyone began improving their homes and planting amazing gardens. Trendy stores and eclectic businesses began moving in. The Pub Crawl, the Art Fair, the Pride Festival and the annual Blues Festival
brought tens of thousands of visitors to Ferndale and they liked what they saw.

We agitated for mass transit, and we voted to oppose the Iraq War. We passed decriminalization of medical marijuana, elected the first openly gay councilman and the first openly gay county commissioner. We enacted a human rights ordinance. Now we are becoming known as a "Green" city.

My plans for the city? More of the same. Walkability, green policies, safe streets, diversity and friendly city services. High property values, no new taxes, more trees, and a fun and vibrant downtown. That is what Ferndale's future holds. That is what I want to do as mayor.