Covey's Corner

Why I have filed for re-election to the Oakland County Commission

2012-01-18T16:33:00.000-08:00

Wednesday January 18, 2012

After being a member of the Oakland County Commission from the 25th District for less than 13 months, I have decided to run again for a second term in 2012. I have tried to represent well the 50,000 residents of Ferndale, Hazel Park, and southern Royal Oak, and even though state and county republicans are trying to reduce the number of commissioners and redraw new districts to protect their majority status, I am not giving up the goals for which I was elected in 2010.

When I went into the Board of Elections in Pontiac last week to file for re-election, I was told that we should not do so, and that persons interested in running for county commission were advised to “hold off”. This is because of the late December power grab by the local and state Republican establishment to change our system of government, eliminate seats, and re-write the district lines before this year’s election. I did not heed the request, however, and insisted on filing for re-election to the 25th District, which I did on Wednesday January 11, 2012.

I ran last time around to advocate for regional mass transit, better representation and support for southern and urban sections of our county, stronger environmental policies, opposition to urban sprawl, and inclusion and embracing of diversity. I succeeded in sponsoring resolutions to support “Complete Streets” policies and in issuing the first proclamation from the county recognizing Gay Pride. I joined the public services and human resources committees, and had an attendance record of 97%. I also tried, but was blocked, from getting a “fracking” moratorium considered for our county. During this time, we did learn that a new sports park was coming to Southfield, and more funds were coming to keep alive a nature preserve in Madison Heights.

The Democratic Caucus appointed me Co-Chair of their fundraising efforts, as well as Public Relations and Media Co-Chair.

To be honest, however, my usual optimism and friendly demeanor have been tested time and again. Many of our efforts at support for veteran causes, jobs creation, support for local governments and urban issues, as well as support for diversity, have been stymied by the Republican majority, which has held power in Oakland County for more than 40 years. Almost all of the time, votes taken at the commission have all 15 Republicans voting exactly the same as a solid block.

While I have filed to run in November under the current court-approved and bi-partisan produced redistricted map as a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 25th District, the truth is we don’t know if there will even BE a 25th District. If Republicans succeed in their efforts to redraw and reduce our county commission, I will still attempt in some way to stand for election to better represent the good people of our great county, regardless of any new maps, districts, or gerrymandering they may install.

Panic in Oakland County

2011-12-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Republicans are no longer in a panic. The Governor signed the Power Grab Bill. This will allow the sitting Republican commissioners to redraw their own districts for the election that begins in just a few weeks. The blog below was written two weeks ago.
In an almost unbelievable development, Republicans in the Michigan legislature are trying very hard to wrest control of the Oakland County government system and prevent the possibility of Democrats winning any more seats on the county commission. This very cynical and bald attempt to change the rules at the very end of the game is trying to thwart the wishes of the residents and voters of Oakland County even before they go to the polls next year.

Michigan House Republican Brad Jacobson of Oxford, in the rural northern part of he county, has a bill now going through Lansing that would throw out the bi-partisan way that districts have been drawn and replace it with a new system controlled by the current sitting county commissioners. In other words, current Republican who hold office right now in our county, would get to redraw their own district lines. District lines are often "gerrymandered" to favor one party or the other, or to protect someone who is already in office. They can add areas that favor themselves, and marginalize people from the other party, or minorities, or other groups that may not favor the incumbent.

For forty years, Republicans have controlled Oakland County. They have always been able to draw the district lines to favor themselves, and keep Democrats in the minority, even though Oakland County has become a "swing" county, with an almost even split in elections between Republicans and Democrats.

The House bill, if approved by the Michigan House, Senate, and Governor, would eliminate four Oakland County Commissioners, then allow the current sitting Republican majority on the Commission to REDRAW THEIR OWN DISTRICTS. This of course will allow them to protect their own seats, and almost guarantee each commissioner a seat for life if he chooses so.

And while such changes to reduce the number of commissioners may save money, such changes are usually done by the voters, rather than people in Lansing. Oakland County, by the way, has a surplus of dollars, and the budget is balanced until 2015.

Lansing, of course, is totally run by Republicans today. They control the Michigan House, the Michigan Senate, and the Governor's office. When asked about why he was rushing this through now, just days before Christmas and the end of the year, Jacobsen admitted, today on WDET Public Radio, that he didnt think that Democrats would be very good at running Oakland County if the voters decided to go that way next November.

The interview was not a long one, and the Representative did not have to address the poor performance and dysfunction that has marked his tenure in Lansing.

Residents in Ferndale, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Southfield, Hazel Park, and many other cities, urban and suburban areas of Oakland County may as well prepare for another decade of neglect and marginalization from their county government.

Women's Health Care and Planned Parenthood

2011-11-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

One might think that in a large and prosperous cosmopolitan county such as Oakland, there were plenty of resources for women who need access to family planning services, including help for decisions about pregnancy and birth control. One might believe that Oakland County had places for low income women to get help with personal health care. One would be wrong on these assumptions.
In spite of the need for such women’s health and reproductive services, there are currently no Planned Parenthood facilities in Oakland County, and that needs to change.
Non-stop political pressure from mostly religious conservatives has kept Oakland County bereft of a formal Planned Parenthood presence for years. Anti-choice activists don’t want you to know that 97% of all Planned Parenthood are essential life-saving cancer screenings, pap smears, breast health services, STD treatment, and health counseling and education. For many of these patients, mostly poor, a visit to Planned Parenthood is the only health care they get in a year.
Oakland County has the 2nd largest number of low-income women without health insurance in Michigan. We should be thankful that an organization like Planned Parenthood can provide health care for so many people. The alternative is much higher health care costs in emergency rooms and for advanced disease that would be borne by us all.
More than half of all pregnancies in Michigan are unplanned, and two thirds of those births are then publically funded, costing our state taxpayers $282 million annually. Each one dollar spent on preventing unplanned pregnancies saves more than six dollars in local, state, and federal Medicaid costs for maternal and infant care in the first year alone.
Last year voters gave Republicans control of our state legislature, by all accounts to address chronic economic problems and unemployment. Instead of addressing the fiscal crises, Lansing is setting up new restrictions on family planning and birth control resources. This is not what voters asked for, and their anger mounts daily.
We need Planned Parenthood services in Oakland County. Even in conservative Mississippi, voters said no to radical restrictions on women’s rights to determine their own reproduction and family planning. Michigan politicians need to understand this, too.

What do the "Occupy" protesters want?

2011-10-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Some pundits and talking heads, especially on the conservative side of things, claim to not understand what the thousands of folks involved in the new mass movement of "Occupy - 99%" want. Others are not yet paying attention. But it isn't hard to figure out the truth, and it certainly isn't rocket science. Here are some points that many are making, including those grass-roots folks planning "Occupy Ferndale - 99%! which is now coming together, set for Friday October 28th at Woodward and Nine Mile beginning at 4 pm.

* End Corporate Greed Companies in the US are sitting on piles of money, refusing to hire workers while giving CEO's huge million dollar bonuses. We dont want to return to the era of robber barons.

* Accountability from Wall Street and the Big Banks After they wrecked the economy in 2008 with their mortgage fraud scandals, there were no prosecutions and little accountability. Now they continue to use their billions to prevent real government oversight.

* End the Wars The trillion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the longest in American history, and they are bleeding us dry. Enough is enough.

* Stop giving tax breaks to the billionaires and giant corporations. Decrying the giant deficits while pandering to the super rich is blatantly wrong and Un-American. Cutting support to the working poor and middle class will ruin our country and everything that America stands for. 1% of the richest Americans are getting much more wealthy, while everyone else is suffering.

* Stop partisan bickering and dysfunctional government Deadlock in Congress is failing the American people. Republicans and Democrats are elected to serve and protect the American people. Refusal to compromise and seek solutions is killing us. Plotting to destroy the "other" party is not what we elected them to do.

* Halt attacks on labor unions As the middle class shrinks and loses resources and income, and more people fall into the ranks of the unemployed and working poor, blaming unions and working Americans is cynical and makes matters worse. Unions helped create the great American middle class.

* Accept the end of prejudice and discrimination Remaining vestiges of racism, homophobia, religious intolerance, and all forms of prejudice must be relegated to the dustbins of history. Most Americans, particularly young people, understand and embrace diversity. Unite us, stop trying to divide us.

* *Protect the social safety net Balancing the budgets on the disabled, those without health insurance, children, homeless, and unemployed people fails America. This is not who we are.

* Stop the buying and corruption of our elected leaders Millionaires and billionaires, along with corporate allies, now buy elections and control our elected leaders. Middle class and working people are losing their voices. Reform the way money controls elections.

* Fix America's infrastructure, protect her environment Young people today not only can't find jobs or pay off their college loans, but they are going to be handed an America with crumbling bridges and roads, exhausted land, poisoned air and water, and no modern transportation options. How cynical and wrong to do that to the next generation.

Crystal Meth = Destruction and Death

2011-09-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

I wrote this article in the summer of 2006. It obviously still pertains. Meth ruins lives. It is dangerous even to sample or try just once. Bad news all the way around. Read on:

There's Nothing Pretty about Tina

For the past year, the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP) has been working on addressing the growing problem of methamphetamine abuse and addiction. MAPP has always been cognizant of the relationship between certain types of drug use ( including alcohol) and HIV/ AIDS risk behavior. Increased meth use, particularly among some gay men, is fueling new HIV infections in many states. We would like to prevent or reduce that potential crisis from happening in Michigan.

Known as crystal, ice, meth, or tina, the drug is highly addictive, and very damaging to the body. Users of meth damage their heart, lungs, brain, and kidneys. Regular use causes extreme damage to the teeth and gums, and can also cause impotence in men. And while meth is often used as self-medication for depression or social isolation, its continued use actually exacerbates those problems. The crash after meth use is severe, debilitating, and leads to the addiction, or need for more of the drug.

Meth initially makes one feel invincible. It increases energy, and can increase libido. To counteract the deflating effects on sexual function, it is sometimes used with viagra or other performance enhancing drugs. In this scenario, men may have multiple high risk sexual contacts at a bathhouse or party, thus explaining the higher rate of disease among such men.
Rates of syphilis, HIV infection, and other sexually transmitted diseases run two to three times higher among meth users than non-users.

While amphetamines, and their dangers, have been around for a long time, the new meth is home-made, cheaper, much more toxic, and more addictive.

The final insult from meth is that its use causes one to age quickly. While many people, including gay men, like to look younger than their age, meth users quickly begin to look much older. Regular meth use will add years to one's looks. And there is nothing pretty about that.

Complete Streets Resolution Passes Oakland County Commission

2011-08-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

In a very pleasant surprise to many of us, our "Complete Streets" resolution passed the Oakland County Commission unanimously today, Thursday August 16, 2011. The vote was 25 - 0.

Designed to be a new framework for creation, maintenance, and repair of streets and roads, the concept means that design includess use and accessibility for all modes of transportation, including bicycles, pedestrians, mass and public transit, handicapped accessibility for persons, as well as for cars and trucks. While it may sound like a no-brainer, the concept is not universally accepted or followed.

While there was initial resistance from a few of the Republican members, the measure had gained full support from the Democrats on the board, as well as five or six Republicans. With a few minor changes in an amendment, we gained full support, including from the Road Commission of Oakland County. Dave Woodward D-Royal Oak played the key role in getting this written and passed.

This is just a start to change the way we view and implement transportation, but it was a very critical step, and an important portent of things to come.

First Annual Hazel Park Pub Crawl Friday Aug 26

2011-08-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release August 16, 2011

Contact: Craig Covey 248-721-6434 or Shelley O’Brien 810-955-4080

First Annual Hazel Park Pub Crawl Fri. Aug. 26th
Event to Visit 10 Venues, Raise $ for Hazel Park Promise

(Hazel Park) Hazel Park will hold its first charity pub crawl on Friday August 26 visiting all ten of the pubs and bars in this small southeast Oakland County city. Modeled after popular and successful pub crawls in Royal Oak and Ferndale, the event is expected to raise thousands of dollars for the Hazel Park Promise, a new program that will enable that city’s high school graduates the chance to attend college or trade school after graduation.
For a fee of $10, which is tax-deductible, crawlers will register at the Hazel Park City Hall at John R and Nine Mile Road and then proceed in groups to the ten venues, beginning at 7 pm Friday August 26, 2011. A limited number of seats will be available on small buses and vans, and crawlers may also use non-drinking designated drivers, bicycles, and even walk to the clubs and restaurants. The event is designed to promote these businesses in the city, generate camaraderie, and enjoy the last weeks of summer as well as support the important local charity.
Top sponsors include Neighborhood Enrichment; a non-profit created by local Councilwoman Jan Parisi and her family, as well as Derby’s Sports Café. Additional sponsors include Pizza Connection, Joey’s Jewelry, BDT Tobacco & Smoke Shop, Councilwoman Jan Parisi, Attorney Howard Shifman, Councilman Andy LeCureaux, and Phillip LaForme. Venues on the crawl include Eddie’s, Starting Gate, Kozy Lounge, Derby’s, Max Duggan’s, End of the Park, Hazel Park Eagles, House of Shamrocks, Loui’s, and the Hazel Park Race Track.
Mayor Jack Lloyd will help lead off the crawl, and Congressman Sander Levin is expected to visit the first venue to welcome the crawlers. 100% of all proceeds are being donated to the Hazel Park Promise.
Event founder and Co-Chair Craig Covey, who is also the area’s County Commissioner, said “This is a fun way to support local businesses and charities as well as get out and meet new friends and neighbors.” I’m proud of this hard-working community and their energy in making this new event a success,” he added.
More information can be gleaned from the website:
www.HazelParkPubcrawl.webs.com
Facebook: Hazel Park Pub Crawl

"Complete Streets" Resolution Going to County Commission

2011-08-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release Wednesday August 3, 2011
Contact: Craig Covey 248-721-6434 or Dave Woodward 248-894-6650

“Complete Streets” Resolution Coming to Oakland County
Commission Committee to take up Issue Next Week
(Pontiac) The Oakland County Commission is taking up the issue of “Complete Streets” next week when a resolution supporting same will come before the General Government committee on Monday August 8 at 9 am. “Complete Streets” is the design and planning concept for transportation and government agencies that includes all modes of transportation in the creation, construction and repair of roadways in the transportation network. The resolution was submitted by Commissioner Dave Woodward of Royal Oak and Commissioner Craig Covey of Ferndale.
The concept of “Complete Streets” recognizes the importance of multiple methods of transportation beyond cars and trucks, and is inclusive of pedestrians, bicycles, public and mass transit. The emerging and popular new planning and construction system has been adopted by cities, counties and states across the nation. The State of Michigan has adopted the concept as have many cities in Oakland County, including Ferndale, Novi, and Clawson.
The resolution reads, in part, “…increasing active transportation (e.g. walking, bicycling, public transportation) offers the potential for improved public health, economic development, a cleaner environment, reduced transportation costs, enhanced community connections, social equity, and more livable communities. “Complete Streets” can also reduce traffic congestion and reliance on foreign oil.
The resolution is expected to gain bi-partisan support on the County Commission. It must first be vetted and passed by the General Government Committee before coming to the full Commission. A free public discussion of the issue will also be held on Tuesday August 9 at the Ferndale Public Library beginning at 6:30 pm, led by Commissioners Covey and Woodward, as part of the Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission “Green Tuesdays” initiative.

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Complete Street Resolution submitted to Oakland County Commission

2011-07-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Complete Streets Resolution: Modeled after Grand Haven City Council Resolution

Introduced to Oakland County Commission July 21 by Commissioners Covey and Woodward.
Referred to General Government Committee.

WHEREAS, “Complete Streets” are defined as a design framework that enables safe and convenient access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and drivers of all ages and abilities; and
WHEREAS, “Complete Streets” are achieved when transportation agencies routinely plan, design, construct, reconstruct, operate, and maintain the transportation network to improve travel conditions for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit, ands freight in a manner consistent with, and supportive of, the surrounding community; and
WHEREAS, development of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure offers long-term cost savings and opportunities to create safe and convenient non-motorized travel; and
WHEREAS, streets that support and invite multiple uses for pedestrians, bicycles, and transit are more conducive to the public life and efficient movement of people than streets designed primarily to move automobiles; and
WHEREAS, increasing active transportation (e.g. walking, bicycling and using public transportation) offers the potential for improved public health, economic development, a cleaner environment, reduced transportation costs, enhanced community connections, social equity, and a more livable communities; and
WHEREAS, “Complete Streets” principles have been and continue to be adopted nationwide at state, county, MPO, and city levels in the interest of proactive planning and adherence to federal regulations that guide transportation planning organizations to promote multi-modal transportation options and accessibility for all users.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby declares its support for “Complete Streets” and requests the Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC) adopt a “Complete Streets” into its strategic planning process.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby requests the Road Commission of Oakland County to develop a Non-motorized Transportation Plan that will include, at a minimum, accommodations for accessibility, sidewalks, curb ramps and cuts, trails and pathways, signage, bike lanes, and shall incorporate principles of “Complete Streets” and maximize walkable and bikeable streets within Oakland County.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby requests the Road Commission for Oakland County plan for, design, and construct all transportation improvement projects, both new and retrofit activities, to provide appropriate accommodations for bicyclists,

15th Annual Ferndale Pub Crawl

2011-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

(Ferndale, MI) - One of the most popular and anticipated events each summer in Ferndale is the annual Ferndale Pub Crawl, this year on Friday July 29. The number of participants is expected to reach 2,000 with eighteen venues participating in the night-long charitable event. Top sponsor this year is 42 Below Vodka, along with major sponsors Dino’s, Rosie O’Grady’s, Diablo Cantina, Danny’s Irish Pub, the Grasshopper and Southfield Green Medical Group.

The event began 14 years ago with 36 people from a gay residents group walking as a group to a half dozen bars in downtown Ferndale. Over the years the event grew and expanded to be inclusive of the greater community and added clubs and bars as the downtown itself grew. Now one of your Oakland County Commissioners, I have been a chair or co-chair of the event every year since its inception.

New venues this year include the Grasshopper and Valentine’s Vodka Bar and Distillery.

All funds raised go to local tax-deductible charities; this year including the Ferndale Police Auxilliary, FernCare, Ferndale Community Foundation, and the Michigan AIDS Coalition.
Since 1997 more than $150,000 has been raised for a variety of groups.

The pub crawl is a walking tour of the pubs, bars, and restaurants in downtown Ferndale. No motor vehicles are permitted. The crowds of residents and visitors are diverse, made up of women and men, gay and straight, from many cities and regions of Michigan, other states and even visitors from other countries; they range in age from 21 to late 70s. They are professionals, blue and pink collar workers, millennials and seniors. They travel in large groups to each venue, buy food and drinks, and see the shops and stores that abound in vibrant downtown Ferndale.

Traditionally the Ferndale mayor sends off the first groups, going back to Mayor Chuck Goedert in 1997 through Mayors Porter and me, and now Dave Coulter.

“The Pub Crawl not only showcases Ferndale's many fine businesses while offering participants a fun night in our city, but it also lends much needed financial help to non-profit organizations working hard to improve the community," said Mayor Coulter.

Tickets are $10 and are purchased the night of the event at Boogie Fever Café on Woodward where the crawl begins..
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Gay Pride in Metro Detroit Succeeds Beyond Hopes

2011-06-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

By all accounts, GLBT in our region was very successful, despite some who feared division between Equaliy Michigan's Motor City Pride in Detroit and Ferndale Pride.

Motor City Pride states that 44,000 people attended their events in Hart Plaza.
Ferndale Pride reports a total of 10,000 people at the multiple Ferndale weekend events.

Comments from most people who attended either or both events were very favorable.
Both groups have each stated they would plan similar events again next year.

Some facts from the Ferndale Pride 2011:
We had 40 volunteers who created and implemented the events in less than 4 months.
usinesses in Downtown Ferndale reported excellent weekend traffic and sales.

We helped provide two days of shuttle service from Downtown Ferndale to Hart Plaza with more than two dozen busloads of revelers saving parking money and ensuring safety.

The Southeast Michigan Dyke March doubled in size over last year's inaugural event.

Our We are Family Pride rally included our Mayor, Royal Oak City Commissioner Jim Rasor, and myself as your Oakland County Commissioner representing Hazel Park, Ferndale and Royal Oak.

We raised a total of $15,000 from donations and sponsors, with only $5,000 in total costs. We are now distributing nearly $10,000 in proceeds to four charities, including Affirmations, Southeast Mi. Dyke March, Michigan AIDS Coalition, and the Ferndale Community Foundation.

We distributed 5,000 sets of rainbow beads, got more than 30 rainbow flags flying all across downtown, and recieved more than two dozen radio, tv, and print media stories about pride and the GLBT community.

Fifteen not for profit gay and community organizations got free publicity and raised awareness and money through our table outreach program downtown.

Special thanks to our top sponsor MotorCity Casino Hotel for their generosity, as well as the more than 15 additional business sponsors.

BTL Editorial Blasts Covey, Ferndale Pride Plans. My response:

2011-03-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Immediately below is the BTL editorial as printed in the paper the week of March 23. Below their editorial is my response.

When Motor City Pride announced the move to Hart Plaza in Detroit last month, we were heartened by the opportunity this now brings for all of us fighting for full inclusion in our communities across the state. The event is coming to a stage where it can actually grow in size, message and visibility. It can demonstrate our community's role in the region and amplify our message of what needs to change - anti-bullying protection, second parent adoption rights, the eradication of 2004's discriminatory Prop (which banned same-sex partners from marrying) - and that is hardly the full list.

When the opportunity to seize the Hart Plaza location presented itself, organizers jumped at it. Watching some of the LGBT leadership in Ferndale react to this move - in particular Oakland County Commissioner Craig Covey - and stir the pot with such insularity and possessiveness is truly upsetting. We ask the newly-named "Ferndale Pride Co-Chair" how he would feel if Royal Oak had reacted the same way a decade ago when Pride moved from that neighborhood into Ferndale. If, as Covey's press release claimed, Ferndale Pride truly intends to "complement" the Motor City Pride efforts, then why not have the kick-off events the weekend before or the weekend after Motor City Pride?

Of course, no one "owns" pride; it has always belonged to the grassroots. The Ferndale community has the right to do what it wishes. We certainly can appreciate the sense of loss Ferndale is having, but we would have hoped for a true cooperative spirit and not one born out of small-mindedness. It is certainly not too late for this kind of cooperation and planning, and we hope that it will still happen.

Hart Plaza is a fantastic regional stage where many festivals happen each year, including the Electronic Music Festival and the Detroit Jazz Festival, to name just two. Located on a beautiful, redesigned waterway, it is a golden opportunity for our LGBT community to showcase our stuff!

We are sorely in need of leadership in the state of Michigan to advance our full equality agenda and stirring up this divisiveness is the last thing we can afford right now.

What we are heartened to see is an increasing number of comments on our website and on our Facebook page that offer overwhelming support of the move to Hart Plaza and understand the opportunity it presents.

We hope you show up June 4-5 at Hart Plaza, and we also hope if you have time and energy, you volunteer and help make this year's Motor City Pride the best one yet.

My response:

Ferndale's plans to celebrate GLBT pride this June are designed to add additional choices for our community to celebrate itself, and advocate for the very items mentioned in the above editorial. We have had multiple discussions with Motor City Pride leaders, who encouraged us to look at the Friday night before the main pride event for Ferndale-based events, which we did. Nothing that Ferndale Pride 2011 is organizing competes in any way with the Hart Plaza festival. We are encouraging all GLBT and allies to attend the Motor City Event. We wish that event total success.

We are not sure why this is so upsetting to the publishers of Between the Lines Newspaper, which is based in Livonia, Michigan.

When Motor City Pride left Royal Oak (it had the festival back then in a parking lot and garage) there was disappointment among many in Royal Oak, and they had every right to feel that way. Folks there could have organized new events and I would have been fine with that. Actually, Pronto! does celebrate pride each year in Royal Oak. We say the more the merrier. Interestingly, Mayor Ellison of Royal Oak did express to me last month that he was sad to see Motor City Pride move from Ferndale to Hart Plaza this year.

We could not promote or complement Motor City Pride if we moved to another weekend. The weekend of June 3-6 is the weekend that folks travel from all over Michigan and Ohio to come to our region for pride. BTL should know that the previous weekend (in May) is Memorial Day, a time when we honor our soldiers, veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, BTL should also know that JUNE is the month we celebrate pride because of the history of our modern movement, and the original Stonewall Rebellion in New York City in June of 1969. The other weekends in June are when many local gay people travel to the big parades in our neighboring big cities, including Toronto, Chicago, and Columbus, as well as the state parade in Lansing. Interestingly, I have been asked to attend the Columubus parade this year, as a founder of that event which celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Finally, I would suggest that we are not being divisive. Many of us have spent the better part of two decades creating a welcoming, safe, and affirming space for the GLBT community in Ferndale, and we have been recognized nationally for what we have done for diversity, acceptance, and progress. How could we NOT have pride in this town?

Each year on St. Patrick's Day, there are big Irish parades in Detroit, AND in Royal Oak, and in many other cities and towns in the region. The Irish don't freak out about multiple parades, rather, they celebrate them all. The GLBT community is maturing and understands that we are growing stronger and more stable all of the time. So lets not be divisive, and criticize those few leaders who have given their all for so long. Lets support Gay Pride in every town and city.

Ferndale Pride 2011 "We are Family"...and still Proud !

2011-03-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

When community members learned of the impending move of the annual Gay Pride Festival by Motor City Pride this year to Detroit’s Hart Plaza from downtown Ferndale, there was an immediate and overwhelming desire by many to create events for Ferndale so that GLBT residents, allies, businesses, friends and neighbors would still have local opportunities to celebrate pride in Ferndale. The result is a series of events (that are still growing and evolving) that will complement and support the Motor City Pride festival, while still providing choices and additional events for the greater community.

Parades and Marches, Rallies, Downtown Strolling, Alley Dallies, Late Night Shopping, and Patio Theme Parties.

A large group of local and regional community organizations and leaders, along with individuals, volunteers and businesses owners are planning & organizing Gay Pride events for June 2011 in Ferndale including a GLBT “We Are Family” Pride Parade, a second GLBT and Allies “Night March”, and a continuing community rally on Friday June 3 in the evening in downtown Ferndale to celebrate and recognize Gay Pride Week. Multiple club and restaurant/bar events are being planned as part of the weekend celebration as well. A broad coalition of local and regional groups is signing on as supporters and endorsers, including the Ferndale DDA, the Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce, Michigan AIDS Coalition, Ferndale Community Foundation, Affirmations, Al Gamea, Hazel Park Friends, and many others. The Ferndale Community Foundation (501-c3) is expected to act as fiduciary.

A family friendly GLBT parade on June 3 will be held beginning at 6 pm lining up in the alley behind businesses on the north side of W. Nine Mile Road. At approx 7 pm the parade would proceed south on Planavon to 9 Mi. then east on W. 9 Mi. across Woodward to the City Hall front lawn for a social, cultural and political rally.

A “Luminous Night Parade” on Friday June 3 for the GLBT and allies community will assemble beginning at 9 pm in downtown Ferndale for that march which woll step off near W. Nine MIle Road in downtown and wind around the streets and alleys with hundreds of persons holding lights, candles, glow sticks, and flashkights to "light up the night for diversity". That parade will also end at the Ferndale City Hall Front Lawn for a second rally.

The annual “Dyke March” is scheduled for Saturday June 4 through downtown Ferndale in the early afternoon with a rally at Geary Park. This would be the second year for that event. The annual Gay Union Ceremony hosted by MCC Church and Equality Michigan is also expected to take place in Ferndale during the weekend. This will be the 10th year in a row for that event. Four Ferndale mayors will have participated in joining GLBT couples after this year.

A large number of special themed events in clubs and bars, patio parties, and tea dances, along with “alley dallies” are planned for all three nights of this weekend June 3-5 with up to a dozen restaurants, bars and clubs participating, including Como’s, Dino’s, Rosie O’Grady’s, Soho, Danny’s, Loving Touch, and others.

Most events are free of charge. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Volunteers are needed.
Proceeds will benefit four area charities including Affirmations, Michigan AIDS Coalition, Ferndale Community Foundation, and the Dyke March. Stay Tuned.

South End Oakland County to get Major Park Upgrades

2011-03-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

Catalpa Oaks in Southfield seeing $850,000 investment

Hard work and a unified lobbying effort by south-end Oakland County Commissioners has resulted in a major success for residents of Oakland County as the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission announced last month the approval for Phase I construction for Catalpa Oaks Park in Southfield. More than $850,000 in funding will produce or deliver this year an irrigation system, a new children’s playground, new service building, rental shelter, a 2nd entry kiosk and new goals and bleachers for the sports’ fields. Baseball, softball, and soccer are currently available at the park, with eventual plans for many other programs.

The land for the new park was acquired in 2007 after efforts by several county commissioners, including Gary McGillivray-D-Madison Hts. who is now a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as Commissioners Dave Woodward-D-Royal Oak, Helaine Zack-D- Huntington Woods, and others.

Most of the county parks, golf courses, and other recreation facilities are located in the more sparsely populated areas of northern Oakland County. There has been a lot of criticism from residents in the southern, more densely populated urban areas of Oakland who feel most county park and rec facilities are out of reach to many Oakland County families.

“We are very pleased to get this major sports and recreation facility now in an area that is very accessible for our kids and families down here, and we thank the Parks and Recreation Commission for their support,” said Commissioner McGillivray.

“This is an investment in our residents’ health and fitness as well,” added Janet Jackson, D-Southfield. “We need these kinds of facilities here for the urban families who don’t always have the resources or abilities to get to other types of recreation.”

Catalpa Oaks is located at the southwest corner of Greenfield and Catalpa in northwest Southfield, west of the city of Berkley. The park will see vastly improved soccer, baseball, and softball fields as well.

# # #

"Motor City Pride" to Leave Ferndale, going to Hart Plaza

2011-02-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

Monday Feb. 14th 2011 Valentine's Day

In a press release today, officials from the organization that puts on the annual Gay Lesbian Pride festival known as Motor City Pride have announced that the 2011 festival will be held in Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit this year instead of downtown Ferndale. They state that this move will allow them to grow the event into a two day affair, will allow for more parking, and will help them raise more funds. They also seek more room for the event after having pretty much filled up the western half of downtown Ferndale for past ten years. While I disagree strongly with their decision, for a host of reasons, I do wish them the best of luck and hope that the event is successful in every way.

There is some irony in the move back to downtown Detroit, as this is where the state's first three gay pride parades were held beginning in 1986. One of the reasons I was brought to Michigan back in the mid-eighties was to begin organizing gay pride parades, as I had been doing in Columubus, Ohio. (Today, the Ohio Gay Pride Parades attract 100,000 people annually, and I have been invited to attend the 30th anniversary parade in that city this coming June.)

A reporter has already asked me what I thought about Ferndale "losing" the festival to Detroit.
Since Ferndale was not asked to compete or hold discusssions about this year's event, I would
suggest that it was solely the decision by the Motor City Pride board, While I am disappointed that the festival will not be held in Ferndale, it was out of our control to influence a decision already made.

The truth is there is plenty of room to grow the event in Ferndale, with the entire eastern half of our downtown available - just as it is used during the DreamCruise each year. There is also no reason Ferndale would not consider a two day event. I have advocated for that for many years.
There is also plenty of untapped corporate sponsorships available from Ferndale, but that requires plenty of advance groundwork, relationship building and ongoing communication.

A large part of the decision to move the event was financial. Festival organizers lose out plenty of dollars to the bars, clubs, and restaurants in downtown Ferndale each year. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent in these local businesses that now may go to festival organizers if they hold at Hart Plaza the only beer or liquor concessions. These local Ferndale businesses could have been more supportive as they reaped such benefits from this annual event. Since I help organize many other similar annual events, I know they would have said yes.

I also think the City of Ferndale became too strident in charging high costs to festival organiziers. In its zeal to recoup costs, the city charged Motor City Pride over $11,000 last year for police, fire, and public works costs. While not unexpected in these days of cities going into the red, the result is the city was penny-wise and pound-foolish. In trying to save $11,000 we may have cost the city overall $1 million. Oddly enough though, the City of Detroit may charge simiar or higher amounts for the event in Hart Plaza.

But annual Gay Pride events should not be based on money or profit. These events were created over forty years ago to celebrate a community that was coming out of the shadows. It is a time and a place for people to be and feel free. It is about coming together, being with each other, and showing the world that we are proud to be gay. The reason the Ferndale events grew so huge, was that we were no longer hiding in a parking garage or on a college campus, but could literally take over an entire downtown for a day. Part of the magic that attracted the throngs was being in the stores, the streets, the clubs and restaurants of most of a downtown. I hope Hart Plaza is as welcoming and fun.

For ten years, three different Ferndale mayors were willing to marry gay couples on the lawn of City Hall. Gay families held picnics in the Ferndale parks. Lesbian Women held marches to take back the streets; all in a city with the largest gay/lesbian per capita population in Michigan. And when the state's first openly gay mayor elected by the voters left office, the City Council appointed another openly Gay man as their new mayor.

Of course there can still be pride events in Ferndale, as well as in Detroit or any other city in southeastern Michigan. And maybe the huge metro area gay crowds will flock to Hart Plaza this summer. But regardless, Ferndale will always be here as a beacon for diversity and will always be home to thousands of GLBT persons and their allies. When the officials of Motor City Pride decide to come back to Ferndale, the residents, city officials, and businesses stand ready to welcome them.

My Invocation for the Feb. 9 County Commission Meeting

2011-02-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

Each member of the Oakland County Commission, in turn, has the honor to provide the invocation at the beginning of each County Commission meeting. My turn is tonight, February 9, 2011.

From the book "Native American Wisdom" Edited by Kristen Maree Cleary

"Whenever the statesmen of the League shall assemble they shall offer thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools and lakes, to the maize and the fruits. The eagle...is able to see afar. If he sees in the distance any danger threatening, he will at once warn the people of the league.

From the great Law of the Hodenosaunee Confederacy. (Iroquois)

10th Annual Bud Light Ferndale Blues Festival

2011-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 28 to Saturday, February 5, 2011

For the tenth year in a row, the City of Ferndale will rock and roll with the sounds of great music during the nine days of the Bud Light Ferndale Blues Festival. Held across the city in more than twenty venues, up to 60 individual concerts will be held during the depths of winter to bring music and energy to southeast Michigan.

The festival is held each year in late January into early February to raise money for two local charitable organizations, including the Michigan AIDS Coalition and Ferndale Youth Assistance, both located in this small city just north of Detroit. Volunteers pass blue piggy banks wearing sunglasses at concerts and locations around the city to raise funds. Along with sponsorships, the festival raises more than $20,000 each year.

About forty hand-crafted blue piggy banks are in stores and locations around the city already, created by a class of students from Detroit public schools.

A youth concert will be held again this year at Level One Bank featuring the Ferndale High School and Middle School jazz bands on Tues. Feb. 1 at 6 pm.

In addition to the charitable aspect, the festival is designed to bring people out of their homes during the long Michigan winter for camaraderie, great music, and culture.

The events climax each year with a huge outdoor Blues and Ribs Barbeque tent on the last day of the festival sponsored by Dino’s Lounge on Woodward Avenue (this year on Saturday Feb 5 from noon to 5 pm.) Eight local celebrities, businesses and chefs compete to win awards for best barbeque ribs.

Major sponsors this year include Bud Light, Blue Care Network of Michigan, Level One Bank, and Dino’s Lounge.

“It gets me out of the house in the dead of winter for hot music, spicy food, and warm people,” says Craig Covey, event co-founder and Oakland County Commissioner.

“Live music, people-watching and mingling, great food, and helping local charities…all the while supporting local businesses,” says event co-chair Monica Mills, “it doesn’t get much better than that!”

www.ferndalebluesfestival.org

Mayor's Farewell Address to the City of Ferndale

2010-12-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

Mayor’s Farewell Address – Dec. 28, 2010

As most everyone knows, because of my election to the Oakland County Commission in November, I am required to resign my position as your mayor next week and will do so on Monday January 3rd . While I always try and finish what start, I do want to take this opportunity and apologize to the people of Ferndale for not finishing up this term as mayor.

I am so proud of this city though, and I do promise to continue to work hard and do the best job I can, for our city and the region, just wearing a different hat.

The truth is, however, that nearly all of the things that I had wanted to accomplish for the city when I first ran for city council have been completed.

When I first came to Ferndale in the late 80’s, the city was in tough shape. Property values were stagnant and some families were moving further out to suburbs, fearing a worsening of urban problems associated with Detroit.

I 696 did not connect under Woodward, and many of the storefronts across the city were empty. The Magic Bag theatre was still an adult porn house, and the Woodward Ave Brewers was a massage parlor. But many people saw the potential for a rebirth of a city centrally located, with character and affordable homes and a great history.

It was under Former Mayor Chuck Geodert’s leadership that the current success of Ferndale began to take hold. It was his vision to
apply new ways of thinking, to bring back walk ability, slow traffic, and prepare our downtown for its resurgence.

I learned a lot about Government and open and honest leadership from Chuck Goedert, and also from my most important mentor, Former Mayor Robert Porter.

Mayor Porter helped me win my first race for Council, and has acted as a friend and mentor for the past dozen years. It was Bob Porter who continued to open the city up to new ways of thinking, supporting the new families and new cultures that were beginning to make Ferndale home. He was a huge friend to businesses here, and always willing to help residents in his accessible way.

I would like to take a a minute here and thank the Gay & Lesbian
Community for the huge amount of work and support that it has added to the growth and success of Ferndale. They took a chance on Ferndale, and over the past two decades, while still only about 20% of the voting population, they fixed up their homes, opened up and supported businesses, joined in volunteerism on boards and commissions, and became an accepted and integral part of the fabric that is our town.

It can be amazing to remember that just fifteen years ago, there was still a question as to whether the GLBT community could be accepted and welcomed into Ferndale. Some thought it controversial, and accused me of having a secret gay agenda…

Of course the truth is, we did have an agenda, which was to evolve a town into one that was open, welcoming, safe, diverse, and fun. And I want to thank the greater Ferndale community for its welcoming and support and embracing the full integration of the gay community into the city. We were all so proud when the voters overwhelmingly approved the Human Rights Ordinance just a few short years ago.

When I first got on Council, dancing was prohibited in downtown bars.
Tattoo parlors were considered adult businesses, and therapeutic massage facilities could not be opened there either. With the help of Councilmen Galloway and Lennon, and City Attorney Dan Crist, we changed those laws.

When I first got on Council, there was no blues festival, no DIY, no Ice festival, no Motor City Gay Pride. Now of course these events are hallmarks of Ferndale’s culture, and they could have only occurred with so many people working tog ether for common purposes and goals.

One of the things that makes me most proud in Ferndale is the cooperation and collaboration that has become standard between the City, the DDA, the Chamber of Commerce, the schools, the businesses and community organizations. It didn’t always occur that way. This situation of all of us rowing together, in the same direction towards common goals, makes us so much stronger as a community and of that we may also be proud.

There were sad times on this council as well, certainly losing David Lennon was a tough time for us and the city. We also lost sitting Council member Gerry Kulick early last decade. But Ferndale recognizes its heroes, and we have a Lennon Park, and a Kulick Community Center named in their honors.

Ferndalians also need to know the gem they have in the 43rd District Court. Judge Joe Longo is an amazing and smart man, an excellent Judge, and a solid friend and another who has provided me mentorship.

My only regret on council was our failure to provide you Judge with better Court facilities, and I hope that someday we can rectify that situation.

Finally let me thank two more groups of people, the Seniors and other long time residents who have been with Ferndale for decades, and who stuck by her when she was getting a little rough around the edges, And also to the young people and families who are now making Ferndale home. Both are integral to the success of the city, and each group needs the other.

Cities and towns are under great stress all across our nation today, and while the great recession is finally ending, and brighter economic times will slowly return to Michigan, let me caution that the only way for us to continue our success is to work together.

Taxpayers in Ferndale have always been generous in funding quality city services, but their pocketbooks are under great duress. The city unions must share the current pain and understand that business as usual is no longer possible.

Balancing the desire for safe streets and good city services and recognizing the limits to tax payers support is a tightrope that this council will be tasked with for years to come.

With that, I thank all the people of Ferndale for their love and support these past eleven years, and I want you to know that my heart swells with pride every day in this great community we call Ferndale.

We have created a wonderful place that is now a destination and a model for cities across the Midwest. We truly are, the coolest city in Michigan and of that, we can all be very proud.

Thank you,

Craig Covey, Mayor
City of Ferndale

Full Text of the Mayor's Remarks, Vincent Chin Memorial

2010-12-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Text of the Mayor’s remarks, Vincent Chin Memorial Dedication and Michigan Milestone Installation.

Noon - Wednesday December 22, 2010

Good Afternoon, and welcome to Ferndale. We’re glad that you are here in our city and we are also happy to welcome you to the Post Bar, the former site of the Golden Star Restaurant.

We are here today for some unfinished business and we selected this location this morning because this is the very site where the Chinese American community first began to organize and advocate for justice after the verdicts were handed down in the Vincent Chin case.

INTRO OF DIGNITARIES PRESENT

County Commissioner Dave Coulter, Hazel Park Mayor Jack Lloyd, Ferndale Mayor Pro Tem Kate Baker, Hy Safran representing Congressman Gary Peters, DDA Director Cristina Decius Shepherd, DDA Board President Veronica Lujic, Chamber of Commerce President Jerome Raska, Ferndale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Roosenberg, Ferndale City Manager Bob Bruner, Hazel Park City Manager Ed Klobucher, Ferndale City Clerk Cherilynn Tallman, Ferndale Police Chief Tim Collins, Woodward Ave. Action Assoc. Director Heather Carmona, Former Ferndale Mayor Robert Porter, Jeff Paulsen, Chair Michigan State Bar Milestone Committee, DDA Board Members Steve Selvaggio and Michael Hennis.

Please let me also thank the members of the media here today who will tell this story near and far, for this is a story that must be told and retold. And we thank the Post Bar for their gracious hospitality. Know that they are open today for lunch and have a great menu if you chose to come back and join some of us for a meal.

AMERICA LIKES TO VIEW ITSELF AS A BEACON FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD, WHERE OUR STATUE OF LIBERTY WELCOMES PEOPLE TO COME HERE TO WORK HARD, MAKE HOMES, START FAMILIES,
AND JOIN A GREAT MELTING POT.

THE REALITY FOR MANY HAS OFTEN NOT BEEN SO WELCOMING OR WARM.

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS WE STOLE THE LAND AND DESTROYED THE CULTURES OF THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS COUNTRY.

WE BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM AFRICA IN CHAINS AND MADE THEM SLAVES, AND THEN KEPT THEM SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS.

WE ASKED CHINESE AMERICANS TO HELP BUILD THE NATIONS RAILROADS, ONLY TO ASK THEM TO LEAVE WHEN THE WORK WAS DONE.

OVER THE CENTURIES ALMOST EVERY GROUP THAT HAS MADE THIS PLACE HOME HAVE SUFFERED POOR TREATMENT AND INDIGNITIES, INCLUDING THE IRISH, THE JEWS, CATHOLICS, AND SO MANY OTHERS.

TO THIS DAY SOME WOULD PASS LAWS TO ALLOW ONLY ENGLISH TO BE SPOKEN IN THE CLASSROOM AND SOME FIGHT AGAINST THE BUILDING OF MOSQUES IN CERTAIN PLACES.

AND ONLY NOW, EVEN THIS MORNING AT 9:15 AM, AFTER DECADES OF STRUGGLE, DID OUR PRESIDENT SIGN INTO LAW THE ABILITY TO FINALLY ALLOW GAY AND LESBIAN CITIZENS TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY IN OUR ARMED FORCES.

EQUAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA IS NOT A GIVEN. IT IS NOT A GUARANTEE…RATHER…IT IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE. IT TAKES VIGILANCE AND EFFORT AND ENERGY.

WE MUST ALWAYS STRIVE TOWARD FAIR AND EQUAL JUSTICE, KNOWING THAT IT MAY NEVER BE FULLY ACHIEVED.

AS POLITICAL LEADERS, AS BUSINESS LEADERS, AND AS COMMUNITY LEADERS, IT IS ALSO OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ALWAYS REMIND OURSELVES AND ALL OF SOCIETY THAT DIVERSTY IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE FEARED OR SIMPLY TOLERATED.

DIVERSITY IT IS A GREAT STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY AND IT IS SOMETHING TO BE WELCOMED, AND APPRECIATED, AND EMBRACED.

THE PEOPLE OF FERNDALE OF PROUD TO HOST THIS MEMORIAL AND WE STAND WITH VINCENT CHIN AND ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN WHO BELIEVE IN FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE.

Why We are Proud to Host the Vincent Chin Memorial in Ferndale

2010-12-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

Vincent Chin Story Comes Home to Downtown Ferndale

Ferndale, MI -- The memory of Vincent Chin and the birth of the Asian American Civil Rights Movement in Downtown Ferndale 27 years
ago will become an official piece of the city’s historical landscape Wednesday, December 22 with the installation and dedication of the
State Bar of Michigan’s 34th Legal Milestone marker.

Chin’s brutal death in 1982 led to the galvanization of the Asian American community and prompted a series of far reaching legal reforms. The young man was accosted in a Highland Park bar by two unemployed auto workers who blamed him – and all Asians -- for
their job loss. The verbal assaults escalated into a physical beating and four days later, on June 23, Vincent Chin died.

Pleading guilty to manslaughter, neither assailant spent a single day in jail and instead, were sentenced to three years probation and a
$3,000 fine. The charges and the sentence created an uproar in the Asian community and rallied its citizenry to organize against the injustice. The first gatherings were held at Vincent Chin’s last workplace – the Golden Star Restaurant at 22828 Woodward Avenue,
now the Post Bar. Today, Chin’s legacy is a changed legal system regarding sentencing guidelines and victim’s rights, and the establishment of important political action groups such as American Citizens for Justice (1983).

Ferndale Mayor Craig Covey, who will oversee Wednesday’s dedication, commented: “The murder of Vincent Chin was a hate crime made worse by the failure of our legal system to live up to the American promise of justice for all. This memorial symbolizes a shared community value: The People of Ferndale join others in standing up for acceptance, fairness and equality for everyone.”

The State Bar of Michigan presented the 34th Milestone Marker to Ferndale in June of 2009, on behalf of the State Bar and the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association. It will be placed in accordance with the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority’s new signage plan, which includes highlighting locations of historical significance. It will be installed on the north side of the median of the iconic Woodward & Nine intersection -- within clear view of the birthplace of the Asian American Civil Rights movement.

Official ceremonies begin at Noon, December 22 at the Post Bar. Speaking with be Mayor Covey, Janet Welch of the Michigan State Bar Association and a representative of from the American Citizens for Justice. Speakers and guests will then cross Woodward to the
median for the unveiling of ”In Memory of Vincent Chin.”
For additional information, please contact the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority at 248-546-1632.
DETAILS:
Event: Dedication of “In Memory of Vincent Chin
Time: 12 Noon
Date: Wednesday, December 22
Place: The Post Bar @ 22828 Woodward Avenue

Press Release above courtesy of Chris Hughes, Communications Director, Ferndale DDA

Reefer Madness

2010-11-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

After raids and mass arrests last month by Oakland County against medical marijuana facilities and homes, Sheriff Bouchard at his press conference reportedly quipped, “This is not a Cheech and Chong movie.” He was so right in that his actions were not representative of a light-hearted and fun comedy, although the raids were reminiscent of past decades. A better comparison might be the 1936 propaganda film “Reefer Madness”, with hysterical officials warning about the deadly menace of marijuana. As the dozens of court cases from these raids now wind through our county’s court systems, it is time for more rational, calm, and enlightened discussion about the issues related to marijuana in 2010.

Voters in Michigan overwhelmingly voted to decriminalize the use of marijuana for persons dealing with medical issues and who obtained recommendations from physicians.
The same has happened in fourteen states across the nation. But opponents of the measure are unhappy with this turn of events, and now claim that the voters were somehow duped, which seems an arrogant stance. In a democracy, the voters get to be “the deciders.” It is not elected officials’ prerogative to decide what voters “meant” to do, but rather it’s their duty to follow their instructions. Elected officials can be disappointed with election results, but woe be to those who thwart the will of the people. It is from the voters that we get the authority that we have.

According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, more than 55,000 Michigan residents have applied for doctor-recommended medical marijuana permits. Each one has seen a physician, and sent into the state a check for $100 to process their request. And while the state cashes that check right away, there is a reported seven month wait to actually get the permit back from MDCH. Meanwhile the state has received more than five and one half million dollars under this program.

Ferndale residents voted three separate times to legalize medical marijuana. Our city council then determined areas that could be zoned for facilities where physicians and others could counsel, prescribe, and or dispense the product. For two months the sole facility in Ferndale functioned well, with no problems, no complaints, and according to our own police officials and records, there was no rise in criminal activity in the area.

Two days after the City of Ferndale voted in new zoning areas for medical marijuana, dozens of sheriff’s deputies and narcotics enforcement team officers swooped down on homes and businesses across the county, including our own little storefront in Ferndale. The raids featured masked officers in full swat team uniforms, snarling dogs, and drawn weapons. Elderly patients, nurses, and business owners alike were thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and arrested. I suspect helicopters were buzzing overhead in case someone with severe arthritis or muscular dystrophy tried to make a run for it.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the raids was the confiscation of patient’s private medical records. Evidently ignoring the national rules on HIPPA which protects patient’s privacy, our own Sheriff in Oakland County has stated that he didn’t think marijuana was a proper medication for someone with back or shoulder pain. With all due respect, I would suggest that he leave the medical diagnoses and medication prescriptions to the doctors.

Certainly the state law now governing medical pot was not written well. It is unclear and causing consternation among local and county governments. But had state leaders done their job, we would not have had the citizen-led effort to force their hands. Now some law enforcement officials are using their assets to send their own political message that they don’t approve of the new law, and they are dealing with marijuana in the only ways they know how, which is to treat it as a dangerous narcotic no different than meth or heroin.

We have serious drug problems in our region, not the least of which are the growing number of addictions to legal pain-killers such as vicodin and oxycotin. But it is doubtful that fighting this epidemic will lead to sheriff’s raids on the local CVS.

In a time of dwindling government resources, law enforcement should focus on the serious criminal activities that put residents and visitors in true danger. They should focus on crimes such as burglary, auto theft, robberies, and other violent crimes as well as fighting serious drug problems associated with heroin, meth, cocaine, and other addictive narcotics. They can then send all the political messages they like, using the same tools that we all use such as lobbying, petitions, letter-writing and protests. But spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of precious tax-payer’s resources raiding legally organized medical marijuana facilities does not seem wise or prudent. Such over-the-top raids are reefer madness.

Craig Covey

Responding to Criticism from Letter to the Editor

2010-10-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Rather than spend the 44 cents for a stamp, I will respond here to a another critical letter to the editor printed in last week's Woodward Talk from Ferndale resident Wynetta Ann Warner. This time she takes me to task for celebrating the arrival of a brand new company locating in Ferndale from San Diego California that is expected to eventually bring in several hundred new jobs.

In choosing to locate in Ferndale, Michigan, Search Optics Inc. officials told city leaders they were impressed with our progressive attitude, our "walkability", our embracing of diversity, and the attraction to Ferndale of "millenials" and young educated persons. Since this kind of development is exactly what many of us have been striving for for the past two decades, it is with some "head-scratching" that many of us try and decipher Ms. Warner's criticism. Everyone knows that I have based my entire career on the promotion and celebration of diversity. That includes diversity in age...we want kids, teens, young adults, boomers, seniors, and all.

Of course we understand that companies' may not discriminate in hiring based on age, and no one has challenged that important law. In fact, many older workers are in demand, as employers understand that such employees often work hard, are mature and "seasoned", and can be loyal and efficient. But civic leaders also know that a city or region that fails to keep or attract young talent is a place that is doomed to fail to thrive. Companies today base themselves in areas that are prized as "livable" and sustainable. They want diversity, along with an educated work-force.

Leave it to Ann to make a lemon out of lemonade. We manage to attract a new company - from San Diego of all places, because of the new way we have charted in Ferndale....in a state that is crying out for new jobs, and Ms. Warner challenges the mayor for heralding that fact. A guy, she acknowledges, who worked for a dozen years to pass our human rights ordinance.

She says that it is worrisome that her mayor still seems to not know the laws on this subject. Let me reassure her that I do. She can worry about other things now, such as global warming, industrial farming and pollution, or nuclear proliferation.

Her final comment asks if, now that I am over 50, am I planning on leaving to make room for a younger person. Well, hello? I guess maybe so. I may leave the office of mayor soon, depending on how my bid for Oakland County Commissioner goes next month. Whether the next mayor is younger or older than me will depend on the current City Council, and ultimately, the voters.

Leaving while the Band Plays On....

2010-08-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

It was in late 1982, sitting in my tiny apartment when the phone rang. It was the first time I heard anything about a new unknown afflication that was sickening Gay men. I was 25 and living with my boyfriend Steve in Columbus, Ohio, just blocks south of the OSU campus. I was the Executive Director of the Stonewall Union, Central Ohio's gay lesbian rights organization and we were fighting for a human rights ordinance in Columbus, and I was organizing the GLBT community across the city.

They had no name for the malady that was killng homosexuals, hemophiliacs, hatian immigrants, and heroin addicts in the big coastal cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Like millions of other Americans, I dismissed the issue as something that couldn't be true or would just go away. Soon, at least among the affected groups, we would learn the harsh truth.

I would soon be seduced to move to Detroit, where I became the new Executive Director of the Michigan Organization for Human Rights (MOHR). The Stonewall group had become very successful, well known, and was putting on giant state-wide gay pride parades. MOHR hired me to Michigan and plopped me down in Palmer Park, where I was told the Gay community was centered.

I had no choice but to become well versed in the latest information and updates on GRID, or gay related immunodeficiency disease, later named AIDS. By 1986, we were developing safe sex workshops that we took on the road, travelling to every major city and university in Michigan. MOHR got the first state funds allocated to AIDS, helping fund the creation of the Special Office on AIDS Prevention, later named HAPIS. We created the first prevention posters (the LIfeguard campaign) and began distributing condoms by the tens of thousands.

MOHR went through some board dysfunction, as groups sometime do, and I moved over to the Special Office on AIDS Prevention at the Michigan Department of Community Health in 1987 where I was to work and advise for fifteen years. I also founded MAPP in the summer of 1988, sitting around a swimming pool - with Richard Villaire and two other associates.

I lost a lot of friends and associates to AIDS. I stopped counting when the number reached 44, about a decade ago.

As I finally leave the HIV/AIDS arena, moving on to what will become my third career, I realize what a truly inspiring and spirited occupation I had the pleasure in which to create and participate. For twenty-two years, I got to travel the state and large swaths of the country, meeting many caring and creative people. I got to teach safer sex and sexuality in general to tens of thousands of college and high school students. I had the pleasure of hiring and working with dozens of the most honest, hard-working, and dedicated people at the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP). And during this time I helped raise - through government agencies, grants, and fundraising events, in excess of $12 million for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

It has gotten tougher lately,as bureaucracies strangle creativity, funding becomes more scarce, and new crises develop, Young people are still denied real life health and sex education. The schools still bow to homophobia and fear. Government institutionalizes the epidemic and stifles
grass roots community efforts with layers of civil service employees, unending reports and RFP's. But each year,new young people rise to the challenge and become the next generation of soldiers fighting the scourge that is the world-wide AIDS pandemic.

As I make room for the next generation and prepare to move into full-time political work, local government policiy, and other consulting, I can look back with satisfaction and know that we did manage to reduce the numbers, alleviate the suffering, and comfort those who lost so much. My favorite story is from a couple of years ago. A man approached me in a club in Flint, Michigan. He appeared to be in his late 30's or early 40's. And he said to me..."You saved my life. I heard you speak when I was 18 and a college student, you taught us about safe sex and I always followed what you said."

Over the years, I was picketed by homophobes in Jackson and Ferndale. I stayed in inumerable hotel rooms around the state, and sat through many long meetings and presentations. I was even attacked in the early 90's by a disgruntled bath house owner upset with my lobbying against unregulated drug and sex activity in some of the Detroit baths. I wouldn't trade any of those experiences. My only regret is that today young gay men and boys, some as young as 17, are still at high risk for HIV infection. Because of those young men and others, I will always support the work that someday will make that cease to happen. The mission remains.

DreamCruise Founder is Lost This Week.

2010-08-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Nelson House
Woodward Dream Cruise founder passes away
By Jeremy Selweski
C & G Staff Writer

FERNDALE — The man who founded the Woodward Dream Cruise will not be around to see his creation reach its 16th birthday.

Nelson House passed away on Aug. 12 following an eight-month battle with colon cancer. He was 69.

Ferndale Mayor Craig Covey was saddened when he heard the news. “I think it’s important to acknowledge the tremendous impact of what Nelson House gave to metro Detroit,” he said. “Over 1 million people come out to Woodward every year all because of an idea he had 16 years ago.”

House, a resident of Ferndale for the past 30 years, gave rise to the automotive phenomenon almost by accident: In 1994, he was inspired to create an event to raise funds for a children’s soccer field in Ferndale. Remembering the summer nights during the 1950s and 1960s when young people would go cruising on Woodward Avenue to show off their cars, he sought to host a classic car show to generate the $80,000 needed for the field.

The following summer, House and a group of volunteers put their plan into action, launching the event on Aug. 19, 1995. House had also expanded his idea from a stationary show by encouraging the classic car owners to make their way over to Woodward and cruise like the days of old, thus giving birth to the Dream Cruise concept. House and his colleagues initially expected 30,000 to 40,000 car lovers to take part in the fundraiser and were surprised when about 250,000 people showed up for the event.

Today, the Woodward Dream Cruise stands as the world’s largest one-day auto event, attracting more than 1 million spectators each August and stretching across 16 miles and nine communities from Ferndale to Pontiac. The soccer field that House and his friends built still stands behind Webb Elementary School, near Martin Road Park.

When Covey learned recently that House was in failing health, he contacted the city and suggested that they do something in his honor. On Aug. 9, the Ferndale City Council passed a resolution dedicating the 2010 Woodward Dream Cruise to House and acknowledging his contributions to the people of metro Detroit.

“I feel very fortunate that we were able to formally recognize Nelson’s concept before he died,” Covey said. “In the end, I think our city and our region are better off because of him and his efforts.”

According to the resolution passed by council, “Mr. House’s inspiration to help the youth in our community has turned into a showcase event that promotes our city as well as others along Woodward Avenue. When it is said that Ferndale is ‘where the dream began,’ it must be stressed that Nelson House is the man who dreamed it.”

At the Aug. 9 meeting, House’s son, Sean, thanked the council for their kind gesture and suggested that the city help him in creating a memorial at the soccer field in his father’s honor. Covey said that the city was open to that possibility and would be willing to work with him on it.

Bob Milliron, one of House’s longtime friends as well as a Dream Cruise vendor and local car show organizer, also supports the idea of a tribute to House. However, the 56-year-old Madison Heights resident favors placing it in a central location with much greater traffic: right at Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, at the heart of the Dream Cruise in Ferndale.

“I think it should be in a spot where thousands of people are going to drive by and see it every day,” Milliron said in a subsequent interview. “That’s the recognition Nelson really deserves. I’ve thought for years that he wasn’t getting his proper due. He created the cruise, it was his baby, and you can never take that away from him.”

House had a complex history with the Dream Cruise, however. According to Milliron, by the late 1990s, House had become disenchanted with how massive and commercialized the cruise had become and longed to bring it back to its charitable roots. For a couple years, he even organized a separate classic car show at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. After that event fizzled out, House got in the habit of leaving town every year during the weekend of the cruise.

But everything came full circle last year when he accepted an offer from the city of Ferndale to serve as grand marshal at the annual Dream Cruise kickoff event at Nine Mile and Woodward. Sean House suggested that his father may have finally accepted how the cruise had evolved, but he also noted that the event itself may have become too big for the modest man who created it.

“My dad was just a very humble person,” he said. “He never wanted any money or recognition for what he did. His whole focus has always been about raising funds for the charities and helping people out. He always tried to focus on the positive aspects of everything he did.”

House is survived by his wife, Venetta; his two sons, Sean and Derek; his daughter, Sandra Nieman; and his four grandchildren.

House’s viewing is open to the public and will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 14 and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Spaulding & Curtin Funeral Home, 500 W. Nine Mile Road, in Ferndale. A final public viewing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 16 at St. James Catholic Church, 241 Pearson St., in Ferndale, followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Selweski at jselweski@candgnews.com or at (586) 218-5004.

Newspaper Endorses Covey in County Commission race.

2010-07-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is the endorsement made in the 25th District Oakland County Commission race by the South Oakland Eccentric Newspaper, the Democratic primary being Tuesday August 3rd. I certainly am appreciative and humbled by such kind words.
Voters in the 23rd and 25th County Commission districts have an opportunity Aug. 3 to select two Democratic candidates with fresh ideas as current county commissioners in those districts make a bid for higher office in the primary election.

The two we are recommending — Tim Wirkus in the 23rd District and Craig Covey in the 25th District — bring a mix of ideas and skills that can only be healthy. Great minds may think alike, but that just means they think the same things. South Oakland County residents will be well served by both men.
Covey, who currently is mayor in the city of Ferndale, is likely to soon assume a leadership role on the commission. He knows how to network with divergent groups and can be expected to reach across the aisle to Republicans.
Covey also knows the importance of bridging the gap between the state and the county, and between the county and local governments. He recognizes the importance of consolidating operations where possible to save precious dollars in this economy.
Moreover, with a calm exterior, Covey gets out into the Ferndale community regularly and can be expected to represent the entire district, which encompasses Hazel Park as well as Ferndale. He is in tune with the needs of the district in the areas of transportation and support for small businesses.
With a creative bent, Covey also promises to promote Oakland County, which is an important part of bringing new businesses to the area.
Wirkus is the exact opposite of a career politician, having never served as an elected official. But public service clearly is his middle name. Wirkus is an independent thinker who has studied the issues and the operations of the commission.
A little concern about a potentially combative stance is overridden by the knowledge that he has worked with many groups on a variety of issues. He has served on boards ranging from emergency management to youth services in Southfield, where he is a resident.
Wirkus also is a staunch advocate for veterans and the services they need, which is really important as the number of veterans increases rapidly due to the wars the U.S. has been involved in.
That is not his only concern. Like Covey, Wirkus understands the need for mass transit and for linking transit systems. Covey understands the importance that will play in bringing workers to jobs in the county.
Wirkus, if elected, will face in the November general election the lone Republican to file, Richard Parisi. Covey, if elected, will face the lone Republican to file in his district, Charles Ehrenreich.
Their breadth of experience and ideas make Tim Wirkus in the 23rd District and Craig Covey in the 25th District the best choices for voters.
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The Party and Me - 40 years and counting

2010-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

By the time I was eleven years old, I was becoming more and more interested in politics, candidates, and campaigns. While most boys my age were playing basketball or other sports, I actually got in trouble in the fifth grade for wearing political buttons to school and arguing with other kids. I was reading Newsweek. I remember Martin Luther King's assassination and not understanding why white and black people did not get along. At some point I asked my Dad which party we belonged to, and was told in quick fasion - "Republican". All of my relatives on both sides of my family were rock-ribbed Republicans. My Aunt Jackie was at one time the Republican party chair in Belmont County Ohio. But my identification with the GOP lasted only a couple of years for me. By the time I was fourteen, I began to question the issues and differences between the two parties and was feeling uneasy with my location on the political map.

It was in 1972. The war in Vietnam was raging, and Richard Nixon was running for re-election. Each summer riots rocked cities across the nation. Bobby Kennedy was dead, and everywhere young people were growing their hair long and rebelling against the establishment. I knew that I favored equal rights for women and blacks. I was awakening to the horror and folly of the war. And I was becoming an ardent environmentalist. I was appalled at the air and water pollution that was engulfing our world. I realized from my own readings and study of the political parties that my beliefs and feelings were with the Democrats. The Republican positions in favor of the war, against integration and women's rights, and being conservative on issues such as abortion were alien to me. I was also beginning to realize that I might be gay.

During the summer of 1972, George McGovern came to speak in my hometown of Canton, Ohio. My older brother, Rod, took me to the rally downtown and I got to hear McGovern speak. I got to shake his hand. And from that time on, I was an ardent and active Democrat. I even became involved in the campaign, and put up a yard sign in my window. Being a McGovern supporter in the upper middle class neighborhood of Avondale in Ohio was a lonely if not courageous thing to be.

McGovern of course lost the election in one of the biggest landslides in American electoral history. Within two years, Nixon resigned in disgrace, and a year after that, the last Americans fled Saigon in helicopters as panicked Vietnamese allies stormed the US embassy. The draft was gone, the war was over, and I moved to Columbus to study political science at Ohio State Universtiy. And in 1980, I became the youngest person ever to be elected from Ohio's 15th Congressional District as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. I was a Kennedy delegate, openly gay, and twenty-three years old.

The HIV / AIDS Battle Continues On....

2010-07-12T08:20:00.001-07:00

An Opinion Editorial by CEO and Founder Phill Wilson/Black AIDS Institute
How to Engage Black Men in the HIV/AIDS Fight

First Published: 6/28/2010

This is the third in a series of editorials about the critical role that Black men play in ending the AIDS epidemic in Black America. Part 1 described three reasons that Black men matter in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Next we explored why Black men--particularly heterosexuals, but in recent years HIV-negative gay men as well--have largely been absent from the effort to end the epidemic. Here we examine what needs to change to engage Black men, whether straight, gay, bisexual or questioning.
If we really want Black men en masse to get involved in ending the AIDS epidemic, first we must do a much better job raising awareness of the widespread presence of the disease among Black men regardless of sexual orientation or mode of transmission. Nationwide, Black men make up roughly 35 percent of new HIV infections among gay men, with prevalence rates so high that some young gay Black men believe it inevitable that they will become infected. Black men account for 46 percent of new cases among all men. One in 16 Black men will be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS during his lifetime, compared with 1 in 104 White men.
Second, we need to stop the blame-and-shame game. Scapegoating Black gay men, perpetuating the down-low myth, and limiting the HIV/AIDS discussion among straight Black men to one involving inmates and/or sexual predators responsible for infecting Black women undermines attempts to protect both Black men and women. Sexual behavior puts Black men at risk, not sexual identity. And no matter how we got here, with HIV-infection rates among Black men and women in some areas of America as high as in places like Haiti, Kenya and Uganda, unprotected sex with any partner whose HIV status we don't know places us at risk--whether that person is male or female. It's time to talk about accountability and responsibility, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
Next, we need to create opportunities for Black men--straight, gay, bisexual and questioning--to speak honestly with one another about issues like homophobia and the tensions between us, but also about the things we have in common: pressing matters such as high rates of unemployment, underemployment, mass incarceration, Black-on-Black violence, other health problems like prostate cancer and hypertension, and plain old Living While Black in America. We are not one another's enemy. Despite our differences in sexual orientation, in the end we are still brothers. And whether or not we see ourselves that way, the rest of the world does.
We also need to address tensions between Black men and women, including challenges that each gender faces, and barriers between us that make it more difficult to address HIV/AIDS. What are productive and responsible ways of conducting relationships when Black women outnumber Black men--and often by significant numbers? How can we protect ourselves from HIV and other STDs if we engage in non-monogamous relationships? And how do we raise our children and create families when, for one reason or another, so many fathers are missing? Many Black women have a difficult time trusting men, based on past experiences where they've been let down. And many Black men are unwilling to expose their vulnerabilities for fear of having their manhood or masculinity challenged.
And let's not neglect the hopelessness, alienation and fatalism felt by many young Black males, whose official unemployment rate is 38 percent among teens and 18 percent among males ages 20 and older (PDF). (Since these figures exclude those who have given up looking for work, we know that the real unemployment rate is much higher.) On any given day, 1 in 8 Black male 20-somethings is incarcerated, and if current trends continue, 1 in 3 Black males born today will be imprisoned during his lifetime. No wonder many young Black men feel estranged from both Black and White society. They experience a world! that sees them only as a problem or a dangerous threat.
Finally, we need to develop community-mobilization strategies to end the epidemic that focus on Black men, particularly young men. And we need to stop waiting for Black men to just show up and, instead, scale up local prevention interventions that target places where they gather, such as barber shops, gyms, basketball courts and hip-hop venues.
Most important, we need to listen to Black men. There is much to be learned about us and there are no better experts than Black men themselves. If anyone would just bother to ask us--and use the information they get in a respectful and responsible fashion--we'd gladly tell them.
With Black men demonized, patronized and/or ignored, it's no wonder there is not a mass Black male response to the AIDS epidemic. If we want to change the trajectory of the disease for Black women, Black children, Black families--for Black America--we need to flip this script, because Black men matter.
Yours in the struggle,
Phill

_

Will Oil Companies poison the Great Lakes Next ?

2010-06-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Readers, see below; a letter sent from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative of which I am member as Mayor of Ferndale, MI. Our goal is to protect the Great Lakes and the watershed area of the entire region.
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Mayors Request Meeting
on Spill Response
Letter sent to federal authorities in both Canada and U.S.

Chicago, June 21, 2010 – At their 7th Annual Member Meeting and Conference, hosted by Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative) expressed serious concern about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter sent to the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, mayors have requested an immediate meeting to discuss how federal authorities would respond to a major spill in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

"Our residents depend on the Great Lakes as their main drinking water source and a vital natural resource central to their livelihood. There is a growing concern about the devastating impact a disaster like that in the Gulf can have on the Great Lakes," said Mayor Richard M. Daley, Founding U.S. Chairman of the Cities Initiative. "Federal officials need to give mayors the information we need to assure our residents that the appropriate response plans are in place in case of this type of emergency."

Mayors are seeking confirmation from their respective countries that the federal agencies have adequate resources to respond to a large-scale spill anywhere in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence. The Lakes and River are the source of drinking water for millions of Canadians and Americans.

“The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has drawn attention to the fragility of our water resources, the importance of prevention and the difficulty of rapid response,” said Mayor Denis Lapointe, Chair of the Cities Initiative. “Communities along the St. Lawrence River are seeking assurances that adequate spill response is in place.”

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of over 70 mayors and other local officials that works actively with federal, state, tribal, first nation and provincial governments and other stakeholders to advance the protection, restoration and promotion of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin.

Post Script: To even try to understand the pain and suffering going on in the Gulf, think about how we would feel if the millions of gallons of raw crude oil were leaking for two months into one of our Great Lakes.

State of the City Address 2010

2010-05-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

I Thank the Chamber of Commerce for this opportunity and especially its dynamic and effective Executive Director Jennifer Roosenburg.

I really like Jennifer Roosenburg for her professionalism, her hard work and pleasant demeanor, but most of all, I appreciate her allowing me to present this annual speech at 7 o clock in the evening instead of 7 o clock in the morning.

The State of the City of Ferndale is Strong, Solid, and on Track. We may have been mugged by the same fiscal storm that is affecting everyone, but we have weathered that storm. We have taken huge hits economically in the past year, and have seen the largest budget deficits in many generations with our city. But like a fighter who has taken some hard hits, we may have been stunned for a moment or two, but we are standing and are already back in the fight and and slugging away.

The City has been caught up this year in the same whirlwind that is affecting every city, county, and state in our nation. Beginning with the statewide recession that began several years ago with the decimation of our regions industrial base due to globalization, and continuing with the housing crisis that saw homes and property lose 30 to 40% of their values and with that the devastating mortgage meltdown that saw the incredibly sad sight of millions of Americans losing their homes to foreclosure, our city now sees its own income sinking and shrinking, just like so many of our residents and families.

With the exception of top executives in corporate America, investment bankers and walls street tycoons, most of us are seeing our own incomes and standards of living freeze or decline, something that has not occurred since the great Depression of the 1930’s. The decline of home values and property values, obscene unemployment, and Michigan’s own budget crisis, has caused the City to have to figure out how to make due with less.

This is not easy of course, it is painful and difficult and stressful. But through hard work and endless meetings with the City Council, department heads, and city staff, we have finally achieved a balanced budget that should allow us to maintain most of the high quality of services that our residents expect and deserve.

Like all cities in the region, there was great fear that cutting services and laying off workers, especially Firefighters and Police officers, would be detrimental to the city.

Last night we learned that royal Oak is planning huge cuts to its police and fire departments…As a matter of fact, it could be that Ferndale ends up with MORE police officers than Royal Oak, a city that is more than 3 times the size of Ferndale.

Of course no one wants layoffs, and indeed, as I have said many times, no one is more important to our safety and way of life than able and available public safety officers.

We fully expect that the final number of layoffs in Ferndale, particularly among police and fire, will be much smaller than newspaper headlines would have you believe. Much of the gnashing of teeth and rending of hair is posturing on the part of unions and employees wishing to preserve as much as their compensation and benefits as possible. They are just doing their job, and we on the city council are doing ours.

We have seen 18 voluntary separations or retirements, and some of those folks will not be replaced or will allow us to keep staff further down the line.

Of the total 17 FTE layoffs, a full 14 of those positions can be kept if the unions agree to concessions that include a 5 % across the board cut in pay, and adjustments to the costs and benefits associated with health care. If the unions agree to share the pain across all employees, there could be a total of only 3 persons laid off totally.

It is now up to the city’s unions, especially police and fire, to bargain with the city to reduce some expensive and lucrative benefits for the benefit of all in Ferndale - including those at risk for losing their jobs.

But we HAVE balanced the budget. We will have a strong police force and fire department. The grass will get cut and the snow will get plowed. We have kept our recreation department and the Kulick Community Center open. The streets will get swept and the water and sewer lines will be kept clean and clear and functioning.

This current City Council is working together well, and is one of the best I have seen in my eleven years on Council. We are communicating well, and to a great extent speaking with one voice, and I give a lot of credit to our newest Council member. Melanie Piana is a great new asset to the council, being smart, engaged, and hungry to learn and share her knowledge.

Last week Ferndale was named one of the top five cities in the nation for the great American main street award. This is big, This is very impressive. What the nation now knows is what everyone who lives and works here has known all along, that Ferndale has become one of the neatest and coolest cities around.

Over the past two decades, we have transformed an empty canyon of a downtown into one of the most pleasant and thriving small town downtowns in America. Thanks to hard work by the DDA and the business owners, we have seen ¾ of all of the buildings downtown renovated and reborn. We have seen in the past decade $35 million in new development. We are seeing dozens of new businesses open up each quarter. We have a 93% occupancy rate downtown. It was County Executive Brooks Patterson who said this past Monday…if something good is happening in Oakland County, it is happening in Ferndale.

We are now a city to be emulated. We are a model. We have shown the region a new way…and these are not just my words any longer. They are uttered by county leaders and even national political figures.

Over the past couple of years I have had the pleasure of meeting many other leaders in our region, including mayors and congressman and county officials, and one of the most impressive I have met is our County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper. Mrs. Cooper is a smart, effective, and very able leader who has a most impressive history of political and legal successes. She blazed new ground decades ago being among the first elected women judges and has an amazing history of being tough on crime while protecting the most vulnerable among us. We are lucky to have as our County’s top law enforcement a woman like Jessica Cooper.

Credit for our city goes to so many, people like Former Mayor Goedert who led the vision of rebuilding and narrowing 9 mile road and bringing back on-street parking. People like former Mayor Porter who had the vision to to rebuild our infrastructure and help lead the effort
for an independent Library, and people like our Library Board members who led the effort that will culminate in a gorgeous new $4 million library opening in just a few weeks. And the hundreds of volunteers who work with the downtown, or sit on all of the boards and commissions, and who put on the pride festival, the dream cruise, the pub crawl, and all of the other events that make this city so cool.

Credit goes to the seniors and hard working families who stuck it out in Ferndale when the times were darkest and to the hundreds of gay and lesbian homesteaders who saw the diamond in the rough and using gentrification turned that rough into a diamond.

And now we see the new young millenials, professionals, and artists following the Gay community in what is a common evolution played out in cities around the country - Young families with children making Ferndale their new home.

These are the next generations that will take Ferndale to the next level.

The good things just keep coming. The new Diablos is a fantastic new place to eat and hang out with friends. The bicycle shop downtown, even a new gardening store where you can get all of your indoor growing needs fulfilled…

By the way, you have heard places like Royal Oak or Livonia rushing to place moratoriums on any type of medical marijuana care facilities or growing operations claiming that the state laws are too vague or they wish to see zoning codes evolve.

With regard to medical marijuana, the City of Ferndale has no such interest in a moratorium or reactionary policies based on fear. The people of Ferndale have voted overwhelmingly three times to decriminalize the use of marijuana for medical uses, and we already have all of the standard codes and zoning rules in place as for any other legal product or business.

New stores, new families, new ideas keep coming. More people walking, more people riding bikes, more people helping their neighbors.

We aren’t done yet. Not everyone gets it. MDOT officials recently said that they will want to study Woodward Ave to see if the traffic speed is too slow. We still can find tiny pockets of racism and even homophobia in our town. It is usually uttered in hushed tones or dark corners, in euphemisms….but we have made too much progress ever to go back now.

I still have a couple of unfinished goals. I still want to reinstall a crosswalk at Withington and Woodward, in part selfishly as I don’t want to be run over by a speeding bus. And I do want to see the memorial for Vincent Chin set up across from the Post Bar on Woodward. This plaque was given in trust to the people of Ferndale as a tribute to our belief that bigotry and prejudice is evil and that all must be vigilant against such evil.

This may be my last State of the City, at least for the next few years, as I am on the ballot this August in the Democratic primary for Oakland County Commissioner for our district. I have absolutely loved being on the city council these past eleven years, and in particular have enjoyed being your mayor. I have taken a lot of flak for my decision to run for commissioner, many residents saying they wanted me to stay as their mayor. But it is necessary for my survival to always be challenged and reach for greater goals.

When I first ran for Council in 1995 I had many goals, including to help rejuvenate the downtown, to advocate for sound fiscal and green policies, to support and protect the gay and lesbian community, to instill the philosophy that diversity is a strength…not to be merely tolerated but encouraged and celebrated, and to make Ferndale a walkable, lively, and fun place to live. I think we together have succeeded in all of those goals.

We have a new budget, and a new Fire Department Chief. We have a new Library coming and soon perhaps a new Chief of Police. We have a new City Councilwoman and next year maybe a new Mayor. This is the way it is, and it is all good.

Last week I was out at one of our restaurants, and a young man came up and said he wanted to shake my hand and meet me. He said that he absolutely loved living in Ferndale…and knowing that I might be leaving next year, he said he didn’t want me to go…and I said I had followed several great mayors, and that more great mayors would follow me in the future…and he said…”But you were the fun one”. That makes it worthwhile.

Thank you for coming tonight, and now I will take questions.

Tears of the Earth

2010-05-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Just hours after the 40th anniversary of the celebration of Earth Day, we watched in horrific anticipation as the giant oil rig exploded and burned off the southeastern coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. As oil rig workers died, joining their coal mining brothers who passed on the previous month from coal dust and methane explosions, we were assured that the giant crippled structure lying askew in the warm gulf waters did not pose an immediate risk of an oil spill.
Until the thing sank and caused a massive oil leak from a mile down on the bottom of the ocean.

Now, after weeks of gushing oil pouring up and out of the earth, we watch as the beautiful Gulf of Mexico is poisened and the livlihoods of thousands of fishermen, tourist workers and others are put in jeopardy. Four million gallons of brown oil is spreading death to countless marine life and fouling beaches and sensitive coastal marshes.

In our unquenchable thirst to slake our addiction to oil, we repeat history. Just as the Valdez was drunkenly run aground in that once pristine Alaskan bay, ruining the environment for years and decades, so too will this disaster cause destruction and pollution well into the middle of this century.

Mother's Day was last weekend, but far too many of us forget our one true mother: that who is our Earth. She is crying under the unbearable weight of her nearly 7 billion children. One day that weight will be too much to bear. Until then each one of us must do more to change the way we carry ourselves and impact the planet. Is that shiny new SUV or truck worth the destruction of the Gulf of Mexico? Does 20 miles per gallon mean we need to tolerate four million gallons on our beaches?

Coal Miner's Daughter

2010-04-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

The so sad news, once again coming out of West Virginia, evokes in me untold amounts of anger, as well as sympathy. Sympathy for the hard-scrabble working families who loyally toil day after day in one of the most beautiful, but poorest parts of our country. And seething anger at the greed and cold calculations of mine owners who value production and profit over safey and health.

The roots of both sides of my family go directly to the eastern and southern counties of Ohio that border the river of the same name. Generations of Coveys, Wylies, Calls, and Judds were farmers, miners, and factory workers from the uppper Ohio river valley in the tri-state area of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. These English-Scottish working and middle class families worked hard, schooled their kids, and attended the Methodist churches that dotted the country-side. They hunted in the hills, fought in the wars, and voted Republican. And all too often they mourned the loss of friends and neighbors to mine cave-ins and black lung disease.

To read, once again of a mning disaster where at least 25 more men have died is heart-breaking.
To read that the Massey mines are notorious for skirting safety rules,ingoring health regulations, and amassing hundreds of violations makes one want to scream bloody murder.

Evidently a mine owner can decide that dangerous conditions are an acceptable way of doing business, and it appears that it may be more profitable to increase production and reap more income and pay the fines and court costs and even pay the grieving widows and their lawsuits. You can get richer this way rather than to do the right things that can protect the lives of your employees.

This is not right in an advanced nation that America thinks it is. Will America ever realize that unfettered capitalism is not the best way to be a great country? Does money and profits and greed always get one a "get out of jail free card"?

The next time you hear Glenn Beck or Ann Coulter speak out about the too powerful unions and the weight of government regulations that strangle American businesses, think about the families in West Virginia who may have their own dead buried twice. Once as the mine gasses exploded, and once again in their own family graveyard.

Press Release on County Commission Campaign

2010-02-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Tuesday February 23, 2010
(Hazel Park) Craig Covey announced tonight during the Hazel Park City Council meeting that he would be a candidate in the Democratic primary on August 4th 2010 for the 25th district Oakland County Commission. The district, which includes the cities of Ferndale, Hazel Park, and the southern section of Royal Oak in southeast Oakland County, has been represented for the past eight years by David Coulter, who is now running for Michigan State Senate.

Covey has been a member of the Ferndale City Council for the past eleven years, having been elected twice to that council and then twice as mayor. He ran unopposed last year for the mayoral election, racking up 95% of the vote in that city.

He is running on a platform that includes expert fiscal management, smart growth, support for public transit, environmental sustainability and green policies, and support for inclusion for all people and the celebration of diversity. These policies have made him a popular leader in the region.

“These are very tough times for the people of Southeast Michigan, and I relish the challenge of bringing to the entire county the ideas and ways of thinking that have been so successful in the resurgence of the city of Ferndale,” said Covey.

“We’ve shown the region a new way here in Ferndale, and I believe that working together across Oakland County, we can protect and revitalize our cities and towns and restore the greatness that has always been part of the strength of this powerful and important Michigan county,” he added.

Covey will stay in his position as mayor at least until the end of 2010. If he is successful in his commissioner bid, then he would resign as mayor before Jan.1 2011.

Should I Stay or Should I go ?

2010-02-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Late last year, Oakland County Commissioner Dave Coulter announced that he was going to run for the state senate seat for our district currently held by term-limited Senator Gilda Jacobs. Because this election is held at the same time that Dave's county commissioner seat is up, he will be unable to run for re-election for that office. I am very seriously considering running for that Oakland County Commission office, which represents all of Ferndale, all of Hazel Park, and a portion of southern Royal Oak. If so, I would be running this summer for nomination of my party as a Democrat in the primary election this August.

I have had to think long and hard on this decision, because, if I were successful, it would mean that I would have to give up the position of Ferndale mayor at the end of 2010, which I now hold. I was entrusted with that position twice by the voters of Ferndale, and I take that responsibility dearly. But if I can even begin to impart some of the great ideas and success for the whole county that we together have achieved for the City of Ferndale, then I have no choice but to at least consider that road.

In discussions with many community leaders, residents, and friends, I am hearing the same response. They are excited, and supportive, but they also in unanimity express regret or worry that I would no longer be their mayor. That is understandable, and I am humbled by their feelings. But Ferndale is bigger and greater than any particular personality or leader. We made our city the beacon of success that it has become with the hard work of many people, including former mayors, council members, city staff, business leaders, volunteers, and residents. The groundwork has been laid for future greatness.

All of our cities, counties, and even the state itself are in very tough times right now. So wheverever I end up working, I will always stay true to my life long mission of making life better for all people. The location or position may change, but my core beliefs remain the same. Those beliefs include inclusion of all people at the table, regardless of race, age, religion, gender, orientation, income, abilities, or culture. That diversity is not just something to be tolerated, but celebrated and embraced. That we must care for the environment not only for future generations, but because it is our duty to protect our Mother, the Earth. That we must always look for new and smarter ideas, and not be afraid of change. I have also always believed in transparency, honesty, and oversight of frugal spending and the taxpayers resources.

Times are tough right now, but we in Oakland County and all of Michigan are a tough, intelligent, and resilient, hardworking people. We will make it through these challenges and emerge stronger and more successful.

In future writings I will expand on these issues and many others, and will soon decide on my future efforts. In the meantime, I would like to hear your opinions and views. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts.

Ferndale this week is Bluesdale ! FAQ s

2010-02-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

The first weekend of the 9th Annual Ferndale Blues Festival is behind us, and it was "all good".
About 25 concerts were held so far, with six more days to go !

FAQ's

How do I get my band in the festival? Each venue selects its own music and talent and does its own booking. Most bands are paid, although some donate their time to the "cause". We can send you a list of the bars, restaurants, and coffeehouses, or you can approach your favorite. There are no rules....You can play in a library, a school, a bar or maybe even on the street !

Are their tickets to buy or cover charges? Most of the events are free or simply accept donations at the door. We provide VIP passes to our corporate sponsors. We raise money for the charities through sponsorships and through donations put in the blind blue piggy banks.

Who gets the money? After expenses are paid for printing, billboards, and supplies, the proceeds go to the Ferndale Youth Assistance and Michigan AIDS Coalition. Both groups are registered not for profits in Michigan and are 501 c 3 tax deductible groups recognized by the IRS.

I dont like to be around smoke...anything for me? Yes, there are multiple smoke free venues each year..including the youth concert at Paramount Bank, Sakana Sushi Lounge, and AJ's Cafe.

"Music is the Key to the Soul" - Why I sing the Blues.

2010-01-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

Why I Sing the Blues….2008 (and the 2010 updated version in bold)

1) It's 19 degrees outside tonight. (actually its a warmer this year...global climate change)

2) It gets dark at 5:30 (It is now staying light until almost 6 pm)

3) Gasoline is costing $3.09 a gallon. (now running at about $2.69 but they stole my car)

4) My stocks are down 15 percent. (they are up this year, but I still have 50% less money)

5) Im still at work and it's going on 7 pm. (Im at home...working all day Sunday)

6) I think Im coming down with a cold. (I've got a broken rib from a black ice slip and fall)

7) I'm single again...again, and .... (yeah, still single, and now my ex wont even come over)

8) They's no one waiting for me at home but the cats (all three of 'em, always hungry)

9) I ain't had a raise since 2006 (Got a raise last year, then had my hours reduced 20%)

10) We got another year of George Bush (He finally left, but Obama has got his hands FULL)

Last year I suffered a home invasion, I lost by favorite Step-Mom, and my hair is now way more gray than not...

"always reasons to celebrate/commiserate/wallow in the Blues !"

Join us for the Nine Annual Bud Light Ferndale Blues Festival

January 29th thru February 6th 2010

Ten days / 23 Venues / 66 different concerts and events !

Teen Shootings in Ferndale

2009-12-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

The holiday season was marred in Ferndale in mid-December when teen violence, apparently gang-related according to police reports, resulted in the death by gunfire of one teen boy and another critically wounded. The first such disaster in Ferndale is unfortunately all too common in our nation's large cities. A full scale community mobilization is called for to begin to address and prevent this type of severe societal dysfunction from further affecting and infecting our community.

It was the friday before Christmas week when the sweet sixteen party was held at the VFW Hall in dowtown Ferndale. Everything went well until members of a youth gang, reportedly based in Detroit near the fairgrounds, crashed the party bringing a shotgun. Minutes later, one teen was lying dead on the floor, another critically wounded. Although police arrived very quickly, the shooter managed to escape, and at the time of this writing, had not been identified. The shooting happened at about a quarter past midnight.

Lots of questions remain, including the issue of teens being out at such a late hour, and the wisdom or folly of posting events such as a teen party on Facebook for all the world to see.

While the Ferndale police are among the best in the land, they cannot solve the larger societal problem of teens and gun violence by themselves. Even working with other law enforement departments from Detroit, Wayne and Oakland Counties, they need unity of purpose and comprehensive plans from all of the stakeholders in the community. The schools, teachers,
parents, not for profit groups, government, and religious institutions must unite and work together to try and address the growing problem and keep it from getting worse.

In Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and countless other large cities in America, teens with guns are a growing danger and menace to our civilized society. Whether the problem stems from easy access to guns, parents who are disengaged or absent, peer pressure, unemployment and poverty or a violence-soaked culture, we all must work together to send the message of zero tolerance to shootings and murder among your youth.

Smoking Ban INCLUDES Outdoor Patios

2009-12-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

The new Michigan smoking ban in workplaces includes all bars and restaurants in the state. And in their wisdom to protect workers from second hand smoke, the legislature included all areas of the premises of our bars and restaurants, including outdoor patios.

Billed and sold as a way to protect employees health, which is a noble thing, the law includes banning people from smoking outdoors. One wonders then if there were other reasons the legislators had for enacting this new law.

Michigan relies on huge amounts of tax dollars from tobacco to run its government. Millions of dollars per day are collected. So it seems that they will take money from smokers with one hand but slap them with the other if they want to sit outside and have a smoke with a beer.

Smoking is unhealthy, expensive, and addictive. But it is also legal. Well, legal except in places were it is illegal. And that now includes the great outdoors.

Big Brother isnt done yet.

The next sin to be taken up will be over-eating, junk food, and obesity. I wonder what else will come down the pike from our benevolent government. Since drinking is also often unhealthy, maybe they will ban drinking in the bars as well ?

Oh, and you can still smoke while you gamble. But you can't smoke where you drink where you gamble. Only two sins at a time are permitted.

December 1st World AIDS Day 2009

2009-11-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

December 1st, 2009

Twenty-nine years since the AIDS epidemic began, and tens of millions of people have lost their lives in the United States and around the world. While there has been progress in prolonging lives and in treatment, the disease still infects and kills millions of people each year across the globe. Even though prevention education is our most important defense against AIDS, effective programming and leadership is still inadequate to halt the spread and destruction of this pandemic and we need renewed resources, energy and focus on this serious health threat.

Few of us who began working on AIDS in the early 80’s believed the epidemic would last as long as it has. I remember thinking it would be a passing crisis and that after a few years I would get back to my planned career of community organizing and political advocacy. I had been working in gay rights in Ohio and Michigan but began to focus full time on HIV prevention by 1987 because I was losing so many friends and community members to the disease. More than two decades later we are still fighting for resources and struggling against the stigma and denial that has characterized the struggle since the beginning. There is still no vaccine.

The good news is that science and medicine have developed effective testing techniques and treatments that have cut the death rate drastically. Persons with HIV/AIDS can live full lives.
Transmission from mother to newborns can be eliminated, and we know exactly how to prevent further spread of the virus through safe behavior. The bad news is that nearly 40,000 Americans are newly infected with the virus each year, and the majority of these are teenagers and young adults. Parents, teachers, and political leaders continue to fail our young people by not strongly supporting innovative, comprehensive, evidence based prevention education. Thus each new generation suffers.

Our patchwork health care system does not focus on prevention and health promotion. Our schools are afraid to address issues of sexuality and orientation. Parents may themselves not know how to protect their offspring. Denial keeps too many in the dark.

Unlike most wealthy industrialized nations, the U.S. still has high rates of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and new HIV/AIDS infections. We would never let our kids start driving cars without proper training and getting a driver’s license, but when it comes to sexual behavior, they are usually on their own. We may preach abstinence before marriage, but our culture and media promote a different message. And for gay youth, the message is worse: no education about your risk, and no marriage for you.

We will someday win the battle against AIDS, but only if parents, teachers, coaches, religious and political leaders, and the health industry have the will to do so.

Great Victory ! Michigan to Protect Farm Animals

2009-10-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Friends:

Please see the press release below, which I received yesterday. A great start to ending some of the worst barbaric practices in the industry known as "factory farming". Finally some good news from our friends in Lansing....

Dear Craig,

In a landmark achievement for farm animals, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed a bill today that will phase out some of the most cruel and inhumane cages on factory farms.
The new law phases out veal crates for calves, gestation crates for breeding pigs, and battery cages for laying hens. Not only does Michigan have more than ten million laying hens and about 100,000 breeding pigs, it's a top veal-producing state as well -- so the new law will prevent many millions of animals from enduring a lifetime in cages so small they can barely move.

Animal protection groups, including the Michigan Humane Society, The Humane Society of the United States, and Farm Sanctuary, worked together with agriculture groups to find common ground and create a pathway in the legislature to end these practices. Now, Michigan joins California, Arizona, Florida, Maine, Colorado, and Oregon in banning this type of extreme confinement. This is also the first time that a state legislature has banned battery cages.
Thanks to the actions of compassionate people like you, we've taken a major step forward for farm animals in Michigan and across the country.

Thank you for all you're doing to help farm animals.

Sincerely,

Mike MarkarianExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
The Humane Society of Michigan

"And thank you, Humane Society of Michigan, for all your hard work."

Craig Covey

Labor Unions Yes !...Three new city buildings NO !

2009-09-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Barely in the nick of time, we got the Ferndale City Council to adopt a resolution to require a labor agreement for any city construction project over a certain amount of dollars. This will support our efforts to ensure quality work, workplace safety, and prevailing wages for our workers. That this came at the 11th hour, however, is another blemish in a process that began two years ago, and this effort has been, in my opinion, characterized by bad decisions, over-spending, and unrealistic planning.

Everyone agrees we need a new courthouse...one with proper accessible facilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and one with adequate room, storage, and technology. A majority of city council however has joined with the city administration and other department heads in demanding a totally gutted and renovated city hall and police department. These grandiose plans are desirable only until one looks at the costs. Now expected to cost nearly nine million dollars, these multi-faceted series of expensive building projects are going to result in huge financial problems for our city over the next 30 years !

Had we gone with the original plan advocated by Councilman Lennon and myself nearly two years ago, we could have renovated the OLSHA building next door and move the Courthouse next door for less than one quarter of that amount. It would have been built by now.

Instead, the city hired an expensive planning/consulting agency to "advise" us on what we really need. (That cost the city $40,000 last year). Without ever meeting with the mayor or council on the building "needs", their thin, albeit expensive, report said we need to rebuild all three city buildings. This same company was then hired to explore another bad idea...moving City Hall to the 2nd floor of the Credit Union bank building.

Council then voted to hire this same company again to "manage" the projects...to the tune of $6,000 per month for the next three years. (They were the second most expensive company to bid on the project). That same company said that we could afford these plans, which is not surprising since they profit from the projects.

I voted no again and again every step of the way as we got to where we are today. We have paid this consulting company more than $60,000 so far without a shovel in the ground. And we now know that we cannot afford to do all of these projects.

The City of Ferndale has the largest budget deficits coming over the next 3 years the likes of which none of us have ever seen. To even think about spending these kinds of millions now when cities across the state are laying off firemen and policemen, closing community centers and reducing salaries is pure folly. Unless this huge spending spree is stopped very soon, we could end up with lovely new buildings, but very few police officers, firemen, or streets and parks workers left to occupy them.

We will be lucky now to even get a new court building, which I always supported. But unless the City Council wakes up and gets a grip on the economic reality that is surrounding us now, our wonderful town will be paying for these mistakes for a long time indeed.

Suspend the Ferndale Sidewalk Program for 1 year.

2009-09-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

With unemployment in Oakland County reaching its highest levels in 40 years, and with home mortgages in trouble among hundreds of families in Ferndale, it is incumbate on elected leaders to do all they can to rein in costs, and give taxpayers a break wherever we can. Join me in advocating to suspend the sidewalk replacement project for one year.

Ferndale has been instituting a ten year cycle of sidewalk repair and replacement for the past thirteen years. It is a good program that keeps sidewalks safe, attractive, and handicap accessible. We are ahead of many of our neighboring communities in this regard.

Postponing this years replacement will affect less than ten percent of our residents and business owners, but in these harrowing economic doldrums, let's take this action and move everyone's next sidewalk replacement one year back.

It will save $100,000 for southwest Ferndale taxpayers and postpone those costs for one year. We will still do the work, using the same contactor, at the same price. But the assessment will not show up on your taxes until one year later.

It is unclear whether the votes are on the current City Council to make this happen. Three votes are needed to pass such a resolution. Councilman Lennon as agreed to vote to suspend the program until next year. Contact your other Council members if you agree that we should take this action.

Ted Kennedy and my Life....My First Election.

2009-08-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Very few people in Michigan know of my early political life and might be surprised to learn that I was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1980. I was elected as a Kennedy delegate from the 15th Congressional District of Ohio (Columbus) and went to New York City with my partner in August 1980. I was all of 23 years old.

President Jimmy Carter had lost a huge amount of support in the late 70's, when I was a student at Ohio State University in Columbus. The economy was in a shambles, with unemployment, high inflation, gasoline shortages, and the Iranian hostage crisis was in full swing.

As a young liberal Democratic activist, I started a "Citizens for Kennedy" committee in my working class neighborhood in Columbus' north side. Delegates were selected by caucuses in
congressional districts, prior to the primary. I ran a surprise grass roots campaign to be selected as a Kennedy delegate, and built a coalition of pro-choice, environmental, and gay activists. To everyone's surprise (including my own) I came in first place among hundreds of activists and party workers. I beat out the labor delegates and the party leaders, including the chair of the local party.

In the Ohio primary, Kennedy did well, although he did not beat Carter in Ohio or in my district. But because of the porportional way delegates were selected, I managed to become a delegate.
Kennedy did well enough in my district to get a couple of pledged delegates.

I was the youngest delegate ever selected and also the first openly Gay delegate from Ohio.
(maybe this won't surprise very many people).

During the convention in New York City, I got in trouble for hanging a giant banner out of my hotel window that read "You forgot us President Carter, 20,000,000 Gay Americans.
I had carried that same banner when Carter toured Columbus, and I will never forget the look on his face when he saw it from his limo. We frowned and shook his head no, disagreeing with my banner.

One of my favorite memories was attending a reception held by the delegates from Puerto Rico, which featured giant bowls of pina coladas. (This wont surprise anyone either !)

Kennedy was a liberal lion, and attempted to carry on the "Chamelot" legacy of his brothers.
He lost the nomination then, and Carter of course lost the election to Ronald Reagan. I never got to meet him, but at the Gay caucus (there were about 75 gay delegates at the convention) we were visited by a nephew.

My first Democratic party activism was in 1972, when I ran a neighborhood campaign for George McGovern. I was 15 years old, and protesting the Viet Nam war. And of course last year, I was an early endorser and campaigner for Barak Obama.

Maybe none of this surprises anyone. Some things just don't change.

Responding to Critics Again on Capital Punishment

2009-08-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last week another letter to the editor in the Woodward Talk criticized my comments on the issue of capital punishment and the fact the Michigan does not permit that option in its criminal justic system. I think it is great that residents are voicing their opinions. People are generally so pleased with the way Ferndale has progressed, that there is not enough debate on issues that need discussion.

I appreciate the belated sympathy expressed by Pat Dengate and friends regarding the traumatic and very serious home invasion I suffered last April. Many residents contacted me after the incident and offered caring support. I also even welcome debate over my opinions on capital punishment. But I take issue with parts of their letter, which included a glaring omission.

My statements about capital punishment had nothing to do with the thefts from my home. My statement said that if Butler (the parole absconder charged with the burglary and arrested on murder charges) was indeed guilty of murder, then I regret that Michigan does not have the death penalty. My position, by the way, was not "intemperate", but rather a belief that I have developed over the past thirty years. I hold no indifference or "glee" in this position.

Butler will get a separate trial for my home invasion. The material things have been replaced, and we all get to help pay for them as our home insurance premiums will climb. My beautiful $28,000 hybrid Ford Escape, which was trashed and totalled, now lies in a junkyard in southern Ohio. Hopefully it will be salvaged and recycled.

Dengate said in his letter that we are a civilized society, and thus we should not engage in having the death penalty for crimes such as murder. Of course we wish to live in a civilized society. My preference is that we should value life, and that violence is very wrong and evil. Unfortunately, there are very violent and evil characters in society who do not share that belief.

A most salient point in their critical letter was what was missing: no mention of Anthony Moxley, the 28 year old man murdered last June. Police believe Butler went to Moxleys home last year, chased him through his own house, shooting at him with a handgun. Evidently not content to scare him or injure him, Butler allegedly shot Moxley several times. As he lay dying on his floor in Hamtramck, Butler allegedly shot him again and again, emptying his gun until there were no bullets left. Anthony Moxley died on the floor of his own home.

If Butler is found guilty, he could get life imprisonment, or perhaps even a lighter sentence. He will get to watch tv, be served 3 meals a day, and maybe work out in the prison gym. Moxley's young life is done forever.

If Butler kills again, what would his punishment be? Going to prison does not always end the life of crime. Guards and other prisoners are attacked, injured, and even killed every year by other inmates. How do you punish someone who kills a second time, or a third time?

Maybe I’m wrong on capital punishment. But I can’t believe that if they find the killer of young Nevaeh Buchanan, the 5 year-old Monroe girl who was snatched from her driveway, sexually abused, and then buried alive on a riverbank, covered with cement, that giving that killer the ultimate punishment would be nothing less than justice.

And how do you explain to the family of Nevaeh that we won't provide this ultimate justice for the horrible crimes against their child, because we are a civilized society?

The Ultimate Crime, the Ultimate Punishment

2009-07-10T11:49:00.001-07:00

My friend Jonathan Warshay had a letter to the editor in Woodward Talk last week criticizing my position on capital punishment. Mr. Warshay believes that civilized nations should ban the use of capital punishment. I have always believed that persons guilty of murder should themselves be considered for capital punishment.

While Jonathan quotes some biblical verses to justify his position, there are plenty of references in the Bible to support my position, so I am not going to go there.

Warshay says my position is not justice, but rather revenge. But whether you call capital punishment revenge, punishment, or justice, doesnt really matter. And I understand there have been cases of people being wrongfully convicted of murder. In any such case with any shred of doubt, I would opt for life imprisonment.

But there are truly evil people in the world, and they do not subsribe to the reason of a civilized society. Someone in Monroe this past spring kidnapped, sexually abused, and then murdered a little 5 year old girl. They then buried her under cement on a river bank. If that criminal is found and proved guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt, then he should be put to death.

Last week, a career criminal from South Caroline murdered five people over the course of a week in a small rural area. His life-long history is replete with many charges and convictions of assault, theft, intimidation, and now murder. The sheriff admits he should have been in jail.
Instead, the system failed, and now five innocent people have had their lives taken from them.

Life in prison fails as an adequate punishment. The murderer can kill again. Prisons are full of violence, rape, drug use, and theft. Why allow the murderer to live decades with 3 meals a day, a bed, a television, and even books and visists from loved ones. The persons they killed dont get any more meals, or books, or visits from their loved ones, other than at the site of their own graves.

Finally, I did not call for the ultimate punishment for the man who broke into my home in the middle of the night while I slept because he stole $29,000 worth of cars, tv's and jewelry. I suggested it was justice because he emptied a gun into a young man in Hamtramch last June, killing him with six bullets.

Decades ago, John Wayne Gacy was proved to have killed dozens of young men after torturing them in his home. He buried them under his crawl space. Illinois put him to death. That was justice.

Mayor's Home Invasion/Burglary Solved ?

2009-06-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased and relieved to announce that Ferndale detectives have interviewed a person of interest in the April 17th 2009 home invasion of my house, when my car, jewelry, tv, and cell phone were stolen.

According to information received from the Ferndale Chief of Police by me earlier this month, fingerprints from my jewelry box drawer were matched by Michigan State Police to Damion Butler, 23, a convicted felon and parole absconder who was also wanted by Hamtramck police in a home invasion/murder investigation from 2008. The jewelry box drawer had been taken from my bedroom that night, and was found that morning on the kitchen counter, with a diamond ring, gold bracelet and necklace, and diamond post earrings missing.

Butler was taken into custody recently in Hamtramck by police and is to be interviewed today by Ferndale detectives in Covey’s home invasion case. Police officials also told me they will seek a warrent for this man in the case of my home invasion.

I’m so glad this nasty villain is in jail, and I hope they throw away the key. This highly publicized burglary threw my life into turmoil for weeks, and caused stress and anxiety not just for me and my friends and neighbors, but for all the residents of Ferndale. If this guy is guilty of murder as well as home invasion, then my only regret is that Michigan does not have the death penalty.
I would be tempted to throw the switch if they would let me.

Police Chief Michael Kitchen told me that had I awakened that night during the crime that I may not have been around today to talk about it. That was truly a chilling thought.”

Butler was wanted for questioning by Hamtramck police in a 2008 murder of a young man committed during a home invasion in that town. The suspect in that case emptied a handgun into the victim, shooting him six times and killing him.

Butler has been a career criminal for the past six years, beginning when he was 17 years old. He
has at least two convictions for car theft and receiving stolen property. He is also an absconder from parole. He has been in prison at least twice.

While home invasions in Ferndale are according to police reportedly rare, I want to say that no one should have to feel vulnerable from such a crime. I have nothing but praise for the Ferndale detectives and police officers who were professional and efficient in their diligent work. While there was always some hypothesis that this was done by someone I knew, it appears now that that was not the case. Im just glad that no one else was hurt, and no one will have to live in fear of this particular bad guy any further.

Finally, it is all too common for some people to justify many types of crime by finding reasons to find fault with the victim. In my case, some people asked me why I left a door unlocked. I heard from others disbelieve that I had slept through the crime. And others were sure that this was someone who knew my house or had been in my house before. The truth is this guy is a total stranger to me, and to my knowledge I have never met him nor has he been in my house.

I often use white noise to help me sleep, an air cleaner or a fan to drown out the traffic on Woodward or lawn mowers in the morning. In this case, that fan may have saved my life.

Next time you learn of a crime victim, be it someone who was mugged or raped or robbed, resist the temptation to justify the incident as the victim's fault. A woman is not raped because her dress is too short or she was out at night alone. It is not the fault of burglarized home owner because his locks were not strong enough. Blame the person who committed the criminal act.

Motor City Pride Huge Success

2009-06-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Estimates for the total attendance at the 2009 Motor City Pride Festival held in Ferndale June 7th range from 40,000 (my estimate) to 50,000 (Between the Lines estimate), but regardless of the actual numbers, most everyone agrees it was the best ever. The seven hour street festival and party featured concerts, speeches, delicious food, non-profit booths promoting health, religion, political action, and community service. The restaurants and pubs were packed all day and the beer tent was as popular as ever.

Probably everyone's favorite activity during this annual gathering is the people-watching, although most agreed the event was tamer than usual. The feather bedecked drag queens and men in leather were few and far between. The mild weather also seems to have kept the crowds more fully dressed than previous years. Long pants vastly outnumbered the shorts and hot pants common to such summer events.

Reports are that there was only one arrest during the entire event, which is quite low considering the size and length of the festival. Compared to a similar sized concert or festival or DreamCruise day, the safety record is remarkable. Only one person suffered a a personal health incident, again quite low for a day-long summer festival.

The few problems that did occur were the result of a couple of "bad apples". While thousands enjoyed the music and socializing, there are always a few who drink too much, or try and act-out.
After the festival was over, at least one woman had her expensive sunglasses stolen by a youth, and at least one fight broke out later that night outside a bar. Such is human nature and our society.

The Ferndale City Police, the Police Auxiliary, the Public Works staffers, and the Fire Department personnel were magnificent; as is usual they were professional, hard working, and helpful.

The event is about people from a community gathering to have fun and show their pride. In that we succeeded. As this first such festival of our all-too-short summer ends, we look forward to the other annual gatherings that will take place over the next four months.

State of the City Address - Ferndale 2009

2009-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

What a difference a year makes. Last year the stock market was several thousand points higher than it is today, we had unemployment but it was not as high as it is today…George bush was president, and Ferndale had a budget surplus. Kwame Kilpatrick was still mayor of Detroit. And Michigan still had 3 fully functioning car companies.

But in spite of major challenges, I am still very optimistic about Ferndale.

Probably the best recent news here is that we have as of last week adopted a balanced budget for the city. We did have to raise some fees and water rates will go up once again, this time about 10 %. It will cost more to get certain permits or reviews from the city, and if you are late on paying a parking ticket, expect that cost to increase. We will not replace our senior services director at the kulick center, instead those duties and efforts will be absorbed by the Recreation Director herself. We still have a hiring freeze in place, and it will become increasingly difficult to persuade City Council to fill vacancies. We will try and limit overtime, and in the Fall, leaves will be picked up less often than before.

But compared to most of the cities and townships around us, Ferndale is in solid fiscal shape. Our $18 million dollar general fund is lean, strong, and able to fulfill the obligations for excellent city services that our residents and business owners expect and deserve.

We have received federal stimulus funds for a variety of projects, including some road resurfacing on the East side. We are applying for an $800,000 grant from stimulus money for replacement of the city’s water meters, part of a 3 year , $3.1 million dollar plan to upgrade water system components. This green initiative will save the city money on water bills and will allow for automated meter readings without having meter readers drive the whole city.

We also received $1.1 million dollars from the federal government to rehabilitate foreclosed and vacant properties in Ferndale and aid in putting these homes back on the market. These funds can also be used to demolish dilapidated homes and this program should assist in redevelopment in 20 to 30 homes, primarily in the south east quadrant of the city.

Our property values have dropped in Ferndale, as they have in every community across the nation, but the good news is that Ferndale’s values have declined far less than most; in Oakland County, our city is in the very top tier of cities whose values have dropped the very least.

We broke ground two weeks ago on the new $4 million dollar library renovation and expansion…that project will result in a state of the art library in our downtown and it should be open next year.

We also are on track to build a new 43rd District court facility on city property in front of the police department. That $3.5 million dollar project will be funded by savings, court income and bonds. It would not impact the city budget or services. The Council plans to proceed later on renovation of the Patrick Sullivan Law Enforcement Building which is cramped and in dire need of updating. Finally, depending on future revenues and economic conditions, we may also borrow funds through bonds to renovate city hall.

In 2008 we saw a 300% increase in new public and private investment in downtown Ferndale over 2007 which included a net increase of 225 new jobs. The $20 million in new investment included $9 million for the Lofts on 9 and the renovation of the Foley Mansfield Law Firm at $5 million. Other renovations include the new Loving Touch Billiards Hall and Blumz by JR Designs.

We learned today of a new successful $30,000 grant to fund half of our project to renovate the alley-way between Ferndale Center Building, Dino’s and the Foley Mansfield building making that alley pedestrian friendly with benches, plants, and artwork.. the first of what we plan on doing with many of our downtown alley-ways.

Coming soon, the new Rosie O’Grady’s restaurant and sports bar which
I am quite sure will be an amazing place and quite popular. Then we should see the original restaurant next year become a Tex-Mex restaurant..which I expect will become one of my favorites. Nami Restaurant is also being fully renovated under new ownership.

Pete’s Place on Woodward Hts just west of Hilton is very popular and if you have not been there yet, you will truly love it.

We are studying now the feasibility and location for a new parking structure downtown on the East side of Woodward.

Ferncare is the new planned free clinic which has generated huge amounts of interest and support. It may open toward the end of this year.

We organized the first town hall meeting of our city’s charitable groups and organizations, and had about 30 people attend representing a dozen local not-for-profits.

And there seems to be some possible movement for a store in the Old Navy Building. I suppose a giant Halloween Store is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick…and it should fit into Ferndale’s image just fine.

We continue to save resources by partnering with neighboring cities for animal control, fire protection, and in the future even possilbly more police and fire services with Pleasant Ridge, Hazel Park, and Royal Oak Township.

I led my own organization Midwest AIDS Prevention Project into a
merger with a similar group called the Michigan AIDS Fund, which
now has a combined staff of 17, a board of directors of 26 and a
budget of $1.4 million dollars. We expect to move downtown before
the end of the year into a newly renovated building on Woodward with
4,500 square feet of loft style office space.

Ferndale continues to lead the way in environmental efforts with additional bike racks, planned improvements to our parks, support for renovated and or green buildings, purchase of Ford Focuses to replace old gas-guzzling Crown Vics and we have doubled the number of trees planted by the city this year, from 100 to 200. Since 2001 we have planted 1,000 trees in the city, which beautify and cool the city and add oxygen to the air.

In addition to the Dream Cruise, our city now is home to the annual Green Cruise which attracts 1,000 people each year, the Veg Fest which attracted over 3,000 people this year, the Gay Pride Festival which attracts 35,000 people each year, and now the DIY which attracted many thousands of millenials and others last September.

We are still the darling of the media, which is always looking at our innovative, creative, and cutting edge ways of doing things and creating change. There is always plenty of bad news in Michigan with stories of inept government, scandals, unemployment, bankruptcies, and
budget deficits. But we continue to be the “mouse that roars….The media appreciates what we are trying to do here, showing the region a new way.

WE OF COURSE HAVE MAJOR CHALLENGES. Income and REVENUES FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND STATE REVENUE SHARING WILL REMAIN FLAT AT BEST, OR CONTINUE A SLIGHT DOWNWARD TREND. WE ARE IN THE STATE THAT HAS SUFFERED
THE MOST AND FOR THE LONGEST TIME UNDER THIS RECESION.
The STATE HAS A HUGE AND ONGOING DEFICIT, AND DETROIT IN MANY WAYS CONTINUES to falter with poor to NEARLY NON-EXISTENT SERVICES, high crime rates, and serious budget problems.

While Police Chief Michael informs us that current over-all CRIME STATISTICS in Ferndale ARE STABLE OR EVEN FALLING, WE STILL ARE AT-RISK BASED ON THE ECONOMY AND OUR PROXIMITY TO big crime problems nearby.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH SUCCESS FERNDALE MAY ACHIEVE, OR HOW COOL A CITY WE ARE, IT WOULD ALL BE FOR NAUGTHT IF THE RESIDENTS, VISITORS AND BUSINESS OWNERS DO NOT FEEL SAFE ON THE STREET OR IN THEIR HOMES.

But in spite of these challenges, WE CONTINUE TO BE OPTIMISTIC AND
HAVE FAITH IN OUR CITY AND THE REGION.

We have succeeded in attracting young people and millenials to Ferndale…according to census, the largest subset in among ferndale’s 21,000 people are those aged 25 to 34. Together with our seniors who have kept faith in our city, we baby boomers, and the families and children who make Ferndale home, we are poised to create a solid foundation for the future.

On a macro level, I believe THAT AS CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES, WE WILL SEE THE GREAT LAKES REGION, BECOME STRONG AGAIN.

THE BURGEONING CITIES IN FLORIDA , TEXAS AND ARIZONA ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND IF THE CLIMATE BECOMES HOTTER AND DRIER, YOU WILL SEE A REVERSAL IN THE 30 YEAR POPULATION MOVEMENTS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.

THEY ARE BUILDING A HUGE DEEP WATER PORT IN NOVA SCOTIA TO HANDLE SHIPPING THAT WILL SOON BECOME ROUTINE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS ACROSS THE TOP OF THE EARTH AS THE POLAR ICE CAP COMPLETELY MELTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MILLENIA. CANADA AND THE NORTHERN U.S. WILL BECOME EVER MORE IMPORTANT FOR TRADE AND AGRICULTURE. MICHIGAN’S LOCATION WILL ONCE AGAIN BE VALUABLE IN THIS CHANGING WORLD.

WE HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT, A NEW MAYOR IN DETROIT, and in 2011 we will have a new Governor.

THIS FALL FERNDALE VOTERS WILL ELECT TWO COUNCILMEMBERS AND A MAYOR, AND THAT ELECTION COULD BRING CHANGE AS WELL.

I want to thank the businesses in our community who have kept faith in our community such as Ferndale Labs, Gage Products, Credit Union One, Huntington Bank, Garden Fresh, many others who are growing and investing in Ferndale’s Future.

We have new businesses like S3 and other entertainment and media/adverstizing companies bringing the film industry not only Michigan but to Ferndale.

Our shop local initiative reminds folks that we can shop and buy right here in town, saving time, gas, and stress at places like Blumz, Snap Fitness, State Farm Insurance,Garden Fresh Salsa, Mobil Oil, Foodland, Western Market, Emory, and so many more.
I almost never have to leave Ferndale and can buy cars, vitamins, vegetables, plants, furniture, take out of every ethnic variety, and so much more. I can get a massage, go to the gym, see a doctor, get a hair cut, and go to the bank or post office without even getting into a car !

In my five decades, I have lived in six cities…by far Ferndale is the best…people love living here and visiting here….and it is the people here who make the city as productive and cutting edge and pleasant and fun.

It is the people who run and own and work in our businesses and the residents and volunteers who live and work and play here who are making Ferndale synonymous with the word...cool.

Do Something for Your Mother

2009-04-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today (Wednesday April 22) is Earth Day 2009. A day created to remind all 6 1/2 billion of us alive on Earth that we depend on this planet for survival, and that we had better start taking better care of her.

I remember well, the first Earth Day in 1970. I was thirteen years old, and organized some friends and kids to pick up litter and debris in an empty field that had become an eyesore.
This was in Canton, Ohio, and was probably the first time I helped create a newspaper story.

Prior to that, in the fifth grade, I got my school class to write letters to Potlatch Corporation, asking them to stop polluting the rivers in the Pacific Northwest. Kinda pathetic that forty years later we still have to work to get people, corporations, and governments to think about the environment, and get them to stop trashing it.

Every one of us can do something, or many things, to protect Mother Earth. Drive your car less. Ride a bike or walk more often. Recycle more items, and throw away less trash. Reuse, and reduce "stuff". Use public transportation and buy your future cars with better mileage in mind. Eat less meat.

Do something for your Mother today.

Four Down....46 to Go !

2009-04-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

With Vermont and Iowa racing to see which state would be the next "Free" state when it comes to same sex marriage, it is obvious to any forward thinking individual that the writing is on the wall. The end of anti-Gay discrimination as it pertains to full marriage rights is in sight.

When the Netherlands and Denmark and other Northern European countries legalized full gay marriage, many could dismiss the change as kooky liberal Scandinavians. When Spain did it, it gave some pause. This was a Catholic Latin Country.

Massachusetts legalized Gay marriage, and no one was all that surprised. After all, this was the most liberal state in the Union. The state where Ted Kennedy was Senator, and the only state that voted for George McGovern in 1972. Connecticut was just another small liberal northeastern state. No one too excited.

Vermont raised few eyebrows either. While that state is the whitest state in the country, with only 3 % of its population not caucasian, it is still very liberal. And very small.

But now Iowa. A purple state. A Midwestern state. A place off hardy Methodist stock, where farms grow corn and hogs. What are they doing allowing full and equal marriage for Lesbian and Gay couples?

The answer is simple. The good people of Iowa are honest, hardworking, and open minded. They mind their own business. They live and let live. They don't take much stock in nosing into other people's business. They are smart people and they now become a heartland state that is showing the rest of the country the future. It won't be long now. The states will start falling in place.

Michigan wont be there for awhile, since our state is woefully unorganized and our GLBT political power is fairly weak. And states like Alabama and Mississippi may never get there without nudging from the federal government. All the same, congratulations Vermont and Iowa.
Your are showing our country a new way. We are proud of you.

Dogma, the Dark Ages, and Plague

2009-03-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have written in the past about the archaic and deadly positions taken by the Catholic Church regarding HIV/AIDS, prevention, and condoms. I guess I have to do so again.

I have written in the past how infuriating the Chursh's positions are around safer sex and the prevention of HIVAIDS, and I have to do so again.

Last time, it was John Paul and his policies. Now it is Benedict. Evidently progress and change are not concepts that come easily to the Catholic Church.

As the Pope traveled to Africa this week, he released positions on condom use for HIV prevention. It is the same tired, lame, pathetic, and life-threatening policy that has been in place for three decades...at least this organization is consistent in its backward thinking.

Benedict says that condoms are not the solution to AIDS, that indeed condoms can make the situation worse. He needs to stick to pomp and ceremony and incense burning. Let public officials, doctors, and outreach workers deal with reality.

More then 21 million people around the world are lying in graves because of AIDS. Millions more are sick and at risk of death from HIV infection. Millions more could get infected over the next few years.

There are more than 11 million children who have been orphaned by AIDS.

The Pope says that abstaining from sex is the only solution to the epidemic. Easy for him to say, as he is forced to stay celibate by his religion. Whether he is indeed celibate or not matters not to me. We all know that a large percentage of his priests have unmarried sex with women or men, and sometimes little girls and boys....I wonder if THEY use condoms.

The Catholic Church has always been sex-phobic as well as hypocritical. But they feel a need to stick with such unhealthy and inhumane policies. Sickness, death and disease must be less important than following their ancient sexual taboos.

Condoms, like abstinence, are critical, inexpensive and successful methods to stop HIV from infecting more people. Condoms are very important at reducing risk for HIV and other STD's for people who have sex, including married couples where one partner is HIV positive. Safer sex techniques are proven effective at halting HIV in its tracks.

Exhaustive studies in the U.S. show that abstinence-only programs actually result in higher rates of risky behavior and sexually transmitted infections as well as increased pregnancies than for youth taught the full variety of choices and safer behaviors.

There is only one upbeat angle to this sorry story. Most people disregard the Church's teachings on matters that are sexual, including most Catholics. At least some folks have brains as well as hearts. I just hope the Pope finds it in his heart and brain to understand the human toll that his ignorant and false admonitions exacerbate.

Old Mother Hubbard

2009-03-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Old Mother H. lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didnt know what to do. Well, one idea would be to practice birth control of one means or another.

The old nursery rhyme neglected to explain why Mother H. had so many kids or inform us as to the wherabouts of the father. Perhaps in children's fables that doesn't matter much. But today, with six and one half billion people crowding the planet, it is germaine.

Our present day prolific mother is Nadya Suleman, known by the popular media now as "Octomom". That moniker is lame, however, since this Mom doesn't have eight children, which in itself is way too many. But Nadya has 14 kids now. She has no husband, partner, job, or house. But she does have 14 children.

Most of the news coverage and scandal/indignation ignited by the story revolves around Ms. Suleman lacking funds or employment to handle bringing up these children. People are angry that government taxes and welfare programs are going to be spent raising 14 kids. Rightly so.

But here is another concept, not covered by the media, but more serious than tax dollars going to feed and clothe these particular 14. Planet Earth is not going to handle well the continuing over-population of human beings. At six and one half billion, we as a species are going to pay a steep price indeed for this constant breeding frenzy.

Mother Earth is groaning under our weight. Fish stocks in the oceans are depleted and shrinking at the fastest pace in human history. Arable land is nearly used up. Energy supplies grow tighter with each new nation that wants cars and trucks and SUV's. Our water supplies grow more polluted, and climate change threatens rain and weather patterns.

Now, there are two possible solutions to this growing problem. Either people can be sensible and rein in their prolific reproduction, or nature will solve the problem through plague, pestilence, or other catastrophe.

You will notice that "Right to Life" has been strangely silent on the Mom and her 14 kids. Since they hold all life as holy and sacred, perhaps they support the concept of having as many kids as one can pop out. And once children are born, these pro-life groups usually don't much care for mundane issues like providing children with health care, shoes, food, and schooling.

What I know is that if every Mom decided she wanted 14 kids, or eight, or even five children, then life isn't going to very pleasant for any of us on this ever-shrinking planet Earth.

My Hero...Michael Phelps

2009-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

He is one of history's best athletes of all time, and was the darling of the world Olympics last year in China. And even though Kelloggs (of Battle Creek, Michigan) has dropped Michael Phelps like a burning roach, I think he is someone we can all look up to. (and not just because he is so tall.)

Last week's Newsweek had a full page story on the saga of the bong-wielding Phelps photo and the bizarre aftermath of that cell phone pic that made it around the world in 30 minutes. Seems that Sheriff Leon Lott is a bit of a camera ham himself. According to Newsweek, locals in Richland County, South Carolina say the most dangerous place to be is between their sheriff and a news camera. He recently sent expletive shouting deputies with a battering ram into the campus party house where the illegal pot-smoking took place over 3 months ago. They found a gram of "marihuana" which is worth about $3 and could probably get several people high. The cost to taxpayers? ...thousands of dollars in undercover overtime, I'm sure. And then there is the cost to the fraternity to replace the slintered door.

They have not decriminalized any use of marijuana in the South, and we all know life is very different in the southern states. But I suspect that there is plenty of real crime in Richland County South Carolina, and I can't help but wonder if those sheriff's deputies could have spent their time in a more useful way tracking down thieves, burglars, or car-jackers.

And does Kellogg's realize how many pop-tarts they sell to stoners?

We live in a society based on denial. Maybe someday we can chill out about marijuana and the millions of adults who have used it for decades, and focus on actual dangers and risks in society that impact our health in serious ways.

Socks Rest in Peace

2009-02-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

It's not a huge or important one, as news stories go, but we learned this weekend that "Socks", the White House cat that lived with the Clintons in the 1990's, has passed away, reportedly due to cancer. (He was about 18 years old, which is pretty much the upper limit for house cats these days.) He had been staying in Maryland with the former Clinton's secretary.

Presidential dogs get a lot more press, and there have been more dogs than cats in the White House, even though there are more cats than dogs in America. When the Obamas get around to choosing their new pet, the media frenzy will rival any news story out there.

Nevertheless, I had always wondered what became of Socks, and even with the constant avalanche of bad economic news we have to bear each day, it made me a tad bit sad when I heard about Socks. The black and white cat (which is the most common color of domestic cats world-wide) was a fixture in the White House during the Clinton presidency, and many of us look back on those days wistfully.

Boycott the "bamn" Boycott

2009-02-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

The professional 70's style protest group "bamn", which is hassling local shoppers trying to patronize downtown Ferndale businesses, claims to be trying to reform the region's education system. They wish to either combine all the local systems into one giant district or get inter-county schools of choice. To this end, they have targeted one successful magnet school in Ferndale that attracts about 400 students, claiming it is somehow segregated.

(See previous post from last month)

Bamn is pleased that they have begun to hurt our local economy, and have ramped up their protests at several local popular businesses and landmark downtown locations in Ferndale.

They even tried to boycott the Blues Festival (They failed at that...big time !)

Since our Constitution guarantees free speech, there is little we can do to counter their bully tactics and misplaced anger. But one thing we can do is patronize the businesses that are being targeted. Boycott the boycott.

Nothing will deflate the tired rhetoric of bamn (I have decided to only use lower case letters for their acronym, they are not deserving of capital letters) than to negate the very tactics that they use.

So....Let's spend some of our money in the businesses that are being picketed by bamn. Go to Western Market and buy your produce, meat, and groceries. (It is a great store anyway.)
Have dinner and or drinks at Como's or Dino's. Buy some items from Dollar Castle and or The Record Collector. Let's fight fire with fire. Buy local. Support our local businesses.

The Last Michigan State Fair ?

2009-02-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

Many people will be shocked and saddened to learn this week that the new state budget being proposed for the new fiscal year will include an end to funding for the state fair grounds. This year's annual Michigan State Fair held at the end summer may be our last.

Michigan is still in a deep recession, and has been for more than five years. Continuing depressed economic activity, increased unemployment, and disasterous vehicle sales have all taken their toll on an ever tightening state budget. Nearly everyone is hurting, including local, state, and federal govermental budgets. Additional cuts are necessary, and this highly visible cut cannot be helped. The state may put the land up for sale where the historic fair has been held for more than a century.

We in Ferndale will watch the situation unfold, and will stay attuned to developments. Obviously we will strive to represent the interests of our residents and neighbors, and support ideas that would improve the area (parks, recreation, nature, and or housing/retail) as well as oppose options that could be detrimental to the area (race-tracks, heavy industry).

The budget for the City of Ferndale is still in very strong shape, with no cuts to services planned right now. But we are not an island, and we all will have to pull together as we weather this world-wide economic storm, and its unfortunate and unpleasant ramifications.

Ribs Burn-Off and Blues Festival Success

2009-01-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

The 8th Annual Ferndale Blues Festival has been wildly successful so far, with just two days left.
The venues have been mostly full, and people are being generous with donations for the charities.

Go! Comedy held a great Blues event last night, and the venue is very cool.

I've heard amazing music, including last night at Dino's with the Sax Maniacs.

Friday January 30 will be standing room only at Rosie O'Grady's for Bobby Murray and it will be rocking also at Dino's, Bart's, Tony's, and Como's.

More than 1,000 persons are expected to attend the 2nd Annual Ribs Burn-Off beginning at noon January 31 in the Library parking lot tent behind Dino's. $10 admission to charity gets you ribs from up to ten difference cook. Votes and judges will determine the best barbeque ribs.

With apologies to my vegan friends, I do love my barbeque, particularly in the winter time.

Oh, and for the first time in many weeks, we are expecting temperatures ABOVE 32 degrees.

10,000 Blue Lights Shining in Ferndale

2009-01-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Visitors and residents in Ferndale will notice beginning this week thousands of blue lights shining across the downtown as the city gears up for its 8th Annual "Bud Light" Ferndale Blues Festival.
First held in 2002, the music festival has grown larger each year, and over the past few years a new tradition of lighting up the city in blue has taken hold. The city has blue spot lights on the "Crow's Nest" and on the Ferndale "Wall" at Woodward and Nine. The streetlights have also been strung with blue rope lighting. Dino's, Howe's Bayou, The New Way, Just for Us, and the DDA have all lit up their windows in blue lights and displays. And Como's has outshone everyone this year, with more than 2,000 blue lights around the popular restaurant and bar.

The festival starts Friday January 23 with seven concerts in seven venues downtown. All of the concerts are free, with donations requested at the door of Dino's and Club Bart. We simply ask that patrons throw a dollar or two in the blind blue piggy banks that will be passed around the crowds by volunteers.

The festival then continues for nine days and nights, and I hope to report on some of the stories and experiences that will take place among the twenty three locations holding concerts and other events.

For a complete line-up of the scheduled bands and venues, go to our web site at www.ferndalebluesfestival.org.

As the economy continues to deteriorate, let's remind ourselves that we can still celebrate the solid and timeless values of music, friendship, and community. Put on your warm coats and winter boots, and join us for the festival at your favorite restaurant or club.

By Any Means Necessary ?

2009-01-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Members of the grass-roots activist group BAMN have decided to target Ferndale and our schools in their effort to force the creation of one massive regional school district that would cross county borders and include students from Detroit and all the surrounding suburbs. Their issues and concerns are very understandable. The Detroit Public School System is almost completely dysfunctional with multiple school closings, a sky-high drop-out rate, and financial irresponsibility. Their school system is broken, and has been such for many years. But instead of demanding reform and insisting on accountability within their own system, BAMN members are targeting a tiny school district known for its progressive ideas in Oakland County, and are using any means necessary, including boycott threats and aggressive rhetoric, to try and guilt this town to support their plans.

BAMN evidently wants Ferndale High School to open its doors to students from Detroit.
We already are a school of choice district, allowing students to attend from Oakland County.
Obviously, opening up our main high school to the tens of thousands of Detroit students is impossible. And even if every high school in Oakland County did so, that would not solve the problems systemic in the Detroit Public Schools.

Ferndale is trying to help. Our University High School is an excellent college-prep high school partnered with Lawrence Tech. that provides a great choice for an education for students planning on further college education or possible careers in the automotive industry. The special school has attracted students from all over, including Detroit. It is a success, is very popular and its effective.

But rather than appreciate that we can help an additional 400 hundred students get a quality education there, without the costs of a private school, BAMN claims the school is segregated and inferior. Such bizarre and convoluted thinking is not only false and inflammatory, but it does nothing to help solve the problem or bring us closer to solutions. Without University High School, these 400 young people would lose this valuable choice.

Ferndale High School is fullly integrated, and has been for decades. Students there represent many cultures and backrounds and ethnic nationalities. Students choosing to attend University High School do so in order to get a good education. That it attracts mostly Black students from Detroit is proof that it is a good school, and students and parents are voting with their feet.

BAMN has suggested closing University High School. Thus we would go backwards by denying several hundred youth the chance for a better education and career.

BAMN also has decided to threaten local Ferndale businesses and shops with a boycott unless the stores post a flyer from BAMN promoting their cause. Apart from the ugliness of that kind of blackmailed threat, this activity will further doom their prospects for change and reform.
Rather than lobbying state officials and their own local school board, using logic and reason and proposing solutions with real possibilities, BAMN will further drive yet another wedge between our cities on either side of 8 Mile Road.

Ferndale is known now as a progressive and open community. BAMN's rhetoric ironically attempts to leverage such feelings into liberal guilt. They have even tried to tie the town's
open and supportive attitudes toward Gay people into their strategy to force our public schools to open enrollment to tens of thousands of Wayne County students. Such cynical and twisted logic leads only to head-scratching disbelief.

We in Ferndale totally support the goal of every young person to get a solid education. It is a right that our country must deliver on for every generation. We sympathize with parents and students in Detroit and in other districts that are failing. And we join the chorus to demand accountability and solutions to achieve quality education for all students. But closing a successful school in Ferndale or threatening Ferndale businesses with boycotts will not help the problem, and will ultimately not be successful.

Craig Covey, Mayor
City of Ferndale

A Green and Helpful Christmas or Holiday Season

2008-12-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some ways to deal with Christmas, and have a helpful impact on the community and the environment, while also keeping your sanity and cutting costs.

1) Shop locally. You can save on gasoline, time, pollution, and stress by shopping close to home.
Avoid the mega-malls, reduce fuel and waste, and support your local economy. This also
helps the local tax-base. Avoid the waste of travel, and buy American products, or better yet,
Michigan-made items like wine, food products, etc.

2) Buy items for gifts that are utilitarian. Most of us have too much "stuff" anyway. Buy gifts
that are useful that the person will need anyway. Spirits, coffee, flashlights, giftcards from
favorite local stores and shops will be appreciated, and not add to the clutter and waste that
fills up our homes anyway.

3) Give gifts that can be reused, recycled, or even regifted. Books, DVD's, and clothing can eventually be passed on to others.

4) It really is the thought that counts. A great gift could be lunch or dinner at a favorite restaurant or take your intended recipient to a movie.

5) Use minimal wrapping and use wrappings and bags that are recycled or can be recycled.

6) Make a donation in the recipent's name to a favorite charity. You get a deduction too.

7) Finally, remember the season is about caring, giving, and love. If the stress of cards and shopping and partying is too much for you, you aren't doing it right. Enjoy the smells and sights and sounds and the lights.

World AIDS Day 2008 / In it for the Long Haul

2008-11-26T11:06:00.001-08:00

As World AIDS Day rolls around once again this Monday December 1st, I'm pleased to announce that the organization that I founded in 1988, Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP), will be merging with the Michigan AIDS Fund in the very near future. MAF and MAPP together will become an organization with a combined 39 years experience in HIV/AIDS work, will have a total of 16 full and part-time staff, and a combined budget of $1.4 million. Together, we can cut costs and provide increased programming, and make sure the organization is proactive and sustainable for the long haul.

When I first began to work in AIDS education and advocacy in 1984, I never ever would have believed that I would make it my life career, and spend at least the next 25 years in the field.
But after five years of GLBT community organizing (with Stonewall in Ohio and then MOHR in Michigan), the AIDS epidemic was killing my friends and had eclipsed for many of us our priorities. I was offered the opportunity to work full time creatively in HIV prevention through support from the state health department. In 1988 we formed MAPP.

But like families and businesses all across America, non-profits have to be nimble and innovative in the face of escalating costs, and shrinking resources. In order to remain viable and effective in our mission, MAPP began to discuss ways to stay strong amidst worsening economic conditions. The time to ponder budget shortfalls is BEFORE they occur. We approached the Michigan AIDS Fund in December 2007 to explore increased collaboration.

Michigan AIDS Fund was formed nearly 20 years ago to provide advocacy and funding for state -wide efforts fighting the AIDS epidemic in this state. They have an excellent history of energetic and creative support that is second to none in Michigan. Together, the two organizations will be able to cut costs, reduce administrative overhead, and can redouble our efforts at reducing HIV infection risk through a variety of innovative and comprehensive programs.

The two organizations will form the new Michigan AIDs Coalition. No current staff members of either group will be laid off. We will seek out a new home for the group, and will be strong and solid and ready to roll up our sleeves for as long as it takes. We are in this for the long haul. We are in this until the epidemic is over, done,
and gone.

O Happy Days.....Free at Last !

2008-11-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

Like tens of millions of Americans, and indeed millions more across the world, election night results and events brought upon me a huge and wide array of very intense feelings and emotions. Relief, pride, delight, awe, and hope are just a few of the words that can describe the way I experienced last night and today.

In my 51 years of life, I think today is the proudest I have ever been of America, a place and community that I have always loved. Certainly since September 11th, 2001, it seems that hope and optimism are back. It feels like GOOD change is coming, and coming now.

I have never understood prejudice and hatred of those who are different, and have spent all of my life advocating and organizing for diversity and understanding and tolerance. My little bit of work has added to the efforts of millions, and today, America is shining like the beacon it has always strived to be.

Last night was magical, but it was just the culmination of two years of hard work.

With this victory by the tall lanky young man from Chicago comes energy, hope, and yearning for a better nation. Now the really hard work begins.

But now we can face the serious and scary challenges facing America with a sense of community, unity, and purpose. Lets join together, red and blue, black and white, brown and red, and gay and straight....younger and older. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.

O Happy Days !

Vote YES on Michigan State Issues 1 and 2

2008-10-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

Michigan voters will have more than just the chance to finally elect a new President and other state and federal office-holders. There are two state ballot issues, and both deserve to be passed.

The decriminalization of marijuana for medical use is Issue 1 and would allow patients with a doctor's prescription to grow and use personal amounts of the herb. Already passed by at least nine states in the U.S., this effort would negate Michigan laws criminalizing pot for persons with a doctor's prescription. Such patients could not be prosecuted for their private use. Ferndale, Ann Arbor, Traverse City, Flint, and Detroit have already passed similar laws.

Our country has always had draconian laws dealing with pot. First criminalized in 1937 after the repeal of prohibition, marijuana use by Mexican immigrants and workers in the Southwest scandalized the temperance activists and other white Protestant conservatives looking to prop up morals and keep up some semblance of Victorian values. They feared the increase of ethnic minorities, Catholics, Latinos, and others in American society. The cult movie flick "Reefer Madness" illustrates the vitriole and over-the-top fear mongering used to demonize the plant.

Marijuana has medicinal properties including appetite stimulation, lowering of blood pressure,
relaxation, and as an anti-nausea medication. It is used by some patients with epilepsy or multiple sclerosis for its anti-spasmodic effects.

While smoking any type of leaf is not healthy, marijuana use is judged far less deleterious than he use of tobacco, which kills millions world-wide each year. And tobacco smokers are not arrested or thrown in jail, at least not yet.

People with cancer, AIDS, and other serious diseases should not be at risk for arrest or jail or fines if they choose to use marijuana as therapy, and voters should vote YES on November 1st.

State Issue 2 would prohibit Michigan from limiting stem cell research beyond federal guidelines. This should be a no-brainer, but is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church and pro-life, anti-abortion organizations. They believe that microscopic embryos should not be used for research or stem cell harvesting, as they are potential human beings. Yet these embryos are already in existence, left over from pregnancy support clinics and couples who have used assistance in artificial insemination techniques. In most cases, the embryos are thrown away or destroyed. They are no more human beings than a handful of sperm is a million people, or woman's eggs are a tiny village. With six billion people on earth, tens of thousands of live children die every day of starvation and disease. Instead of preventing valuable research to help living ill persons with stem cells, we would better use our resources to help the real living people on the earth today. Vote YES on state issue 2.

Riding the Pale Horse

2008-09-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

She came on the scene by storm, wowing the Republican Convention with her homespun humor and northern yooper-like accent. She was attractive, charismatic, and a successful wife, mom,
mayor, and governor. This is a game-changer they said. A conservative to unite the party and reinvigorate the moribund campaign of John McCain. They were right, for awhile anyway, but time and study have removed the sheen off those appley fresh cheeks.

Sarah Palin may be popular in Alaska and among evangelical Christians. She may have been a decent mayor of a town less than half the size of Ferndale. But her intellect, experience, and world view have shaken many Americans as they ponder her as our possible Vice-President, and more frighteningly, as our possible President.

The more Governor Palin speaks in public and allows live interviews, the more doubts are raised about her caliber as a national office-holder. Her rambling explanations about Alaska being near Russia and Canada do not instill confidence that she has the kind of deep foreign policy knowledge required to navigate our country through the intricacies of world affairs.

The scariest issue for me about Sarah Palin is without a doubt the particulars of her own brand of religious fundamentalism. She is not just a conservative who opposes sex education, birth control, and reproductive choice. And she does not just simply oppose equal rights for gay people. She was raised in, believes in, and participates in one of the most extreme wings of evangelical Christian fundamentalism. Known as Pentecostalism, these folks believe in the total literal truth of the bible as written. Various churches of this branch conduct the practice of speaking in tongues, faith healing, and in extreme cases in appalachia, the handling of poisonous snakes and the drinking of poison. They believe in demons and that the "end times" may be approaching, when an anti-christ takes over the world.

While all this and more could be tolerated as just another type of religous belief, it does make a difference when such a believer comes into control of the most powerful military in the world, and the nuclear arsenal that goes with it.

We have experienced eight years of a President who claims that God guided him in his decision to go to war against Iraq in a crusade-like battle against Islamic militants. And as frightening and disgusting as Islamic fanaticism and terrorism is in our world today, the solution is not to empower or encourage religious fundamentalism on the other side. Incredibly, there are persons across the globe who would like to see a world war between the forces of Christianity and Islam.

America is still a country that allows for the freedom to worship or practice just about any religion. (as well as the freedom to not practice any religion.) But we should think twice, and again a third time, about electing as a leader of the free world anyone who believes that Gay may soon bring about the end of civilization as we know it. Mankind is capable of destoying the world all by ourselves, and we need smart leaders in control of the nuclear arsenal who will work to keep the world peaceful and alive for future generations.

Clawing his way to the top...A cat's plea.

2008-09-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

There is a tremendous competition going on at the Steppin' Out AIDS Walk this coming weekend in downtown Royal Oak. Gizmo (at right) is a seven pound, seven year old "Flame Point" Siamese cat that is challenging "Beau" the dog owned by Affirmations Director Leslie Thompson. Each year the dog raises money for Affirmations AIDS programs, and this year, Gizmo asked me to enroll him to raise money for "WAGS" the animal pet care program MAPP manages for people living with HIV/AIDS and their companion animals. As of today, the two mammals are nearly tied, with Beau slightly ahead at $1,220.00 Gizmo is at $1,210.

Here is what Gizmo has to say:

"Dogs get groomers, doggie day care, dog parks, doggie clothes, and they get to go riding with owners in their cars and go to festivals and parades. All the while we cats stay home quietly grooming ourselves and ridding the world of the occasional mouse or vole. But not this year.

I am making an appearance at the DIY festival in downtown Ferndale this Saturday September 20th and I will also make the walk, and appear at the Steppin' Out Festival Sunday September 21st at 10 am outside the Farmers Market off 11 Mile Road. I have been preparing by taking lots of naps. Please support the cats of the world by pledging me at

www.aidsprevention.org/aidswalk.htm

Go to the Mapp Team page and scroll down to pledge me or the guy I live with, MAPP CEO Craig Covey. He takes good care of me and the other two cats I let live there. He even puts out catnip every once in a while when we want to party.

"Gizmo"

P.S. I am descended from Lions, you know.

Eight is Enough

2008-08-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

So many of us agree with Senator Barak Obama when he says that "eight is enough". Actually eight years of George Bush's mis-steps, mistakes, and missed opportunities is way more than enough. Thus, we cannot give Senator McCain and his party four more years to try and repair the damage, much less screw things up more.

Thank-you Senator Obama, for reminding us that Americans are strong, smart, and dedicated, and that we are in this together. Enough of the divisions manufactured by Karl Rove and Co.

Thank-you Senator for promising to end this tragic and ill-conceived war.

Thank-you for clearly providing a way to energy indenpence and smart environmental policies that will provide for a world our grand-kids can survive and thrive in.

Thank-you for mentioning Gay and Lesbian people in your acceptance speech seen by millions around the world.

And thank you for trying to unite America behind common goals and helping restore our national pride and resolve.

McCain and his party may well try and divide us and frighten us again, with the strategies that have worked well in the past. Let's not let them do that to us again, this time around

The Future Face of Ferndale

2008-08-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Residents of Ferndale, Michigan need to let their elected Council members know what they think about the alternative plans for renovating our city buildings and the possibility of moving Ferndale City Hall.

Within the next five weeks or so, the Ferndale City Council may decide between two plans that will determine the look of our downtown for the next few decades.

The "New City Hall" plan involveds buying the second floor of the Credit Union One Bank building on E. Nine Mile Road next to the police station and building it out, creating a possible new entrance on the west side of the bank, with elevators, and moving the entire city hall and its departments and offices into that space at a cost of between $2.5 million and $3 million. Then the current city hall would be completely renovated for the 43rd District Court and the expansion of the police department at a cost of around $4.5 million. Total cost of this plan is estimated at between $7.5 and $8 million.

The "Phased Plan" would purchase the OLHSA building for the Court next door and renovate and expand that space at a cost of between $1.5 million and $2 million. City Hall would remain where it is, and over time, it could be renovated. The police department would also be expanded and renovated. These costs could add up to $4 million, but could be done over time, phased in and done as needs and funds permit.

Everyone agrees the Court is in terrible need of moving. But not everyone believes that City Hall needs to be renovated or expanded right now. Most of us agree that the police department is in need of more room.

Proponents of the Credit Union One plan say it is innovative, and plans long term for development on the north side of 9 Mile Road where the old court and Olhsa sits now.
They believe we need more room for all three entities: the Court the Police Dept. and the City Hall. They say the funds are available, and want to commit the resources now.

Opponents of that plan wish to move the Court next door to OLHSA next door and preserve the current City Hall. They believe the plan is much less expensive, and prefer to do the work in phases. They do not like the concept of moving the City Hall into a private corporate building where visibility and access may be reduced.

I prefer the OLHSA plan because it preserves these buildings. It reuses what we have instead of building a new City Hall. It is less expensive, and prioritizes our needs by focusing first on the Court. It follows the concept of "fix it first", retro-fitting exisitng structures which is environmentally more friendly, rather the incurring the costs and materials of creating a new city hall within the bank. Finally, this plan preserves our City Hall as a stand-alone symbol of the City of Ferndale. Rather than locate the "people's" city hall inside a bank building, it keeps it independent and visible.

Good people can disagree, and this issue has proponents on both sides. I believe it is important for the people of Ferndale to weigh in now on this issue. Your elected Council members should hear from the voters and residents, regardless of which side one favors. The issue involves the city's (your) buildings, the look of your downtown, your tax dollars, and the very face of your government.

Always the Bridesmaid....Never the Bride

2008-06-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

It's June, the month for wedding showers and brides and weddings and honeymoons. Tens of thousands of weddings take place each year in June, and it's big business. It's going to get bigger as more states begin to allow same sex couples to wed. There is no doubt that tolerance and acceptance for gay and lesbian people has grown exponentially in the past quarter century, and if anyone doubts a future that is totally accepting of the gay community, including gay marriage, they need only talk to their children or their grandchildren.

California has become the most recent state to legalize gay weddings. Our country's largest state follows Massachussetts, Vermont, New Jersey and New York in granting the right to marry or recognizing same sex weddings. And this is just the beginning. Within most of our lifetimes, gay marriage will become commonplace most everywhere. It is the undeniable future and it is a good thing. If stable and loving relationships are beneficial to society, then we should eliminate barriers to having more of them.

It was just four years ago that the issue of same sex marriage burst onto the scene during the summer of the last presidential election. Vermont had become the first state to allow such weddings, and in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom had proclaimed that his city hall would perform such rites. Thousands of couples lined up in the rain to gain the rights and legal benefits that go with marriage. Then the backlash came down hard, and many states and courts said no. No right to marraige, no joint income tax filings. No right to inherit property or share custody rights. Republicans, including George Bush, used gay marriage as a wedge issue.
An increase in rural and conservative voters turnout in places like Iowa, Florida and Ohio
gave President Bush his re-election.

Times are different now. Polls show for the first time a majority of Americans willing to allow and accept same sex unions, including full marriage. And polls of young people, those under 30, show acceptance rates of the issue above 90 percent. Each year I speak to a thousand teenagers from around the world at university summer camps. For more than a decade I have asked each group how many believe that gay couples should be able to marry. Half used to raise their hands. Over the years, the percentage who agree has grown. Now, when I ask the question, every single hand goes up.

For the past eight years, the mayors of Ferndale have performed same sex union ceremonies at or near city hall. Beginning with former Mayor Goedert, and through six years with Mayor Porter, and now with me, Ferndale mayors have performed dozens of such weddings. They are not legally recongnized yet, but they will be soon. Of that I have absolutely no doubt. Michigan won't be next. Our state from some reason is unable to lead our nation with progressive ideas.
The next states to legalize gay marriage will be places like Oregon, Washington, and Rhode Island. They will join several countries that have same sex marriage such as Spain, Canada, and the Netherlands, and now Norway.

There will continue to be resistance, of course. Certain African nations and Muslim countries have homophobia deeply imbedded in their cultures. And Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma will take their time coming around.

In Michigan, mayor's have the authority to perform legal marriages. Since becoming mayor of Ferndale, I have performed about ten weddings between men and women. I enjoy this duty and view it as a priviledge. The irony is that I can perform such ceremonies, but should I ever find a partner who agrees to a proposal on bended knee from me, that he and could not be legally married in my own state of Michigan. At least not yet.

I saw a dinosaur yesterday

2008-04-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

As I was driving south on I 75 yesterday returning from the gym, I was amazed to see a dinosaur in my rear-view mirror. I wasnt sure what kind it was until it passed me, speeding by on my left going about 70 mph. At first I thought it was a Suburbadon. Those large boxy SUV's were usually brown, or grey. They were seen mostly during the 1990's and 00's, before gasoline began approaching $5 per gallon. But no, as it lumbered past, I saw that is was a Yukonasaur XL. (XL stands for extra large)

These beasts were prevalent when gasoline was still being squandered by Americans in the previous age, before the great gasoline shortages and oil wars of the 21st century. Today, of course, we laugh at such grotesque creatures. Reportedly the last of the giant SUV's were junked around 2016 at the end of the third Iraq/Iran war.

Young people today are amazed at what their grandfathers drove. Just as we make fun of the outlandish dress of the 1970's, people today marvel at the bawdy and oversize monsters spewing black smoke during the times before we understood the importance of conservation.

Today, of course, the Hummersaurs are extinct. They exist only in museums in Detroit, where they used to make cars. You can also see them on the History Channel.

April Fools

2008-04-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Since Mother Nature played an April fools joke on us today with weather last night at a balmy 60 degrees before plunging to below freezing tonight with hail, I thought I might mention the worst joke being played on us all in Southeast Michigan these days.

Kwame Kilpatrick needs to just go. With all the problems that plague Detroit and to a lesser extent the whole state of Michigan, the last thing we need is another embarrassment to go national. But national it has gone. The sex and legal scandals to beset the region are now fodder for national jokes. Just as we started to make headway with our tattered reputation, the mayor's personal shortcomings and lack of ethics has smacked us back down.

While many of us push for green policies and regional cooperation on mass transit, the headlines get highjacked back to sorry and sordid scandals involving secret deals, wife-cheating, and clumsy obstruction of justice. While businesses try and return to Detroit with loft development, new hotels, casinos, and stadiums, the mayor throws away millions of dollars to protect his personal and now very tattered reputation.

Most of us care little if a politician gets caught with his pants down. It is the lying, cheating, hypocrisy, and dishonesty that makes us throw up our hands with disgust.

Born-again Fundamentalists buying hookers and male prostitutes, conservative senators cruising mens' rooms, governors paying for $5,000 call girls across state lines, even Presidents going after interns in the oval office. These are the headlines that prove our society's dissonance between sexual mores and sexual behaviors. A little honesty would go a long way here.

In the meantime, when one gets caught with their pants down, it is too late to run and hide.

That is the time to come clean. Fess up. Own your behavior. And for Kwame Kilpatrick, it means just go.

Highlights From the Blues Festival VII

2008-02-05T14:29:00.001-08:00

Friday Night, the first night....at Rosie O'Grady's was amazing. The sax player with Luther Bad Man Keith almost blew me right out of my shoes. I need to get his name, as he is a fantastic musician. I swear I saw dust shaking off the rafters as he blew a solo on his saxophone that had the crowds on their feet.

I heard that the young teen-age son of Albert Young also impressed the audience at Tony's as he played the sax as well. Im told he is around 13 years old. It is great that each generation brings about new blues musicians.

Dino's had the biggest crowds, to the extent that they had to halt entry for periods of time both weekends. Im glad the Fire Marshall didn't pop in. The Luddites were great. The Reefermen are always great.

We lost power Wednesday morning and thus lost a night of blues at Dino's and Club Bart's.
The following night however made up for that loss. The Ferndale Middle School Jazz Choir and Band bowled people over. The Ringwald was standing room only. Those kids are wonderful.

And the Barbeque Tent! Who could have predicted nearly 1,000 people coming through that amazing event. The music was topped only by the food. Six chefs, all volunteers, cooking up hundreds of pounds of baby back ribs. The Judges Choice? Jack Aronson of Garden Fresh Salsa along with Ferndale Police Chief Michael Kitchen won that award.

Nine days, two cities, 24 venues, and over 80 concerts. The Festival was great, and the money is still being counted, but it appears that we will blow past last year's take like a blues sax on a hot Saturday night.

Ton Ten Reasons to Sing the Blues

2008-01-23T15:18:00.001-08:00

It's 19 degrees outside tonight and
It gets dark at 5:30
Gasoline is costing $3.09 a gallon and
My stocks are down 15 percent
Im still at work and it's going on 7 pm
I think Im coming down with a cold
I'm single again...again, and they's
no one waiting for me at home but the cats
I ain't had a raise at work since 2006
We got another year of George Bush

Why I Sing The Blues

2008-01-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

The reason that many people love the "Blues" is that we find spiritual commonality in the music that shares the universal human trait of having "troubles". Listening to the Blues makes us realize that we are not alone. Misery loves company, and hearing the blues is cathartic in the sense that we find others have gone through what we all have to deal with.

Blues music is not sad music. It makes us happy, if even for just awhile. That wailing saxophone, the cry of the harmonica, the beat of the drums and the almost human sound of the guitar...all these come together with words that describe so many daily tribulations. Whether it is money trouble, or a cheating spouse, or loneliness; or something as complicated as legal problems or as simple as just having to go to work everyday.... we have all been there.

I will share thoughts and experiences these next couple of weeks during the 7th Annual Bud Light Ferndale Blues Festival. The festival runs from Friday January 25 thru Saturday Feb. 1st. I will write about highlights (and low points?) and thoughts on how and why we organize this annual music series.

More than 80 separate concerts and events will occur during this festival over nine days in 22 venues in two cities. I hope you will consider coming out and joining your friends and neighbors at a club or restaurant. Several venues are smoke free, and family friendly. In any case, I hope you will realize how important music is to surviving, and thriving, in the human condition we know as life in Southeast Michigan.

Check out the web site at www.FerndaleBluesFestival.org to see the schedule. That info will also be in all our sponsors publications and web sites. these media sponsors include MetroTimes, Daily Tribune, WDET FM, Metra Magazine, Mirror Newspapers, Woodward Talk, and other local papers such as the Free Press and Between the Lines.

Please feel free to post your own comments to these musings, good or bad, positive or negative.

Just 373 Day to Go...Obama For President

2008-01-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

In just over one year, this country will finally have a new President. It was an excruciatingly long period for our country. Two recessions, one nasty unnecessary war, eight years of worsening environmental damage, unproductive partisanship and a badly divided populace, and ballooning deficit spending the likes of which our country has never seen....these are the legacies of George W. Bush.

While there are several great potential leaders running as Democrats for President, my support is going to Mr. Obama. I endorsed his late last year, and I think he is the breath of fresh air this country needs. He can unite the country, especially the disenfranchised young voters, independents, minorities, and the working and middle classes. He inspires me, and he has pledged to stop the partisanship that has characterized our national political system.

Since he wont be on the Michigan ballot during our attempted primary, I may end voting on the Republican side. There my vote will not go to Mr. Huckabee. While I am not a Libertarian, the views and ideas of Ron Paul are refreshing and interesting. He has generated a good deal of support in Ferndale, and he opposes the war, and supports new ways of dealing with our country's drug problems.

But whether our next President is the first elected woman, or the first elected person of color, it will be a time of great celebration and relief. Let history judge George Bush. I already have.

Sustaining Our World

2007-11-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a concept for individuals as well as government leaders on all levels. Sustainability means planning and creating homes and cities and infrastucture to last, and securing resources to keep up on maintenance and repairs. It also means having an impact on the environment that will support future use and life, with minimal damage or impact on our fragile ecology.

The opposite of sustainability is what unfortunately is familiar to much of America. A recent story in the Detroit Free Press tells of a brand new "mega-church" being planned in northwest Oakland County. It is part of more urban sprawl that necessitates building more roads, more water lines and sewers, more schools, and of course, more strip malls and big box stores. As these new subdivisions and buildings chew up ever more farmland further and further from the core cities and suburbs, they require more and more time and gasoline to get to and fro.

Atlanta is suffering the consequences of poor planning, waste, and urban sprawl. As they overbuilt and spread out over vast areas of the region, they are now running out of water.
Larger lawns, bigger houses, miles of water lines, and wastefulness are obvious signs of the mistakes being made. Those homes thirty miles from work or downtown may not seem so pleasant when gasoline costs $3.30 a gallon.

While urban sprawl wastes land and resources, and costs us all in higher gasoline costs and taxes, there are empty houses and vacant land in the core cities and suburbs. Empty stores, empty schools, and abandoned homes sit wasting away. Yet those roads, sewers, water lines, and libraries still need to be maintained. Thus, our taxes go higher.

Driving a Hummer is not sustainable. Building a McMansion in the woods an hour from the city is not sustainable. Adding yet another lane to I75 to rush people further north is not sustainable. Driving an hour each way to work is not sustainable. Refusing to build mass public transit is not sustainable. We can learn this now, or we can wait until disaster hits.

A Note from Lillie, 85 year old Ferndale resident

2007-10-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

I recieved this following hand-written note from Lillie, a woman who sent a small donation to the Covey mayoral campaign, and who has lived in her present Ferndale home for 54 years.

"So glad to see you are going to be our next mayor. I have always said you do a good job along with our present mayor (Bob Porter) in making Ferndale a beautiful city, I have lived at my present address since 1953. Wish I could help on the election. I am 85 years old. I'll leave it to the youngsters. Good Luck."

Lillie N. East Drayton

And good luck to you Lillian. You have stuck with Ferndale through the thin times and the good times. We "youngsters" will do our best to protect and preserve this fine city that you have made your home all these times.

Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way

2007-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Dysfunctional may not be too strong of an adjective to describe the workings of our state government over the past seven months. The state of Michigan has been operating with a huge budget deficit that looms larger with each passing week. And many many weeks have passed since the process to work out the new fiscal year's budget began.

It is not a good enough excuse for failure just because one party controls the House and the other party controls the Senate. These are adults who get paid quite well to manage and oversee state government. In a divided government compromise is the way to get things done.
Everybody shares their opinions, give and take occurs, and progress is made.

Holding the state hostage for seven months was rude and lame. As a Democrat, I could blame the Republicans. But I choose not to do so at this point. It is the responsibility of all elected officials to work together and find common ground. We should not have to have bullying, threats, and games played by our elected representatives and senators.

Michigan has plenty of problems to deal with, including high unemployment, declining industry and manufacturing, and rising costs for schools, universities, and prisons. We need to both raise revenue AND cut costs.

I worked closely with the state health department for 15 years, and I am well aware of bloated bureacracies, high staff costs, duplication of effort, and waste. For Democrats to refuse to include cost cutting in their budget plans is not right. And for Republicans to refuse flatly to raise any taxes or fees, and refuse to bargain or compromise, is absolutely irresponsible. For either side to play "chicken" and threaten a state government shut down is just sad.

On the Ferndale City Council, we five members do not always agree. We have differenct opinions, and our votes are often not unanimous. We dont even always like each other or trust each other. But at least we do feel we owe it to the residents and businesses in Ferndale to do our job, protect services, and maintain a responsible and balanced budget.

C'mon State House, State Senate, and Governor's Office. Get it together. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Only in America

2007-08-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about America is our diversity. And not just in our racial or cultural backrounds. Our diversity in opinions, beliefs, interests, and choices is what truly makes us diverse.

Over the space of one week, Ferndale saw the "Green Cruise" celebrated by 700 people from around the region by biking, walking, jogging, skateboarding, rollerblading, and even travelling down the streets by wind in a sail. They celebrated fresh air, exercize, and freedom from the gasoline engine.

A few days later, thousands of locals and visitors celebrated the giant "DreamCruise", watching and riding in vintage cars and trucks from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. They celebrated the big steel and chrome land cruisers rumbling power and belching fumes from leaded gasoline.

While the events could not be more different, they were certainly both very American. Some people, including myself, attended and enjoyed both events. My lungs may have preferred the former, but my memories and nastalgia were stirred by the latter.

How cool that Americans get so many choices about so many things. For all the problems we face, and all there terrible policies that have been put in place these last seven years, at least we still have unbridled freedom. While that freedom may be at risk with unconstitutional wiretapping going on in the name of homeland security, we still have more choices and freedoms than any people at any time in the history of the world.

Factory Farms and Destroying Michigan's Most Precious Resource

2007-07-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

The Republican State Senate has voted to exempt giant factory farms in Michigan from water pollution controls in place to protect our lakes, aquifers, rivers, and streams. While many of us are trying to save the planet and protect our natural resources for future generations, the tired old moneyed interests in Lansing keep trying to row the other way.

These giant factory farms that raise thousands of animals in close quarters for eventual slaughter are called "CAFOs", or centralized animal feeding operations. They are not pleasant places, but do manage to produce large quantities of cheap meat, milk and eggs. They also produce huge amounts of manure and urine, which is usually dumped into giant "lagoons".
(No matter how much one may enjoy rural life, you wouldnt want live anywhere near one of these horrific places.)

Basic common sense would hold that such profit-making enterprises would have to at least follow basic anti-pollution guidelines that attempt to protect our water supply. But the Republican controlled Michigan Senate is trying to exempt CAFOs from having to adhere to basic pollution guidelines.

This is why it is so hard for me to understand the reasonings of my Republican-voting friends. There is nothing conservative or family-friendly about letting giant cess-pools of animal wastes fester in Michigan, threatening our most important and valuable resource.

Diddling while Washington Dawdles

2007-07-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

The first Republican Senator elected from Louisiana since Reconstruction as been caught with his pants down. Senator Ritter was a client of the D.C. "Madam" and admitted to purchasing the services of a sex worker. No word on the gender of the employee. Since the Senator is a conservative Republican and Christian, we could assume it was a female prostitute, but who knows with the state of hypocrisy among such politicians.

What bothers most people more than the act of a married man purchasing such services is the unfairness of the hypocrisy. Politicians who are traditional "family values" and law and order candidates seem to be the ones most often nailed for flirting with teenagers, cheating on their wives, and breaking the law. (prostitution is illegal). While such behaviors are wrong, it is particulary galling when one has a history of claiming personal morality.

The Senator has said that he apologized to his wife and to God. I think he forgot about the taxpayers and his constituents.

The Coolest City in Michigan

2007-07-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

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.

Making Ferndale Green(er)

2007-06-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

It may seem to be a no-brainer, but since our country has squandered that last decade when it could have become more energy efficient and self-sufficient, then it may not be obvious enough yet. This earth has finite resources, and with six and one half billion people living on it, we must begin to act more responsibly.

The first "Earth Day" was in April 1970. That year I was 13 years old when I organized a gang of kids to clean up an empty lot that was full of trash and abandoned tires. Thirty-seven years later, Americans are still driving cars that get 13 or 16 miles per gallon.

Since our national leaders refuse to lead, cities and states are trying to do the right thing. That is why Ferndale created bike lanes, downtown walkability, and hosts the "Green Cruise" each year. We advocate for mass transit, and support better public transportation. That is why we plant dozens of new trees each year.

That is also why I pushed for, and got passed, the free parking ordinance for high mileage cars and hybrids. Not because we want to penalize some drivers, or because I am buying an Ford Escape Hybrid. It is because government has always been used to encourage beneficial behavior..(think home ownership and mortgage interest deductions). There is no reason that we could not reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and safe costs, fresh air, and refining capacity. How many people really need to dive a hummer to the grocery store?

As it has in so many ways, Ferndale will set an example for others to emulate. We will cut energy costs, reduce waste, cut down on pollution, and make our quality of life better. We will breathe easier, and be healthier. Save the Earth. Re-use, Return, Recycle...rejuvenate.

How Jerry got me started

2007-05-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Out of problems and crises, come opportunities. I was not happy when I heard Mr. Falwell bought the farm. Even though he was a mean person, who hurt others, including GLBT persons, I do not usually dance with glee when someone like him exits the stage. Like Ronald Reagan, his policies were backward and dangerous, but he was somehow likeable...sort of like an eccentric uncle.

In the summer of 1981, I had been made unemployed. Finished with college, and a polticial science B.A. degree under my belt, I had been an office manager and an athletic shoe salesman.

I was drifting, and unsure of my career or future.

After being the president of the OSU Gay Alliance, I had no gay community organization to join. There were none in Columbus at the time. Then we heard that Falwell was coming to town to start a chapter of the Moral Majority.

I quickly organized friends, liberal allies, and acquaintances to protest their first meeting. About 150 women's activists, Gays, peace workers, and even socialists got together and picketed the church on Cleveland Ave. where Falwell's group had planned to meet. We sent in spies.

Only a dozen or so people showed up to join the Moral Majority, and the chapter actually never got started.

We were so jubliant, we decided for form a new Gay rights organization for Columbus. We called it Stonewall Union. I became its first president, and later its first Exectutive Director. I had a job. We put on the first parade in Columbus for the GLBT community (back then GL community). The rest is history. Their parades now attract 100,000 people. Columubus Ohio and Ferndale, Michigan are two of the most Gay friendly cities in the Country. All because of Jerry Fallwell.

Thanks, Jerry.

2007-05-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

We all get those emails with grandiose ideas to boycott certain gas station brands, or to not buy gas on a certain day. The naive belief is that this is a way consumers can bring down the "high" price of gasoline. Certainly that is the way it works sometimes. Consumers can boycott a brand or they can stop buying a certain product. Then supply goes up, and prices come down.

This doesnt seem to work for gasoline.

Most of us cannot stop using gasoline. Our society and lifestyles and geopgraphy require gas for our transportation, which for most of us is our cars.

But even if we cant bring the cost per gallon down, there is a way to reduce our costs for gasoline. We need to drive less. We need to walk to the corner store, or the post office or the bank. We can ride bikes to locations that are within a mile or two. We can car pool or we can take a bus or a train.

We can also start buying cars with better mileage. The days of the giant suv land yaughts is drawing to a close. Like the dinosaurs, the days of lumbering Suburbans and Excursions and Hummers will become history.

Americans still have cheap gas at $3 a gallon. The rest of world pays closer to $6. We have grown fat and lazy over the decades since we first learned we were at risk to the whims of politics, mideast turmoil, and dwindling resources. Instead of getting smart, and using technology and knowledge to reduce our addiction to oil, we built and bought giant vehicles that sucked gasoline like drunken politicians. And we built more freeways so we could live far from the cities in the country.

We are paying THAT price today. Will we be making the same mistakes tomorrow?

Thank you Lee Iacocca

2007-04-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Good ol' Lee Iacocca....couldnt have said it any better. He has written a new book entitled "Where have all the Leaders Gone?". In it he shreds the Bush administration, and he warns American voters to "pick more carefully in 2008". (This from the Detroit Free Press.)

Here is the precious quote from Lee:

"We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car." "I hardly recognize this country anymore," he wrote.

Mr. Iacocca is 82 years old.

Thanks, Lee.

"Imus in the Moaning" Bring back some class.

2007-04-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Two weeks suspension is not enough. Let him taste unemployment, (something Michigan residents are getting familiar with), for at least a month. Maybe then he will gain a little class, and if he wants to be a national radio voice, he can learn to steer clear of the crassness and vulgarity that is so rife in American culture.

We have an opportunity now to stand up against the degradation, vulgarity, and coarseness that permeates popular culture today. Enough of the insults by ann coulter, and those radio clowns in Flint who yap daily about stupid things being "gay".

Trying to be hip and cool, Imus shows the risk when an over-the-hill rich white guy in the south tries to use street language. His cred is dead. (Now when I try to do it, it is self-deprecating irony, and Im neither rich nor quite yet over-the-hill )

The young women he insulted were intelligent, hard-working, motivated and attractive college students. So some of them have tatoos? Good for them ! One in three Americans under the age of 35 have tatoos. Nappy-headed? Don is showing his age. Does anyone under the age of 70 use that word anymore?

He called them a tough bunch...and that is true. They are strong, tough, and much classier than Don Imus ever was.

Billion Dollar Deficits and Rising

2007-04-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

As the great ship Michigan continues to wobble, our legislators in Lansing still can't seem to work together to right the ship of state. Are they just rearranging the deck chairs or will they finally work together, in a bi-partisan way, to solve the budget crisis.

It is a crisis. I heard that the Detroit Historical Museum got an email from the state yesterday announcing a complete end to funding, including funds promised from last Fall.

The Governor has threatened to shut down the state if the budget problems are not fixed.

Do I send my staff home for a few weeks unpaid holiday if the state closes the doors?

Michigan has cut taxes over the years to the tune of billions of dollars. Our income taxes went down under Engler, and the Republican repealed the single business tax. Fine. But at some point we need to pay for services that we all need and deserve.

Hot lunches are at risk for low income seniors. Infant mortality programs are at risk.
HIV AIDS funding has been cut year after year. Our roads and bridges are a mess.
Libraries can be shut down.

Is this the kind of state we want? Is this the kind of place that will attract 21st century businesses and young creative types?

The House Democrats, the Governor, and especially the Republican Senate has to stop with the sound bites, and the ranting, and take their heels out of the ground and work together.
Our gasoline taxes are not high. The wealthy are doing great. Business has to do its fair share.
Even us beer drinkers will pay our fair share. But lets quit screwin' around and get it done.

Women's Health vs. Tired Sex-phobic Fanatics

2007-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Once again, the conservative religious forces of paranoia are interjecting their Victorian values on the rest of America, and yet again trying to interfere in other people's business.

Not content enough to try and force women in South Carolina to view ultrasounds of their own wombs in order to get a procedure to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, and unwilling to be satisfied with the reduction of condom distribution to prevent the deadly AIDS epidemic in Africa, now they are fighting against widespread use of the new cervical cancer vaccine.

It might seem like a wonderful idea...a new vaccine that can save thousands of women's lives in this county. Merck is marketing the vaccine that has been extensively tested and found to be safe and effective. If used by young women aged 9 to 26, the vaccine could virtually eliminate the major risk for cervical cancer, usually caused by the HPV virus. But because the HPV virus is sexually transmitted, some folks don't want to encourage the vaccine's use.

Bible-thumping literalists evidently take seriously the idea that the wages of sin is death; especially sexual sin, and in this case sexual activity by young women. Better that some women die from cancer, than have society promote a vaccine that will prevent that fate.

We knew they didnt care about gay men and lesbian women. Fundamentalist Christian activists have opposed sex education and AIDS prevention programs in schools for years. Rather than educate our young on the options to prevent HIV, these selfish and judgemental people will support absinence only before marriage programs. Of course the dark trick to that position is that gay folks can't get married.

These folks claim to be pro-life, yet they must have to use pretzel logic to oppose use of the HPV vaccine. Science marches forward, and small-minded human fraility drags us two steps back.

Ann Coulter Ice Queen or Anorexia Princess?

2007-03-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

While many people in America would like our political discourse to become more bi-partisan, more courteous and more professional, Ann Coulter is stuck in the 90's, using shock culture and foul-mouthed insults to gain notoriety. He latest gross-out is a desperate attempt to retain some level of relevancy, but will probably finally consign her to the dust-bin of history.
Calling John Edwards a "faggot" is a new low, which she certainly aimed down for, but will most likely boomerang against her.

John Edwards took care of his wife when she had cancer, and has a beautiful family. Handsome and well groomed as he is, he is not a gay man, much to my disappointment.

Ms. Coulter called Arabic persons "rag-heads". Truly she is evil...or is there another explanation. Think about this....

Ann Coulter is razor-thin. She is as skinny as any of the anorexic models that pass away from starvation. She is obviously unhappy, and mean. She always looks tired and sleep-deprived.
Could it be that she is using methamphetamine? Rev. Haggard used it. Maybe that is what is causing her severe emaciation and sociopathic comments.

Stop the War - Impeach George Bush

2007-02-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

Incredibly, Bush and Cheney are beating the war drums AGAIN, threatening to widen the war into Iran and engulfing the entire region into chaos. Even if we haven't learned well enough yet the total disaster created already by the Iraq invasion, we cannot afford to let this President make a really bad situation terribly worse.

Can this nation and our civilized world last the remaining 692 days until Bush leaves office naturally? Do we cross our fingers and hope that he doesnt screw things up any further? Are Americans awake to the utter lunacy of invading a large, wealthy, and well-armed nation such as Iran? And do we realize we will be alone in the world in making such a decision?

George Bush seems to actually believe and exist as a fundamentalist Christian. It may well be that he thinks the Rapture is at hand, and the end times are coming.
Maybe he thinks this is a repeat of the ancient battles between Christians and Muslims. Maybe it doesnt matter anymore what he thinks. Intelligent people who care about peace and civilization must demand he be reined in now.

Nobody wanted the disruption or political upheaval of impeachment. But now perhaps we no longer have any choice. Something must be done. Disaster is looming closer and closer day by day.

Suburban Blues

2007-01-31T08:35:00.000-08:00

Last week's MetroTimes had a blurb about the sixth annual BUD LIGHT Ferndale Blues Festival which was very kind. It mentioned the multitude of warm and friendly venues hosting more than five dozen concerts. MetroTimes has been a sponsor of the festival since its inception in 2001. But the writer made one statement to which I beg to differ; that being that in effect, the suburbs are an unlikely place to expect the Blues. The conventional wisdom being perhaps that true Blues must happen in a big urban city, probably one associated with the problems that some cities experience.

But many of us believe that one need not be poor, or Black, or downtrodden to appreciate or even create good Blues. While no one would challenge the history of the Blues, that it came from the experience of slavery, poverty, and hard life of the rural South, there is also no question that the shared pain of bill collectors, cheatin' spouses, and broken hearts transends any racial or economic or geographic group. The Blues is loved worldwide.

Ferndale may be viewed by some now as a trendy, yuppie-filled smaller version of Birmingham. Those folks either dont know Ferndale, havent been here, or have bought into the old tired suburban-city divide. Perhaps we in Ferndale have been too successful with our own hype. This city was and still is a hard-scrabble working and middle class town. Fifteen years ago, our downtown was as empty as any blighted block in Kansas City or Memphis or Chicago.
We've been able to rebound because we have rejected the worst aspects of the Eight Mile Road divide. We choose neither to follow the glitterati of Birmingham or the urban decay of the big city. We have chosen a third way.

Even the stereotype of the gentrified "Gay" neighborhood doesn't fit Ferndale. We are a mixed community that values and embraces our diversity. We love our residents, be they advertizing executives, teachers, or factory workers. The students in our schools represent very color of the rainbow. We are proud of our city, we appreciate our culture, and we certainly love our music.

President escalates war in Vietn.....Iraq.

2007-01-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought it could not get any worse, the Great Decider is going to make a really bad situation more disasterous. Not only is he trying to send an another 21,000 American men and women into harm's way in Iraq, he evidently thinks we need to stir things up more and is planning on sending in a U.S. Naval Task Force to patrol the coast off Iran.

Why not poke our finger into Iran's eye and shake up that hornet's nest? Lets get the dysfunction we have created in Iraq to metastasize?

Nevermind that the voters said no to this growing mess in Iraq. Bush is the Commander-in- Chief and he must think he knows better than the generals, the Congress, and of course the people.

A week ago last Monday night I joined the weekly protest in Ferndale against the war that takes place at the corners of Nine Mile Road and Woodward. Every Monday night from about 4:30 pm until about 6 pm protesters have gathered at those corners for the past four years.
Last week there were about 16 of us.

Maybe next week there will be more.

The American people are going to have to raise the level of the noise being generated against this war. Escalating the Vietnam war into Cambodia and Laos did not work. It just got thousands more people killed. Why are we standing for this repeat of history?

It May be Time for Mass Protests

2006-12-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

President Bush is no longer just stubborn, or steadfast, or resolute with regards to his resolve to "stay the course" in Iraq. He is borderline pathological. He is ignoring the will of the people, and even advice from experts and sages in his own party. He won't listen to advice from his father, or the military experts that should have the last word.

If "stay the course" was not such a bloody horror, it might continue to be the butt of jokes. But good loyal honest solid American men and women are dying daily in that oven called Iraq. At what point will Americans get beyond angry, and start demanding change.

Today George Bush stated that regardless of the changes suggested by the Iraq Study Group, a blue ribbon panel of world experts and a bipartisan mix of persons of wisdom, he is insisting that we must stay in Iraq to finish the job and win militarily. This is worse than wishful thinking or simple denial. It is not even stupidity. It is reckless, dangerous, and the thinking of a man who is quite possibly mentally ill.

Americans may be getting older. We may be busy. Many of us are overweight, and comfortable on the soft couch watching a giant plasma tv. But at some point, we must make our voices heard. It must be getting close to the time for large scale protests, street actions, or maybe even a national strike. Who will help lead us in this critical time? The carnage in Iraq must stop.

South Dakota Turns Purple !

2006-11-21T07:13:00.002-08:00

Some of the most important election results coming out of NOvember's elections did not involve candidates or even the political parties. They had to do with issues that were voted on in so-called red states. These were tectonic shifts that surely strike fear in the hearts of the social religious conservatives.

South Dakota is is in the Great Plains and is about as red as state as they get. Ranchers, farmers, and small town dwellers have voted Republican most of the time for generations.
There are democrats in South Dakota, including a fair number of Native Americans. But for the most part, the state can be counted on to line up with its neighbors in the Republican column during most elections, including presidential ones.

But South Dakota, like many western states, has a strong independent streak. They vote the GOP because they don't want government telling them what to do. And that is probably why they said no to a state-wide ban on abortion. The ban was supported by anti-abortion groups and "pro-life" politicians and would have set up an eventual trip to the U.S. Supreme Court where the guardians of morality dream of the end of Roe v. Wade. But this particular dream has turned into a nightmare. South Dakota said no. The state that sent George McGovern to the Senate many decades ago said loudly that they were not going to be the state to turn back the calendar on women's reproductive rights. The vote was not close.

Arizona is the state that gave us Barry Goldwater and John McCain. Again, this is a state that was, and still is, a place where people dont like others telling them what to do. They will vote republican most of the time. But Arizona did something that no state has yet done. They voted no to a ban on gay "marriage benefits". These anti-gay measures have passed now in about twenty-seven states, including blue states like Michigan and Wisconsin. But not in Arizona.
People out west have typically not been the most anti-gay. One still needs to go to the old south to find the largest number of true and rabid homophobes.

These seismic shifts do have ramifications for the republicans. They may not be able to count on the solid rocky mountain and plains states like they used to. As their coalition begins to fall apart there, a new one is possible. Independents, Hispanic Americans, working people, women, and GLBT people could join with others to say no to the fanatics on the right.

2006-11-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ferndale Human Rights Ordinance...We won't be Fooled Again.

2006-10-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

For the third time in fifteen years, the residents and voters of Ferndale will decide whether their city will officially ban discrimination in housing, jobs, and public services based on age, sex, race, religion, and other categories, including sexual orientation. We will either join cities and states like New York, California, Vermont, Chicago, Columbus, Ann Arbor and Atlanta, and treat people based on their character, or we will stick with many of the "red" states and conservative south and keep certain groups with fewer rights than others. The true main issue is do we want gay and lesbian people treated equally with other residents, or do we keep them in the closet and without civil rights.

It should be a no-brainer. Ferndale has benefited greatly during the past fifteen years from the new residents who have fixed up their homes and yards, and opened businesses in the city.
Young singles, gay and lesiban residents, new famlies, and professionals and creative types have made this older inner ring suburb the envy of the region. Gay people are a minority in the city of Ferndale making up perhaps 15 % of the population. But we have joined volunteer committees and commissons, and raised money for the schools and the charities. We have helped raise home values here faster than any city in the region.

The reason the effort could fail for the third time, however, is because the extremist religious- right groups like the American Family Association have targeted us repeatedly.
Fundamentalists and other anti-gay groups do not like to see the tolerance and progress that Ferndale has made. Gay people and straight people in Ferndale get along well. That scares the AFA and Gary Glenn, their leader in Midland, Michigan.

Be ready, Ferndale voters, for hateful and dishonest flyers and posters that will show up the day before the election. That is how these out-of-towners operate.

But also be ready to celebrate a historic victory. Because the voters of Ferndale are smart, engaged, and realistic. They wont be fooled again.

Throwing Gasoline on the Fire

2006-09-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

With the world teetering on a new type of world war between Western Societies and Fundamentalist Muslim extremists, how timely and helpful was the recent proclamations by Pope Benedict! Reiterating very negative anti-Islamic writings from an obscure 14th century Byzantine emperor was just what the world needed.

Instead of supporting Muslim moderates and speaking out to the world about moderation, diversity, and tolerance, the Pope has made a bad situation worse.

One can't help to wonder if the fundamentalist Christians are actually interested in a world struggle between religions that could result in the death and destruction of millions. Many of them believe the "rapture" and the "end times" are coming soon to a planet near you. Is this why they continue to support the simplistic and dangerous policies of "born again" George Bush?

Does the Pope want to join in another bloody "crusade" to wage war against Islam?

Do folks not realize that Chrisitans, Muslims, and Jews all worship the exact same deity?

And what happens to the rest of us, who simply want to live, learn, and make the real world a better, safer, and more peaceful place?

Watch for Pat Robertson and the other religious extremests on "our" side to gleefully proclaim the nearing second coming of Christ.

With two more years of George Bush, are we going to be able to survive?

There's Nothing Pretty about Tina

2006-09-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

For the past year, the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP) has been working on addressing the growing problem of methamphetamine abuse and addiction. MAPP has always been cognizant of the relationship between certain types of drug use ( including alcohol) and HIV/ AIDS risk behavior. Increased meth use, particularly among some gay men, is fueling new HIV infections in many states. We would like to prevent or reduce that potential crisis from happening in Michigan.

Known as crystal, ice, meth, or tina, the drug is highly addictive, and very damaging to the body. Users of meth damage their heart, lungs, brain, and kidneys. Regular use causes extreme damage to the teeth and gums, and can also cause impotence in men. And while meth is often used as self-medication for depression or social isolation, its continued use actually exacerbates those problems. The crash after meth use is severe, debilitating, and leads to the addiction, or need for more of the drug.

Meth initially makes one feel invincible. It increases energy, and can increase libido. To counteract the deflating effects on sexual function, it is sometimes used with viagra or other performance enhancing drugs. In this scenario, men may have multiple high risk sexual contacts at a bathhouse or party, thus explaining the higher rate of disease among such men.
Rates of syphilis, HIV infection, and other sexually transmitted diseases run two to three times higher among meth users than non-users.

While amphetamines, and their dangers, have been around for a long time, the new meth is home-made, cheaper, much more toxic, and more addictive.

The final insult from meth is that its use causes one to age quickly. While many people, including gay men, like to look younger than their age, meth users quickly begin to look much older. Regular meth use will add years to one's looks. And there is nothing pretty about that.

For more information about meth, including treatment and help...check out our new web site...
www.nothingpretty.org

8/10/06 - Thanks Joe Lieberman, now take a break.

2006-09-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

An open letter to the Senator from Connecticut

Senator Lieberman:

You dont know me, but I worked for your election to the Vice-Presidency in 2000. Lots of us worked hard, and you should have won that race. Michigan went for you and Al Gore.

But now, after many years of hard work and community service, it is time for you to take a break. Work to elect Democrats in the races around the country that are close. Help to defeat Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania. I sent a check to help in that struggle.

Please dont run a spoiler campaign as an Independent against your own party. You have done good work...except of course the bad decisions you made to support George Bush and his phony war on terrorism in Iraq. That is why you lost your primary race on Tuesday. And you deserved to lose that one.

Many Americans are furious about this expensive, bloody, misguided, and doomed war in Iraq. You are partially to blame. And you need to realize that, and put away your own hurt feelings. This is bigger than even you, Joe.

Quit now while you still have some dignity and respect. It is time to let someone else try their hand.

8/10/06 - Vacation Time for the President

2006-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

While we all like to take the annual vacation from work, it seems really lame that our President decided he could once again take ten days to go to his Crawford ranch while the Mideast continues its month-long descent into flames and destruction. Nevermind the growing chaos in Iraq, as our troops become engulfed, after nearly four years of death and destruction, into all out civil war. Israel and Lebanon are the scene of terrible and expensive destruction and bloodshed, to the horror of most of the world, while the President is clearing brush.

Is it just me, or does it seem like every time the President takes a vacation, that destruction and death from terrorism, hurricanes, or other disasaters seem to take place.

And is it better to have him engaged, or are we better off is he is not paying attention?

6/13/06 - What Would Jesus Do?

2006-09-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Incredibly, the Vatican is reiterating its policy opposing the use of condoms, even for disease prevention. The Catholic Church hierarchy, which purports to direct and guide a billion Catholics on the planet, can not figure out how to help millions of people protect themselves from the deadly HIV virus beyond the tired and barely helpful directive to abstain from sex until marriage, and then to stay monogamous. It can't seem to realize reality which is that 40 million people are already infected, many of them already married. Following the directive against condom use would be a death sentence for millions.

A slender slip of latex, used for centuries to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, costing today a few pennies each, is against Catholic dogma.

How very very sad.

For decades the Catholic Church couldn't even get hundreds of its own priests to keep their hands off teen-age boys and girls. But they can advise the masses to abstain from all sex, and even if they do have sex, to not use protection.

Anyone who has read the history of the life of Jesus would be dumbfounded at such hypocrisy, ignorance, and denial.

He told people to be kind, gentle, and to care for the weak and the ill. He ranted against the hypocrits and the those in authority who failed to honestly care for the people.

Jesus would be in Africa today, teaching people how to protect themselves from AIDS, showing them how to care for the sick, and he would be handing out medicine for free...and condoms.