Journalists Are Supposed to Be Are) Destructive to the News Business
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East VillageMagazine October 2017 Photograph by Edwin D. Custer VERN’S COLLISION INC. Free Loaners • Unibody • Frame • Paint Specialists • Glass • State-certified Mechanics More than 40 years at the same location. (810) 232-6751 2409 Davison Rd. FREE Home Warranty Flint’s Resident Realtor — The Name Trusted in More Neighborhoods Ryan Eashoo BATTISTE’S (810) 234-1234 Serving Downtown Flint since 1947 Luncheon Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. All Occasion Catering ~wine~ craft beer & more... at the Flint Farmers’ Market H e a lt h y H o m e C o o k i n g ! 810-235-1968 Flint Farmers’ Market 2 Commentary The Mayoral Recall: Why your ballot will be different By Paul Rozycki EastMagazine Village For the fourth time in as many mayors, lawmakers faced the threat of recall campaign, Vol. LV No. 10 October 2017 Flint’s mayor is facing a recall election. though only one actually went before the voters. However, unlike the recall of Woodrow Another report indicated that nearly 700 peti- Founder Gary P. Custer Stanley in 2002, the near-recall of Don tions for recall were filed in Wayne, Oakland and Williamson (before resignation) in 2009, and Macomb counties between 2005 and 2010, Editor Jan Worth-Nelson the attempted recall of Dayne Walling in though most didn’t get to the ballot stage. Since Managing Editor Meghan Christian 2010, this November’s recall election will be the passage of the law in 2012 the number of Copy Editor Danielle Ward different — and may surprise voters. recalls has dropped dramatically. Reporters Sherrema Bower The official reason given for the recall of The changes in the recall law also came Dylan Doherty Mayor Weaver is the dispute over Flint’s trash shortly after the Right to Work legislation was Harold C. Ford pickup contract, where Weaver supported Rizzo passed, during the lame duck session of 2012, Aubrey McClain Environmental Services, and most of the city causing some to suggest that the lawmakers Megan Ockert council supported Republic Waste Services. were acting to prevent their own removal over Republic ultimately was awarded the contract. the controversial measure. Columnists Jan Worth-Nelson Change in the recall law For those reasons, Michigan changed its Teddy Robertson In the past, recall elections were two-stage recall law, making it more difficult to remove Paul Rozycki affairs. Voters would vote yes or no on whether local officials. The new law reduced the time to Business Manager Casey Custer or not to recall an official and then, if the offi- collect signatures from 90 to 60 days, required Éminence Grise Ted Nelson cial was recalled, an election would be sched- the reasons for the recall to be “factual,” and pro- Photographer Edwin D. Custer uled to fill the seat, perhaps some months later. hibited recalls in the first or last six months of an Poet Grayce Scholt Changes in Michigan’s recall law in 2012 officeholder’s term, or first or last year, if the now make recalls a one-step process. On term is longer than 2 years. Officials can only Distribution Staff November’s ballot there won’t be a yes or no face one recall election during their term. Director: Edwin D. Custer. Staff: Kim Bargy, Jane vote on recalling Mayor Weaver. There will sim- A “winner take all” election? Bingham, Helen & Jacob Blumner, Connor Coyne ply be a list of candidates, including Mayor As complex and confusing as all this can be, & Ruby Coyne, Casey & Nic Custer, Emma Davis, Karen Weaver, and whoever gets the most votes the new law adds several unusual elements to Emily Doerr, Marabeth Foreman, Andrea Garrett, will serve out the remainder of her term. At the this November’s recall election in Flint. Since Charlie & Linda & Patrick & Terrance & Christan & Jillianne Goldsberry, Ingrid Halling & Bob moment, there are 18 candidates to be listed on there is only one election, whoever gets the Thomas, Robert Jewell, Andrew Keast, Carol the ballot. (See special election section in this most votes will be elected (or retained) as mayor Larzelere Kellermann, Stephen Kellermann, Jo issue). If Weaver wins she would, of course, con- of Flint for the rest of Weaver’s term. Larzelere, Bill & Carol Leix, James & Lillian & tinue to serve her full term, until 2019. If anyone ` With 18 candidates competing, the math Livia Londrigan, Mary LeRoy, Alan & Julie Lynch, other than Mayor Weaver were elected, the win- could produce some surprising results, since Aron McCormick, Ron & Mary Meeker, Robert & ner would take office as soon as the votes were the winner doesn’t need a majority of the Nancy Meszko, Mary & Jeff Mintline, John certified, most likely within a week or so. vote, just the most votes … and that could be Moliassa, Mike Neithercut, Ted Nelson, Edith & Currently, 19 states allow recall of state offi- as little as six percent of the total. On one John Pendell, Dave & Becky Pettengill, Lucia Rodriques, Julian Rodriquez, Mike Spleet, and cials and at least 29 states allow the voters to hand it might appear that just about anyone Karen Wilkinson. remove local officials, at least in some limited cir- has a shot at winning. However, since Mayor cumstances. Michigan allows recall of all state Weaver is probably the best known name of Board of Trustees and local officials except judges, and we have the list, and since her opposition will be split • Jane M. Bingham • Edwin D. Custer had some form of recall since 1908. We’ve had a up among 17 candidates, her chances to • Bella Kritz • Jack D. Minore long tradition of using the recall very frequently, come in first would seem pretty good. • Robert R. Thomas particularly against local officials. At times it However, it may not be that simple. Of • Jan Worth-Nelson, ex officio seemed that one could rarely go through three Mayor Weaver’s many opponents, probably her weeks of local headlines without reading of some major competition is Scott Kincaid, who has 720 E. Second St. attempt to recall a local township, city or village been on the city council for 32 years and ran for Flint, Mich. 48503 official in Genesee County. All too often it mayor once before -- against Woodrow Stanley. (810) 233-7459 became a local sport, where a losing candidate But, given recent political history, predictions Website: eastvillagemagazine.org would initiate recall proceedings shortly after the might be risky and it’s also conceivable that any E-mail: [email protected] election, often for trivial reasons. of the other candidates could break through and Why the law changed surprise everyone. With 18 candidates anything Layout by Ted Nelson. Printing by Riegle Press This gave Michigan one of the highest num- is possible. As has been true for most of Flint’s Inc., 1282 N. Gale Rd., Davison, Mich. 48423. ber of recall attempts in the nation. Though East Village Magazine is a program of the Village mayoral elections over the last 30 years, the vot- Information Center Inc., a nonprofit corpo ration. We many were not successful, it meant that local ing is likely to break down along racial lines. welcome material from readers, but all submissions officials were frequently tied up in recall elec- Other issues become the property of the publication and if published tions for much of their time in office. Michigan’s As if this weren’t complicated enough, the will be edited to conform to the editorial style and poli- recalls surpassed other states by a good margin. new city charter takes effect at the beginning of cies of the publication. All inquiries about the publica- A report by the Citizens Research Council indi- next year, and will change several basic aspects tion should be mailed to East Village Magazine, Village cated that between 2000 and 2011, 457 state and of how the city is governed. However, the Information Cen ter, 720 E. Second St., Flint, Mich. local officials faced recalls in the state. For that Receivership Transition Advisory Board 48503. Distribution is the second Saturday of each time period, the average number of recalls in (RTAB) is still in place and might limit, delay month. Display advertising rates are $34 a column-inch Michigan was 38 per year. California’s average or modify some elements of the new charter. plus any other costs. Unclassified ads are $2.50 a print- was a distant second with only 18. In 2011, by How that plays out remains to be seen. ed line or part of a printed line. Rates subject to change one calculation, nearly a third of Michigan’s 148 without notice. The deadline for advertising is 10 days (Continued on Page 6.) before each pub li cation date. © 2017 East Village Magazine Cover: Former Flint Journal building, now occupied by MSU College of Human Medicine 3 '"'*("'*&'*!"%()#$&$ **"'(&$*&!*)!()*%'$*'"$#$&*($*)#%&*!"%()*#%)'$ By Harold C. Ford “Congress shall make no law … abridging Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered two are crime reporters, one is a court the freedom…of the press.” First Culture and Undermined Democracy,” reporter who helps cover crime, and one is a Amendment, United States Constitution recently told National Public Radio’s Here sports reporter. The hard copy is printed in and Now program: “They (Facebook, Walker (Kent County, near Grand Rapids) “Journalism is the only profession explic- Google, Amazon) totally, not only dominate and Bay City.” Circulation had slipped from itly protected by the U.S. Constitution, the tech world, they dominate politics (and the “glory days” print run of about 100,000 because journalists are supposed to be are) destructive to the news business. for the Sunday edition to about 50,000 for the the check and balance on government.