Tag: Paul Rozycki
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Hot day but few fireworks at Bluebell Beach 49th District candidate forum
By Paul Rozycki It was the morning of the Fourth of July, when most people are preparing for picnics, hot dogs, and fireworks, and it was hot and humid on Mott Lake. But that didn’t prevent four of the six Democrats running for the 49th state House of Representatives seat from attending a lakefront candidate…
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Commentary: A primary primer for the Aug. 7 election — REMEMBER TO VOTE
By Paul Rozycki In less than a month, in the midst of summer vacations, art fairs, festivals, and car shows, Michigan will hold its regular primary, and the turnout is likely to be low, as it has been for years. That’s unfortunate because, for most officials, the primary is the real election—whoever wins the primary…
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Commentary: Beyond the water crisis, another Flint crisis looms
By Paul Rozycki In its own clumsy way the Flint water crisis seems to be slowly drifting to some sort of resolution. Most scientific reports are showing a significant reduction in the lead levels in our water. As a result the state has ended its distribution of free water at its water points of distribution…
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Commentary: How to get out the vote? GCD may have the answer–make it hard
By Paul Rozycki It must be a Flint thing. If you want people to do something, tell them you can’t do it. Make it difficult. Make it too easy and they will ignore you. Consider some recent elections in Flint. On one hand, in the last few years, an election to choose the members of…
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Commentary: Time to jump-start the new city charter
By Paul Rozycki Last August Flint voters set the city on a new course when they approved the city’s new charter—the first since 1974. In the turmoil over the Flint water crisis, successive emergency managers, and recall elections, the charter sometimes seemed lost in the shuffle. Yet, the Charter Commission produced a significant and important…
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Gerrymandering Part Three: going to court
By Paul Rozycki Just when you thought you’ve heard enough about gerrymandering, and the ballot proposals to end it—there is one more line of attack. Now the courts are getting involved. Two previous columns in past issues of East Village Magazine (Part One here, Part Two here) have outlined the problems and history of gerrymandering, drawing oddly shaped…
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Commentary: Fixing gerrymandering–Michigan’s ballot proposal
By Paul Rozycki “Politics is more difficult than physics.” – Albert Einstein Last month’s column took a look at the history and techniques of gerrymandering and its impact on American politics. It’s not hard to see that the process of drawing odd-shaped and unfair election districts favoring one party over another is a major problem…
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CCNA hears proposal for Pierce Park, pitch for ending gerrymandering
By Patricia Isenberg The news and implications of the City of Flint’s changing city council membership and the marathon closed-door and public discussions deciding on Flint’s water source this week didn’t deter about 60 College Cultural Neighborhood Association members from showing up to get updates on water line pipe replacement and a proposal for Pierce…
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Weaver survives recall, city council undergoes major realignment, voter turnout hits 17 percent
By Jan Worth-Nelson Incumbent Mayor Karen Weaver, two years into her four-year term, soundly overcame a recall effort against her triggered by activist Arthur Woodson with 53 percent of the vote. Her closest competitor, longtime city councilman Scott Kincaid, came in a distant second with 32 percent. His defeat means the end of a 32-year…
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Commentary: How to win an election without votes? Gerrymander!
By Paul Rozycki The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything. -Joseph Stalin In a democracy the winners in elections are supposed to be decided by whoever gets the most votes. And that is usually true. However, the Soviet dictator’s words may be an ominous warning today.…
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