Name Recognition Is Killing Detroit by Akindele Akinyemi

It is imperative that we change city government here in Detroit. Presently, we have state representative races going on that will begin to help change the dynamic here in our city.

But there are some people who I laugh at running for State Representative. For example.


Why in the name of Jesus is Carl Ramsey running for State Representative in District 12 (which is Southwest Detroit)? He is a plug in for Mayor Kilpatrick. In other words a mouthpiece. While Carl means well we are asking him to think for himself for once and join Denise Monroe Hearn. The reason? Denise is a real people person who can think for herself. The sister can work both sides of the aisle and get the job done.

Here is a bigger issue of why I am asking people to support me in bringing Denise to Lansing is because she is huge on kitchen table issues such as fighting adult illiteracy. Functional illiteracy refers to the inability of an individual to use reading, writing, and computational skills efficiently in everyday life situations. Illiteracy is the inability to read or write simple sentences in any language. Detroit is suffering from both and we have to change the tide. Those who are functionally illiterate may be subject to social intimidation, health risks, stress, low income, and other pitfalls associated with their inability.

The correlation between crime and functional illiteracy is well-known to criminologists and sociologists throughout the world. In the early 2000s, it was estimated that 60% of adults in federal and state prisons in the United States were functionally or marginally illiterate, and 85% of juvenile offenders had problems associated with reading, writing, and basic mathematics.

In Detroit, 55% of adults are functionally illiterate and we, as educational activists, must ALWAYS push for civic education in the classrooms and OUT of the classrooms because too many of our people vote on name recognition which leads me to my next question.

How come the people running for Mayor next year are recycled leadership in our city that are keeping us deaf, dumb and completely blind to the 21st century? I mean, take a look at who is running for Mayor next year.

Former Councilman Nicholas Hood III. While he is the Pastor at Plymouth United Church in the Medical Center and founder of the prestigious Plymouth Educational Center (a charter school) do we have to see the same OLD faces again with the same ideas? Name recognition.

Councilman Ken Cockrel Jr. Councilwoman and thug princess Monica Conyers called Cockrel "Shrek" but the real question is why is he running on the same ideas that his father had before him? The same ideology, the same failed economic progress and unless he hires a Republican to run his policy office he should not get in office. Name recognition.

Councilwoman Jo Ann Watson. At least she has the decency to connect with the grassroots in the community. She is like the late Maryann Mahaffey, love to deal with real issues. I support her efforts on closing the incinerator on Russell and I-94 in Detroit. If you noticed, plant life never grow over in that area where the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences is located. She is also for recycling. However, her policies are too far to the left to get anything done economically and realistically. Again, name recognition.

Why is State Representative Coleman Young thinking about running for Mayor in 2009? To bring back the good old days of segregation? I knew this was a plot to have him run for mayor sooner or later by those people who were hired by the late Coleman Young. He can barely tie his shoes let alone run for Mayor. People will vote on name recognition due to illiteracy.

Sheriff Warren Evans want to run for Mayor. Why? If his brother cannot even manage charter schools without running them in the ground why trust the Sheriff's economic management? But people will vote for him based on name recognition.

Former Police Chief Benny Napoleon is running for Mayor. Why? I guess he has some people he wants to run the Detroit Police Department. This is the same chief that allowed the Feds to take over the department. But people will vote for him because of name recognition.

Attorney Reginald Turner is thinking about jumping in the race. Currently, on the State Board of Education, Turner would be a fresh face in the local electorate. The problem is he supported Proposal E in 2004 (which Mayor Kilpatrick). So he should not run and stick to the legal matters of the day.

Of course, State Representative Bettie Cook Scott will return to her old habits of running for Detroit City Council after she loses to Carol Banks in August for introducing this bill into the legislature:

Introduced 2008 House Bill 5765 to reduce from 100,000 to 75,000 the number of students that qualify a school district as a “school district of the first class.” Detroit is the only such district, which is a statutory device to allow the Detroit School District to be exempted from a variety of regulations that apply to other districts, and receive special treatment in other ways.

The more I talk to people in her district about this bill the more her people become angry because their children are trapped in unsafe Detroit Public Schools. The parents are seeking options and trusted Cook-Scott's judgement but Rep. Scott betrayed their trust by using her stance on fighting insurance redlining and reducing the driver responsibility fee to garner support but now the winds are turning on Scott. If she was to win the Detroit City Council seat it would be based on name recognition.

And now young people, who are graduating from Detroit Public Schools with a 6th grade education, will vote for Charles Pugh of Fox 2 News and WJLB FM 98 next year for Detroit City Council based on name recognition. It does not matter if he will usher in the new gay and lesbian era of public policy in Detroit he will win a seat due to his popularity due to the growing number of gays and lesbians from broken homes in our city.

I said this a while ago about the dangers of illiteracy in our city. The revelations have struck a raw nerve in Detroit, where nearly one of out of every two adults -- is functionally illiterate. This is why Mayor Kilpatrick is still the mayor, how Monica Conyers slipped into being President Pro-Tem of the Detroit City Council and how Martha Reeves got on the City Council.

In fact, national studies suggest Detroit's illiteracy rate is the highest among major American cities. According to a 2002 United Nations report, Detroit falls short even when compared to developing Third World nations, such as Cuba, which has 2.7 percent illiteracy rate. In Ecuador, 7 percent of adults can't read, and in El Salvador, 18.9 percent of adults.

The people who I listed are not ready to move Detroit into a global financial market. In fact, it is virtually impossible to move the city into a financial global market unless you address the illiteracy problem head on.

If your reading skills are so poor that you cannot read and comprehend a newspaper article, or read a bedtime story to your child from a children's book, or know what the directions say on a prescription bottle, then you are illiterate, plain and simple. This is ongoing in our city.

Some have told me that this fact has nothing to do with Detroit Public Schools. More people graduate from DPS that are functionally illiterate. That is why people in our city vote on emotion and not logic.

In June 2004 Achieve, Inc., a bipartisan, nonprofit education organization formed by governors and prominent business leaders, found that math and English tests for high school diplomas require only middle school knowledge, and that those math graduation tests measure only what students in other countries learn in the seventh grade?

On January 15, 2001 when the Associated Press reported research results (headed by Professor J. Hubisz, President of the American Assoc. of Physics Teachers) showed how 85% of middle school students are using science text books so full of errors and inaccuracies to make them unacceptable, and that honors high school texts are no more difficult than an eighth grade reader 50 years ago?

What about numerous reports in Michigan showed how home-schoolers scored 70% higher than public school students on standardized national achievement tests, regardless of race, economic status, or regulation levels?

So, yes, illiteracy has something to do with the failure of our schools and policy makers.

So I am supporting our candidates for change. They are fresh, God-fearing and believe in giving life to new ideas. I am urging you to vote for ideas that will work not vote by name recognition.

Carol Banks is running against anti-charter school legislator State Rep. Bettie Cook Scott. Show Rep. Scott the door for turning her backs on children.

Sheila Dapremont is running in District 6. We cannot allow anyone to get high and elect them on the campaign trail (Ajene Evans) or has a questionable background on the water shutoffs and housing in Highland Park (Fred Durhal).

Every man, woman and child should be supporting Carol Weaver in District 7. This is not optional. Mayor Kilpatrick is backing Jimmy Womack, there are some other plants in that race to split the vote in favor of Womack. Again, we cannot have anyone going to Lansing based on name recognition. The man does not have any decency in terms of the recent passing of his wife. You could show a little tact and respect by sitting this one out to get ready for the bigger picture. And the way he help run Detroit Public Schools in the ground is an indication that he is not interested in the people of District 7.

Jimmy Womack has aspirations of running for Detroit City Council. We should show him the door in this race and allow our champion for education, Carol Weaver, to be elected in District 7.

And please in the holy name of Jesus do not let this man......

win ANYTHING in District 12. Hey, I like Carl but we cannot have ANYONE from Mayor Kilpatrick's office in Lansing ever in life. A vote for him means a vote for the Mayor. And we are trying hard to shut the door on the Mayor and his people forever. If I was Carl I would convert to be a Republican, a Libertarian, Independent or Conservative Democrat and withdraw from the race and support Denise Hearn. The prime fact that he is connected to Mayor Kilpatrick will kill his chances of becoming state representative.

Also we cannot EVER let this woman back into office.

Former State Representative Belda Garza. Name recognition and another pawn of Mayor Kilpatrick. This is why we need to support Denise Monroe Hearn for State Representative in District 12. A champion for educational rights.