Take back Detroit: Improving Response Time for the Police and Fire Departments. Incentives for City employees living inside the City of Detroit

A conversation between Retired Detroit Police Officer Sgt. Roscoe L. Thomas and State Representative George Cushingberry Jr.

Mr. Roscoe L. Thomas served as a Sergeant, Chief investigator for the Homicide Division and Steward to fellow officers. He is a lobbyist for the Michigan Association of Retired Police Officers. He has over 25 years of experience with the department and retired with full honors.

State Representative George Cushingberry Jr. is serving as the chairman of the House Appropriations committee and has served in the legislature for over 20 years. We sat down and had a conversation regarding maximizing police response time to incidents and keeping Detroit safe with Detroit’s finest. On this one Thursday evening, we talked about the New Detroit we see that will revitalize the community. We begin the question and answer conversation below:

Rep. Cushingberry:
How can we decrease the response time from Detroit Police and Fire Departments to its citizens? I get constituent complaints regarding this issue. Do you have any ideas that can improve this situation?

Sgt. Thomas:
I am always the optimist and believe that things can get better when we work on innovation and ideas brought forth by concerned citizens and Law Enforcement personnel.

When I started we had 5000 officers under Coleman Young and at one time we were considered the murder capital of the world. The department has evolved over the years and has flexed well given the current economic times.

Restoring the Police precincts in the neighborhood is a good idea from Chief Barren because it puts the Department closer to the community. As an incentive to live in Detroit I would propose to the Chief and the City Council to allow city employees a property tax break of %15 when you live within the City Limits. Police and Fire department members will get an additional %5 property tax break for living in the City. When we have a lot of empty homes and thinking about re-vitalizing the City, welcoming Polices and Fire Department members with a financial incentive will re-vitalize the neighborhoods.

I would even consider the placement of Cameras in high crime areas and, encourage a program to have residents purchase and install security video equipment on their property. Residents will be able to monitor your property from anywhere they have access to the Internet. This program will help residents keep track of the activity on their property when they are not there.


Rep. Cushingberry:
That sounds very technical to the average person Sgt. Thomas. And what about the legality of having a camera on your property pointing out the window?

Sgt. Thomas:
Actually, some of the children with high tech phones don’t think so and can’t wait to operate the equipment. For us “Senior Citizens” it is a slightly different story. The ideas that I am proposing will allow the heat temperature to be monitored with sensors and, if it gets too hot (flame conditions, smoke density, etc...), the Fire Department is notified of a potential hazard and will take steps to avert a potential problem. The steps will include the installation of video equipment mounted on existing Radio Towers and tall buildings in the City to allow them to zoom in on a home to see what the Fire Emergency is before sending additional equipment.


Rep. Cushingberry:
You know how our parents and neighbors used to do it in the backyard. Now I see First Lady Michelle Obama with a garden in the White House lawn. I am considering running for State Senate in District 4, Police and Fire department response is one of my top priorities, along with Urban Farming. What can I do to help my fellow Detroit Citizens from Lansing?


Sgt Thomas:
Currently, the Homicide Division is currently handling 800 murders a year and does a good job given the number of personnel remaining in the Department. We have discussed your position on the Senior Citizens in Detroit regarding response time and community involvement. When I meet Chief Barren, I ask him about restoring the Community Block Club police and citizen participation program. If one exists I will express your concern to him regarding our golden citizens. We have worked together to get the standards and statistics for police response time placed on the Department’s website and updated each month.

When the residency requirement was in effect, the servants of the city lived in the city. The city became an investment to a property owner and the neighborhood was a little safer. Police officers drove City Cars home and when that happened, NOBODY did anything stupid on that street, that day. By their presence in the city, the response time would be decreased because your neighbor was always looking out for you.


Rep Cushingberry:
Sgt. Thomas, I have asked the Department of Community health to produce numbers regarding the addiction comparisons between, Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine, and Meth. When we take these numbers and compare them to arrest records of the Detroit Police Department, what kind of results do you think that we will get?

Sgt. Thomas:
I believe that those numbers will show some interesting results in the area of addiction and law enforcement. With the passing of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Law of 2009, the usually high numbers of marijuana arrests will be reduced by up to %50. A large number of arrests are for people who belong in mental hospitals and are in need of continued medical treatment. Closing mental facilities and pushing the burden onto Local Law Enforcement resources at the City and County level may bankrupt an entire city or county if not checked and managed properly.

I am extremely concerned at the gun violence because no one is considering the path of the stray bullets that unfortunately hit innocent citizens that had nothing to do with the altercation. I would encourage Firearm education to children so that they are taught the consequences of using and firing a weapon. They have the N.R.A.; we have the memory of Harriet Tubman who was a responsible gun owner.

Finally I would encourage all citizens to report crime and testify against it. The only way to put crime to an end is to show compassion and the passion to persecute the few people who drag down the quality of life.


Rep. Cushingberry:
Well Sgt. Thomas, thank you for this moment to have this conversation. I will consider your thoughts and strive to implement some of your ideas. Blending the wisdom of the Older Detroiters with the freshness and youth of the Young generation will be the beginning of a new day. I feel that Detroit will be the first City to come back from this depression that we are in. Thank you again.

Sgt. Thomas:
Thank you for the opportunity to share this vision for the City of Detroit with you.

Stimulating Michigan from Washington: Contact the Congress and President to Reclassfy Marijuana to it's proper place in the land.

A change in this law will allow Michigan to recover from this depression of 8 years by allowing citizens to grow their own food and medicine. To properly change the law the US Congress will have to introduce legislation for the President to sign into law.




E-mail your federal elected officials (click here) in congress to support legislation to allow Marijuana to be removed from the Controlled Substances Act Scheduled Drug List. The financial impact upon the State of Michigan would be serious stimulus. This would allow our State Legislators the ability to issue tax stamps for Marijuana that will be reinvested back into the community. Currently states like California collects revenue from Marijuana sales of 1.5 billion dollars a year. This amount is %75 of the entire Michigan Department of Corrections budget. When Michigan issues Marijuana Tax Stamps for $50.00 per ounce an amazing amount of revenue will be generated. According to published estimates, 600,000 people in Michigan use Marijuana. If 1 person purchased an ounce a month at $50.00 a month, the state would generate $360,000,000 dollars in revenue.


By starting with your US House Represenative and Senators Levin and Stabenow(click here), this bill would quickly go through the official process of becoming a law. There will be some legislators who will debate it but they only get 5 minutes to speak like everyone else. Or we can help expedite the process by asking President Obama to put his campaign pledge into an action plan.



Send a message to President Obama ( click here ) asking him to issue an Executive Order to remove Marijuana from Controlled Substances Act Schedule Drug List. This procedure will be immediate and takes effect as soon as The President signs his name on the dotted line. By pursuing this option the president would be effectively end the senseless drug war on Marijuana. Americans would save on the wasted resources and dollars it has cost the nation. It will allow the representative of the House and Senate to work on more pressing issues such as Health Care, Iraq, and the current financial crisis. The war on marijuana will be effectively delcared over and done with.


As our President has stated, he will not spend a lot of political capital regarding Marijuana while people are living in Tent Cities and their cars. The country can focus on green energy initiatives like Cellulosic Ethanol and Industrial Hemp Fuel programs for all Government owned vehicles. This policy would apply for Federal, State and local Government vehicles operated in the State of Michigan. That policy change would generate numerous jobs in the agriculture industry.

State Departments were issued a 14 day mandate by the Chairman of the House Intergovernmental and Oversight Committee on March 12, 2009 to produce results showing the impact of the Implementation of Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008 on April 6th, 2009 at 12:01am EDT. What will the Attorney General bring back to the committee regarding the differences in federal and state law? Should the Attorney General support the President of United States issuing an executive order removing Marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act Schedule Drug List? Send your questions to miag@michigan.gov to register your legal interpretations and opinions with fellow lawyers and help reshape America’s direction to pull us out of this depression we are in.

We are looking for expert witness testimony from health care professionals to document the benefits of Medical Marijuana for the record. Please e-mail state officials with your testimonials on the benefits of Marijuana and listen to the output from the Department of Community Health. Should the State Drug Czar be compelled to follow the law of the land? If so then how can this person be an advocate and a true health professional regarding issues like diabetes, cancer, and vision coverage? E-mail the bureau of public health info bhpinfo@michigan.gov

We are also asking to hear from the information technology community regarding the Department of Community Heath processing applications for patient and caregiver claims with their website. We want to see a webpage documenting the costs, use of contract personnel, and maintenance issues. We the people shall not tolerate data being shipped out of state to be processed in Michigan. This does not create jobs locally and we have the facilities here to do the job. E-mail your concerns to the Department Director at MDIT@michigan.gov

It would be nice to see this executive order and/or legislation be signed into law
with an effective date of April 20th 2009 in a tribute to Chef Ra the first African American of the Ann Arbor Hash Bash and an activist for Marijuana Reform. University of Michigan Grad Jennifer Gratz would have never shared a Marijuana cigarette with this brother but for what he did for Marijuana reform was a total Civil Rights initiative. Now everyone will have an Equal Opportunity to stand up for the civil right of using cannabis responsibly. Sadly he is no longer with us but his spirit and dedication remains in all of us who helped make a positive change.



The will of the people has spoken.

Take Back Detroit! Same Day Voter Registration for increased people participation.

"Voter Participation is vital to our Nation” Mr. Cushingberry said one day last week in Lansing to a group of constituents visiting from the 8 Mile Old Timers Association. And to increase participation, people should be allowed the courtesy to register to vote at the polls and cast their ballot. The recent Detroit special election only brought out %12 of the voters to the polls. Some of the candidates that finished behind Bing and Cockrell got enough votes from the members of their church and immediate family to say that they were in an election. All of the candidates should be commended for participating in the process to improve the general health and welfare of the people. After all, if they did not care, they would have never started the process.

I will encourage Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey to allow same day voter registration for Detroit residents to increase participation in the process. If you will turn 18 on or before Election Day and, a Citizen of Detroit on day of the election, you will be allowed to vote that day. This program will extend to schools to give the youth a chance to participate in the process of voting. Any student in the Detroit Public School system who will turn 18 on or before May 5th will be allowed to register and vote absentee at their school. This is a very important fact for young males to vote because when they turn 18, they have to register for the draft or get charged with a felony. For the young person that cannot make the connect between the two, they need to be educated on the consequences of not voting if a national emergency requires a decision to place young men in active military service.

Rep. Cushingberry will be spearheading a program with other State and Local legislators whose districts include the Detroit area to start this program for the Detroit Mayors race on May 5th, 2009. Along with representatives from the City Clerks office, a policy to allow people to register to vote and cast their ballot on May 5th would be put in place. In all truth the process is already in place because with the new technology, polling places can allow provisional ballots to be cast and, by adding the ability to register and vote at the polling place, participation will increase. In Lansing, I will push to adopt this program Statewide with policy and information technology professionals at the Secretary of State’s Office.

With regards to online balloting, the process is lacking accountability and verification at the moment. Information Technology professionals must convince the people that the process is protected from fraud through tight controls and other security measures. It is not a matter of how, it is a matter of when will it happen and the date certain. As the current situation stands now, Mr. Cushingberry does not support online voting at this time. By increasing the opportunity to vote, more people will have the opportunity to determine the direction of their city, the quality of city services, and the gift of giving back to the land so that others may prosper.

Same Day Voter Registration is the way to go!

Stimulating Michigan from Washington – Re-defining Health Polices for our Citizens by re-directing Law Enforcement resources.

Recently U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (click here) announced that he will “cease and desist” all Justice Department actions against marijuana dispensaries in California. This is a strong signal to redefine the Drug Enforcement Agency's (D.E.A.) policy towards Marijuana and, the ramifications that it has for Michigan. With the recent enactment of the Michigan Medical Marijuana law, money and resources that were allocated for prosecuting these crimes can be re-allocated to other priorities like violent crime and sex offenders upon our youth.


Instead of arresting people for possession, Law enforcement’s role will be to insure quality to the people. For instance, how would you like to purchase a rotten jar of peanut butter? If you did purchase the peanut butter, who would you call? What would happen if it was the start of a salmonella outbreak? What does Salmonella have to do with Medical Marijuana?

Do you have an answer?

You would call the county health department who would investigate and take some type of legal action to remedy the situation. The legal action would include steps on correcting the problem. With the Peanut Butter, the F.D.A. (Food and Drug Administration) would take action to insure the quality of product. In the case of Marijuana, a standard would be set so that all of the citizens would be assured of a quality product that would not be a health hazard. The D.E.A. would be responsible for making sure that only legitimate marijuana would be produced in the United States of America. This would result in the redirection of funds from the massive Michigan Department of Corrections budget. The amount would be minimal however, at $2Billion dollars a year, minimal would be a lot of money.

To further stimulate the economy in Michigan, American grown Marijuana would be sold at the Duty free shops in Windsor and vice-versa to help stimulate trade and generate revenue between the USA and Canada, with a major impact on the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan.

Michigan’s economy could be revised in 5 years with the revenue and redirection of State of Michigan resources. The Department of Agriculture and County Extension offices would take an advisory role in growing Marijuana and other crops that can help end diseases like Diabetes and other environmentally borne aliments that keep our citizens in poor health.

Keep hope alive by keeping people alive. Health Care is a priority and I agree with President Obama on that. And if any of those State Governors who do not want the stimulus money from Washington, please send it to Michigan because we could use it.

We can only look to the future and work for the best.

Take Back Detroit! - Stimulating Michigan from Washington

While we were watching Rick Santelli (click here to watch) on CNBC start a Chicago Tea Party style “financial riot” (click here) with investors, a thought occurred to me. These people are the same people who managed the banks that owned the mortgages and cars. They should be as upset as the homeowner who re-financed their house based on having a job and getting to work in their car. The unregulated practice of money management has allowed people in the banking industry to decimate neighborhoods by:

1. Holding the notes to the property
2. Setting the bidding and asking prices in the commodities market on precious metals and various supplies.


Precious metals like copper wires, pipes, and lumber were great investment tools because you had an unlimited supply of goods in your inventory and set the prices too. As your former neighbor’s home was stripped for their parts, the scrap yards and commodities market were buzzing while your property value was dropping. This was a great plan if you had a vibrant economy in Michigan building Department of Defense products. Now that we don’t have that going anymore, we need to manufacture the green in America.

Returning to our agricultural roots will help restore the revenue in Michigan and America. Michigan Democrats led by State Representative George Cushingberry Jr. will do just that. On the agenda of the House of appropriations committee is to develop, create, and implement programs that will treat urban farming as a health concern. This is part of his plan for Detroit and Michigan to reduce the level of Diabetes in our communities. This program will help people feed themselves and the raise property values in the neighborhood. We will support the concept of Eastern Market in Detroit and the various fresh and healthy foods that it provides to the people of the State.


On a Statewide basis restoring homes and financial stability in Michigan is a priority. By Manufacturing Green products using industrial hemp, celloustic ethanol, and other Bio-proper goods will restore the revenue to our state. For instance, by growing Hemp products like Hemp Crete (click here),a type of concrete made from Industrial Hemp, every home that is taken down in the neighborhood will be rebuilt using this product. Displaced residents of a city will have the right of first return to their homeland. By establishing this rule, a decimated neighborhood would have the ability to recover from the depression.


For empty lots, neighbors will be encouraged to grow allowable plant projects in a secured and locked manner. Security could range from a dog in the yard to paying kids in the neighborhood to grow and watch the lot. Police and Fire personnel can divert their legal and physical resources to maintain quality products and keep people safe and healthy.


Starting in the farmlands and urban areas of Michigan, this bio-revolution would be a substantial addition to the commodities market just like petroleum, food, clothing, and other products. With the change in leadership in Washington, Michigan will prosper again with help and development in various areas of agriculture and manufacturing. Rep. Cushingberry’s committee will look funding programs that will assist homeowners with the selection of an affordable home, if they cannot afford the one that they are in now.


For people who have a job and income, they will have the ability to petition the court to modify their mortgage so that their home payment does not exceed %31 percent of their income. For lifelong residents of Michigan, a graduated scale for property tax will be created so that if you own a home in Michigan for over 40 years, your property tax will be reduced by %60. If you own your home for 50 years or more your property tax is eliminated and you pay a $25.00 Proud Resident Fee to your county treasurer.


The investors that owned these properties have given the neighborhoods a low rate of return in the form of property devaluation through deflation and benign neglect. The Obama Administration must step in with a stimulus to repair these homes by creating carpentry, and other construction jobs staffed with people who live in the same community. The people will be swinging hammers instead of slinging bullets. If they want to keep their guns then they will be a part of a new Harriet Tubman Firearm Safety Corps in partnership with the NRA and Law Enforcement agencies at the State, County and Local Police Levels.


Teachers will have jobs because students will be attending schools and using City Services that are maintained by the residents who live there. Rep Cushingberry in a bi-partisan effort will be a soldier with a mission to help the community prosper and provide a Stimulus from Lansing. When this happens then and only until then, all of the people will profit from the loss.

I hope the President is listening and reading this too because we need the money…

Click the Vote! Increasing Voter Turnout in Detroit with Online Voting using the City Clerk’s Office website.

One day were walking to an 8 mile Old Timers planning meeting, We were discussing upcoming elections that were coming up in 2009 for Mayor and City Council. We were on the corner of Chippewa and Cherrylawn streets when we ran into two neighborhood legends by the names of Oscar Baker and Wisker Hall. They were very busy but nice enough to stop by Johnson Recreation Center to see what was going on.

Former Representative Dr. Keith B. Stallworth had just got through giving a speech talking about the 4 upcoming elections in City of Detroit and the importance of voting. After we applauded his inspirational speech, Oscar, Wisker, Roscoe and Benjamin Drummer stopped for a minute to talk about the projected low voter turnout for all of the elections. Oscar asked us all a question “How do we get more people to vote?” Dr. Keith looked puzzled and asked Richard Clement his old school football teammate at Mumford High School back in the day about what to do.

“We need to run until we get tired, then get up and walk it off I said to Dr. Keith”

The question was so thought provoking that we agreed to send a text message to our friend Representative Cushingberry who was at Joe Louis Arena watching a Hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. During the 2nd period a puck flew into the seats. While George ducked along with the fans, a child sitting behind him spilled his drink all over his hair. Instead of getting upset at the child a vision flashed across his head.

There were 16 candidates running for mayor and I was one of them. People were saying that they could not get to the polls on Election Day so, myself and City Clerk Janice Winfrey developed a solution to the problem. We allowed the citizens of the City to cast their vote using the Detroit City Clerk’s website. The online polls would be open for two weeks before Election Day in synchronization with the first day of absentee voting. You could click your vote until 8pm of Election Day and allowed to vote once as long as you were a valid registered voter.

During the candidates debate I was asked to speak by the moderator about online voting program that we developed. The moderator tried to end the debate but the candidate continued to speak. Look people, we can buy cars online, get your credit checked online, find a mate, get a rebate, plan a vacation anywhere in the nation, including making donations on the New Prospect Baptist Church website. And if I was elected to the job, I would help the City Clerk implement an online strategy to increase voter participation in Detroit and, serve as a template for the State of Michigan.

The candidate continued on with the force of James Earl Jones and the smoothness of Prince, mixed in with a little David Ruffin.

If I was elected to the job of Secretary of State, I would implement a statewide online voting system within 12 months. Look at what we have done already on our blog. Currently, I am in a close race with Dave Bing and Ken Cockrell for the job of Mayor of the City. A supporter in the crowd shouted, “It looks like he is taking Bing to the hoops”. The candidate smiled and a few Dave Bing supporters smirked.

Before things went any further Representative Cushingberry shared a fact with the audience regarding an election in Missouri in 2000. He said did you know that a John Ashcroft lost an election to a person on the ballot who had died? It was OK because he ended up getting a job as Attorney General with the Bush Administration. “No unemployment check for him” Cushingberry said and the crowd let out a big laugh.

I responded to my friends and constituents with a text message saying.

I am a candidate for Michigan Secretary of State because I will get more voters to participate!

Let it be and vote for me!

The candidate went on and on and on until the crowd let out a huge, earsplitting roar. George snapped out of the dream because Nick Lidstrom had fired a “one timer” slap-shot into the net from outside the blue line and the people went crazy!

Our friend snapped out of his trance and said to himself that he likes his job serving the people of the State of Michigan in Lansing advancing his constituent's needs. Furthermore, there was a Hockey Game to be addressed and being a big Detroit fan, the Wings needed my undivided attention. He bought the child another drink, the parents a vegetarian pizza and the Red Wings won the game.

Go Wings!

A song by Mr. John Legend inspiring the call for community service to our nation.. (If you're out there)

As President Obama signs the stimulus package, we must all work together to make this country and world a better place to live. Forget the haters and perpetrators and keep our heads up because things will get better.....

Monitor the progress of our money by accessing this site www.recovery.gov
Enjoy the music and dream for the best....