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Monday, February 19, 2018

Voter Suppression for Marijuana Reform Creates Voter Apathy and Mistrust in Detroit

By Richard Clement

The recent opt in and zoning initiatives on the November 7th, 2017 ballot was approved in  480 of the 490 voting precincts within the City of Detroit. Both proposals passed by 98% citywide, so it is baffling when the Council introduces a moratorium and directs the City Law Department to invalidate election results. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Robert Colombo allowed the City of Detroit to switch from being defendants to plaintiffs on the same charges that were tossed for two plaintiffs Marcus Cummings and VK Holdings LLC at 12800 E. Eight Mile.  


Michigan Attorney General Candidate
Dana Nessel
www.dana2018.com

The same Judge who deemed their case frivolous, used the same information to invalidate the ballot initiative. The City was allowed to refile charges at 12:01pm, allowing Judge Colombo to wait until 6:30pm to flip flop on the law. This is the same procedure that the Legislators in Lansing used to throw out the no vote on the Emergency Manager, reinstating them to loot City assets and poison children in Flint Michigan without fear or retribution.

The numbers below are a breakdown of the vote by City Council district.  In Districts 4 through 7, Opting Into State Law passed by 100% of the vote with Zoning passing by 98%. In City Council District 3, Marijuana passed by 98% whereas Districts 1 and 2 had a 94% percent rate of approval.  Both proposals A and B, passed by a 98% margin in the entire city.



Dist
PCT# A A% B B% A+B A+B% AorB AorB%
1 76 71 93.4% 68 89.5% 72 94.7% 67 88.2%
2 81 73 90.1% 72 88.9% 76 93.8% 70 86.4%
3 67 65 97.0% 65 97.0% 66 98.5% 64 95.5%
4 68 68 100.0% 68 100.0% 68 100.0% 68 100.0%
5 74 74 100.0% 73 98.6% 74 100.0% 73 98.6%
6 58 58 100.0% 57 98.3% 58 100.0% 57 98.3%
7 66 66 100.0% 65 98.5% 66 100.0% 65 98.5%
ALL 490 475 96.9% 468 95.5% 480 98.0% 464 94.7%

Legislative voter fraud is when elected officials move to negate the will of their citizens after a vote because the results are not to their liking. For the City of Detroit leadership to file a motion with Wayne County Circuit Court to invalidate the results of a vote is deplorable. This action creates voter apathy,  proves the case to some in the community, especially the African American community that their vote does not count. This action by the city creates mistrust in our government among citizens in Detroit, especially the young people under 40 years of age. 

Making decisions after normal working hours so that people are not aware of what is going on until the next morning is deplorable. This should not be the new method of operation (MO) for democracy in Michigan. To stop this we must elect an Attorney General like Dana Nessel who would step up and fight for the will of the people, instead of the interest of a few. We must put good leaders with wisdom and knowledge in the Michigan State House and Senate. We must elect Judges and Sheriffs who have the people's best interest at heart.

This decision by Judge Colombo must be appealed for the sake of democracy. The children are learning from their elected leaders that their votes can be suppressed. This is not good for education, and the future of our City.  Especially to the ancestors like Mrs. Amelia Boynton who who got punched in the mouth on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama so that her and others have the opportunity to determine the direction of their community by voting. 

Contact your Detroit City Council Today at www.detroitmi.gov/Government/City-Council and tell them to respect the will of the people because, they are employees of the people who employ them with their vote.

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