Cleo T. Wiley v City of Detroit et al, Detroit City Council, George Cushingberry Jr. - The Drama Continues

By Friends of George Cushingberry Jr.

PRESS RELEASE

The taxpayers of the City of Detroit are under attack again from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Cleo T. Wiley in the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Wayne County Michigan. On Wednesday March 11, 2020, US District Court Judge Marianne O. Battani dismissed all charges against the City of Detroit, Detroit City Council Members and, retired State Representative and former Detroit City Council-member George Cushingberry Jr. In her 23 page ruling, Judge Battani ruled that Cleo Wiley did not have sufficient evidence of sexual harassment and, was not entitled to protection under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as an Independent Contractor.  The court properly ruled that anyone working for a Detroit City Council member under a personal services contract is an at will employee subject to immediate dismissal. 

On Friday March 13, 2020, attorney Robin Beth Wagner filed the same charges with 3rd Circuit Court Judge Dana Margret Hathaway using State of Michigan Elliot/Larsen discrimination laws. The schedule of events for the case per order of Judge Hathaway:

1. Witness Exchange Filing:  September 4, 2020
2. Discovery Cutoff Date:      October 23, 2020
3. Case Evaluation Month:    December 2020

After step three is completed, two events are required to occur by court rule. The first one is a settlement conference and, the second one is a motion to dismiss the charges. Unless a motion to dismiss is filed within 30 days or, a settlement conference for both parties is held within 42 days the case will proceed to trial. It is noted in the record by Judge Battani that allegations are dismissed at the state level because of similarities between state and federal laws. 

The pursuit of this lawsuit the plaintiff is another attempt to shake down the taxpayers of Detroit for money. During George Cushingberry's time as President Pro-Tempore of City Council, he was responsible for putting in rules to prevent attack by plaintiffs filing frivolous lawsuits against the city.  He was also responsible for installing automation for the City Parking Department in 2015 generating over $200,000 dollars in revenue within one month of implementation. Among other monetary gains for the city, assets like Detroit City Airport and Benjamin O. Davis Aerospace High School were protected from the plans of Mayor Mike Duggan to shut it down to build more buildings that we don't need, given the massive vacancy rate of existing structures in the city.

After further review of his four year term on the Council, the incidents regarding former Council member George Cushingerry regarding a "high speed" police chase, antique cars and, sexual harassment charges were falsehoods promoted by Fox 2 Detroit News, led by former reporter M.L. Elrick. 

The car chase was proven to be false, the "antique" car was sold much less than value than advertised and, the sexual harassment charges were dismissed in court. Out of respect for the great men and women of the Detroit Police Department, police brutality charges and filing false police report charges were never pursued against the officers. Instead, we directed Chief James Craig to lecture the two officers on their mistakes and, to never, ever treat another citizen like that again. The culmination of these falsehoods served as grounds for dismissal of Mr. Elrick from Fox 2 Detroit in December of 2019. 

Tara Reade and Cleo T. Wiley

In summary, the #MeToo movement must be held accountable for promoting women to pursue frivolous lawsuits to extort money from individuals, smearing elected officials, influence elections of candidates for public office and, professionals in private businesses for financial gain. Extortion is a crime and harms women with legitimate claims. For that indiscretion, the accusers should be punished to the fullest extent of the law for extortion, filing false police reports and slander.

By February 2021, we truly hope that this fiasco is brought to a decisive end.

Reference:   Case #20-003959-CD  

Cleo T. Wiley                                                                                    Plaintiff

       v 

City of Detroit, Detroit City Council, George Cushingberry Jr.         Defendants

Exhibit #1 - Deposition of Cleo T. Wiley 

Order of Dismissal US District Court Judge Marianne O. Battani (PDF)

Fox News:  Cleo Wiley Sues George Cushingberry Jr. for Sexual Harassment  - Reported by M.L. Elrick

Metro Times: Cleo Wiley's participation in the used car scandal against George Cushingberry Jr.  - Reporter Allie Gross

 

Homegoing Celebration for Mrs. Edna Cushingbery Mother of George Cushingberry Jr

By Richard C. Clement - Legislative Aide to Council President Pro Tempore George Cushingberry Jr.

A revered and much respected Matriarch of the community has acquired her wings.

Mrs. Edna Cushingberry, mother of Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. made her transition on Dec 15^th, 2017.  A mentor and mother to many us children who attended Pasteur Elementary School, she will be truly missed by all of us. We thank her for her oversight growing up and after all of that, we did not turn out too bad at all..

Mrs. Edna Cushinberry and Son George

Services and arrangements are as follows:

Public Viewing

Friday from 4-8 pm

Swanson Funeral Home - Obituary Link

14751 W.McNichols  - Map Link

Detroit, MI 48235

Going Home Celebration:

Saturday, December 16th.

New Mt Vernon Missionary Baptist Church 
www.newmtvernonbaptistchurch.net

21009 Ithaca Ave - Map Link

Royal Oak Township MI 48220
(248) 541-3870

Family hour @ 10:00am
Funeral @ 11:00am

Detroit City Council Being Requested To Commit Voter Fraud on Tuesday Nov 21st

By Richard C. Clement - Marijuana Policy Analyst and Legislative Aide to Councilmember ProTem George Cushingberry Jr. - City of Detroit 

    Your presence is requested at the Coleman Young Municipal Center 13th floor on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at 10am for public comment and protest of the Detroit City Planning Commission. They are asking the Detroit City Council to partner with Attorney General Bill Schuette to throw out of the votes of Detroiters on Marijuana reform because of an assumed technicality of the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act. 


         Website: Michigan Zoning Enabling Act  www.michiganrelaw.com

Website: The Murder in Vandalia Michigan at the Rainbow Farms Camp by the FBI and the State of MI for Marijuana

These same forces are forcing business owners out of the market by applying exorbitant fees driving small business owners out of the market. We want a Community Benefits Agreement for Marijuana in the City of Detroit stating how the new businesses will help contribute to the betterment of the quality of life for the community.  Detroit residents are more than consumers of Marijuana, they are also business owners of every race, sex, marital status, and choice of a significant other.

The 2:00 Minute Drill is in Full Effect -  Written Comments Welcome Also

The current Detroit City Council will be asked by the City Planning Commission to invalidate the results of the vote in the Nov. 7^th General Election regarding Medical Marijuana Zoning. They will be asked to present a legal challenge to prevent the enforcement of the will of the people with the help of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. After years of Emergency Management and, the damage that it has done to everyone, this request by the planning commission offends the tenants of the United States and State of Michigan constitution by asking the City Council to commit an act of Voter Fraud.   

This action is very detrimental to our democracy, especially the children who we are teaching about respecting the law and the importance of participating in your government. We talk about how people gave their lives so that people can get the opportunity to address their government and redress their grievances.  The children will be able to use their smart phones to look up voter suppression and see what is going on. Children in Detroit will be able to tell everyone that voting doesn’t matter and, that’s why my parents don’t vote.  

Oral Public comment is limited to two minutes.  Written comments are always welcome and accepted for the record.  Contact your Detroit City Council Today!

Website: Detroit City Council Members

Please be advised that the Detroit City Charter prevents the Council and Mayor from re-implementing any provisions of the old law for a minimum of 360 days after a vote is certified.

Mayor Mike Duggan and Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry team up to Improve Detroit Neighborhoods - Starting with District 2

By Richard C. Clement

Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. will be leading a financial team review with Deputy Chief Finance Officer John Naglick and Council members of the Budget, Audit, and Finance committee to review Mayor Mike Duggan’s $125 million bond fund request to revitalize the city’s commercial business corridors. With the support of city and community partners, business districts will be more attractive and pedestrian friendly.

Upon implementation in 2018, the city aims to recapture some of the estimated $2.6 billion in retail spending Detroit residents do annually in surrounding communities, according to a study by the Detroit Economic Development Corporation. The McNichols corridor in District 2 will be the model for this citywide project and, we are strongly anticipating its approval by the entire 9 member Detroit City Council.

Website: Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. and District 2 Manager Kim Tandy make plans for the neighborhood.

President Pro Tem Cushingberry strongly expressed that Detroiters Quit Rapping and Start Mapping a plan for the future of Detroit’s neighborhoods. With his leadership in finance, Mayor Duggan and the bond fund managers will redirect road dollars into the neighborhoods for projects such as this.  One of the goals of this project is to reduce the speeding deaths along the McNichols, Puritan, and 7 Mile Corridors.  Drivers are travelling too fast on roads that were designed in the 1950 and are paying for it with their lives.

If you support the City of Detroit neighborhoods then, do the right thing this November 7th at the ballot box  and write in George Cushingberry Jr. name on your ballot.  We have come so far as a City to allow imitators and perpetrators to get elected and destroy the progress we have made as a City Council and Administration for the best interests of our Detroit Citizens.

In other news, the University District Community Association is sponsoring a petition drive to declare a Special Assessment District for their neighborhood. This is a request that is similar to the  request from neighbors who live in Sherwood Forest, Palmer Woods, and the Detroit Golf Club. With the special assessment, residents in the U.D.C.A. neighborhood are agreeing to asses themselves an additional $175 a year per home for enhanced services of mosquito control, extra security, and snow removal from streets and sidewalks. President Pro Tem Cushingberry has been very supportive of the efforts and was a driving force for the needs of our citizens to request better services through neighborhood management of assessment funds.

If you have any questions about the assessment petition, please do not hesitate to call (313) 447-0003.

Website: University District Community Association Website/Blog on Special Assessment District request from neighborhood residents.

Detroit 2017? The Best Is Yet To Come with President ProTempore George Cushingberry Jr.

By Richard C. Clement

                In 2017 Council President Pro Tempore George Cushingberry Jr. is committed to the betterment of our community, especially the neighborhoods.

Mr. Cushingberry Jr. is committed to submitting balanced budgets that will assist in removing the last remnants of State Emergency Management allowing funding to be redirected to neighborhood projects like Livernois Avenue and Johnson Recreation Center.

Additional money will be available to help develop empty parcels like the former Michigan State Fairgrounds property.  Design plans call for a new neighborhood with bus service from DDOT and SMART.   Future plans call for a brand new Amtrak station on the Fairgrounds property that will replace the station on Woodward and Milwaukee.  Amtrak users will no longer have to climb up stairs or be forced to drive to Dearborn because of the poor facilities in Detroit. We support local businessmen like Marvin Beatty who have a vision for the large parcel that was once known as the Michigan State Fair.

Tindal Recreation Center
Reopening Ceremony 

Re-opening recreation centers like Tindal Center and progress on the Johnson Center property will be people focused to serve the community. To rebuild the neighborhoods we must look at the role recreation centers play in the re-development.  When Johnson Center was closed down, the entire neighborhood around the property went down also.  When parents let their children out of the home, they usually went to the Detroit Park and Recreation Center and spent the entire day there.  Children were safe at the Rec Center because there was always something to do.   Rec Center staff-members were completely dedicated to health and welfare of the neighborhood children. Sometimes they served as secondary teachers and mentors to neighborhood youth.

ProTem Cushingberry is extremely proud of his involvement regarding bringing the Detroit Pistons back home to Detroit. We appreciate the Illich family and their contribution to the Detroit Recreation Department, especially the Jack Adams Ice Arena. 22 years before the start of the National Hockey League, African Americans invented the game of professional hockey in Northern Canada. Everything you see on the ice was invented by Africans and West Indians who made it to freedom by crossing the Detroit River.

         Website: The Colored Hockey League Of 1894

There is a massive drug problem in the neighborhoods and it is not Marijuana. Opioid addiction is an American grown 50 state epidemic. According to the New York times, over 33,000 people died of an overdose in 2015 and 2017 is on pace to be worse.  When it comes to the neighborhoods, we have a massive amount of heroin addicts frequenting the area of 7 mile and Woodward around the ongoing Perfecting Church development managed by Bishop Marvin Winans. This development has been a major highlight of neighborhood blight and this must change.  In this area we have a Palmer Park Golf Course that has been a consistent money loser and a drain on the City of Detroit's budget.   

Website: American Police Beat 2016 The Opioid Crisis

In 2016 five Medical Marijuana Compassion Centers on Woodward Avenue generated more revenue than the Palmer Park City Golf Course so much that the back nine was deactivated and is now abandoned. Unfortunately, religious interests and the definition of Drug Free Zones forced the closing of all of the Marijuana facilities.  To turn this around in 2017, people must act to modify the ordinance through petition drives and court challenges based on First Amendment grounds of freedom FROM religion and the pursuit of happiness. 

In 2017 Opioid addiction can be treated and cured with the use of Marijuana. Quoting a Time Magazine article titled "Can Marijuana Help End the Opioid Epidemic"  6/28/2017 Website (www.time.com/4419003/can-medical-marijuana-help-end-the-opioid-epidemic/ )

" The idea that marijuana may treat pain and combat addiction is not without precedent. A study published in 2014 in the journal JAMA found that states with medical marijuana laws experienced a nearly 25% drop in deaths from opioid overdoses compared to states that did not have those laws. That may be because medical marijuana, which often relies on compounds from the cannabis plant called cannabinoids, has been found in many studies to help pain management. For example, a 2015 analysis of 79 studies also published in JAMA reported a 30% or greater reduction in pain from cannabinoids compared to a placebo. Studies suggest cannabinoids interact with receptors in pain activity centers located in the brain and spinal chord. There’s also some suggestion that they have anti-inflammatory effects.  "

By expanding help programs in the City, Detroit will be known as a place that has serious compassion toward people who really need the help. Detroit Police Chief James Craig has no desire to tie up his employees chasing people with joints. Children are more in danger of a Heroin Addict vs a person using Marijuana.  An attack on food is the most damage a Marijuana user could do. Food sales at restaurants would increase because of the enhanced appetite of a Marijuana user vs the Heroin Addict. The Heroin addict may kill you as opposed to a Marijuana patient eating all of your food.

We would be better served by religious institutions practicing real help like the Dominican Sisters teaching people how to read and other denominations helping to curb the Opioid addiction craze that is sweeping our nation. The last thing we need are carnival barking Pastors  who have no academic credibility and serve  to harm our children by dumbing them down with innuendo instead of concrete facts based on research and scientific reasoning.

Therefore and as a part of balancing the budget, the trend to attack Marijuana like Harry Anslinger did in the 1930's must be forcefully re-directed to a sensible policy of help and change. In 2017 we must open up our minds and do some reading and research on alternative product manufacturing with Agriculture such as concrete and drywall made from the Hemp Plant.  Using products grown in Michigan, State and local economies will experience growth through spending money within our own community.

Mr. Cushingberry will continue to support common sense practices that will benefit all the people in the City.  Because we are working hard for you, to improve the quality of life for the residents living in District 2

Something to Do in Detroit in August and September of 2016

By Richard C. Clement
Friends of Cushingberry


The following is a list of things to do in our City of Detroit in August 2016 and September. We have a lot of things going on to keep you busy and involved in our community.

Event Name Start  End  Beg. End. Place Woodbridge Merrick’n Summer Aug 12 Aug 14 5pm 2am Woodbridge Pub  5169 Trumbull Ave Detroit, MI 48208 Sonora Missionary Baptist Church Back To School Picnic Aug 13 Aug 13 1pm 5pm 7738 Sylvester Detroit, MI 48214 Corktown Criterium at Roosevelt Park Aug 13 Aug 13 8am 5pm Cadieux Bicycle Club Roosevelt Park Live Aug 13 Aug 13 4pm 10:30pm Roosevelt Park Detroit, MI 48216 African World Festival (34th Annual) Aug 19 Aug 21 11am 11pm 315 E. Warren  Detroit, MI 48202 MECCA Street Fair Aug 20 Aug 20 12pm 5pm E. Outer Drive between E. Warren and Chandler Park  Detroit MI 48224 Back To School Community Empowerment Rally Aug 20 Aug 20 12pm 4pm 8809 Schoolcraft Detroit, MI 48238 Crusin the "D" Aug 20 Aug 20 9am 9pm 8 Mile Road Palmer Park and perimeter  Detroit, MI 48203 Councilmember Spivey's Annual Family Fun Day and Community Health Fair Aug 27 Aug 27 12pm 12pm 14723 E. Warren Ave Detroit, MI 48215 Dally in the Alley Sep 10 Sep 10 11am 11pm Forest and Second Avenue Detroit, MI 48201 Detroit Mercy Midnight Bicycle Tour Sep 16 Sep 16 8pm 12am 400 W Mc Nichols Road Detroit, MI 48203

If you have any questions on any activity listed above, we recommend that you contact the event organizers.

Field Report Ordinance #61 and Marijuana Reform in Detroit. The Next Step

by Richard C. Clement

The 6 to 1 vote by the body of the Detroit City Council to approve Ordinance #61 for Marijuana Management and regulation in is a good start to work from. With modifications and input from the citizens of Detroit this Ordinance can be modified, re-codified to everyone’s satisfaction before March of 2016.

The good news first is that everyone agrees about the need to be licensed with the City as a business.

Without taxing the churches, a license fee amount agreed upon by all would bring significant revenue to the City’s coffers to be re-distributed to quality of life issues like park maintenance, road repair, recreation centers for children and seniors, etc.  A percentage of that revenue would go for the management of the industry with a new Department of Cannabis at City Hall.

March Madness and Marijuana Jobs - 16 New Careers Available

This department would consist of a few administrators and representatives from Building Safety, Fire Marshall, and Treasury that would be responsible for the establishment, management, and quality of Marijuana used in the City of Detroit.

Other issues can be resolved by adhering to the following steps.

1. If you support the efforts of my friend and esteemed Pastor Marvin Winans, then you should google search the following topics, Harry Ainslinger, Michelle Alexander, Hemp Concrete, and have him meet me at Miles Green Acers Compassion Center at an agreed time and date. Then have Brother Marvin make an appointment at (313) 224-4535 to see me in the office so we can talk about a solution about (but not limited to) weed, blight, and other things to make this city right.
2. Skip to Step 7 otherwise proceed to Step 3
3. If you are or planning to be a cannabis business owner, it is strongly recommended that you “know the neighborhood”. If you the owner or your landlord establishes a good relationship with your neighbors, then everything will be fine.  Issues like parking, security, and operational hours are things to consider when moving into a new building. If the neighbors (including religious institutions) within the proximity of the business approve of your location, then you may be granted a waiver to remain at the location by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
4. Skip to Step 7 otherwise proceed to Step 5
5. Upon presentation of signatures from 5000 registered electors in the City of Detroit, the citizens will direct City Clerk Janice Winfrey to place Ordinance #61 to a referendum up or down vote of the people. This vote is required to be held at the next regularly scheduled election in 2016.  (August or November) During this time, the ordinance is suspended and cannot be enforced.
6. Detroit voters have the opportunity to implement language that would be acceptable to all stakeholders, addressing issues like zoning regulations and yearly license fee amounts as an ordinance with 5000 valid signatures from registered electors who live IN the City of Detroit through the ballot initiative process.
7. End process.

When it is all said and done all interested stakeholders like native and longtime residents of Detroit will have a say in the direction of the future of Detroit.  Otherwise, we want to thank Councilmember James Tate of District 1 for stirring up the "pot".  He was recently selected as the keynote speaker at the Founders Day Luncheon by Detroit Alumni Chapter of Alabama State University on February 21^st, 2015 at 11:00am at DeCarlos Hall and Banquet Center. Tickets are $40 each and can be picked up in Councilmember Pro Tem Cushingberry’s office. 

Working for Weed Peace in Detroit

We hope to see supporters of higher education, and friends of Councilmember Tate like my friend and colleague Pastor Marvin Winans come to our event. Friends and colleagues of Richard Clement are welcome to attend also. Please call (313) 224-4535 or email clementr@detroitmi.gov if you are interested in attending with the proceeds going toward needy students attending Alabama State University.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday* and we want to see you all in 2016!

Where Holiday* = Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Your Personal Birthday, New Years,etc

Richard C. Clement  

Marijuana Policy Analyst

Office of Councilmember Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. District 2

www.detroitmi.gov

Ending the War on Pot in the City of Detroit with Democracy at the Ballot Box - Protecting the Right to Vote by Referendum

By Richard C. Clement

On Thursday December 17, 2015 at 1:15pm, the Detroit City Council will be voting to implement changes in Ordinance number #61 that will eliminate up to 95% of the Marijuana Dispensary businesses in the City of Detroit.  The reasons for their removal is that a number of community groups and Church pastors say that these places are illegal according to the State of Michigan.  This is the same State of Michigan that poisoned the water in Flint Michigan, committed Voter Fraud by re-establishing the Emergency Manager by making it referendum proof, and decimated public education with under-performing academies and a bunch of MBA’s running the education system instead of educators.

Another reason for the “swift passage” of this ordinance is that a sitting City Council-member has been promised a financial interest in a marijuana facility if this ordinance passed as written. The Council-member will get a 10% stake in a facility called “The Reef”.  A direct quote from the article states the following:

“I was there, and I can personally attest to the fact that Terrence Mansour is working on a deal to give a Detroit city council member and their significant other a 10 percent cut of the action from his dispensary to pass these new rules,” Brikho said. “It’s a pay-to-play system that is being created by these dirty, corrupt bureaucrats and the fat cats like Mansour who own them. This is a heist that is taking place. It’s criminal.”

(Click here to Read the Entire Story Regarding the Councilmember "Deal") 

(Click here to view the "Pastors War On Pot" courtesy of Fox 2 News Detroit MI )

After the national embarrassment of indictments, convictions, and issues of public trust, the only honorable thing to do is let the Citizens of Detroit vote on the ordinance in the general election in November 2016 through the referendum process. Council-member Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. believes that the Citizen Electors of the City of Detroit should be making that decision to restore trust and integrity in Detroit and it's elected officials.

Objections to ordinance

1. Unreasonable Hours of Operation. Forcing businesses to close at 8pm based on unsupported data may be un-constitutional and may be challenged in a court of law.
2. Unreasonable excuses to prevent consumption onsite of Marijuana after purchase or growing. If onsite consumption is allowed for Hookah Bars, Micro Breweries, and Cigar Bars, there is no excuse to prevent onsite consumption of marijuana on private property with the permission of the owner. Prosecuting these types of “crimes” is a waste of law enforcement, and legal resources of the City of Detroit.
3. Removal of Drive through businesses based on unsubstantiated data and the faulty theory of the late Harry Ainslinger 1^st Director of the US Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA)     
4. Arbitrary and capricious zoning distances for MMJ businesses and neighborhoods that will Zone 90% of all marijuana businesses out of business while liquor stores and churches are allowed to cluster with no extra requirements. 
5. Prohibiting Waivers for Marijuana Businesses

Solutions:

1. 24hr operations with a special permit license
2. Removal of onsite consumption restrictions from the ordinance
3. Special Permit to operate a Drive through. These places should be zoned like a bank or drugstore like CVS, Walgreens, etc.
4. Allow a special use permit for cultivation in commercial areas. 
1. B4 industry, square footage
5. 1000 Feet from a school under the US Drug Free Zone laws
6. Community Benefit Agreement with the Marijuana facilities promising to hire Detroit residents, and help keep up the neighborhood adding to the uplift of the quality of life for residents. Including allowing business owners to select a school and perform 20 hrs. community service.

A ballot initiative to replace this zoning ordinance will give Detroit citizens a perfect opportunity to conduct business as long as they are being good citizens. Currently there are an untold number of Hair Salons, Liquor Stores, and churches that are right next to each other. Some pastors welcome the new business as it has been treated as a blight remover and employer.

The work being performed by these Marijuana business owners on their property rivals HGTV and it is something that should be honored because it raised the value of the property. For people who say that these businesses are “dumping” on Detroit, look at what they are dumping. Some of the revenue from these places could be used to fix public education and fund school districts like Highland Park Michigan, Inkster, and Detroit Public Schools for example.

Medical Marijuana has been the best blessing the City has ever had because lots of investors in state and out of state are headed to Detroit and Michigan to find property. Empty building that were not being used are being re-purposed and paying property taxes to the City, unlike Churches that are open and/or under construction unopened.

People, we need your support for letting the people vote on this issue.  We strongly encourage owners and supporters to contact Detroit City council-members (click here) and let them know how you feel about it.

The citizens of Detroit have too much sense and wisdom to be bought off from special interest groups, and un-informed clergy members who are stuck in the draconian era of 1939 of prohibition and don’t take the time to read. We are issuing an open challenge to Pastor Marvin Winans to visit one of these esteemed facilities right next to his church at Miles Green Acers on Woodward and 7 mile next to the Doughnut shop.  We will make sure that no one bites him and we hope that he and his pastor friends visit the ones on Woodward Avenue.  

We want the law to respect the will of the people instead of one person on the church steeple. We are a democracy not a theocracy!

Let the People Vote!

What Does Take to Make a Great City? Home Repair and Restoration Training Programs

by Richard Clement 

Councilmember ProTem Cushingberry is pleased to report that 16 homes in District 2 have been selected to participate in the Detroit Neighborhood Repair Program. Beginning in the Fall of 2015 the Detroit Land Bank will sell these homes to the program using an investment of  $30 million dollars into the program from the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust Fund. The City of Detroit Housing and Revitilization Department will provide up to $850,000 in start up costs from a special escrow account.

A partnership with the AFL-CIO, Detroit Land Bank, and financial institutions are teaming up to purchase 200 homes in the City of Detroit for restoration and occupation. The target area will be the Bagley Neighborhood in Northwest Detroit.  Then the project will expand to the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood and other neighborhoods as selected by the program.

The core of a city is its neighborhoods.  Decades of disinvestment and high levels of foreclosures have devastated Detroit's neighborhoods. All neighborhoods are plagued by thousands of vacant and vandalized homes in need of extensive repair.  The net result of these negative actions makes it difficult for potential homeowners to obtain financing.  To reverse this trend, the Detroit Neighborhood Home Repair Program will create a business model with the following:

1.     A sustainable business model to acquire, repair, and finance abandoned homes and properties in the Detroit Land Bank Inventory

2.     Rebuild in three to five years between 250 to 300 abandoned homes using union labor and, employing Detroit residents in the repair program

3.     Securing funding from foundations, governments, and other private sources to bring cutting edge mortgage, finance, home owner counselling and, pre-apprenticeship training into the program.

4.     Create home-ownership opportunities, generate workforce training opportunities, provide union construction jobs and, foster neighborhood stabilization.

Target home buyers are those earning between 80% and 150% Area Median Income (AMI) of $26,325 for the Detroit Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or a program range between $21,060 and $39,488. Incentives will be given to municipal workers including teaches, firefighters, and police, as well as UAW members, and current and former neighborhood residents. This program is an opportunity for anyone who wants a career in skilled trades. Targeted individuals like homeless veterans who need a second chance the opportunity will be made available also.

The addresses of the properties in District 2 are:

Addr#		Street Name	Zip	NBHD
19205		Greenlawn	48221	Bagley
18689		Ilene	48221	Bagley
17547		Mendota	48221
18087		Mendota	48221
17132		Monica	48221	Bagley
18265		Monte Vista	48221
18220		Ohio	48221	Bagley
18461		Ohio	48221	Bagley
17184		Prarie	48221	Bagley
18964		Prarie	48221	Bagley
18200		San Juan	48221	Bagley
17165		Santa Barbara	48221	Bagley
17527		Stopel	48221
8700		W. Seven Mile	48221	Bagley
17180		Wisconsin	48221	Bagley
18506		Wisconsin	48221	Bagley

These properties have been identified as the show properties for a program that will help create opportunities and restore structurally livable homes with future homeowners. This will be an opportunity for someone to build their own home and learn a skilled trade at the same time. So if  anyone who wants to pursue carpentry, plumbing, cement masonry, bricklaying, or any other skilled trade please contact Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones Office and ask about the skilled trades task force and the Office of Councilmember Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr regarding bank finance information.

City Charter Bug Fix Review: Barrow's Ballot is in Good Hands - Press Release

Dear Tom,

The next general election is August 2016 and at that time the Barrow plan would be in full effect.  The plan requires that two paper voting receipts be printed at every voting location when the polls close after 8pm.  One with a signature that is taped on the wall at the voting location. The other receipt is sent with the votes to the Elections Bureau for total vote counting.  Both receipts require a signature on them.  If there is a close election then a recount would be required by law otherwise the votes are certified by the clerk.

The question is, how hard is it for a printer to print two sheets of paper?

This concept is very workable before the 2016 August Primary Election. The next question is WHY you want to print the paper in the first place. What is wrong with a voting scoreboard with real time results that you can access on your phone, tablet, laptop, google glass, wristwatch, etc? How about voting online one day? If you must print two tally sheets at the end of the night, then do what you have to do.

It is the position of Councilmember Cushingberry to review this legislation with the Elections Commission and, personnel versed in Information Technology skills like network management, data security, and system design.  Tom Barrow’s work will not be in vain and the initiative to have fair and accurate accounting of votes will be implemented by the next general election. 

The real fix is to the bug in the charter that is forcing Councilmember Janee Ayers to run for office in 2016 and 2017 because of the departure of Saunteel Jenkins. The wording in the charter says that a vacancy has to be filled  by voting in the next general election.  It should read that a vacancy has to be filled when the vacant position is up for election at the end of  it's 4 year term. 

Fact: Candidate Jenkins was elected for a 4 year job. She left early for a new job so Janee Ayers was appointed to fill out the remaining time. 

Fixing this bug in the charter would save a lot of time and money in the elections bureau and, address both issues at the same time. If Mr. Barrow is interested in taking on this task please set up a meeting, call, or do what you do to get something started. 

Thank you for your service to our community Tom.

Sincerely,

Richard Clement - Legislative Aide to Councilmember Pro Tem Cushingberry

A Historic August Weekend in Detroit on 8 Mile Road

By Richard C. Clement

Like a fine bottle of Wine
Getting better with Age

The Office of District 2 Councilmember Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. wants to commend all of the participants of People for Palmer Park, The Annual 8 Mile Gathering Fellowship, Crusin in the D, and all the people at Peterson Park who partied in the Spirit of Detroit this August. I want to give a special shout out to the 40^th year reunion of the Mumford Class of 1975.

Some of the Class of 1975

WMUM Radio Personalities
Gerald Mc Bride and Richard Clement

It was an extreme pleasure to see old friends, classmates, neighbors, and the reason that all of us became who we are now. It was good to know that some of us are still alive and well.  To those of my Mustang classmates who are resting in heaven, I was honored to be your friend, teammate and drinking partner.  It has been 40 years graduated from Mumford High School and, to all of you all may the Spirit of Detroit inside you live on.

More class of the Class of 1975

Clement and Lake

The Annual 8 Mile reunion on the grounds of an old civil war camp was an extremely awesome event of unity. Old and new neighbors get together and fellowship in the most awesome manner at this location. There are never any acts violence here and it is nothing but love and respect for each other.

Pasteur School in the House

It was an extreme pleasure to introduce some of my friends to current Detroit Fire Department employees of Engine 44, with a brand new door. We were glad to see the support from Wayne County Sheriff, Detroit Fire and Police Departments.  They should feel good about covering a District with a strong history and a great future for the children that live there. Everyone knows the Neighborhood Police Officer but very few know the Neighborhood Fire Fighter. Want to give a big shout out to Sheriff Benny Napolean for his support and he is a proud product of Pasteur School.

Stop The Violence

The Gathering at Peterson Park was a true blessing of the neighborhood again in the Spirit of Detroit. This large city park accommodated three different groups who all played together in harmony.  A Winship Junior High School reunion, a Stop the Violence Rally, and a church group all used the park to fellowship together.  A deputy sheriff from Wayne County came to Stop the Violence and speak about the importance of education and reading. 

Wayne County Sheriff & Cush

Most of the prisoners in Wayne County Jails have the same trait in common regarding their reading skills. They are the most repeat offenders and the deputy sheriff did a wonderful job in communicating with the audience about police and community relations. This is another shout out to Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napolean and the employees that work under his command.

Cush and the Church
Working Together in District 2

Cruisn the D at Palmer Park

The effort to make Woodward South of 8 Mile road a part of a Cruise weekend was a smashing success. The span of Woodward between 8 and Mc Nichols (6 Mile for Native Detroiters) was populated with by the Crusin the “D” event that went around Palmer Park, 7 Mile, Woodward, 8 Mile and back.  This area has its own uniqueness because there are few restaurants and a park with a lot of trees where people parked their cars, stayed cool and watched the other cars go by.  It was a pleasure to welcome cruisers to the area.  

Crusin at Palmer Park

Participants at Woodward and Golden Gate drank cool vegan lemonade at the Golden Gate Café and watched the cars go by. Our office wants to send a thank you to Jerry White, Ms. Litita White and LG Graphics for participating in the inaugural classic car show held on the parking lot at Woodward and Golden Gate.  This location is a prime property for watching cruisers, especially the motor bikers go up and down Woodward.

Thank you Mejiers 

In 2016 a cruise from Campus Martius and Back is very doable. In collaboration with bikers, cruisers, and track clubs, this annual event will morph into an international celebration of the automobile.  Is a Cruise weekend marathon with runners running from 26 miles out to a finish line located at Campus Martius possible? This would have to be done before the Saturday of the event maybe on a Friday morning. Otherwise, the bikers and automobile group can do the cruise from Campus Martius to Pontiac in 2016 with proper time, planning and, support.

Cruiser(Left) with Organizer/CEO
Gregory Reed(Right)

Detroit is coming back and we are helping to keep it on track to progress.

We thank you all for your participation in these events in the Spirit of Detroit.

Keep up the good work in Detroit!