Candidate no-shows are an embarrassment to the city

Disappointing.
And embarrassing.
Those are two words that come to mind regarding the turnout at last Thursday’s Meet the Candidates forum.
Only three of the nine city council candidates showed up. That’s the disappointing part.
Those candidates were: Robert Zwolak, Carrie Beth Lasley and Justin Jessop.
Candidates Nayeem Choudhury, Mohammed Alsomiri, Anam Miah, Abu Musa, Saad Almasmari and Mohammed Hassan were the no shows.
It’s embarrassing because an outside group, the Detroit League of Women Voters, cared enough to host the event. It was an insult to the group as well.
But this has been the norm for the past several years. Local organizations and individuals finally gave up hosting these forums because too many candidates blew them off.
Oh, some of them, in the past, have claimed work obligations or offered lame excuses.
Let’s face it, if you can’t carve out time to meet with the public and talk about your views, you probably shouldn’t be running for public office.
Why?
Because the public has a right to be informed.
Being a no-show is a slap to the public’s face. It makes one wonder how seriously the candidates will take the job if elected. This is a matter of respect and commitment to public service.
July 19, 2019