Guest Editorial: Beware of candidates who cause political division
By Scott Klein
Since the time of Mayor Robert Kozaren, and probably before, politicians, candidates and assorted near-do-wells have tried to make a person’s indebtedness to the city an issue in the election.
It hasn’t worked.
So, yet again, a newcomer has arrived and is stirring the pot. Among other things, the attack is disingenuous. Property taxes and water bills are two legs of a three-legged stool.
What about city income tax?
Under Michigan state law there is no way of knowing under Michigan state law if a person is current on their income taxes, unless, of course, there is a warrant for their arrest.
So, if we are going to throw a person’s finances out into public, it seems to me some transparency is in order.
How about the candidate making this charge come forward with three years of income taxes, property taxes and water bills?
Better yet, it might be time to reject candidates who spend your tax dollars on their misguided political attacks.
When folks attacked Mayor Kozaren 20 years ago, it did not cost taxpayers a dime. Now, thanks to a weaponized charter, the accusation has yet again cost the city money to pay for an opinion from an attorney.
And to what end, other than to mount a political attack that will not change who is on the ballot, and will not change any elections outcome?
There is an old saying in politics, local politics are vicious because so little is at stake. Hang on to that thought for a minute.
The truth is the city council, first and foremost, must find a way forward and a way to work together. This is especially critical in the next few years, as budget pressures mount.
It is not a good harbinger of things to come, if before you are even elected you are attacking the people you may serve with.
If you deem someone a criminal, or evil, or a deadbeat in order to get yourself elected, how are you going to work with them to find common ground if you are elected?
This demonization of candidates has to stop on the local level, state level, and federal level if we are to come together to address our problems.
A good place to start is by rejecting candidates who practice wrongheaded politics.
(Mr. Klein is a former Hamtramck City Councilmember.)
July 12, 2019
12 Responses to Guest Editorial: Beware of candidates who cause political division
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Carrie Beth Lasley, Council Candidate
July 12, 2019 at 6:42 pm
Scott got pissy with me a couple of months ago. Prior to that he was encouraging me to stir the pot, even going as far to provide me with a political hitman, which I do not need.
Deeply hypocritical of him to make this attack when he is the biggest pot-stirrer I know.
The fact that he wrote this is perfect evidence. He doesn’t even live here. It’s time to move on, Scott.
But, alas, here he is stirring about stirring. It’s like I’m a threat to the Old-Boys network.
Scott
July 13, 2019 at 12:51 pm
As has been said before, for a paper no one reads, lots of folks certainly know what’s in it.
Scott
July 13, 2019 at 1:06 pm
Gee, I reread the editorial…no place did I mention anyone…folks are entitled to an opinion, and to express it.
And nope, other than casual and infrequent meetings around the mayor’s reelection, I have have no contact with this person.
Hamtramckan
July 13, 2019 at 3:36 pm
Scott you know it is disingenuous to say this article wasn’t about Lasley when it clearly was. If you’re going to make a statement at least stand behind it. Also, she isn’t deeming him a deadbeat, he did that to himself. Lasley is just pointing out a relevant issue that voters should be aware of. Would you trust your personal money to someone who can’t handle their own finances?
Fatema Hossain
July 13, 2019 at 4:20 pm
My concern is what this City Council race may turn into before this November.
In 2017, the Bangladeshi-American Political Action Committee (BAPAC), led by Rabbi MD Alam and which maintains an office at the Royal Kabob eatery, organized support for two major Bangladeshi-American candidates, Councilman Hassan and Nayeem Choudhury, the owner of Walee Enterprises.
Both the Bangladeshi-American and Yemeni-American communities were smeared by vague allegations of vote fraud and a Michigan State Police spokesman issued statements to the media just before the general election that a press conference would be made for a presentation outlining the upcoming charges and findings.
After the November 2019 general election – in which all Banladeshi-American and Yemeni-American candidates lost – the Michigan State Police made no further public statements – except in response to Hamtramck Review inquiries that the investigation remained “ongoing” – and the cloud of this purported “investigation” to this day is unresolved. No criminal charges arising from this “vote fraud investigation” have ever been filed, of course.
There is speculation that the Michigan State Police may try to interfere with the 2019 election cycle as they did in 2017 – when search warrants were served and and an automobile was seized. There has been ongoing speculation that the genesis of the 2017 MSP investigation may have been winning candidates in that election and their political allies.
There would have been no way that Councilman Hassan would have lost by 22% in the general election in 2017 absent the highly publicized actions of MSP which undoubtedly scared off many residents from voting – in fact, there was a record number of unreturned absentee ballots in that election, per the City Clerk.
We will wait and see………………..
Roadman
July 14, 2019 at 2:30 am
Check out Carrie Beth Lasley’s campaign Facebook where she claims that unknown persons have distributed flyers urging residents to vote for her as an “American”.
She has disavowed authorizing this campaign flyer and urges anyone receiving it to turn to her or to police.
John Nicholas
July 14, 2019 at 11:04 am
If, in this age and time, our police dept. can’t figure out who sent theses letters, using modern technology (camera footage and cell phone data) then it might be the time to disband it and switch to the Wayne County for policing duties.
John Nicholas
July 14, 2019 at 2:45 pm
A simple DNA test of the saliva used to seal one of the envelopes it was mailed in will easily solve the case.
Dennis Nowak
July 14, 2019 at 6:41 pm
The Carrie Beth Lasley campaign Facebook page has an actual copy of that campaign ad and she indicates on Facebook that all levels of law enforcement have been notified.
The ad itself is very incompetently done and refers to a “Councilman Hussain” (who does not exist) and the fact the City Council majority has “neutered” the police (How cruel!).
It reminds one of the infamous 2015 campaign ad “Get the Muslim out” that was never traced. Let us hope this type of similar chicanery can be exposed this time around as it is disgusting and has no place in the community.
Nasr Hussain
July 15, 2019 at 11:23 am
Easy solution to find out who did it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code
Hasan
July 17, 2019 at 6:07 am
Scott is a dufus who cannot accept losing. GET OVER IT SCOTTY
Dennis Nowak
July 21, 2019 at 3:39 am
The legal opinion arising of the investigation of the defaulter allegations by Carrie Beth Lasleyagainst Saad Almasmari resulted in Melvin Hollowell’s law firm (The Miller Firm )being paid over $10,000.00 to complete that opinion. Approximately $10,700.00 was authorized by City Council.
Let’s hope we do not have another situation where the City of Hamtramck fritters away legal fees to attack a City Council candidate.