What’s out and in for 2010? Read on …

mayorBy Charles Sercombe
Ah, the year 2009, it seems so distant now.
But there is still some unfinished business with ’09. It’s time to clean out a few of the cobwebs leftover from that year and look at what needs to be ushered in with the New Year.
With tongue partially in cheek, we present our “What’s Out and What’s In” for 2010.

OUT
Polish-American dominance in city elections after – what? – a several decade reign. Where did they all go? Farther and farther to the northern exurbs. Just follow the car exhaust on I-75 or Gratiot.
IN
The Bengali tiger has sprung. The Bangladeshi community surprised many – and perhaps even itself – in the last two city elections by becoming the dominant voting bloc. How long will their influence rule the day? Well, we’ve talked recently to a number of local Bengalis looking for cheap housing in Warren. Some things stay the same, eh?

OUT
After-school fighting at HHS
IN
The League of Restorative Justice!

OUT
In-fighting, political factions, slates, same-old, same-old political feuds.

IN
We’re all gonna get along for the good of the community. Groan … call us cynics, even though we truly hope for the best, but this broken record has been played too many times. Get a new script people.
OUT
Cops, hardly ever writing a traffic ticket in retaliation for that Gary Zych guy who not too long ago shut down the overtime patrol program.

IN
Oh, Lordy, the city’s broke and has to layoff off 17 cops! Ah, not so fast, the police union has come up with a way to save those (their) jobs, and it’s going to cost you and you and you. At least consider yourself warned. The plan is, see, they promise to write and generate at least 60,000 bucks each and every month in traffic tickets. Problem solved.

OUT
The Ghost Town on the northend of Jos. Campau. Once a thriving shopping district, in the last several years one store after another has closed down, like a spreading cancer.

IN
The newly built state Department of Human Services constructed on the site of the former Woody Pontiac Dealership. Hundreds of people will be working and served here and if you have a few bucks to invest, now is the time to get in on the ground floor of what – at least we think – will turn into a thriving business district. And to think, the usual naysayers and nitpickers hardly raised a fuss about the development!

OUT
Two-bit Internet publications that do nothing but dump on the city and city officials.

IN
Three-bit Internet publications with a less jaundiced view of how a city should work.

OUT
Scandal-plagued Cosmos football team.

IN
Well, there’s always the soccer team to root for.

OUT
The final strokes of a pen on closing the Hamtramck housing discrimination lawsuit.

IN
Oh man, just Hamtramck’s luck. Now that new housing has been built and there are more to come, the housing market is in total collapse.

OUT
Decent paying auto jobs at American Axle.

IN
Tsk, tsk, you peons with your “entitlement” mentality. Here, take these $14 an hour jobs or don’t. And if you get hurt on the job or sick, don’t let the gate hit you on behind as you leave the plant. And oh, Hamtramck, can we have another tax break? Or we’ll leave.

OUT
The aforementioned Blue collar workers who bought the Reagan lie.

IN
Blue collar workers looking for anyone but Reagan and themselves to blame. Look out Obama.

OUT
Pesky weekly newspaper that cranks and blowhards love to hate.

IN
A new pesky weekly newspaper that cranks and blowhards love to hate.

OUT
Hamtramck’s old Master Plan. Did anyone even look at it?
IN
A new Master Plan to map future development and improvements. OK, we made a New Year’s Eve resolution and we’re not going to say anything snarky. Ever. Anymore.

OUT
This attempt at humor.

IN
You call that humor?

(Staffwriter Ian Perrotta contributed to this article.)

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