City Council drops the ball on watching out for taxpayers
So much for the City Council being watchdogs of the public’s money. On Monday, the City Council unanimously (except for Councilmember Shahab Ahmed, who was absent) voted during a special…
Granholm administration has been a friend to Hamtramck
Wednesday was a great day for Hamtramck. That’s when the brand new state Department of Human Services building was officially opened. Although Gov. Jennifer Granholm couldn’t attend the grand opening,…
Even in tough economic times tough decisions are required
It may be counterintuitive to raise taxes or government fees in times of financial hardship, but a majority of Hamtramck’s City Councilmembers did the right thing recently. The council, except…
Letter from the Publisher…
A Valuable Asset In times of uncertainty, and with cities all facing the current economic downturn, it is especially important for cities, like businesses, to stay competitive, and to shift…
A welcome end to an ugly piece of history
Hamtramck is starting the New Year with a bang. Last week, Hamtramck learned it will receive $13.9 million in federal stimulus money to build or rehab 39 housing units. The…
New round of housing is a win-win for Hamtramck
This Monday Hamtramck will celebrate a historic milestone. Not only is it Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s the 40th anniversary of a settlement deal between the city and a…
Firing teachers is not the answer in fixing education
Talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In our eyes, Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s signing up with the federal school aid package being called “Race to the Top” is nothing to…
City unions’ refusal to take cuts hurts all of us
Unbelievable. Yeah, that’s the word. The word, that is, for the city unions’ refusal to make contract concessions to avoid layoffs of city employees. Instead, the cops agreed to write…
‘Newsmaker of the Year’: The Bangladeshi voting bloc
The year 2009 was an incredible year. We had plenty of exciting ups and downs and in-betweens. As far as news, we had a ton to write about. The closing…
In these times, contract concessions are a must
Hamtramck city officials and city unions aren’t alone in facing some tough choices to survive these harsh economic times. Public school officials and employees are also being hit hard and…
