Today was a sad day for Detroit, Michigan. For years the citizens have been fighting against a state take over of the city. One by one, their elected officials have been bought off (yes, I mean they have been taking favors or money in order to vote a certain way).
The state has been trying to get the Detroit Corporate Council, Krystal Crittendon, fired for quite some time. Her offense? Fighting the state on the take-over of Detroit. Ms. Crittendon was one of the last warriors for the citizens of Detroit. She was fired today for DOING HER JOB.
The following article was written by LaToya Henry and was originally published here.
“Hear Ye, Hear Ye, all Detroit subjects should immediately report to the City’s Square and hear this royal decree from King Snyder. By his order and authority Detroit is now known as Detroit Fiefdom. Detroit’s elected officials shall surrender all their power and where with all to do whatever King Snyder commands. These steps are necessary for you to receive a pittance of money already owed to you and in return you are never to question what it is we ask, remove all subordinates who may challenge us and/or seek to represent the will of the people or have the City’s best interest at heart. Hear Ye, Hear Ye this is today’s royal decree issued by the King. Please govern yourselves accordingly.”
Detroit has no leadership, as evidenced by today’s firing of Corporation Counsel Krystal Crittendon. She was fired because she was doing her job. The job many Detroiters wanted, expected and demanded from a Corporation Counsel when they voiced their opinions and concerns doing the months of charter review meetings. How sad that the Mayor and those six City Council Members who voted for her removal bowed to the two-headed King known as Snyder and Dillon. Snyder and Dillon should have run for Mayor if they wanted to control Detroit’s billion dollar purse strings so badly.
Detroit’s elected officials and those who work for the City are often labeled as corrupt, inept, and incompetent yet when we have someone who was doing her job and focused on the good of the City she gets fired. Let’s be real here she was fired because she challenged the legality of the Consent Agreement and the Mayor and those City Council members who voted for her removal are trying to save themselves and their positions. She is just one of many sacrificial lambs that will happen as the City’s failed leadership seeks to jump through hoops and keep their jobs and positions safe. As long as the Governor and Treasurer Dillon can dangle the possibility of sending in an EFM they will continue to answer with “how high” when asked to jump.
I am glad this is an election year for Detroit. I implore Detroit residents to be about your business and research the candidates who plan to represent you, elected qualified, capable leaders who truly want to see Detroit prosper. Furthermore, for the Governor, the Treasurer and those who serve on this so called Financial Accountability Board if you are truly about helping Detroit get its financial footing then start today. Help Detroit’s Tax Department out. The information that you are holding of who truly owes Detroit money make that your top priority to help collect the money. Ease up on the necks and backs of residents who owe paltry sums in back property taxes and parking tickets and go after the real money; the money that would help Detroit’s coffers. But that would be too much like right wouldn’t it, because then you couldn’t have your way. You couldn’t sit in your kingly palace in Lansing and send your grand chariots down whenever you wanted if the City was thriving. No you like it this way. It makes ruling your kingdom so much easier.