A couple of years ago we reported that Hamtramck’s speeding laws were on shaky legal ground. A relatively new state law requires communities to first perform a traffic study before establishing how fast motorists can legally travel. Hamtramck wasn’t alone back then in not having performed the study. To this date, the city still hasn’t [...]
The resignation of City Councilmember Kazi Miah raises a number of concerns and questions. First and foremost, it looks like Miah had no intention of returning to the council when he took off for mysterious reasons a few months ago. In plain talk, Miah took advantage of the trust his colleagues had in him. And [...]
What are we to make of this week’s election for the city council and school board? This is one of those elections that certainly raises more questions than it answers. Let’s take a look at the city council race. The two top vote-getters, incumbent Cathie Gordon and former councilmember Robert Zwolak, are sort of from [...]
The city’s recent $1.6 million settlement from a basement flooding lawsuit filed by 200 residents has plenty of folks ticked off. And we don’t blame homeowners for being upset about handing over – on average — $250 this year in a special tax. But there is a much deeper issue here. And that issue is [...]
Things are getting a little overheated in City Hall these days. By the accounts of some city officials, you’d think the city was on the brink of a financial collapse. Can we say something? Calm down folks, and let’s put our heads together instead of pointing fingers and looking for someone to blame. What seems [...]
In almost three weeks from today, Hamtramck voters will be heading to their precincts to vote who should serve on the City Council and School Board. Unfortunately for voters, this campaign season has been painfully low-key. The candidates have hardly been visible, which is pretty weird given that Hamtramck has always been known for its [...]
Despite these gloomy economic times, Hamtramck is enjoying a huge influx of federal cash. Fifteen million dollars worth. You can thank the Obama administration for this, because it’s part of the stimulus package. The money is not only going to make good things happen here, it’s also going to put people to work. And you [...]
If you run for public office, it’s expected that if you win and you agree to commit to the duties of that office. Recently, there has been growing criticism of the attendance records of Councilmembers Shahab Ahmed and Kazi Miah. Ahmed now has 10 unexcused absences this year. Miah has five excused absences and one [...]
When you get stuck with paying an extra $140 to $180 in property taxes this December, you can thank your neighbor. There are several hundred of them, actually, that you can thank. That’s because they were part of one of two lawsuits filed against the city after their basements flooded three years ago, and then [...]
One of the red flags in city government that we have seen over and over again is when someone makes a big dollar proposal that must be decided on right away. Those agreements have repeatedly come back to bite the city — and taxpayers – in the rear. The City Council was faced with a [...]
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