Well, here it is, the end of the year. Goodbye 2011, and in some ways, good riddance. This was, without a doubt, a tough year to endure. The economy sucked, and there is little indication things will get better. There is less money to go around for everyone, including for city services. Case in point, [...]
This is a week to count our blessings, and Hamtramck certainly has a lot to be thankful for. We are a city that is still surviving, and despite a growing rift in City Hall, our future remains optimistic. But it’s going to take a lot of work in the coming year. We wish the new [...]
What a blow to Hamtramck and the metro region. This week, the folks at the SMART bus service announced a massive cut in services and the laying off of 123 employees, all because of a multi-million dollar budget deficit. Hamtramck’s shuttle service is also included in the cuts, but at least there is a ray [...]
Ha-Ha-Ha! That’s what we’d like to say to executives at American Axle & Manufacturing. But you know what? It really doesn’t give us pleasure. Fact is, what the executives in the company did to their workers, our city and ultimately our country leaves us far too bitter. On Tuesday, the Detroit City Council did what [...]
Could it get any messier? While on the one hand we’re pleased that Hamtramck now has a new police chief on the way, the process in which it happened was messy to say the least. Before we continue, let us say up front that none of this is meant as criticism of Lt. Max Garbarino, [...]
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 [...]
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