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THE BIRMINGHAM BUZZ
"Cast your vote for intelligence and reason"
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Birmingham Buzz # 62 -- Nov. 3, 2003

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VOTE NOV. 4!
The Buzz supports McDaniel, Moore, McKeon and Plotnik


In this edition:

1) Be an essential link in the chain of victory; take 15 minutes to phone 3-5 neighbors
2) Election Briefs: Nov. 3, 2003
3) Comment: Cast your vote for change -- honesty, integrity, leadership and vision

1) Crunch Time Dept.: Be an essential link in the chain of victory; take 15 minutes to phone 3-5 neighbors

Nov. 3, 2003

Elections like the one tomorrow can be won or lost by a single vote. Your participation, and the participation of sympathetic friends and neighbors, is essential for victory.

The Birmingham Buzz began publishing almost two years ago. Tomorrow is the culmination of an extraordinary effort and commitment.

We ask you to contribute by calling 3-5 friends and neighbors tonight.

Ask them to :

1) Vote.

2) Support Tom McDaniel, Scott Moore, Dianne McKeon and Julie Plotnik.

3) Call 3-5 of their friends and neighbors, asking them to do the same.

Together, we can restore intelligence and reason to city government.

2) Election Briefs: Nov. 3, 2003

Cops say what rest of City Hall thinks:
In a quarter-page ad in Sunday's Eccentric, the Birmingham Police Officers Association endorsed McDaniel, Moore, McKeon and Plotnik. Finally, somebody in City Hall stands up and publicly says what virtually everyone who works there for a paycheck has been thinking for more than a year now: It's time for a change. Did we see campaign signs in front of City Hall the other day?

Dixon's ditched wagon hitched to Lanzetta train:
We didn't feel great about leaving Russ Dixon behind when we made our endorsements a few weeks ago. But it was the right decision, and we could only hope that Dixon would remain independent. He is, at bottom, a decent man, and his presence on the Commission is far less damaging than Dante Lanzetta's. But politics and reality being what they are, we weren't overly surprised when Dixon signs began to appear alongside those of Lanzetta and running mates Seth Chafetz and Denise Grzech. What surprised us was that Dixon would allow the likes of Ralph Seger to include his name on a truly scurrilous piece of campaign garbage that went out last week. If he survives this election, Dixon will have a hard time living down his association with Lanzetta and Seger.

Who's buying his way into power?
Lanzetta, who habitually accuses anyone who opposes him of trying to "buy" their way into power, interestingly topped the list of campaign fundraisers so far, according to the Birmingham Eccentric. Lanzetta had raised $7,544. Challenger Julie Plotnik was the next biggest fundraiser, reporting $6,843. Lanzetta has blown away everyone, especially the other incumbents. Dianne McKeon reported contributions of $3,885; Seth Chafetz reported $2,920, and Russell Dixon a mere $1,385.

Elect who?
Candidate Albert Jackson Metzel (we've ignored him up till now for reasons that will become obvious momentarily) has been planting Electme.com signs around town without permission from property owners, and then has gotten indignant when they are removed. He considers them campaign signs, even though they don't contain a candidate's name, and even though they promote a commercial website. We've met Jack, and he seems to be a nice enough man. But behavior like this, along with his performances at recent candidates forums, has a lot of observers scratching their heads.

Sitting this one out?
Lanzetta cronies Paul Reagan and Peter Gough, who were so vocal in past elections with their underground newsletter The Be-Line, have been obviously absent this time around, at least obstensibly. Some of Lanzetta's campaign garbage bears their style, but they have mercifully spared us their presence at most public functions. Also absent from the Lanzetta campaign trail has been his chief hatchet-man Gary Kulak, chairman of the Planning Board. Lanzetta has continued to defend Kulak as "responsive," even as a majority of the Commission publicly says the Planning Board is "broken," and Kulak needs to be reprimanded, if not removed.


3) Comment: Cast your vote for change -- honesty, integrity, leadership and vision

Nov. 3, 2003

On the last day before the election, as we consider the issues and wrap things up, we can't help but think that honesty is the one, overriding issue.

It shouldn't be so difficult to figure out where the candidates all really stand on the issues. But when you have a cadre whose leader makes dishonesty a campaign strategy, well, the water begins to get a little muddy.

On one side, you have the Buzz-endorsed quartet of Tom McDaniel, Scott Moore, Dianne McKeon and Julie Plotnik. Only one is an incumbent. They don't agree on everything, but their stands are similar enough that many things can be said of all four. Throughout the campaign, they have respected the truth. We'll call them "the Good Guys."

On the other side stand Dante Lanzetta, Seth Chafetz, Russell Dixon and Denise Grzech. Three are incumbents. All (most regrettably Dixon) have abandoned honesty and integrity in their quest for continued power. We'll call them "the Other Guys."

So herewith is our rundown on the top five issues, and where the candidates really stand:

1. Lanzetta.

Yes, he is an issue unto himself, and perhaps the top issue in the campaign. Why? Because he has chosen to cap an 18-year career of public service by distinguishing himself as the most dishonest person in city government. One of his most outrageous and shameless lies occurred when he recently took credit for the Baldwin House senior citizens housing project. "Baldwin House would not stand today without the vision, support and hard work of Dante Lanzetta," he said. He went on to disgustingly claim that "Baldwin House residents owe their very homes to this man." In fact, Lanzetta had virtually nothing to do with the development or completion of Baldwin House. We could go on and on with specific examples of this man twisting and bending the truth to suit his objectives, and we'd be happy to do so. Suffice it to say here that he should be turned out of office. When you go to the polls tomorrow, be sure to cast four votes, because every vote not cast against Lanzetta is a possibl!
e vote in favor of him.

2. Development.

One of the most important issues in this campaign is also one of the least understood. It doesn't help matters when four radically anti-development candidates (the Other Guys) present themselves as moderates, and repeatedly and falsely make ridiculous claims about the true moderates (the Good Guys).

Here's where the Other Guys stand:

In the neighborhoods, they support a one-size-fits-all zoning ordinance that doesn't fit anything well. Lanzetta, who claims that he supports limits on so-called Bigfoot housing, actually voted against the Bigfoot Ordinance, claiming it didn't go far enough and it should be strengthened. Four years later, he's done nothing to bring back the issue. They talk vaguely about "neighborhood preservation," but they neglect our streets, sewers and parks -- even after we tell them in no uncertain terms (with the parks bond issue, with neighborhood petitions) that we want improvements and we're willing to pay for them.

With characteristic dishonesty, they propose to "win one for the neighborhoods" by supporting a costly, unnecessary and duplicative "historic survey" that would waste $500,000 of taxpayer money to photograph every home in Birmingham. It is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to further erode property rights and curtail residential redevelopment.

Also with characteristic dishonesty, they supported a tree ordinance that would have regulated trees on private property. Again, it was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to increase the cost and difficulty of improving your property. They abandoned the initiative after residents turned out by the hundreds to complain.

In the downtown, they have installed and supported a Planning Board that is openly hostile to property owners and unabashedly obstructs development. They have taken the world-class Downtown 2016 Plan, which was written by a world-class team of planners that considered the input of hundreds of residents in the process, and dumped it -- without ceremony, and without the kind of public input that went into the plan.

They have made no attempts whatsoever to encourage any sort of redevelopment, even though vacancies and prime opportunities for redevelopment abound.

Adding insult to injury, they have been openly hostile to the Principal Shopping District and its board.

Here's where the Good Guys stand:

In the neighborhoods, to regulate Bigfoot and other residential development, they support the detailed Planning Board recommendations that were rejected in favor of the one-size-fits-all ordinance four years ago. The recommendations were developed by a past Planning Board populated by professionals. They recognized that lot sizes and neighborhood characteristics vary.

The Good Guys support the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, and understand that when we voted in favor of the Parks Bond Issue, we voted in favor of improvements. They will move on Booth Park, Shain Park and Poppleton Park, and make sure that Quarton Lake is wrapped up and ready for use by next summer. And they will insure that Barnum School, a worthwhile city investment, does not become a burden on taxpayers.

They support a reasonable resolution of the sewer-lateral issue, and believe that if a group of residents such as those on Harmon St. petition for street improvements, and 70% support the petition, then the improvements ought to be granted, not delayed.

In the downtown, they are firm believers in the original 2016 Plan, which called for three- and four-story buildings. They believe the best development is achieved when city officials cooperate with, rather than antagonize, property owners. They believe in encouraging and influencing the redevelopment of such properties as the former Shell and Sunoco gas stations, rather than discouraging and obstructing those redevelopments.

Underlying the Good Guys' stand on development is the basic understanding that the Headlee Amendment and Proposition A have changed municipal finance. Under these state-imposed laws, one of the only ways to increase income from taxes (and keep pace with inflation and rising costs) is to allow for development and redevelopment. Furthermore, you get the kind of development you want by cooperating with and cajoling developers, not by butting heads with them.

3. Fiscal Responsibility.

The City of Birmingham enjoys a AAA bond rating, which means that it pays its bills and has excellent credit. It didn't come about, as Lanzetta dishonestly claims, because of the policies of the commission over the past two years. It came about because of sound fiscal management by the city administration. It doesn't mean we are flush with cash. In fact, our reserves are dwindling, in part because of the unsound fiscal management of our City Commission over the past two years.

The Other Guys think it's OK to spend $1 million on a sidewalk to nowhere over the Adams Street Bridge, and $500,000 on a so-called historic survey. They think it's OK to look a gifthorse like the Michigan Department of Transportation -- which was willing to spend some $100,000 to improve the dangerous intersection south of the 555 Building -- in the mouth, and rudely send them packing. They think nothing of spending $50,000 to investigate the developers of the Willits Condominium, only to find that it was an exceptionally well-done project. They ignore the importance of downtown redevelopment to our bottom line, and have absolutely no financial plan for the day when our reserves are gone and the only alternative will be to increase taxes or cut services. Three of them recently voted to increase taxes, and none has promised no new tax hikes.

The Good Guys understand finance. McDaniel is a former top executive at General Motors who ran the company's Far East operations. Moore is a former commissioner with a firm grasp of the budget process. Plotnik is a financial professional whose background is such that even her political enemies voted to appoint her to the city's General Investment Committee. The Good Guys have promised no new tax increases. And they intend to keep the promise by working on increasing our tax base instead. They have a plan.

4. Micromanagement of the city administration.

Privately ask any employee at City Hall about morale, and you will hear about a crisis. Four city planners have quit in the past two years. More departures are imminent. Police and firefighters have been working without a contract for months. The city manager, a highly competent professional who once set the agenda for commission meetings and was one of the most vocal participants, now sits mute most of the time.

Despite having few professional qualifications, the Other Guys think they know how to run city government, and aren't shy about it. Commission meetings routinely run past midnight as the incumbents delve into every possible detail of every possible issue of administration. Commission meetings become the training ground for inexperienced, incompetent officials. Even someone like Dixon, with a relevant background in architecture, routinely abdicates any leadership role when design issues come before the commission. Appointed cronies stalk City Hall, ordering employees around. The Other Guy incumbents have appointed to our Planning Board a sculptor, a part-time dermatologist and a public defender.

It's no wonder that most City Hall employees want a change, and that the Police union courageously has come out publicly in support of the Good Guys.

The Good Guys understand the meaning of "stewardship" and "leadership." They understand that you hire and appoint competent professionals, and let them do their work.

5. Property rights.

When you buy into a community, you expect to abide by the rules. No one expects to be free from regulation. But when the rules change as often as the wind, and when the people making the rules have ulterior motives, it's time for a change.

Thousands of Birmingham homes and businesses have been rendered non-conforming -- that means technically "illegal" -- by rule changes imposed by the Other Guy incumbents. Measure the height of your home's roof. If it's more than 30 feet to the peak, and a tree falls on it, then forget about restoring it to its original state. This is just one example.

In the downtown, rule changes regarding heights -- even of shorter three-story buildings -- prevent property owners from constructing buildings with marketable commercial space. The Other Guys would have you believe these are "reasonable" restrictions, and that by criticizing them, the Good Guys support "unbridled development." That's just plain dishonest, and the Other Guys know it.

Does some development continue? In our downtown, nothing new is in progress. In our neighborhoods, the answer is yes. Is it the best kind of development, in keeping with the character of our neighborhoods? No. When you can't build a tudor home, when the Allen House and the Marshall Fredericks House would be illegal today, when residents still complain about the size and character and imposition of new construction, there's a problem.

When the incumbents propose an ordinance that would have required you to obtain a permit to trim a tree in your own backyard, there's a problem.

It's time for a change. Vote tomorrow -- and urge your friends and neighbors to vote -- for honesty, integrity, leadership and vision. Vote for Tom McDaniel, Scott Moore, Dianne McKeon and Julie Plotnik.

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