An Appeal for the Resignation of Kwame Kilpatrick

We expect a lot from our leadership. We expect truth, honesty, loyalty and integrity. However, Kwame Kilpatrick has shown that he is neither trustworthy nor honest. The citizens of Detroit have dealt with a lot from Mayor Kilpatrick, from using taxpayer dollars to lease a Lincoln Navigator for his wife to instituting a level of cronyism that allows many of his friends and family to make a better living in the city of Detroit than the majority of Detroit residents.

Many are quick to mention the progress the city has made under this administration. But is that not his job as mayor? Kwame Kilpatrick is not just a resident of Detroit who was nice enough to convince businesses to come to the city. We pay him over $170,000 a year to bring businesses to the city.

He has turned his back on many of his campaign promises, including the promise of a balanced budget and the promise of demolishing a greater number of abandoned properties. He has turned his back on the citizens by allowing crime to continue to run rampant in the city. He turned his back on the citizens of Detroit on December 27, 2002, when he decided not to sign a resolution against predatory lending which probably would have lowered the number of Detroiters who have lost their home to foreclosure.

The last straw came on March 24, 2008, when Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged the mayor with one count of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of misconduct in office and four counts of perjury. These charges stem from the mayors lack of integrity in firing three police officers for doing their jobs. The mayor fired the officers and then lied about firing them. The attorney for the police officers was able to secure 14,000 text messages in some of which the mayor admitted to firing the officers (among other things). Once the mayor found out about the text messages, he proceeded to give the officers $2,000,000 more than the jury was willing to give the officers just to protect his secrets.

The mayor had a chance to settle with the officers for a fraction of the $8,400,000 they received, but his arrogance would not allow him to admit he was wrong. $8,400,000 could have been used to bring supermarkets and other shopping into the city so the citizens are not forced to drive to the suburbs to shop. $8,400,000 could have been put in a fund to help lower our insurance rates. $8,400,000 could have been used for job training to lower our astronomical unemployment rates.

Mayor Kilpatrick, please put the citizens of Detroit first and resign. Please stop destroying the image of the city and making it the laughingstock of the country. Please stop blaming the media for your indiscretions. Please stop with the racial epithets when you have a majority White team of lawyers representing you.

You cannot focus on the business of the city while you are fighting to stay out of prison. You cannot have the trust of businesses when they see constant images of your lies. And how can the citizens of Detroit believe you have our best interests at heart when you could throw away $8,400,000 so easily?