After taking a severe beating in the last presidential election, the Republican National Committee seems to be changing strategy by reaching out to constituent voters normally outside of GOP reach.

Party Chairman Reince Priebus made a recent visit to Detroit where he talked to the party leadership about the Republicans’ Growth and Opportunity Plan.

“One of the things we want to do is get far more active in Michigan on a year-round basis,” Priebus said in an interview with the Michigan Chronicle. “And that includes Detroit and a massive outreach effort in the African-American community.”

Priebus, who was a surrogate for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, acknowledged that the Republican Party has to do a better job of reaching out to Black voters.

He said the Republican Party vision is to become a national party with a six-month operation before Election Day.

“We have to be a year-round party,” he said. “I believe that if you don’t show up and ask for the order, you can’t make the sale. And our party, on the national level, has not been showing up on a year-round basis in communities across this country.”

He said that’s what it’s going to take to win.

Page four of the RNC Growth and Opportunity Book says, “Many minorities think that Republicans do not like them or want them in the country.”

Asked what he thinks is the main cause of this perception, Priebus said he believes it comes from a statement Mitt Romney made about “self-deportation” in one of the debates.

“I can tell you that in the Hispanic community that was a devastating remark,” he said. “And the problem is, of course, if people don’t think that you like them, they’re not going to vote for you.”

He said that wasn’t Romney’s intention, but by saying “self-deportation,” Romney created a hurdle the GOP has to overcome.

Priebus noted that if the GOP doesn’t have a ground operation in communities year-round, there’s no other narrative than that coming from either “the “Barack Obama world” or “the media world.”

“So the caricature becomes the truth, because you have nothing out there in the community defending you,” he said. “And I never want to see our party be a five-month party ever again.”

Asked what steps the GOP is taking to convince minorities to vote for Republican candidates, even if they’re not willing to join the party itself, Priebus said they can find common ground.

“I think there’s lots of common ground,” he said. “I think, obviously, jobs and the economy is common ground. But I also think things like school choice, private school choice and charter schools is common ground.”

According to Priebus, the GOP has been championing school choice across the country, and it has been very well received in the African- American community.

“But our party has to do better job of talking about it,” he said.

Priebus said it’s also important to defend the party.

“The party of equality, freedom and opportunity,” he said. “And our rich history, that we don’t tell enough, I don’t believe, to people across the country. I mean, when’s the last time you saw a flier that said ‘I’m a Republican because...?’”

He said Republicans don’t talk about their “brand,” adding that not promoting said brand on a year-round basis causes the party to suffer.

“I do believe our brand has suffered, and I believe it’s suffered because we don’t talk about it, we don’t promote it, and I don’t know if we fight for it enough,” he said. “But that’s going to change over the next several years in our party, and that’s the new plan for the Republican National Committee.”

Asked about the perception that voter ID laws target minorities, Priebus maintained that such laws don’t do that. He said the idea of ballot security is for all parts of the state.

“There’s no targeting of any community,” he said.

Priebus said the point of it is that they want to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

“I think that simply requiring photo identification has anything to do with trying to prevent anyone from voting,” he said. “It has to do with making sure the election has some level of integrity.”

He said he’s not saying the GOP is losing elections because of open voting.

“That’s not the point,” he said. “But I do think we have a responsibility to make sure an election has as much integrity as possible.”

He said the Democrats are twisting the issue around, trying to play it off as being something it’s not.

“This only has to do with making sure that elections have the integrity they deserve; and making it harder for people to cheat, but easier for everyone to vote and to have their vote counted,” Priebus said.

He pointed out that the way the GOP is assuaging concerns that minorities are being targeted is by hiring hundreds of people across the county in an off year to get in communities where the Republican Party hasn’t had enough of a presence, to talk about these issues and to have candidate forums.

This involves such things as going to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and going into Detroit with people who have been hired by the party to talk about the issues and to get to know people.

“I think that genuine, relationships that are built over time have a way of making some of these things come to light,” he said. “Truth will always prevail, but if you’re not there to communicate and set the record straight, then the record is what everybody else says it is.”

That’s his criticism of the party, and his antidote is to invest in ground operations in an off year, like they never have before.

“To talk to people, to build genuine relationships and to discuss these kinds of issues so the truth can be known,” he said.

Asked what he would have done differently with respect to reaching out to the African-American community, Priebus said he would have focused a lot more on education.

“I think there’s a lot of common ground there between our party and the African-American community,” he said, adding that the GOP didn’t focus on education issues enough during the presidential race.

He noted that those issues are important to every family in America.

“It’s important in our country to have educational choice and freedom,” Priebus said.

That is something they should have talked about but didn’t, he pointed out.

Priebus also reiterated the importance of the GOP being a year-round party in all communities.

Detroit is in a political and public safety transfix, which has severely impacted the motion of the local government machine in delivering better and more effective city services for the more than 700,000 people who reside in this iconic city.

Public safety has been the dominant issue for most residents and businesses. And it is ridiculous that this city in the last four years has had four police chiefs, two of whom left in embarrassment after it was discovered they were having affairs with their subordinates, which became a distraction for the functioning of the number one security apparatus in the city, the Detroit Police Department.

In the next week or so, a new chief will be named to lead the men and women in blue at 1300 Beaubien. His name, widely reported, is James Craig, the current chief of police in Cincinnati.

Craig, himself a former Detroit police officer, if he accepts an offer will become the fifth police chief in Detroit in less than five years, unheard of anywhere. One would expect to have stable leadership at the most sensitive department of local government.

Chief Craig, who hails from the city, is anxious to come back and waiting for an offer. He told the Cincinnati media that Detroit is home for him. That means an offer would mean a homecoming appointment, one that would be hard to beat.

“What I did say is Detroit is home. James Craig is not running from Cincinnati because of a test he decided not to take. (Others) are saying I’m an opportunist. That’s not true,” Craig said. “Yes, it is an opportunity, but what is a major draw is it’s ... home. Hard to compete with that.”

Apparently Craig is viewed as the best candidate to lead the troubled police department, which has been dealing with morale issues along with dwindling resources to fight the mountainous crime issues plaguing the city.

It is refreshing to see someone like Craig optimistic about accepting a crucial position in Detroit. It will also be equally challenging to see how under his leadership this city can make evidence-based reforms and arrest crime.

When I heard that another chief of police was being sought, my natural reaction was, “Again! Let’s see how long this new top cop will last,” because it is damaging for a department that is struggling with morale and cuts to its resources to have another chief who might possibly only last for no more than a year.

I’m not suggesting that Craig, if appointed, will last only a year, but it is logical that a new mayor will bring in a new chief. However, if Craig does an outstanding job that lifts the department from the current tide and tackles public safety in an effective fashion, he could stay on board with a new administration to ensure a smooth transition.

Detroit’s current police chief, Chester Logan, announced he would be retiring.

Confidence in leadership at the top of the police department is important for the success of any crime fighting strategy.

Community policing should be at the top of the agenda of the new police boss because fighting crime should not be left to police officers alone. Repeatedly we’ve seen how the collaboration between law enforcement and the community not only builds trust but also enhances the work of the police in rooting out crime syndicates and averting possible crime that would have warranted massive resources to tackle.

But the Detroit Police Department is unique in that it sits at the heart of a local government that is going through transformation because of financial distress. The delicate balance for the department’s leader is to be innovative and steadfast in fighting crime and at the same time responding to the financial challenges of the city.

With only 3,000 officers, some have argued that it is hard to fight crime in a city of 700,000. But with new police cars and ambulance trucks donated recently by Detroit business leaders at the urging of Mayor Dave Bing, DPD should be equipped to more effectively respond to criminal activity.

The experience some have with DPD is that often there is a no-show when emergency calls are made to the police, because meager resources prevent them from responding to many of the calls.

Bankole Thompson is editor of the Michigan Chronicle and the author of the forthcoming book “Rising From the Ashes: Engaging Detroit’s Future With Courage.” His book “Obama and Black Loyalty,” published in 2010, follows his recent book, “Obama and Christian Loyalty” with an epilogue by Bob Weiner, former White House spokesman. Thompson is a political news analyst at WDET-101.9FM (NPR affiliate) and a member of the weekly “Obama Watch” Sunday evening roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut. E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit his personal page at www.bankolethompson.com.

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts revealed during his retirement press conference that William Aldridge, a longstanding CPA who is currently the chief financial officer of the public school system, will be elevated to the position of chief administrative officer.

That means more responsibility for Aldridge whose portfolio will now include oversight of the district’s procurement & logistics and information technology departments.

“Detroit Public Schools has made great strides toward eliminating its deficit and balancing its budget under Bill’s financial leadership these last two years,” Roberts said. “However, in order for this forward momentum to be sustainable, the district must establish strong systems and processes and a sound operational model. Bill’s 40 years of experience in public accounting, consulting and school district management make him the absolute right person for this position.”

According to DPS, the first major systems project that Aldridge is overseeing in his new role as chief financial and administrative officer is the procurement and implementation of the district’s new human resources and finance computer system, which will provide the district with exponentially greater efficiency and effectiveness in these critical areas.

“I am confident that Bill’s extensive institutional knowledge of Detroit Public Schools, as well as his four decades of experience, will provide the District with the continuity that is critical to the turnaround of our school system and its return to local control in a timely manner,” said Roberts. A look at his biography shows that Aldridge began his professional career at the international public accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company in 1970. He then co-founded Barrow, Aldridge & Co., a firm providing auditing, tax, consulting and other services. Within five years, the firm became one of the largest minority CPA firms in the country. He remained at Barrow, Aldridge & Co. for 13 years before joining Detroit Public Schools as its divisional director of financial planning and budget and chief accounting officer.

Aldridge remained with DPS until 1992, when he was recruited by Cleveland Public Schools to become its first African-American chief financial officer, treasurer and secretary of the Cleveland Board of Education. In 1996, he returned to Detroit Public Schools to serve as chief financial officer and chief operating officer. In early 2000, he joined Pierce, Monroe & Associates, LLC as its principal.

Before joining the staff of DPS, Aldridge’s CPA firm, along with Coopers & Lybrand, became the first African-American firm to audit a major school district. Upon joining DPS as the divisional director of financial planning and budget and chief accounting officer in 1988, he was also responsible for assisting in the elimination of DPS’ accumulated deficit of $160 million.

DETROIT – Fred Durhal Jr. officially jumped into the Detroit Mayor’s race today when he filed petitions with 1000 signatures this afternoon at the Detroit City Clerk’s office.

“I am ready to share my plans to bring the great city of Detroit back to prominence,” said Durhal. “Detroit citizens have been ill-served for too long and they deserve a city that works for them and will work for their children. I am anxious to get into the neighborhoods to talk with families, and to visit Detroit businesses to listen to what the people have to say and to share my vision for Detroit’s future.”

Durhal is currently in his third term representing the 5th District in the state House of Representatives, which covers part of Detroit. He grew up in Detroit, the oldest of 12 children, and attended and graduated from Detroit Public Schools. As a public servant he has served in positions with the legislature, the Michigan Economic Development Corp, the city of Detroit, and the Virginia Park Citizens District Council. He announced in November 2012 that he would be a candidate for Mayor of Detroit.

Roy Roberts, Detroit's emergency manager who battled with the Detroit Board of Education over academic control in court, announced his retirement today at Pasteur Elementary School. He is leaving at the completion of his second year contract which expires May 16.

Roberts, a former General Motors executive, was named to the post by Gov. Rick Snyder and praised as someone who would bring focus to the troubled school district.

"I've had many amazing opportunities throughout my professional life, and my wife, Maureen, has been there along with me the entire way. In fact, when Gov. Snyder approached me about taking this position we agreed together that we had to do this," Roberts said at a news conference. "It's now time for me to really listen to what it is that will make her happy and that is the two of us along with our family spending more time together. Every time I tell her that I'm going to retire — and I've done it two or three times now — she believes me. This time I meant it." Roberts said he is confident in the leadership team he's leaving at DPS.

"Their continued presence is important because it brings the district the stability that is critical to its future success," Roberts said. "Together along with 600 teachers, administrators, students, parents, clergy, community members and business and community partners, this team developed a fiveyear strategic plan designed to create neighborhood centered, quality schools."

Roberts said some of those plans include ensuring that every four year-old child in Detroit is introduced to early childhood education by the school district, creating a day care in the schools and getting neighborhoods to claim ownership of schools. Roberts’ replacement will announced by Snyder soon.

Bankole Thompson is senior editor of the Michigan Chronicle. He is the author of book series on the Obama presidency. His book "Obama and Black Loyalty," published in 2010, follows his recent book "Obama and Christian Loyalty" with an epilogue by Robert S. Weiner, former White House spokesman. Thompson is also a political news analyst at WDET-101.9FM Detroit (NPR affiliate) and a member of the weekly "Obama Watch" Sunday evening roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut.

A new poll showing former Detroit Medical Center CEO Mike Duggan leading the pack of mayoral candidates is bound to raise the intensity of the mayoral campaigns heading into the fall with unpredictability. The poll of 500 likely voters from Detroit conducted by Target-Insyght and MIRS, a Lansing political newsletter, shows Duggan ahead with 34.8 % and Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon trailing with 27.4 % while the remaining candidates, State Rep, Fred Durhal Jr., Krystal Crittendon, Lisa Howze and Tom Barrow lag behind.

An earlier poll put Napoleon ahead of Duggan but this latest poll shows that the race for mayor could be a two-person race even though it is unclear what will happen once the candidates have the opportunity to debate. The poll is significant because it comes on the heels of Detroit Mayor Dave Bing pulling out petitions for a possible second mayoral run. However, the poll showed him scoring 11% behind Duggan and Napoleon while Crittendon came in third with 7.3%, Howze and Barrow both received 4.7% and Durhal, 2.5%.

Kimberly Hill Knott, senior policy manager at Detroiters Working For Environmental Justice (DWEJ) and project director for the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative, said the three most pressing environmental justice issues for Detroiters are air quality, cumulative impact and climate change.

A recent report stated that five of the state’s most toxic zip codes are located in the city of Detroit.

“So that’s a major issue and the reason it’s a major issue is because of its impact on health,” she said.

Hill Knott said any time five of the most polluted zip codes are in one city, it will have great bearing on air quality. That, in turn, will have an impact on public health.

“So when you look at issues like asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and even cancer, you’ll see that many of those conditions have been exacerbated by the constant exposure to these polluting facilities,” she said.

Asked what the average person could do to address these issues, Hill Knott said people can reduce the risk within their own homes.

People who smoke should stop, especially if they or their children have asthma or other respiratory ailments.

“Really, the ultimate goal there is to stop and get the treatment, and go through the treatment that’s necessary to do that,” she said.

She also said if there’s lead paint or mold or asbestos, then people would have to work with and identify agencies that can remediate those particular issues. Many non-profits can do that.

If this is done properly, people could see a significant improvement in their household as it pertains to health.

“Now, when you have pollution, some of the issues have to be remedied at a higher level,” she said. “In other words, it obviously has to be the company. Or the source of pollution must be dealt with. But also there are legislative factors or elected officials that play a key role in addressing those issues. So you have an issue of promoting responsible businesses that readily embrace sustainability practices that would focus on effective pollution control measures.”

Hill Knott noted that the DWEJ believes environmental justice must be addressed at multiple levels — the community, residential, corporate and legislative levels.

“When this particular method is used to reduce pollution, inevitably, we will be able to create an effective system that works for everybody,” she said, adding that a cleaner and greener business operates more efficiently.

“Which means there’s a cost benefit,” she said, also pointing out that it reduces the challenge on the community, because now people are healthier.

“Many of the people who are being plagued by these conditions the people in the poorest communities,” she said.

“And as a result, they do not have the necessary resources to perhaps get the necessary treatment that is required.”

These people may not have health insurance and end up going to the emergency room to handle a situation that may be appropriately addressed in a long-term fashion if they had a doctor to visit on a regular basis.

She noted that there’s legislation that looks at is how much pollution is one particular area, and added that it’s critically important because when you have a community that has been historically overburdened with these noxious facilities, you’re going to have more environmental challenges.

There has to be a measure in place that says a particular community has been overburdened for too long.

“So we need to look at whether to place this particular facility in another community or just not allow for an expansion at this time.”

She said the legislation would address this issue.

On April 11, Kimbrerly Hill Knott was honored by the White House Champions of Change program as a Community Resilience Leader. She represented Detroit as one of 12 champions of change.

This came about as an indirect result of a 2011 meeting between Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice and key stakeholders to determine the feasibility of launching a climate action plan for the city.

After much discussion, they formed the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative.

The DCAC has partnered with the U of M school of natural resources to conduct the greenhouse gas inventory.

Hill Knott said the DCAC has a dynamic team of people putting together seven work groups:

• Homes and neighborhoods

• Parks, public space, and water infrastructure.

• Public health

• Transportation

• Solid waste

• business institution,

• Energy.

She a big part of the climate action plan will be focusing on mitigation, which looks at the causes, and adaptation, which looks at how to reduce the risk.

That’s important because projections show heat and flooding are two of the major issues that are caused by climate change.

“The real and projected job gains from the end of 2009 through 2015 means that the county will have replenished 62 percent, or about five in eight, of the jobs lost from summer 2000 to the end of 2009.”

On the heels of its strongest two-year job growth in almost 20 years, Oakland County’s economy will add nearly 42,000 jobs through 2015, say University of Michigan economists.

After gaining 48,000 jobs during 2011 and 2012 — Oakland’s best back-to-back years since 1994-95 — the county will add 11,600 jobs this year, 13,300 next year and 16,700 in 2015.

“Oakland’s recovery is becoming as remarkable as the retrenchment that preceded it,” said economist George Fulton. “Since the recession’s low point at the end of 2009, the recovery has been red-hot with a growth rate averaging 3.8 percent per year in 2011 and 2012. We see the continuation of a solid recovery through 2015, extending its span to six years, but with job growth moderating from its sizzling pace of the past two years.”

In their annual forecast of the Oakland County economy, Fulton and colleague Don Grimes of the U-M Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy say that high-wage industries — with average pay of more than $62,000 —accounted for more than half of the new private-sector jobs created during the recovery, a trend that will continue throughout the forecast horizon.

“That the past two years were special is reinforced by the finding that private-sector job gains well exceeded what they averaged per year over the 1980-2000 period, prior to the extended weakness of the 2000s,” Fulton said. “The more moderate job gains we are forecasting over the next three years fall a little below that benchmark in 2013 and 2014, but a little above in 2015.”

According to the forecast, the private service-providing sector will add 35,000 jobs through 2015. More than 40 percent of these job gains (15,500) will be in professional and business services, with another 5,300 new jobs in health services, 5,300 more in wholesale and retail trade, 4,100 in leisure and hospitality, and 2,300 in finance, insurance and real estate.

Job growth in professional and business services over the next three years will be concentrated in engineering services, employment services, computer systems design, corporation management and testing laboratories, the economists say.

“With the exception of employment services, all of these are high-paying industries that mostly employ people with college degrees,” Grimes said.

In the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction, Fulton and Grimes predict jobs gains of nearly 7,000 over the next three years. About 4,100 jobs will be added in manufacturing — including 1,400 in motor vehicle manufacturing — and 2,700 in construction.

“The more modest job growth in manufacturing reflects a typical recovery from a severe recession —rapid job gains in the immediate recovery period followed by more modest gains,” Grimes said. “Within the construction industry, most of the job gains are the result of increased residential construction activity, while industrial and commercial construction improves at a more modest pace.”

Unlike the private sector in Oakland County, in which every major industry division will gain jobs this year and in each of the next two years, the government sector (which includes public education) will continue to suffer job losses—but at a much slower rate compared with the previous six years — until finally adding more than 200 jobs in 2015.

Overall, Fulton and Grimes say that Oakland remains among the better local economies in the nation, ranking 10th among 36 comparable U.S. counties on a series of measures that indicate future economic prosperity.

The real and projected job gains from the end of 2009 through 2015 means that the county will have replenished 62 percent, or about five in eight, of the jobs lost from summer 2000 to the end of 2009.

“This is good progress, indeed, but it leaves some ground to make up,” Fulton said. “The county, however, is especially noteworthy for its share of residents employed in professional and managerial occupations and for its residents’ high level of education, both of which bode well for future growth opportunities in higher-paid activities.

“Whether we assess Oakland County with respect to how it is positioned in key economic fundamentals across all regions of the United States or more restrictively among many of the elite local economies, it is hard not to see the county thriving as time goes on.”

The 28th annual ­
U-M forecast of Oakland County’s economy was sponsored by nine regional organizations.

Amid widespread news reports that the governor sanctioned a “secret panel” to discuss ways in which to reshape public education in Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder responded by asking Mike Flanagan, state superintendent of public instruction, to lead future discussions in a more public and transparent manner.

News reports began to surface approximately two weeks ago that the governor’s clandestine group of computer software companies, charter school representatives and several state employees had been meeting for several months to explore ways of integrating technological advancements into the public education system, as well as looking at options to implement a school voucher system.

The secrecy of the project drew outcry from educators and other stakeholders from around the state, saying that the lack of transparency was the opposite of what Gov. Snyder had promised when he ran for the state’s highest office in 2011.

In addition, the panel did not include teachers or administrators. While Snyder initially defended his administration’s endorsement of the group and its methods of meeting, he quickly changed directions.

“The governor still is very interested in studying how current and future technologies can improve education delivery and outcomes for Michigan students,” Flanagan said recently to a gathering of school business officials in Grand Rapids. “At my urging, I believe the governor feels that these issues are best served by being in an open and public process, and he asked me to be directly involved.”

In a press release statement issued on April 24, Flanagan expressed that the reform group would adopt an inclusive process by extending invitations to the State Board of Education, K-12 education stakeholders, early childhood education stakeholders, school business officials, teacher preparation programs, education technology experts, colleges, career and technical education leaders, post-secondary programs and the public.

Flanagan also emphasized that the group will not discuss school vouchers, and that any savings that may be realized from the use of technology will be reinvested back into the schools.

“Kids today are wired into technology from an early age,” Flanagan said. “We must adapt our system of education to be customized to their learning tools, and not the learning tools with which their parents and grandparents were taught.”

For House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel (D-Auburn Hills), the governor’s latest decision is a step in the right direction. Greimel had earlier denounced the governor’s advocacy of the secret group.

“It was very disturbing that the governor had this secret group form and meet without any form of transparency,” Greimel said during a phone interview. “The group’s name, ‘skunk work’ really said it all. The governor and his administration probably realized that this looked bad and that they needed to back peddle.”

On the reform group’s new direction: “It is certainly an improvement to have Superintendent Flanagan lead the group. But more importantly, it’s making sure that the process is transparent and that the public have an opportunity to participate and provide input. Most importantly, there needs to be the involvement of educators to shape this discussion group.”

On technology as a short cut to quality education: “There are no shortcuts when it comes to quality education,” Greimel said. “You can’t sit kids in front of a computer screen and expect they’ll get the same amount of personal attention and help as they would from a teacher. It’s time to stop thinking of public schools as an expense, when in reality they are the best investment that we can make.”

Greimel said that he plans to meet with Flanagan regarding the direction of the group.

“I hope to reach out to him next week about my concerns and the need for the process to be more transparent,” said Greimel. “Certainly there may be some disagreement over policy, but if the process is transparent, at least the public can have a discussion in the open.”

Despite pleas from both area residents and Mayor Bing, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments’ (SEMCOG) 50-member executive committee voted last Friday to shift $7 million from DDOT to SMART.

According to SEMCOG Executive Director Paul Tait, the requested action was to establish a formula for allocating Federal Transit Administration capital funds. In total, it involves just under $42 million for the fiscal year.

The allocation of those funds was based on an agreement made in the mid 1970s where 65 percent would go to DDOT and 35 percent to SMART.

“As a result of the passage of the Regional Transit Authority legislation, no formula currently exists,” Tait said, adding that based on an analysis of the relative capital needs of SMART and DDOT, the funds would be split for one year as follows: 51.5 percent to SMART, 47.5 percent to DDOT and 1 percent to the People Mover.

Tait emphasized that the $7 million that would go from DDOT to SMART would be for capital money, for bus purchases, facilities and preventive maintenance.

The Federal Transit Administration questioned the continued use of the 65/35 formula. The FTA called it “inconsistent federal law.”

Tait said DDOT has newer buses and at least a sufficient number of buses to provide core service. SMART, on the other hand, has more immediate needs for bus purchases and maintenance because of the age of its fleet.

Bing told the executive committee he didn’t think that changing the distribution of the funding from the federal government could happen at a worse time.

“Out of all of the initiatives that are important to the city and its inhabitants, transportation looms very, very high on the agenda,” Bing said, adding that on average, more than 100,000 people use public transportation every day.

The mayor also said this loss of funding will not only negatively impact DDOT, but also Detroit’s overall budget.

“We have just sent our budget up to City Council and it’s a tough budget,” Bing said. “A lot of work to be done. But now with the risk of losing $7 million of transportation funding, I’m really not sure where I can do any more cuts in our budget without having major impact on some of the services we need to provide to our citizens.”

Bing reiterated that the loss of funding would have a negative impact on so many people in need.

“I am sensitive to the fact that in the communities that you serve, there are also people in need,” he said. “But I wonder why, as we look at almost eight months into this budget period, we’re ready to make a change. My question is why now? Why is it so important to do this now?”

He also said many people have e-mailed him with grave concern about the impact this decision would have on them, and asked the executive committee to vote with sensitivity.

“I think we are now starting, as a region, to see that working together is better than doing everything separate and apart from each other,” Bing said.

During the public comment period, State Sen. Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) said shifting these funds to provide SMART with 51 percent and DDOT with 47 percent is misguided, and that pinning the blame on the FTA will not work.

Johnson also said the FTA maintains that local leaders make funding decisions based on demonstrated need.

“Simply put, DDOT has a greater demonstrable need for the federal funding than those SMART,” Johnson said.

Rev. Joan Ross, who represents a transportation coalition called the North End Woodward Community Coalition, said her group has been struggling with the issue of transportation for the past three years.

She said 35 to 40 percent of people in her community don’t have cars.

“We’re in a community of seniors, a community of students, a community of people who are barely making it day by day,” Ross said.

She asked, on behalf of that community, who she said constitute much of the 100,000 riders per day that DDOT is struggling to serve, that the funding formula be based on ridership.

Ross said justice dictates that DDOT should be a priority for public transportation, also noting that regional transit decisions should be left to the Regional Transit Authority.

Kathy Montgomery, a candidate for City Council, District 1, said she was concerned about the possibility that SEMCOG would decide to lower the amount of money DDOT receives.

She also pointed out that many Detroiters are either unemployed or on some kind of public assistance, and therefore are extremely low income.

“They do not have cars,” she said. “They must get around on public transportation.”

Montgomery said cutting the federal dollars for the DDOT system would hurt all those people.

“It’s unconscionable,” she said, adding that if the money were distributed according to the number of people who actually ride the bus, Detroit would be entitled to 81 percent.

“We’re satisfied with 65, which is what we’ve received up to this point,” she said.

Montgomery pleaded with SEMCOG members to consider the people of Detroit.

“I want to get the people in our city employed,” she said. “If they do not have transportation to get to a job in the suburbs, if there are no jobs in the city, then they will remain unemployed.”

Joel Batterman, transportation coordinator for the Michigan Suburbs Alliance which represents inner ring suburbs, said his organization is an advocate for regional cooperation and that many people are served by both transit lines.

Batterman also said diminished funding for DDOT means fewer riders can access SMART and vice versa.

“To create the kind of transit system that our region deserves, we must improve service in the suburbs and the city, on both local routes and regional corridors,” he said, adding that for too long metro Detroit has been a house divided.