Disrupting and Defending Democrats

DISRUPT THE DEFENDERS OR DEFEND THE DISRUPTERS? EITHER WAY WE LOSE UNTIL WE HOLD NON-PARTISAN CITY ELECTIONS IN ANN ARBOR

The current debates in Ann Arbor are interesting, dare I say, unpleasant and ultimately, distracting from core structural and electoral process issues due to unnecessary partisanship on our City Council. At a time when we should be coming together for a more constructive discussion as a community on priorities and direction, we have seen many sharp stakes stabbed into the sand, trying to gain our attention (and votes) in an August primary when the real debate and decision (with more voters) should be in November.

 

The press doesn’t know what to call the various factions within the “Democratic Party” in our fair city so they have settled on inappropriate misnomers:

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2020/07/defenders-vs-disrupters-the-debate-over-preserving-neighborhood-character-in-ann-arbor.html

These labels have resulted in the Defenders (related to the status quo being branded as anti-development and systemic racist from historical red lining practices) and Disrupters (related to proposals to broaden zoning for multi-dwelling complexes while also increasing taxes to build city-supported affordable housing). In a really strange proxy war, we are being drawn into the same divisive Progressive versus Trumpist conversations that are, quite frankly, more visceral than visionary at a local level. We have even seen a mean-spirited PAC-style set of attacks from a group called A24E (Ann Arbor For Everyone): https://www.facebook.com/AnnArborForEveryone/?ref=page_internal

The solution offered up 5 years ago was to switch to non-partisan elections. The defenders of the status quo, at the time, voted down such an attempt including our current mayor who played the values card: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2015/07/ann_arbor_officials_vote_down.html. The attempt at reform three years later was shot down again, this time with a mayoral veto, even though the City Council had a majority vote to take it to voters to decide: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2018/07/lumm_seeks_residents_help_to_m.html

 

A petition would be a really easy fix to actually put this issue up to voters. Instead, we are at risk of kicking the can down the road again unless we were to hear from BOTH the Defending or Disrupting Democrats to commit to doing away with partisan voting and shedding ourselves of unnecessary and damaging labels. In the end, we may need a new party that is more fun and engaging regardless.