Flint Photos: Former Mayor Don Williamson with Lion

America's Toughest Job?

Brenda Clack and Dayne Walling looking carefree on the campaign trail last June. (Photos by Gordon Young)

When I was writing about the Flint mayor's race last summer for Slate, I was impressed that two rational, well-adjusted candidates — Dayne Walling and Brenda Clack — were fighting so hard for a job that seemed so thankless.

“The winner of this city's Aug. 4 special mayoral election will be expected to solve problems caused by complex global economic forces that he or she is powerless to control, while also mastering the mundane yet vexing task of running a weary city in need of jobs and revenue,” I wrote. “Hey, I got a pothole on my block, and the garbage truck missed my house yesterday. And while you're at it, could you please do something about deindustrialization?”

Less than a year into office, Dayne Walling is discovering that the honeymoon is very short for Flint mayors. He was immediately criticized for two high-profile appointments to his administration. A Flint school board member launched a quixotic recall effort against him. Then he was forced to lay off police and firefighters to help erase a massive budget deficit he inherited after efforts to renegotiate union contracts stalled. The layoffs happened to coincide with a series of fires in abandoned houses and buildings. Arson is suspected, and Walling said the fires had a “perverted political purpose.” Awkwardly, Walling has had to request special police protection at his home after he received anonymous threats. Oh, he also had to reduce garbage pickup, causing residents to fret about rats.

Of course, let’s not forget about Flint’s seemingly never ending unemployment problems and shrinking tax base.

Just to make life interesting, Walling plans to run for re-election in 2011, and he may face a familiar opponent. Former Mayor Don Williamson, who resigned in the face of a recall election, is hinting at a possible return to politics.

Kristen Longley of The Flint Journal reports:

But Williamson said he’s recently received “a couple thousand phone calls — or more” from supporters who say they’d like to see him go for it.

He said he’s recovered from the health issues that prompted his resignation from the mayor’s office, and he feels “in perfect shape.”

“Somebody has to save the city of Flint,” Williamson said. “The people are calling me.”

More than 2,000 calls? Really? That’s about 10 percent of the people who voted in the last mayor's race. Let’s see, Walling was elected in early August, so if the calls of support for Williamson started immediately, that means about 9 calls a day, every day, until now. No wonder the former mayor is in such good shape; he’s spending a lot of time running to the phone.

And Walling is spending all his time trying to run the city. No one said it would be easy.

Former Mayor James Rutherford Dead at 84

Kristen Longley of The Flint Journal reports:

James Rutherford, former Flint mayor, police chief and longtime Flint political icon, has died. He was 84.

Family members said Rutherford, who most recently retired as director of the Flint Downtown Development Authority, died in his sleep this morning at his home in Flint.

A native of the city, Rutherford's career spanned more than six decades during some of the most turbulent social and political eras in Flint's history.

He was Flint's first strong mayor since 1930, and the only Flint mayor to leave the office and then return for a second time, having replaced recalled Mayor Woodrow Stanley in 2002.

City Speak Blog

Although City Speak claims to be an "insider" look at City Hall, the "official blog of the City of Flint" really just offers up an extremely positive spin on the Walling administration. There aren't many comments on the posts, and no responses from the city — yet — to those comments. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a true forum for citizens and city officials.

Always Something There to Remind Me

Don Williamson may not be mayor of Flint anymore, but residents still have the memories...and the lawsuit settlements.

Kristin Longley of The Flint Journal reports:

The city of Flint will have to shell out more than $300,000 from a discrimination suit related to former Mayor Don Williamson's controversial Citizens Service Bureau.

The amount owed by the city has more than doubled from the $131,000 in damages awarded earlier this month to police Officer Keith Speer.

In addition to that judgment, the city also will have to pay $167,500 in attorney fees plus interest, Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Judith Fullerton ruled Monday.

Will Walling Cure Gingivitis?

Andy Heller does a marvelous summing up of the Flint mayor's race:

I said Dayne Walling would thump Brenda Clack by a 60/40 margin. Some laughed. The actual split was 64/36. I rock. You should not doubt me.

That's a thumping, indeed. But don't blame Clack. Walling had more money and a bigger organization, one that, in truth, never really disbanded after his narrow election loss to The Don. It just hibernated until The Don imploded, which everyone knew wouldn't take long.

The biggest factor, though? Guilt. This was Flint's mea culpa to Walling for having inexplicably chosen The Don last time around.

Walling now becomes the proverbial guy who hooks a marlin: Now what do you do? He'll be under pressure to deliver a Flint renaissance. The peculiar thing about Flint voters is they expect miracles from mayors. They want them to eliminate crime, attract a new General Motors (in other words, create not just jobs, but high-paying jobs that last forever) and, oh, while they're at it, stamp out the curse that is gingivitis.

Flint Mayor's Race by the Numbers

Kristen Longley at The Flint Journal has the ward and precinct totals from the Flint mayor's race. I've added a map from the city clerk's website. (Click on map to enlarge it.) As expected, Walling's core support was in the south and Clack's was in the north. Walling got 64 percent, or 12,266 votes. Clack won 36 percent, or 6,876 votes. The numbers also reflect the city's downward population trend: Walling got 100 percent of the votes in precinct 30. That means he got all seven votes.

Wards for Walling

Ward 1 616, 37.5%
Ward 2 595, 37.9%
Ward 3 501, 42.7%
Ward 4 1366, 91.9%
Ward 5 583, 45.6%
Ward 6 1368, 65.7%
Ward 7 1924, 74.2%
Ward 8 1856, 85.6%
Ward 9 1280, 81.2%

Precincts for Walling

Precinct 1: 157, 43%
Precinct 2: 130, 38%
Precinct 3: 56, 31%
Precinct 4: 112, 37%
Precinct 5: 91, 36%
Precinct 6: 70, 35%
Precinct 7: 93, 35%
Precinct 8: 134, 38%
Precinct 9: 77, 37%
Precinct 10: 93, 34%
Precinct 11: 101, 45%
Precinct 12: 97, 40%
Precinct 13: 107, 34%
Precinct 14: 53, 44%
Precinct 15: 87, 37%
Precinct 16: 10, 24%
Precinct 17: 55, 34%
Precinct 18: 56, 36%
Precinct 19: 133, 94%
Precinct 20: 177, 81%
Precinct 21: 190, 95%
Precinct 22: 378, 93%
Precinct 23: 165, 90%
Precinct 24: 42, 95%
Precinct 25: 414, 95%
Precinct 26: 88, 37%
Precinct 27: 65, 34%
Precinct 28: 140, 54%
Precinct 29: 136, 38%
Precinct 30: 7, 100%
Precinct 31: 15, 83%
Precinct 32: 80, 54%
Precinct 33: 52, 80%
Precinct 34: 271, 49%
Precinct 35: 127, 43%
Precinct 36: 148, 55%
Precinct 37: 369, 89%
Precinct 38: 312, 85%
Precinct 39: 129, 80%
Precinct 40: 12, 60%
Precinct 42: 394, 74%
Precinct 43: 362, 93%
Precinct 44: 278, 92%
Precinct 45: 391, 89%
Precinct 46: 173, 49%
Precinct 47: 326, 56%
Precinct 48: 316, 94%
Precinct 49: 268, 93%
Precinct 50: 403, 89%
Precinct 51: 146, 90%
Precinct 52: 15, 83%
Precinct 53: 408, 70%
Precinct 54: 300, 91%
Precinct 55: 203, 87%
Precinct 56: 15, 52%
Precinct 57: 148, 66%
Precinct 58: 24, 39%
Precinct 59: 342, 93%
Precinct 60: 204, 76%
Precinct 61: 344, 87%

A New Mayor

Dayne Walling declares victory in the Flint mayor's race and Brenda Clack concedes.

The Future Mayor of Flint — Brenda Clack or Dayne Walling

Flint elects a new mayor tomorrow. Go here for a story I wrote for Slate on the two candidates — Brenda Clack and Dayne Walling.

Here's an excerpt:

But for me, the highlight—if that's the word—of covering this campaign came when Clack and Walling momentarily joined forces at the Landmark Food Center, the kind of grocery store where a security guard roams the fluorescently lit aisles and customers are required to check their bags at the counter. Flanked by displays of breakfast cereal, the two candidates judged a Kool-Aid-making contest sponsored by three local churches.

The mixologists tried mightily to influence their decision. "Taste No. 4 and taste no more!" one contestant yelled out, prompting a round of cheering from two dozen spectators gathered around a pair of tables covered with neon-green tablecloths and littered with plastic pitchers, spent Kool-Aid packs, and sacks of sugar. "No. 5 tells no lies!" countered another contestant. Clack and Walling sipped from foam cups and huddled over the score sheet.

Walling Wins Flint Mayoral Primary; Will Face Brenda Clack in General Election

Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal reports:

"Dayne Walling won big in a six-way primary race to be Flint's next mayor.

"Walling got 44 percent of the vote, securing a spot on the August ballot.

"Walling will face Genesee County Commissioner Brenda Clack, who held off a late rally by former city administrator Darryl Buchanan for second place.

"Clack won 16.2 percent of the vote, beating Buchanan by 14 votes.

"Walling entered the UAW Local 651 hall just before 10 p.m. to thunderous applause from supporters. Flanked by his wife Carrie and sons Bennett and Emery, he said, 'I think we are on our way to a victory tonight.'

"He vowed to strengthen his campaign through the August general election.

"'We need to build a bigger and better coalition,' he said. "That's what I'll be doing every day."

A few miles away, Brenda Clack held her right hand over her heart as the final results came streaming in to show she eked out a primary victory by a mere 14 votes.

Why Not Just Close Parts of Flint?

One particular solution to Flint's woes has come up repeatedly in conversations I've had with friends, urban planners, economists and drunk guys in bars. Sometimes they are kidding, sometimes not. The solution? Shut down entire sections of the city and concentrate the population and the city's meager resources in the areas that are still "open."

It's an interesting urban planning question, but what happens when the mayor of Flint suggests the same thing?

Kristen Longley of The Flint Journal reports:

Temporary Mayor Michael Brown made the off-the-cuff suggestion Friday in response to a question at a Rotary Club of Flint luncheon about the thousands of empty houses in Flint.

Brown said that as more people abandon homes, eating away at the city's tax base and creating more blight, the city might need to examine "shutting down quadrants of the city where we (wouldn't) provide services."

He did not define what that could mean -- bulldozing abandoned areas, simply leaving the vacant homes to rot or some other idea entirely.

Don't laugh. Youngstown, Ohio is already putting the plan into action. And as this article in American City & County shows, Flint officials have been observing the former steel town's progress. Go here to listen to an NPR podcast on Youngstown's attempt to downsize gracefully.

A Thankless Job

The campaigning has already started to replace former Mayor Don Williamson, and it's a crowded field.

Michael Brown: Mayor of Flint (Temporarily)

With all the excitement of The Don quitting and then demanding back pay, I forgot to mention that Flint has a new mayor — Michael Brown.

The Don is Done

It won't take a recall vote later this month to remove Flint Mayor Don Williamson from office. He just resigned.

The Flint Journal reports:

Mayor Don Williamson announced today that he is "retiring," finally putting to rest weeks of speculation.

In an 11:20 a.m. news conference, Williamson cited health reasons for leaving office. His resignation is effective midnight Sunday. He took no questions from the media, and read from a prepared statement.

"Last month, I celebrated my third sinus infection in 13 months and my eighth kidney stone since Nov. 1. My doctors have told me that I should think about relaxing my schedule and reducing the demands on my time," said Williamson.

Flint mayor a step closer to recall vote

Organizers of an effort to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson have submitted more than 17,000 signatures. They need 8,004 valid signatures to force a recall vote on February 24.

Silencing, and firing, Flint's finest

To state the obvious, Flint cops have a very tough job. But it gets tougher when officers get laid off by the city. Or fired for daring to talk to reporters.

Bryn Mickle of The Flint Journal reports:

"[Sergeant] Rick Hetherington [left] was fired Thursday for talking to the media last week, said his attorney, Gregory T. Gibbs.

"The firing is a 'tyrannical act,' said Gibbs, chair of the Greater Flint American Civil Liberties Union.

"The firing outraged other officers at the department who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

"'Ridiculous,' said one officer. 'I didn't realize that becoming a police officer took away your freedom of speech.'"

What do expect from a mayor who arrests the paperboy when he doesn't like the news? I guess it's not surprising there's a recall effort underway.

Boot the Don

(Click on the flyer for a larger image)

As you can see, there's an effort underway to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson. In fact, Flint may be catching recall fever.

Flint mayor emerges as comic genius

You have to admit that Don Williamson can be pretty entertaining. If only he were an oddball character on a sitcom, or a colorfully corrupt small-town mayor on The Sopranos or something. Sadly, he's in charge of a city that desperately needs competent leadership.

Flint has made the national news recently for all the wrong reasons. First there was the baggy pants "crack down." Then there was the adopt-a-surveillance camera debacle. You may be asking yourself what Williamson can do next to maintain his lofty status as Clown Prince of American Mayors?

Well, how about if the leader of a city with the worst economy in the nation issues a press release offering advice on how to eliminate high gas prices and save the entire the U.S. economy?

"Mayor Don Williamson today urged Gov. Jennifer Granholm to 'declare a state emergency' and eliminate state gasoline taxes," reports Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal.

"Williamson, in a news release, also said the federal government should eliminate federal gasoline taxes, drill for oil in Alaska and offshore and create more oil refineries. Williamson said he believes gas prices will be reduced to $2.75 per gallon if those measure are taken, and the economy will improve."

Apparently, the mayor is unaware of just how much state and federal money from these gas taxes flows into Flint. Or that a chorus of economists has already determined that these measures wouldn't do much to lower prices and would probably hurt the economy in the long run.

But hey, given President Bush's track record, Williamson just might find a sympathetic ear in the White House.

Paying the paperboy

With all of Flint's problems, it's good to know the mayor — who happens to be an ex-con — is busy having a 61-year-old "paperboy" unjustly arrested when he doesn't like The Flint Journal's coverage. This time the mayor's goof cost the city $150,000.

Flint's block-busting history

William A. Johnson, Jr., the former mayor of Rochester, New York, remembers his days in Flint:

"After graduation, I took a job as a political science professor at Mott Community College. Flint was my first venture out of the South. I arrived in 1967, just after the Detroit riots. My wife and I got an apartment in the city east of Saginaw Street.

"In 1968, Flint became the first city in the country to have an open housing ordinance. The law prohibited discrimination in housing. It was a tough struggle to get it passed. City Council at first voted it down, the mayor threatened to resign, Martin Luther King was assassinated, the political winds shifted, and fi-
nally it passed.

"This was an historic moment for the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and I was immensely proud of Flint.

"Then I began to see the for-sale signs popping up in the white neighborhoods west of Saginaw. It looked like a political campaign with all the lawn signs.

"What was happening was block busting at its most furious. Homes in white neighborhoods were being re-sold to Blacks at inflated prices — prices they really couldn't afford — which lead to massive foreclosures and vacancies. The whites, of course, fled to the suburbs. The open housing ordinance, something intended to do good, boomeranged and ate Flint like a cancer."