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Stalemate in Detroit: City Council Asks Mayor to Resign, but He Refuses to Go
 The City Council on Tuesday asked Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick to resign in light of evidence that he had lied under oath and plotted to cover up an extramarital affair with his former chief of staff.The 7-to-1 Council vote is not binding, and Mr. Kilpatrick has vowed to remain in office. Nonetheless, the Councils action is a political blow for the mayor, and support for the measure was greater than expected. Council members spoke highly of Mr. Kilpatrick but said he could no longer govern effectively, given the scandal that has enveloped Detroit for nearly two months. It is a vote of no confidence in the mayors ability to move the city forward at this time, said Councilwoman Sheila M. Cockrel, who drafted some of the 33 reasons listed in the resolution for the mayor to step down. It is a tragedy an enormous talent that has been squandered. The mayors spokeswoman, Denise Tolliver, reiterated Mr. Kilpatricks determination to remain in office. While certain members have been playing judge and jury in the court of public opinion, Mayor Kilpatrick has continued to stay focused on advancing bold initiatives, such as his economic stimulus package, she said in a statement. As Mayor Kilpatrick has said before, he will stay in office, he will stay focused on city business, and he will continue to lead our city forward. The vote came a week after the mayors annual State of the City speech, in which he angrily blamed racism for his troubles and accused the news media of having a lynch-mob mentality against him. The mayors lack of discipline last Tuesday was the straw that broke the camels back, Councilwoman Cockrel said. The only Council member to vote against the resolution was Monica Conyers, the wife of Representative John Conyers Jr., a Michigan Democrat; Ms. Conyers said the Council should have waited until it had more information before voting on such a statement. Im being neutral, Ms. Conyers said. Im concerned with doing it the right way, based upon facts, and not doing a symbolic resolution that means nothing. The Councils ninth member, Martha Reeves, the former Motown singer who had said she supported the resolution, was absent because of illness.
Posted by: Fred 2008-03-20 |
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