Lt. Gov. Brian Calley
The fallout continues from recorded comments, apparently by Warren Mayor James Fouts making disparaging comments about people with developmental disabilities.
Now, Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has raised more than $5,600 as of Monday evening for Arc of Michigan, a support group for those residents, reports Simon Shaykhet of WXYZ.
Calley, widely seen as a 2018 candidate for governor, writes on a GoFundMe page he created Sunday:
Every single person has value and worth. We must be vigilant in defending the dignity of all people, especially those with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
Newspaper, radio and TV news reports recently revealed recordings from southeast Michigan, purportedly of the Mayor of Warren, containing the most shocking and reprehensible verbal assault on our most vulnerable citizens that I have ever heard.
Let's make a stand against and reject these disgusting remarks by helping the Arc of Michigan run an anti-stigma campaign, demonstrating and communicating the beauty and value in all people.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, battling with Fouts over dumping, released recordings of what appears to be Fouts saying:
“Now on Friday night instead of like in the past, I would be going to meet some women, tonight I am going to meet a group of retards. Tonight is retard night.”
“You see these people, I don’t know, what good are they? They are dysfunctional human beings. They aren’t even human beings. I don’t want any part of this. this is one of the worst parts of being mayor. This is bottom of the barrel. I don’t want to be around them. I wish them well in a cage."
Fouts says:
"In response to the nasty tape recording released by Mark Hackel. It's clear this an attempt to silence me and intimidate me. I question the validity of this AWFUL tape, the context of the tape, and who was also speaking and where this speech was recorded. The contents of this tape DO NOT reflect my attitude towards the mentally challenged. Mark Hackel will do anything and everything to disparage me. This recording was not me! (he has the expertise available to him to electronically engineer it) This is a PHONY tape with more to come."
He donates $500 to ARC of Michigan at the page Calley created, posting: "I am glad to support this effort to make the public more aware of the sensitive nature of dealing with those with special needs."
