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When the intense, televised hour of debate was over, the combative mayoral candidates needed a shower to wash away the proverbial mud.
On Wednesday, in the only debate of the 2017 Detroit mayoral campaign, state Sen. Coleman A. Young often went on the attack and Mayor Mike Duggan countered. Both tried to give viewers on WDIV and Detroit Public TV their visions of a better Detroit.
Duggan listed his nearly four years of accomplishments, such as development in the neighborhoods, improved bus service and lower response times for police and fire. Young talked about more jobs, reducing crime, developing neighborhoods, the disparity between downtown and the neighborhoods and cheaper car insurance.
â–º Related post: 'Take Back the Motherland:' A Meme Is Born and Coleman A. Young II Is its Father
Some pundits believe Young, the underdog candidate, needed a knockout punch during the debate. He didn't get it, but he certainly threw a series of jabs -- some perhaps below the belt -- while trying for the TKO.
From the get-go, in the opening statements, Young began punching away, saying:
"Detroit is a tale of two cities. It’s the best of times for those who are privileged and the worst of times for everybody else. . . .
"I’m running to be your next mayor because everywhere my opponent has been there’s been a criminal investigation. Whether he was at DMC. Whether he was at DPS (Detroit Public Schools), whether he was at Wayne County, and now with the city. He needs to step aside and let an honest young man get the job done for all Detoiters. . . . It's time to take back the motherland for the people."
Duggan responded:
"You can see how this year's campaign is going to go. A bunch of trumped up charges, a lot of attacks on me and.. from a candidate, not a single plan of his own. That’s the way it’s been and that’s the way it’s going to be tonight.
"But here’s what I know. In the 10 years before bankruptcy, 200,000 people left the city of Detroit, driven out by no street lights, no buses, 911 response times that could take an hour. And the 200,000 people that left were the working families that could move to the suburbs. They could afford it and they left behind a city with the highest poverty and unemployment rate in America. There were those who said we couldn’t make it. I believe we can do it. In the last four years we’ve turned on 65,000 street lights, knocked down 13,000 homes, bought 200 buses, cut police and fire response in half and put 20,000 Detroiters back to work."
The mayor, asked about crime and statistics that are questioned, said:
"I don't need any statistics to know this city is not as safe as it needs to be."
He defended Police Chief James Craig and talked about how they moved cops from desk jobs to the streets and how response times have improved.
Youug retorted:
"With all that, we are still the most violent city in America."
Young went on to say that he'd like to create more police mini-stations in neighborhoods and have more police walking the beats,
Duggan responded, saying it "makes no sense" to put more officers back behind desks at mini-stations or have cops walk beats where they can't respond as quickly.
He then went on to talk about all the developments in the neighborhoods. Continuing on the offensive, Young said:
"Mike, I want you to look into that camera and I want you to say that to the 100,000 people who have had their water shut off; I want you to say that to the over 28,000 who had their houses foreclosed on I want you to say that to the 38,000 people who have Hepatitis A; to the 10 people who have died from Legionnaire's Disease because of these water shutoffs; a policy which is killing people by the way; Go look them in the face and tell them these neighborhoods are coming back, that you’re making all these investments for them."
A frustrated Duggan responded:
"I want you to look them in the face and say one thing that’s true. Legionnaire’s Disease from water shutoffs and all these other nonsense? Here’s what I do know on foreclosures. When I came in we had 6,000 homeowners a year being foreclosed on...because the (state law), if you made a payment plan (the treasurer) had to charge 18 percent in interest.
"You were doing nothing in Lansing. But I went to Lansing and got a bill passed... where (homeowners) can get 6 percent loans and we cut the foreclosures by 88 percent this year. We’re keeping people in their their homes while you’re missing your votes in Lansing."
And the jabbing went on, with Young responding:
"I’m not going to have my record questioned about me voting on laws or making laws when my opponent can’t even follow the laws. He admitted to bid rigging and colluding on television. How’s he going to criticize me on how I vote or don’t vote. We don’t even know whether or not he’s going to jail after this debate is over. I think it’s wrong, I think it’s shameful. We deserve better leadership."
Duggan countered:
"Boy, for a guy who is sensitive to criticism, you sure don’t mind making stuff up. Obviously, I was never engaged in bid rigging, never admitted to anything like that. But what the senator wants to avoid is this; Every problem he just talked about the schools…are state issues. The state funds it. His criticisms are right, but I can’t figure out what job he’s running for because it sounds like, as state senator, he failed to get the funding for these programs and a big part of it is he’s missed 30 percent of the votes in the last year because he doesn’t go to work."
And so goes the 2017 mayoral election. Voters decide Tuesday, Nov. 7.
â–ºDetroit Free Press fact-checks the candidates's debate statements
