Dayne Walling for Mayor of Flint!!!

The Genesee County Young Democrats would like to congratulate Dayne Walling on receiving our endorsement for mayor of Flint. This is an important election as Flint is in a position of change and transition. In this time of change, Flint needs a mayor with fresh, intelligent ideas and a proven track record.

Mr. Walling's alternative methods for rebuilding Flint focus on community involvement and are necessary changes from the overly bureaucratic structure that has plagued Flint since its growth from a logging community to an industrial center. At a time when localities receive fewer federal dollars, watch as their populations disintegrate, and suffer from political corruption, Flint's community is the solution for rebuilding Flint. At the center of Flint's future is the next generation. Young people will shape the next decade for Flint and Mr. Walling is perfect to lead us to this destination.

Mr. Walling also has tremendous experience for his age. He is Flint's only Rhode Scholar. He assisted the redevelopment of our nation's capitol by bringing millions in grant money in his role working for the Mayor of Washington D.C.. Never once did he forget about his roots in Flint. As co-founder of the Flint Club, Mr. Walling created a way for former Flint residents living abroad to reinvest in their home town and aid its comeback. Finally, Mr. Walling came home to work for the Genesee Land Bank, a nationally renowned governmental organization built to redevelop beleaguered neighborhoods in Genesee County.

The GCYD would like to thank both candidates for their prompt and complete responses to our questionnaires. We wish Mr. Walling luck and look forward to working with his campaign in the month of October. This election is incredibly important and if anyone would like to assist us in taking back Flint, call Keith Flynn at 810-625-0741. Or check out Mr. Walling website and contact Mr. Walling's campaign headquarters at 940 S. Grand Traverse Flint, MI 48502, 810-233-9190. Also, check out the coverage of the endorsement in the Flint Journal.

Next GCYD Meeting Sept. 22nd!!!

Our next meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 22nd, Brown Sugar Cafe, at
noon. The Brown Sugar Cafe is located on Saginaw St. across from the University Pavilion in downtown Flint. We will endorse a Flint mayoral candidate, plan our strategy for aiding our mayoral candidate, and discuss our next community service project. It should be an interesting meeting so come on out. If you have any questions call 810-625-0741.

Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Pass Go

There is no question that the city of Flint faces the challenge of crime as well as economic hardships. Flint’s crime rate surpasses the national average in almost every felony. As the city tries to restore law and order, city administrators are forced to consider the practical realities which hinder their ability to provide crime prevention to the citizens of Flint. For instance, there is little space to house all who are arrested in Flint on a daily basis. Mayor Williamson’s solution is to open more jails. Makes sense. If there is not enough space then why not create more space. On the surface, the simplicity of this plan seems like pure genius. Many love this idea including the police who feel they are making a difference when the criminals they put in jail are not just walking through the jail’s revolving door, but are incarcerated till trial where they belong. However, this is deceptively simple.

While I support the jail being re-opened, the Mayor’s plan leads to uncertainty as to how long the jail will remain open. Like almost all of the Mayor's policies, the re-opening of the jail is not fully explained and the public is placated by his financial contributions to other similar programs. The reality is that the jail would require the employment of about 30 guards, upkeep on the facilities, and money to support the jail’s population. These costs could rise past $1 million per year assuming the guards are paid $30,000 a year. The fate of the jail depends upon the Mayor funding the facility and its staff from the Flint Auto Auctions o junkyards, but it is hard to believe that the auto auctions will be able to support the jails permanently considering they make on average about $500,000 a year.

All of his other solutions depend upon his continued monetary support. Where will we Flint be when he is no longer funning for mayor? Just like the mayor's dumpsters, which littered our streets when he was running for Mayor, the funds for the jail could dry up and leave the city in the unfortunate position of releasing prisoners and employees. This smells like a political stunt designed to win the Mayor votes in time for the campaign season and it would be irresponsible to rely on the Mayor’s patronage.

None of the Mayor’s plans are designed to rebuild our city. Instead of aiding that effort, he constantly struggles against those who are trying to build long-term, enduring solutions like the Genesee County Land Bank, Uptown Development Corporation, and the Mott Foundation. Really, the Land Bank is one of the only government agencies in Flint which has had success. Affordable downtown lofts, small businesses tailored to meet the demands of college students, and the rejuvenation of Flint neighborhoods can all be attributed to these actors. Political favors at election time are not going to be enough to fix Flint’s problems. If we want to rebuild our community we will have to do it from the ground up and avoid relying on the simple solutions. Putting criminals behind bars will help the city, but we must also work to support such a project financially. Plus, this alone will not save Flint. It will take a reinvigorated downtown built to support a diverse economy built off of our abundance of opportunities in higher education. Only by rebuilding Flint's workforce and securing jobs for the future will crime decrease. If there is anything that our community must take from Flint’s history, it’s that we cannot depend upon short-sighted visions for our community and we must focus on building long-term solutions that will endure the test of time.

- Keith