Machinations

The voters having spoken, the least to be demanded of the City Council is that it choose an ombudsman of flawless reputation with a superior investigative mind who does not flinch from truth no matter where it leads, and has no personal ambitions riding on the office. Without that kind of character, there is no ombudsman, but only a political wannabe paid $70,000 per annum because of connections.

Mr. Croom sign the oath and take the job, we need you!!!!!!!!
FLINT CITIZEN- By: Terry Bankert 03/12/03
The City of Flints reputation on line after ombudsman circus.
[Comments of Terry Bankert are BANKERT- in the cited article. Deleted text is shown by ...-trb]
..begin cited article...
Flint debacle
Council's reputation on line after ombudsman circus
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
EDITORIAL
Friday, March 10, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/columns/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1142002473247200.xml&coll=5#continue
After a seven-hour session of political horse trading run wild, the Flint City Council may, or may not, have done something sensible early Thursday morning by choosing activist Tyrone Croom as the next city ombudsman.

BANKERT- I was there for the 7 hours. The horse trading was a series of backroom meeting where the open meetings act was clearly violated with the city attorney present. It happened in the old committee of the hole room immediately behind the council seats. Clearly throughout the night during every recess city business was being conducted in this back room. Look closely at channel 17 when the meeting is played, if it is not cut out.-trb
But alas, any ability Croom might have for that job will never be tested because the bizarre machinations so engulfed the selection that Croom resigned a few hours after being appointed. Having fought hard for the job, Croom must have been so appalled by the realities of what he was about to undertake that he lost the stomach for serving.

BANKERT- Only Mr. Croom knows. I have spoken to Mr. Croom twice in my life. Once I said hello and another I said congratulations both on the night of the council vote. But I watched him for 7 hours. What I saw was an honorable man. When I approached him to give my congratulations he was speaking with Council president Buchanan privately. I think a good man made an honorable decision. An Ombudsman has to control his own office. By his resignation he has shown his integrity and independence. He now has my 110% support. Mr Croom please reconsider.-trb
One need not have been privy to all the hallway caucusing at council chambers to perceive why. A standout reason was stubborn support for felon Donna Poplar rendered by 2nd Ward Councilwoman Jackie Poplar, who is her sister-in-law. Family ties aside, Poplar had other promoters in the fray - despite the fact that the former Genesee County official's conviction involved public corruption, which constitutes the very kind of conduct the position of ombudsman is supposedly designed to ferret out.
Rumors swirl that Croom was put under pressure to appoint Donna Poplar as his assistant, which would dash whatever credibility remains of a deeply discredited position. True or not, something repulsive must have occurred to discourage him so thoroughly so fast.
The episode makes it clearer than ever that the $200,000 budgeted for the ombudsman's office is a wasteful drain on Flint's budget, and would be much better used to put a few additional police officers on the street. But that prospect was defeated by Flint voters last week who came down 53 percent in favor of retaining the ombudsman, which has not functioned at any credible level for years.
BANKERT- You say wasteful, the voters of Flint have 3 times said the office is needed.-trb
The voters having spoken, the least to be demanded of the City Council is that it choose an ombudsman of flawless reputation with a superior investigative mind who does not flinch from truth no matter where it leads, and has no personal ambitions riding on the office. Without that kind of character, there is no ombudsman, but only a political wannabe paid $70,000 per annum because of connections.
Croom apparently decided that serving as such a hack was not what he had in mind. Now the City Council will either correct whatever went awry Wednesday night and act with integrity and respect for city government, or discredit itself completely.

BANKERT- The situation can be corrected, if Mr. Croom so chooses, by his simply taking the oath of office. His appointment does not occur until that oath is signed. I will direct City Attorney and others to the Flint City Charter. The Community should ask Mr. Croom to reconsider. The council should say publicly there is no deal. All Mr. Croom has to do is say there is no deal, sign the oath and give it to the city clerk. He then is ombudsman for 7 years. The community should demand that the ombudsman not be pressured to hire political friends. I thought him a good man on the night of his appointment. I think he is a great man after his rejection of the offer. The offer is still on the table until the next council meeting. The ball is still with Mr. Croom.-trb

Flint councils have lived down many mistakes, but malice in the hiring of an ombudsman would be an albatross this council could not shake loose.
...end cited article...

The Flint Citizen is a publication of Attorney Terry R. Bankert (Family Law ) of Flint Michigan USA.
Weekly blog on issues of interest http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/
Legal Advice attorneybankert@yahoo.com
vita: http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/post/2005-11-08_04:52:35/
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Flint Citizen Internet Advocacy http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flintcitizen/
Terry R. Bankert P.C., 1000 Beach St., Flint MI 48503 810.235.1970 fax 234-508

Flint debacle
Council's reputation on line after ombudsman circus
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, March 10, 2006

After a seven-hour session of political horse trading run wild, the Flint City Council may, or may not, have done something sensible early Thursday morning by choosing activist Tyrone Croom as the next city ombudsman.

But alas, any ability Croom might have for that job will never be tested because the bizarre machinations so engulfed the selection that Croom resigned a few hours after being appointed. Having fought hard for the job, Croom must have been so appalled by the realities of what he was about to undertake that he lost the stomach for serving.

One need not have been privy to all the hallway caucusing at council chambers to perceive why. A standout reason was stubborn support for felon Donna Poplar rendered by 2nd Ward Councilwoman Jackie Poplar, who is her sister-in-law. Family ties aside, Poplar had other promoters in the fray - despite the fact that the former Genesee County official's conviction involved public corruption, which constitutes the very kind of conduct the position of ombudsman is supposedly designed to ferret out.

Rumors swirl that Croom was put under pressure to appoint Donna Poplar as his assistant, which would dash whatever credibility remains of a deeply discredited position. True or not, something repulsive must have occurred to discourage him so thoroughly so fast.

The episode makes it clearer than ever that the $200,000 budgeted for the ombudsman's office is a wasteful drain on Flint's budget, and would be much better used to put a few additional police officers on the street. But that prospect was defeated by Flint voters last week who came down 53 percent in favor of retaining the ombudsman, which has not functioned at any credible level for years.

Croom apparently decided that serving as such a hack was not what he had in mind. Now the City Council will either correct whatever went awry Wednesday night and act with integrity and respect for city government, or discredit itself completely. Flint councils have lived down many mistakes, but malice in the hiring of an ombudsman would be an albatross this council could not shake loose.