MR. TALYOR YOU have a serious credibility problem. In a recent “message” to citizens concerning your vision for Ann Arbor you wrote, “we must address affordability and affordable housing; reduce traffic congestion; do our part to combat and prepare for climate change; defend our watershed; improve and expand non-motorized transportation options and safety; support arts and culture; and find the right balance between a downtown that is vibrant and active, and which retains its essential character.”
To begin, the city’s voters spoke loud and clear concerning public money for art when the tax-for-art millage proposal you endorsed failed at the ballot box.
During your six-year tenure on City Council, the number of miles driven in Ann Arbor increased by over 22,000,000, according to MDOT. Likewise, the important environmental goals of the city’s non-motorized transportation and solid waste plans went unmet. Ann Arbor’s poor air quality was repeatedly cited by the EPA. Worse still, during your years on City Council, the Huron River’s water between the Barton and Dixboro Dams (including the Cascades) went untested for carcinogens, pollutants and E. coli. The Gelman/Pall 1,4 dioxane plume was not a part of your Council vocabulary, yet local environmentalists tell us it threatens to seep into 85 percent of the city’s drinking water.
Given your record as a Council member, we find your purported desire to “defend” our watershed frightening in the face of the serious environmental issues that face our community.
Similarly, we find your desire to “address affordability and affordable housing” rather difficult to believe given the actual results of your leadership. During your three terms, the city suffered a net loss in low-income housing units. Homelessness and hunger both worsened in Ann Arbor. Your desire to support arts and culture while the city’s crumbling roads are the third worst in the state and our sewer infrastructure disintegrates is irresponsible. Ann Arbor needs a leader who supports transparency. Your efforts to impede an audit of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party’s books in light of dozens of undocumented cash withdrawls by the Chair leaves us wondering if, as mayor, you will hide any alleged malfeasance.
In the recent Citizen Survey, respondents said they did not find services provided equal to the amount of taxes collected. We urge you to work over the next two years to change that.
