Failed Taylor Appointee Threatens to Take Out Everyone on Council Who Voted Against His Nomination

by Patricia Lesko

In an earlier piece (https://www.facebook.com/A2Indy/posts/2468909916509588), I introduced you to Joe Malcoun. Malcoun, a Taylor stalwart and resident of Ward 3, is the co-owner of the Blind Pig and Nutshell software. He applied to sit on eight city boards/commissions. He was nominated by the Mayor to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Malcoun has no education in urban planning or architecture. Add to this the fact that Malcoun has also been public, vulgar and vocal about his dislike of several of the recently-elected City Council members.

On Twitter, Malcoun allegedly referred to one Council member as a “racist POS (piece of shit).” In a July 1, 2019 Tweet, Malcoun wrote, “[H]ow sincere do you think (the council member) is in playing dumb to the meaning of ‘POS’? I’m just sayin’….”

On May 24, 2019, Malcoun Tweeted that he was looking forward to raising money for opposition City Council candidates in 2020. One month later, he posted a light-hearted call out on Twitter for people to share “your most embarrassing, knuckleheaded move on” social media. Could one example be applying to serve on eight boards/commissions, then Tweeting out that you’re going to work to unseat the people whose votes you need to be confirmed to a position on any of the city boards or commissions to which you just applied?

The CM whom Malcoun allegedly referred to as a “racist POS” emailed the entire Council objections to Malcoun’s appointment, quoting the alleged “POS” Tweet, as well as other Tweets in which Malcoun had threatened to take out Ward 1 Council members Hayner and Bannister, Ward 4 Council members Eaton and Nelson, as well as Ward 2 Council members Lumm and Griswold. Malcoun’s temperament, as evidenced by public comments, the Council member suggested, was incompatible with representing the public.

Taylor shared the CM’s email to Malcoun. Instead of sparing his nominee the public humiliation of having his nomination torpedoed at the July 1 Council meeting, Taylor nonetheless brought forward Malcoun’s name for confirmation. Taylor has unsuccessfully brought forward the names of other spectacularly unqualified nominees for various boards and commissions over the past several months. Without discussion, Joe Malcoun’s dream of holding court from a throne on the Zoning Board of Appeals evaporated.

On Twitter, after his appointment was not confirmed, Malcoun called the email about his public comments referred to by the Council member “all lies.” Malcoun then Tweeted that he would fund the campaigns of anyone and everywhere who would run against the Council members who had not confirmed his nomination. These elected officials were “liars” and “political hacks.” Malcoun, whose company Nutshell software was funded, in part, with public money from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, promised to pump “his” money into races in order to unseat the people who didn’t vote to confirm his appointment.