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A2Politico
A2Politico: How Utterly Pedestrian– The DDA’s State Street “Redesign” is All About Cars
by Patricia Lesko
Ann Arbor and the environment need expanded non-motorized transportation infrastructure. The need is particularly acute on Main St., State St., and Liberty. When the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) came…
A2Politico: In a Major Blow to Chronic Virtue Signalers on Council, The Attempted Recall of Council Member Hayner Flopped
by P.D. Lesko
Two trans women, Ariah Schugat and Michelle Ryan Hughes, launched a recall of Hayner, a Ward 1 Democrat, after Ward 3 Council member Travis Radina took to his fainting coach with a cool washcloth on his forehead over…
Now Playing at the Theater of the Absurd: The Ann Arbor Witch Trials Starring Tituba Taylor and Mercy Grand
Updated: CM Ali Ramlawi (D-Ward 5) issued a statement in which he withdrew his support for the actions of the Mayor, CMs Grand and Eyer.
“The truth always arrive too late, because it walks slower than lies. Truth crawls at a snail's…
On Using the LGBTQ Community & Desperation Politics: An Open Letter to Ward 3 Council Member Travis Radina
by Patricia Lesko
When I ran for office against John Hieftje in 2010, a man named Phil Volk, then a leading member of Ann Arbor's gay community, published an opinion piece in which he said I was an "embarrassment to the gay community."…
Corruption On Display: The Ann Arbor City Attorney, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor, and the Irwin/Eyer DV Case
by Patricia Lesko
The majority of domestic abusers are poorly-educated, white men. In the case of Mitchell Irwin, the abuser is a 1 Percenter Poster Boy, an educated, rich, 68-year-old white man, a former Michigan State Senator,…
Local Campaigning Has Turned Negative: Connecting the Dots to See Past Campaign Mud-Slinging
by P.D. Lesko
Locally, candidates and their supporters have attacked incumbents and others as "conservative." It muddies the water, particularly in partisan primary elections. Sometimes, then, it comes down to the credibility of the…
These Council Members Handed Howard Lazarus His Golden Parachute in 2016, Then Pretended They Didn’t
by P.D. Lesko
The only reason former City Administrator Howard Lazarus is several hundred thousand dollars richer is thanks to an open-ended, 2016 contract negotiated by someone among the attorneys employed in the City Attorney's…
A2Politico: Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish—On Feb. 20, 2020, the Ann Arbor News Will Turn Off Commenting
by P.D. Lesko
On February 18, 2020 MLive's Vice President of Content, John Hiner wrote, "I’m writing today to announce a significant change to the MLive.com website experience: At 6 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, we will permanently…
A2Politico: Please Don’t Interrupt Your Councilmember While He’s Ignoring You
by Patricia Lesko
Ann Arbor's mayor, Chris Taylor ("Mr. Congeniality" according to a 2015 article in the Ann Arbor Observer), has been singing and dancing around Wards 3 and 5 on behalf of his City Council candidates Zachary Ackerman and…
Ecology Center/Recycle Ann Arbor & The Landfilling of Our Recycling
by Patricia Lesko
I recently received a long email with the Subject line: City of Ann Arbor Action - MONDAY NIGHT!! from someone named Doug Selby. In his email, Mr. Selby urges me to attend the next City Council meeting to pressure Council…