7/23/09 The Counter Project Primary Primer on The Counter Project

Every four years Dearborn voters head to the polls to select all nine of their elected city officials—that’s the mayor, clerk, and the seven-member city council.

Well, a lot has happened in Dearborn since we last went to the polls in 2005. Who could have foreseen back then that Mayor Michael Guido would be diagnosed with, and succumbed to, pancreatic cancer, and have his term finished by then-Council President Jack O’Reilly? Who could have foreseen back then a near-collapse of the U.S. auto industry, a major downsizing at Ford Motor Company, and subsequent crumbling of Dearborn’s housing and small business market? We dare say, no one.

But if the calendar reads Summer 2009—and it does—that means were about to find ourselves smack dab in the middle of campaign season here in Dearborn, and we at the Counter Project want to do our part to make sure our readers have a handle on the who, what, when, where and how. So between now and election day, we hope to inform our readers and facilitate more than a few discussions (some of which have already begun in the Counter Project Lounge: here & here).

So let’s begin now with the basics of this primary campaign season: everything you need to know about the upcoming elections. Plus, voter education should be a huge part of every candidate's run for public office, so the Counter Project sent out surveys to every council candidate, asking them questions we think are important for our readers to know; the candidates' responses to these surveys are inside.

Q. When do we vote?

A. Voters will be going to the polls twice in the next three-and-a-half months. First, we’ve got a primary election on August 4, and that’s the election we’re focusing our attention on here. The second election is November 3, and we'll have more information on that later in the fall.

Q. How do I know if I’m registered to vote? How do I find out where I vote? How do I register to vote?

A. To find out if you’re eligible to vote, or to find out where your polling place is, call the city clerk’s office at 313-943-2014.

The deadline to register for the August 4 primary has already passed, so if you aren’t already registered, you won’t be able to vote in the Primary Election. But don’t sweat too much; you can still register to vote in time for the November 3 General Election (the deadline for this is Monday, October 5). You can register to vote at the city clerk’s office at City Hall, 13615 Michigan Avenue, or any Secretary of State office.

For more voter information, visit the city clerk's web page.

Q. Why is there a primary?

A. According to the city charter, if there are more than two candidates running for mayor, more than two candidates running for city clerk, and more than 14 candidates running for city council, a primary election must be held.

Well, this year, there are only two candidates vying for mayor’s office (current mayor Jack O’Reilly and challenger Mike Prus), and there’s only one person running for city clerk (current clerk Kathy Buda). So that means we won’t be casting any votes for mayor or clerk on August 4.

The city council race is a different story, however. We have 25 official candidates (and one write-in candidate) vying for 14 slots on the November ballot.

Q. How many council candidates can we vote for?

A. In the primary election, you can vote for up to seven, with the top 14 vote-getters advancing to the General Election on November 3.

Q. Who’s running for city council?

A. You’ve probably seen yard signs popping up around town with some of the candidates’ names lately. The full roster of candidates is as follows (incumbents are noted with an (i)): Robert A. Abraham (i), Joseph Aguis, David W. Bazzy, Terry Burke, Khalil Dakhlallah, Patrick D’Ambrosio, George T. Darany (i), Mark J. Dawdy, Stephen S. Dobkowski Jr., Sharon Dulmage, Rabih Hammoud, George Hart, Nancy A. Hubbard (i), Patrick M. Kiernan, Scott J. Marquette, Brian C. O’Donnell, Suzanne Sareini (i), Ali Sayed, Molly Sharp, Mark C. Shooshanian (i), Nancy Siwik, Hussein Sobh, Thomas P. Tafelski (i), Doug Thomas (i) and Adrenne Wygonic.

There’s also one write-in candidate, who didn’t meet candidacy eligibility before the spring filing deadline, and she has since become eligible and declared her candidacy. Her name is Kristyn Taylor.

Q. What do I need to bring with me on election day?

A.You need a valid photo ID, such as driver's license or state ID card. Other forms of acceptable ID include: U.S. Passport, military ID with photo, student ID from a high school or accredited college or university (as long as it's current), or tribal ID card with photo.

If you don't have a valid ID, but are registered to vote in Dearborn, you can still vote by signing a brief affidavit stating you aren't in possession of a photo ID. And your vote will still be counted with the rest.

Q. When are polls open?

A. Polls are open on August 4 from 7a to 8p.

Q. How do we educate ourselves on the candidates?

A. Well, the Counter Project editorial staff, in late June, compiled a survey for all 25 city council candidates and mailed it to each of their home addresses. The results of that survey can be found below. Unfortunately for you, our readers, only seven candidates responded.

You can also check out the Dearborn-Dearborn Heights League of Women Voters website for more information on the candidates before heading to the polls.

Here are the responses to the surveys that we received:

• Robert A. Abraham
• David W. Bazzy
• George T. Darany
• Sharon Dulmage
• Scott J. Marquette
• Nancy Siwik
• Kristyn Taylor

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Member Opinions:

By: TimothyT on 7/23/09
It's hugely dissappointing that only seven bothered to do the survey. I would've liked to have seen what others had to say to some of those questions.

By: Ava on 7/23/09
Amazing! Did the other candidates say why they weren't responding to the survey, or did they just ignore it?

I haven't had a chance to really read them yet, just skim them over, but it looks like these were some good answers.

Unfortunately, it seems like this election's just going to be another race to see who can get the most lawn signs out. And issues take a back seat again. :(

By: cornerstore on 7/23/09
Thanks for doing this article and sending out the questionnaire. Very good choice of questions and the responses for the most part seemed very candid. The common thread amoungst most answers seems to be neighborhoods, business district, parking and budget. I guess that it is up to us now to decide who we best feel will address those issues.

I am also disappointed that only seven candidates bothered to respond. Shame on the rest of you!!!

By: JoeJarvis on 7/23/09
I'm especially impressed with Nancy Siwik's candid answer to question 3: "The current city council person which I believe needs to be replaced is Doug Thomas."

YES!! Everyone's thinking it, only Nancy has the balls to say it! Siwik's got my vote for that answer alone. I'm surprised Nancy Hubbard's name didn't come up though.

By: GNU on 7/23/09
Vote for the Counter Project Seven!

By: Jenny on 7/23/09
I like Kristyn Taylor's answers, especially the answer to "What specific business would you like to see in Dearborn?"

She actually answered specifically (IKEA!), whereas the other candidates who had that question took a vague, generic approach to answering it.

By: Celestine on 7/23/09
Very interesting read, those candidate responses. I may post more tonight after I've had time to read them more thoroughly.

By: cocoapuffs on 7/23/09
Like what most had to say but the big question remains - how are you going to get them done?

By: Celestine on 7/23/09
cocoapuffs, I think that's a fair question, and an unfair question all at once.

I think it needs to be asked, but just don't expect much in the way of answers.

The logisitics of getting things done at a municipal level is something that most people don't understand until they're actually placed in a position of power. That means for most challengers, HOW they'll get things done is pretty near impossible to actually answer at this point.

This would be a good question to ask the incumbants, who, presumably, *should* know how to get things done.

To a degree the fact that challengers just have a coherent plan and ideas is almost enough for me. If they get on the council, they'll figure out the logistics of study sessions, committees, budgets etc. to (hopefully) get the things accomplished.

It's the candidates that have absolutely NO articulated plan or ideas that worry me. You know the ones I'm talking about: the one's who say things like "I love Dearborn and I'm a lifelong resident and I want to make sure my kids grow up in a great city just like I did."

By: Fargus on 7/23/09
GNU, if you vote for these *Counter Project Seven* just because they are the only ones to respond to some questions, that's no better than voting for someone because they have the most lawn signs.

Maybe you should actually see how these seven candidates ANSWERED the questions before telling people that they should vote for them.

By: GNU on 7/23/09
Fargus, not even close. Lawn signs indicate absolutely nothing. It's a popularity contest, at best.

These seven people actually DID something to earn my vote. They articulated their ideas, and took the time to speak to us. When asked a question (or five), they had the courtesy to provide an answer.

And that's good enough for me, at least in the primary.

By: triscuit on 7/23/09
Thanks for doing this! Shitty that the rest of them didn't respond.

I was pretty impressed with Darany's answers. I think of the seven candidates that posted answers here, his ideas are most aligned with mine.

By: RandyU on 7/23/09
So with a write-in candidate like Kristin Taylor, does she have to be in the top 14 in the primary to be put on the November ballot? Can she still run as a write-in for the November ballot if she fails to make the top 14?

By: Penn on 7/24/09
Im not surprised most of them didn;t participate in the survey.

By: Almondo on 7/24/09
Does it really matter who we vote for on Aug. 4? Its all a popularity contest, especialyl since no one knows much about these people.

Penn, I'm not surprised that most of them didn't participate. Most of them want to just keep it a popularity contest. Its easier that way.

By: Violet on 7/25/09
"It's the candidates that have absolutely NO articulated plan or ideas that worry me. You know the ones I'm talking about: the one's who say things like "I love Dearborn and I'm a lifelong resident and I want to make sure my kids grow up in a great city just like I did." "

You couldn't have said it better celestine!

By: Owl on 7/25/09
Hey cut these people some slack. For many of them it's probably hard to write in English since English is their second language. You know, all the Arabic candidates and Nancy Hubbard.

By: Europa on 7/26/09
Sharon Dulmage is a great choice for city council. She's dedicated her life to this city and can get things do things that other less experience people can't do. Vote Dulmage!

By: arabianchix on 7/27/09
More information on the candidates at Arab American News: http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=Community&article=2342

By: PseudoDick on 7/27/09
Darany, Siwik and Taylor impressed me the most in their answers. And I say this after I slagged on Taylor in another discussion here for being way too new to Dearborn (less than a year living here? Come on.). And I still think she needs to live here for a while before running for the damn city council, but if she gets active and decides to run again in four or eight years, I'd probably vote for her.

By: MIFAN on 7/27/09
I applaude Kristyn Taylor for putting forth an effort to become a city council person. No matter how long she has lived in the city, she seems to want to become an integral part of the community. At 22 years old, she is a homeowner, soon to complete a masters degree in her profession and is looking to continue her career in the legal system. How could a person such as this not be considered an asset to the community? My support goes to Kristyn.

By: TimothyT on 7/29/09
I've been reading up on the candidates where ever I can (at the above link to Arab American News and the Press and Guide basically), and no one really stands out to me as being alll that great. I think I will actually end up voting for the Counter Project 7 too, if for no other reason than they actually worked a little bit harder than the other candidates to educate voters.

By: cocoapuffs on 7/29/09
Doesn't anyone get out and campaign anymore? The current council members must be awfully sure of reelection.

By: Fargus on 7/29/09
The primary is basically meaningless. The ones who aren't even trying to win will lose (Aguis, Kiernan, Molly Sharp, Terry Burke, Daklala), and the rest will be on the be on the ballot that really matters in November.

By: MichiganBoy on 7/30/09
I'll vote for these seven

By: Greely on 7/30/09
No one on the current city council deserves to be re elected. There are no innovative ideas coming out of city hall, they're standing around while business after business packs up and leaves west Dearborn. No one has any idea what to do with the parking situation, and that is truly alarming. How can no one on the council or in the mayor's office know what to do to recitfy this situation? People aren't parking there, so that means it's not working. How much longer can they use the "We need to pay for the parking garages" as an excuse to keep paid parking? You can't possibly believe that the handful of quarters they collect from those meters, or even the parking tickets they issue, could possibly come close to paying for the garages.

Nothing but incompetitance. I can't stress enough how the entire city council is incompetant and has no business being re elected. They had their chance, they f@cked it up, now it's time to let some new people have a crack at running this city.

Here's who I'm voting for, if anyone cares:
1. Nancy Siwik
2. Sharon Dumage
3. Rabih Hammoud
4. Patrick Kiernan
5. Stephen Dobkowski
6. David Bazzy
7. Scott Marquette

Don't even get me started on that p@ssy O'reilly. Anyone who ignores the corruption of the previous administration, and keeps those corrupt individuals on board, is either corrupt himself, or is a complete dumbass.

By: GNU on 7/30/09
Greely, why would you vote for Patrick Kiernan? He has made no attempt to campaign and has not answered any questions given to him but I'm still sticking with the Counter Project Seven:
1. Bazzy
2. Darany
3. Siwik
4. Dulmage
5. Abraham
6. Marquette
7. Taylor
They're the only ones to actually answer questions besides the ones from the League of Women voters. Candidates need to address the people they want to represent as often as possible, and when they pass up the opportunity to educate me, I have no interest in voting for them.

Power to the people!

By: PseudoDick on 7/31/09
I'll almost vote for this Counter Project 7, but I'm replacing Kristin Taylor with Mark Shooshanian. I'll likely vote for her in four years if she decides to run again. I just don't think someone that's lived in Dearborn just over a year can possibly grasp what has been done in the past and what should be done now. Even if she spent the past year immersing herself in Dearborn history, culture, and politics, I don't think she'd be up to it.

By: Greely on 7/31/09
Shoosh has been on there for 16 years! He's as much to blame for Dearborn's current economic situation as anyone. He's done nothing for this city. All he was ever good for was voting however Guido wanted him to vote. Abraham's nothing but a bean counter, and an ethically challenged one at that. His supporters claim he's good for balancing budgets and other financial wizardry, but how does such a financial wizard and budget balancer find himself owing money and taxes on properties he owns? Maybe because he doesn't know how to actually keep himself within budget. And Darany? He might be a nice guy, but what has he ever done of signicence on the council? Sorry, but we need to clean house and get all new people on the council this year. Please, everyone, don't vote for incumbents. Send them a message that we aren't going to put up with four more years of inaction and ineffective leadership!

If we return the incumbents to their positions, we're going to continue looking more and more like Detroit. These people on the council have no idea how to stop the downward spiral! They might be nice, but they don't have a clue what to do. DON'T VOTE FOR "NICE!" Vote for CHANGE and PROSPERITY!

By: cocoapuffs on 7/31/09
GREAT ADVICE Greely!!!!

By: Steve on 7/31/09
@GNU: I'm inclined to vote for the same candidates as you, and for me it's primarily selfish. The Counter Project editorial staff put considerable time and effort into preparing and mailing 26 candidate questionnaires. And for a small business like us, time is money. So is postage.

So to the seven who took the time to respond, I thank you, and rest assured you have my vote (and the vote of at least one of our readers, GNU).

To the 19 that didn't respond, I have to ask: Why not?

Is it because you had never heard of us, and weren't sure what you were getting in to? Well, with a mere 15 minutes of surfing our site, you'd see that our primary raison d'etre is to promote Dearborn-- Dearborn's businesses, events, organizations, residents.

Is it because you didn't have the time? Well, if you don't have time to answer five voter-education questions during a campaign, how are you going to find the time to effectively legislate? It's not like you were innundated with candidate questionnaires this year. By my count, you received two: ours and one from the League of Women Voters. Our local newspapers don't even have the resources to ask you questions themselves anymore, as the Press & Guide had to partner with the LoWV.

So all of this boils down to one thing: you were content answering a mere two questions during this primary campaign season, and now you expect voters to know where you stand based on your answers to those two questions. Disgraceful.

Some of you didn't even bother to respond to the LoWV's questionnaire. That's even more disgraceful.

I've worked on campaigns, and I've been a member of the media, and I have never seen so many complacent candidates in one group before. One rule that I've always held when running campaigns is that you need constantly get your ideas and views out to the voting public any way you can. Lawn signs won't cut it. Oh, you might win based on name recognition, but you do so at the public's expense. You're robbing the public of the opportunity to really know for whom they are voting.

And then it becomes about you just winning for the sake of winning. But popularity won't make you an effective legislator for the City of Dearborn. Popularity doesn't mean you're the right one for the job.

And that's why I'm voting for the "Counter Project Seven," as GNU has dubbed them. They actually have ideas, and they want to share them with as many people as possible. They want to win for the right reasons, the right way.

We're going to try this again. Before the general election on November 3, the Counter Project is going to send out a new quesionnaire to the 14 candidates that make it past the primary this Tuesday. I truly hope that more than seven candidates will take the time to fill it out.

Steve, Counter Project editor

By: Apple78 on 7/31/09
You're right. I think many of these candidate's campaign strategy is to only get their name out there, and have their name be as well known as possible. And that's bullshit.

The Obama campaign was one of the first major campaigns not to offer free lawn signs. They actually charged for them, and it wasn't for lack of money on their part. The reason they didn't give free signs is because they didn't want the signs to be the only thing people did. The Obama campaign wanted to make sure that they got their message out to the people, and that people were communicating their ideas back to them. For many people, lawn signs are a dead end. People put them up and they stop doing anything else for the campaign, they stop listening to the campaign messages, and it just becomes a shouting match between lawn signs. Dearborn's politics are proof positive of that. Almost every candidate is happy to let their lawn signs do their talking for them.

By: cocoapuffs on 8/1/09
Apple 78 - don't knock the lawn signs - they make great garage sale signs!

By: PseudoDick on 8/1/09
Steve, why even bother doing it again? Do you think more than seven will respond next time?

By: Ava on 8/1/09
I think it's important for you guys to do it again. Voter education is important, and even if they don't all reply, that lets me know which candidates are actually engaged. I'm planning on voting for these seven on Tuesday for no other reason than to send a message that we need more engaged candidates.

By: justsara on 8/2/09
If I have time to vote on Tudesday, I'll vote for these seven. They gave good answers.

By: Fargus on 8/3/09
Here's another reason not to blindly vote for the incumbents (I can't claim credit, I saw it on someone's facebook page!):

The people currently on the council are the ones who brought us paid parking, and let enormous amounts of retail and a massive movie studio slip through our fingers and into Allen Park.

Don't vote for incumbents! They're doing more for Allen Park than they are for Dearborn!

By: TimothyT on 8/3/09
I agree that you should continue to reach out to the candidates with a questionare. I may be unusual, but I love reading candidate's answers to these things. And if the only other questions are coming from the League of Women voters, there's definitly a need for other forms of media to step up.

By: cornerstore on 8/3/09
PLEASE VOTE TOMMAROW!!!!!!!!!!

By: cocoapuffs on 8/4/09
Please make sure that you get to the polls and make sure your vote counts - we only get one chance to make a change and this is IT. PLEASE VOTE.

By: Owl on 8/4/09
Turn out is low. Every vote is going to count.

By: Johnny_Cakes on 8/5/09
Steve, as a former member of the media I would expect you to know there are rules of engagement when a politician is dealing with the press. The most important thing, of course, is to cover your own ass. Phrases get twisted, words get parsed, etc. And given the lack of identifying information on this Web site, and a questionnaire signed by the "Counter Project Staff," it doesn't surprise me that you didn't receive more responses. Just because we are moving into the digital age doesn't mean people should abandon their common sense. I would suggest adding more identifying information about yourself and your outfit in the next round of questionnaires. I bet you would get a lot more people responding.

By: Steve on 8/5/09
Johnny Cakes, I appreciate your feedback. Let me clarify something however: Each questionnaire we sent was accompanied by a cover letter signed by me, not "Counter Project Staff."

And as you (and hopefully the candidates) can see, we did no manipulation of their words, or even any editorializing. We let the candidates' words speak for themselves; we published their answers as they sent them in. We'll do the same in the future.

Every candidate was given access to me-- Steve Veldheer, in case you were wondering-- via email in case they wanted to assuage any concerns they may have had. Only one candidate got in touch with me to ask some questions.

And Johnny, as someone who's run campaigns, I also know that you shouldn't let an opportunity pass to get your message out to a large number of voters. Sure, you always cover your ass, but once it's covered, you proceed.

By: Celestine on 8/5/09
So Johnny, you're claiming there's a lack of identity disclosure here? But you're posting under the name "Johnny Cakes?"

Irony!

By: Johnny_Cakes on 8/5/09
Steve,

I was apparently misinformed. It seems like we have a bunch of council candidates that just don't have the time or interest then.

Celestine,

Yes, sweet irony. Glad you caught that.

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