Firefighters, or Art?

[George Gervin's Afro]

Councilman Kunselman, democrat, agrees.

demonrats!

[MannyIsGod]

Rabhi’s efforts have brought what he estimates to have been 15 or 20 students to the voting polls — a figure that surpasses in bent Greden’s expectation of fewer than a dozen students turning up.

Rabhi said that he wanted to “show (Greden) that more students vote than expected.”

South Quad poll worker Valerie Yodhes said that by 6 p.m., a total of 57 votes had been cast, including 19 absentee ballots. By 8 p.m. when the polls closed, the total count was 68 ballots, representing a turnout of 4.45 percent.

LOL Students destroying the Ann Arbor polls.

http://www.michigandaily.com/content...mary-elections

[MannyIsGod]

UM students showing their massive voting power!!!!

Ann Arbor – University of Michigan students turned out this Tuesday for the Nov. 3 General Election, voting in record numbers at student precincts across campus. On average, student voters increased turnout by 450 percent. At one polling location, South Quad, the increase in turnout was more than 775 percent.
At the time of this release, student voter turnout increased by 555 percent at the Coliseum polling location, an increase from 31 voters in 2007 to 203 voters in 2009.

http://umichdems.com/blog/?p=8074

Is this what I was supposed to be paying attention to CC?

[Jekka]

My son went to law school there. Ann Arbor is like Austin North X10. The students run the town.

That's bull . Austin's population of obnoxious hipsters vastly eclipses Ann Arbor's, so Ann Arbor can't be "Austin North."

But anyway, there is no way that students run the town. They can't - most aren't residents. Tons of money goes towards student services and the campus in Ann Arbor, but that's a function of the outrageous out of state tuition that UM is allowed to charge non-resident students, plus a huge budget supported by one of the biggest public university endowments in the country.

Ann Arbor is run by a predominantly progressive and educated resident base who stick around because they like the environment enough to put up with the property taxes (which, by the way, don't fund the students nearly so much as they support the homeless population that continuously migrates over from Detroit).

If what you really meant was that the university - as opposed to the students - has a huge effect on how Ann Arbor functions, then I agree. But the students do not run the town.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Councilman Kunselman, democrat, agrees.

he must be a frosh

[FromWayDowntown]

LOL Students destroying the Ann Arbor polls.

http://www.michigandaily.com/content...mary-elections

Come on, Manny. Anyone with a brain knows that its not actually the sheer number of votes that the students offer but the need of elected officials in Ann Arbor to placate the whims of students to ensure that they continue to be invited to keggers and raves.

It's very similar with Columbia students and their dramatic impact on New York City politics.

[Jekka]

Come on, Manny. Anyone with a brain knows that its not actually the sheer number of votes that the students offer but the need of elected officials in Ann Arbor to placate the whims of students to ensure that they continue to be invited to keggers and raves.

It's very similar with Columbia students and their dramatic impact on New York City politics.

[Veterinarian]

The people of Ann Arbor are seriously re ed if they're choosing art over a better fire fighting crew.

[rjv]

The people of Ann Arbor are seriously re ed if they're choosing art over a better fire fighting crew.

now that's hyperbole albeit i believe the gross exaggeration originated with the media piece itself (or more specifically, the manner in which it was posted)

[Oh, Gee!!]

The debate in Ann Arbor, [red herring alert] where firefighters are being laid off due to a multimillion dollar budget deficit, is over an $850,000 piece of art.

[LnGrrrR]

Shouldn't WC be happy about this? After all, less firefighters = less people in government!



They could always go to a volunteer force, like the town my parents live in.

[rjv]

of course, it would be the greatest irony if michigan won a national le, the students set fire to the campus and then they had nothing but a painting to throw on it.

i know, i know this is impossible. i mean, really...michigan winning a national le ?

[George Gervin's Afro]

of course, it would be the greatest irony if michigan won a national le, the students set fire to the campus and then they had nothing but a painting to throw on it.

i know, i know this is impossible. i mean, really...michigan winning a national le ?

my chica is a michigan alum..she's not a big Rich Rod fan...

[Jekka]

my chica is a michigan alum..she's not a big Rich Rod fan...

None of us are big Rich Rodriguez fans right now.

[rjv]

None of us are big Rich Rodriguez fans right now.

osu fans probably love him, however.

[Jekka]

osu fans probably love him, however.

[Blake]

Shouldn't WC be happy about this? After all, less firefighters = less people in government!

one would think

They could always go to a volunteer force, like the town my parents live in.

Or we could all hire our own fire fighting companies and let the free market dictate supply and demand.

Some of us might be ok with not paying for a fire fighter and just letting our house burn down.

[Wild Cobra]

i know, i know this is impossible. i mean, really...michigan winning a national le ?

They already have a national le...

A citizen who is the biggest fat liar in the world! Claims Flint Michigan as his hometown, but he was born and raised in a wealthy suburb, Davison.

Anyone guess his name, and the number of deceits he has perpetrated?

[Wild Cobra]

Shouldn't WC be happy about this? After all, less firefighters = less people in government!

It's not like you to act stupid, so I will take that as sarcasm. A smaller government means good basic services. Not eliminating all services. I'm not an anarchist.

[LnGrrrR]

It's not like you to act stupid, so I will take that as sarcasm. A smaller government means good basic services. Not eliminating all services. I'm not an anarchist.

I figured the smiley face after that comment would give away the fact that it was tongue-in-cheek.

[SnakeBoy]

I was thinking it would be cool if someone burned down that art then I saw it was water sculpture...elite bas s thought of everything!

[LnGrrrR]

I was thinking it would be cool if someone burned down that art then I saw it was water sculpture...elite bas s thought of everything!

See? No need for firefighters! They'll just carry the water sculpture over to whatever building is burning down.

[rjv]

See? No need for firefighters! They'll just carry the water sculpture over to whatever building is burning down.

better be careful-WC may think you're serious about that.

[CosmicCowboy]

back to bucket brigades!

[Oh, Gee!!]

It's not like you to act stupid, so I will take that as sarcasm. A smaller government means good basic services. Not eliminating all services. I'm not an anarchist.

they're not eliminating the fire department, dimwit; they're considering laying off 6 of their 80-something firefighters according to comments posted after the Op-Ed. and if you'd read the article, you'd notice that only $6000.00 out of the fund that pays city employees is being used on the art project; the rest is money set aside specifically for art projects. I don't think $6000.00 could pay for one firefighter, let alone six of them. The actual debate is whether it's sensitive to go through with the art project when the city is in debt. One demonrat says it is isn't. The argument is not whether firefighters should be fired at the expense of artistic expression.