*ALERT**: NYPD arrests Camp Casey NYC Organizer*

Unlike Detroit, the Camp Casey NYC has a valid permit. Despite this, the New York City Police arrested organizer Paul Zulkowitz, a member of the Green Party's Peace Action Committee.

Mainstream media pick up the Camp Casey Detroit story

Despite a somewhat disparaging headline, this article in the Detroit Free Press does a good job of covering Detroit's own Camp Casey, including links to MECAWI and the Camp Casey Detroit Blog.

Camp Casey Detroit Blog

Camp Casey Detroit now has it's own blog! After visiting online, consider heading down to Grand Circus Park for a couple of hours. If you're able, bring some food and water along to share with others. Tonight, Friday, is Pizza Night from 5 to 8pm. On Sunday at noon they're having a Potluck Picnic. Indoor facilities are available if the weather doesn't cooperate. Hope to see you down there soon!

They are still there...

While Cindy Sheehan is returning to the original Camp Casey in Crawford Texas, our own Camp Casey Detroit is still going strong. At last nights rally we heard from a few of the folks from Detroit who made the trip down to Texas last weekend. The electricity and excitement they picked up there was shared with those of us who attended.

Update: You can find a report and photos of the event here.

Detroit Delegation to Camp Casey Will Hold Report Back Rally Wednesday Night at Grand Circus Park

Detroiter's who have visited Camp Casey in Crawford Texas and returned to Detroit to set up our own 'Camp Casey Detroit' in Grand Circus Park, will be holding a rally tonight including a report out on their visit down south. More info here.

Maureen D. Taylor Files Suit Claiming Fraud in the Detroit Election

Maureen D. (for Detroit) Taylor, activist candidate for Detroit City Council, has filed a suit claiming fraud in the recent Detroit primary election. This press release reads, in part: [Taylor] 'has filed suit on August 19, 2005, against the Detroit City Clerk, Jackie Currie; the Detroit Elections Commission; and a phantom candidate, “Marino Taylor”, for stealing the election from her, demanding a recount and demanding that the practices of the Detroit City Clerk and Election Commission be reformed. The suit seeks the preservation of all records related to the Detroit August 2, 2005 primary, not just the ballots needed for the recount that Maureen Taylor (The Grassroots Candidate) requested on August 16, 2005. The case has been assigned to Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court Judge John H. Gillis, Jr.'

Update: The Michigan Citizen provides an excellent article on the subject here.

War protesters injured

Our Cindy Sheehan vigil last week in downtown Detroit was under surveillance by two well marked Homeland Security vehicles, cleary an attempt to intimidate those attending the vigil. How long before something like this takes place in Detroit?

Update: Here's some video of a protestor being tasered and another being set upon by a police dog.

Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey Sheehan

Cindy Sheehan is a mother who lost her son in Iraq and wants to ask the President a question. As the mainstream media (OK, so the Christian Science Monitor ain't so mainstream) starts to pick up her story, the right-wing attack squad has started their disinformation campaign. To listen to Mrs. Sheehan herself and visit the organizations that support her, start here. MoveOn.org is organizing vigils to support her request to ask the President 'Why did we go to war?' Two of the four Detroit area events are full.

Shrinking Detroit has 12,000 abandoned homes

Even the dead are leaving the city according to this article. "Suburbanites are taking the bodies of their relatives out of cemeteries because they're afraid to come to the city," said Stephen Vogel, dean of the school of architecture at University of Detroit Mercy.

Greetings from Cape Cod

Hey Folks,
just now in that vacation mode as we leave the Mass. coast into a beautiful summer sunset. I'll be back in a week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am! Adios.

This is starting to taste bad.

Here's something interesting. The Detroit News page here has Marino Taylor (sound familiar?) with 2,218 votes or 0.3%

This page [WDIV Click on Detroit] has him at 8,717, almost as many as Maureen Taylor (that's our candidate).

If the WDIV page is with 100% reporting and the DetNews page is with 95.1% (which both pages do state), that means Marino picked up 75% of his vote in only 5% of the precincts. That's seems awfully extraordinary to me.

It could be just a typo in one of the web pages, like the names. Some candidates have their first name repeated.

Has anyone obtained any official results?

So close you could taste it!

Election results in the Detroit City Council race have Maureen 'D for Detroit' Taylor with 8,947 votes or approximately 1.0%. That puts her in 24th place in a race in which 18 advance. Only a little over 4000 votes separate her from the 18th place finisher, police officer Tia Davis with 13,129 votes.

Maureen ran a very strong campaign, hobbling on an injured foot, she covered this city like blanket of snow (I'm trying to ignore the heat) while maintaining the services she always provides through Michigan Welfare Rights. Along with Marian Kramer, Sylvia Orduno, and scores of other volunteers, this was a grassroots campaign that was all over the ground.

The endorsements of the AFL-CIO of Metropolitan Detroit, Committee for the Political Resurrection (CPR) of Detroit, Detroit Green Party (GPMI), Detroit Million Worker March (MWM) Movement, Keep the Vote/No Take Over Coalition, League of Revolutionaries for a New America (LRNA), Operation Uplift, Riverfront East Alliance, Sierra Club of Southeast Michigan, Socialist Party of Michigan, Solidarity and the Triangle Pride Political Action Committee show the depth and breadth of support for the grassroots candidate.

All Taylor for Council volunteers worked long hours, starting off armed with hand copied and cut flyers and just 100 yard signs, they used face to face organizing to draw in more supporters and get the campaign message out. While other campaigns relied on TV and print advertising, the Taylor volunteers worked the streets in their neighborhoods and at large gatherings in the city. All along they kept it real. It was not uncommon for folks who took a flyer to come back and ask for a button to wear. Now everyone wants a Taylor Campaign Volunteer t-shirt of their own.

While Maureen will not be on the November ballot, this grassroots campaign serves as a shining example of the power of the people.

Most City Council incumbents will be back in November

The have the lowest confidence rating in Detroit Government at 75% negative, yet Most City Council incumbents will be back in November. In fact, 20% of those voting completely ignored the City Council race. I blame our local media which did nothing to inform the people of the their choices in these council elections.

Detroit's future in sharp focus for mayoral race - The Boston Globe

Here's an even-handed view of the state-of-the-city on the eve of the mayoral and council primary from the Boston Globe.