Q7: Win or lose, what will you do to bring our community back together after this election?

Elections in Ypsilanti are a dirty affair. When there is nothing left to get out of the issues, elections inevitably turn to personal attacks. Whether it’s someone’s credit card spending being called into question or a person’s criminal past being leaked to the public, there are some Ypsilantians who really know how to attack. While this one isn’t the worst of my twelve years in Ypsilanti, it ranks a solid third.

Elections here usually take about six months for everyone to recover from. I think this one is going to be a lot different. This issue has been framed to pit almost every single demographic against one another. Renters versus homeowners. Working versus retired. Resident versus non-resident. Rich versus poor. White versus black. New versus old. Friend versus friend.

This is the first election that I’ve ever heard people tell me they are going to lose friends over this. I’m talking about people who have been friends for 20 or more years. That’s a very depressing thought.

When this is all over, hopefully I’ll be judged as having been honest. I’m worried that I may have been too brutally honest at times. There’s been a lot of passion on both sides. Everyone cares deeply about Ypsilanti. We just have two completely different ways of caring. I have no problem committing to work for a more permanent solution. I’m going to stand up for what I believe in. I’m going to keep suggesting things we can do to make Ypsilanti the place we all know it can be and I hope others do, too.