County Exec envy.  Or something.

Frankly, the idea of setting up a Wayne County style system of government would scare the snot out of me.  If you open your Websters and look up "Wayne County Government" you find the definition of the words "corruption," "machine (see political)," and a big giant picture of Jennifer Granholm.  (If you've got one of the old copies from the 70s, check it out... rumor is the photo in those editions is from her appearance on "The Dating Game.")

Then you take a look at Oakland County and what Brooks Patterson has been able to do with Automation Alley and the almost total, positive transformation of the region... that particular choice isn't much of a choice at all.  

At the end of the day the question is simple though... it's not a choice between Patterson or Ficano, the Wayne County Exec and a pretender to the Dem Gubernatorial nomination in 2010.  It's a choice between a new, additional layer of government or no new additional layer of government.  And the layer that's on the ballot today is potentially a lot more expansive than what could come from an Oakland County style system.  I hate "committees."

And, of course, there are school board elections all over the place so make sure you hit the polls sometime today!

There's a natural tendency to let these local elections slip away.  We're all pretty busy and it's not like it's a Presidential election or anything.  Unfortunately it's when we're not paying attention that the real fires get lit.  Or at the very least already established fires aren't snuffed out.  Set-up an ineffective, joke of a local government or local governing body and look out.

Exhibit A is and always will be Detroit.  The Ivory Tower today implores the City Council to do some begging of their own.

...The council should censure the mayor, as Goodman recommends, and forward a request to Gov. Jennifer Granholm to have her oust the mayor. Granholm's authority under state law is not as murky as the council's under the charter. It's a bigger hammer to use to get Kilpatrick to go.

Council members may fear that makes them seem weak, but in fact, it shows strength: the resolve to resist making matters worse just to make a point. The charter doesn't support a decisive council move for removal; tempting legal disaster by forcing the issue wouldn't be good for the council itself, or the city.

Better to stay on the high road, and follow the process that will lead quickest to the end game: a Detroit without Kwame Kilpatrick.

The question isn't whether or not the City Council wants to or should be trying to remove the mayor.  At least not in the FREEP's eyes.  Everyone outside of the regressisphere here in Michigan is pretty well convinced that Kwame is a bad guy who did bad, illegal things and needs to go, post haste.  (And even the lefty bloggers agree, they just can't say so publicly... I'm becoming more and more convinced there's some sort of chip implanted in each of their brains when they start a blog... the sort of chip that sends electric shocks coursing through their bodies whenever they begin to criticize anyone bearing the label "Democrat.")

The immediate question is whether or not they're going to start a... ahem... spitting contest.  Kwame's shown again and again that he's not willing to do the right thing.  The man's had opportunity after opportunity and has chosen the dark side every time.  The City Council, for their part, is a joke and a bad one at that.  Two words.  Monica Conyers.

But there's a secondary question too.  Would making a strong recommendation to Jennifer Granholm do any good?  She's got the power to oust the Mayor.  That much is certain.  But would she risk alienating half the city of Detroit?  

Here's hoping.