2nd Ward candidates differ on public art, crosswalk law, city spending and transit
Ann Arbor City Council Member Stephen Rapundalo, D-2nd Ward, talks with resident Mike Bauer while going door-to-door last week. He's in a close race against Independent challenger Jane Lumm.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"As I tackle any and all issues, I'll try to approach it from the perspective of: Is this going to move us forward? Is this something that's good for the future of Ann Arbor?" said Rapundalo, the incumbent. "And I think Jane espouses quite a different philosophy."
Lumm says Rapundalo has his priorities in the wrong place and is distorting her record.
Rapundalo, a Democrat who has represented the 2nd Ward on council for the last six years, has done his best to characterize Lumm as a naysayer and says the city has spent the last 15 years cleaning up the mess made by Lumm and other council members from the '90s.
Lumm talks to 2nd Ward resident Kim Gleichert, who indicated she's dressing up as a "crushed pedestrian" for Halloween, while going door-to-door last week.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"The list is long of the things he's said that I've done wrong," Lumm said. "This is on his website, it's in his literature, it's all over."
Lumm's surprise campaign this year has gained support from both Democrats and Republicans who share her concern that elected officials in Ann Arbor have lost touch with the community's values. She's campaigning on a promise of realigning the city's spending priorities on basic services like public safety, parks, streets and other basic infrastructure.
Lumm is critical of many of the programs and projects Rapundalo has supported, including spending on public art, the pedestrian safety ordinance, the proposed Fuller Road transit station, the new Ann Arbor Justice Center that houses police and courts, and the underground parking garage being built by the Downtown Development Authority.
Lumm said there's a time and place for everything, but she argues this is one of those difficult periods in Ann Arbor's history when visions of new transit centers — such as the Fuller Road Station project Rapundalo supports — and public art are maybe just "nice-to-haves."
"People see their streets and bridges deteriorating and crumbling, and police and fire levels severely cut. People want to recalibrate and don't think maybe it's the time for public art," Lumm said, going on to express concerns about other city spending.
"I am concerned about the city's willingness to take on financial risk at times when it isn't backed by a good business plan," Lumm said.
Rapundalo called his opponent a negative thinker.
"She takes a stance usually that is sort of negative and one of always saying 'no' or 'you're wrong' versus working in some constructive manner and being open to any and all ideas," Rapundalo said. "It's one thing to be principled — I've always prided myself on that — but I'm not inflexible, and I'll work with people even if I have a difference of opinion with them."
High stakes
If Rapundalo loses his seat to Lumm, it could mean the strong majority on the 11-member council is whittled from eight to seven — reducing the majority bloc's voting power.
Rapundalo criticizes the City Council of the '90s, calling it "quite a dysfunctional group" that "got nothing done."
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Lumm's election to council likely would add her to the ranks of those minority council members — including Stephen Kunselman, Mike Anglin and Sabra Briere — who, despite being Democrats, are often seen as independent from the rest of council.
It's plausible there could be issues in the future where eight votes are required and Lumm might join Kunselman, Anglin and Briere in causing 7-4 outcomes.
Rapundalo fears there could be a throwback to the City Council of the '90s, which he called "quite a dysfunctional group" that "got nothing done."
"Really for me it's about continuing to have strong principled leadership that can move Ann Arbor forward," Rapundalo said. "We saw the council of the '90s ignore a lot of things."
Lumm is the first to admit she had a hard time getting any of her proposals through when she was on council, but she said she's proud of the council's track record from the '90s.
When she left the council in 1998, Lumm said the city's combined pension and retiree health care plans had a $10 million surplus and general obligation bonded debt was about $25 million. She pointed out the city now has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and unfunded liabilities, which she argues is evidence of fiscal irresponsibility.
Public art and crosswalks
Going door-to-door in the 2nd Ward, both candidates have heard an earful from residents about various issues, and one of them is public art.
Lumm is critical of the fact that Ann Arbor has diverted more than $2.2 million to public art over the last four years — from areas of the city's budget like the water and sewer utilities, the streets millage, parks and solid waste. She said she would have supported cutting funding for public art in half in the last budget process, a measure Rapundalo helped block.
"I think this is just another example where she's being short-sighted. We're talking about a penny on every dollar," Rapundalo said, defending the city's Percent For Art Program, which sets aside 1 percent of the money spent on capital projects for public art.
Lumm is critical of the fact that Ann Arbor has diverted more than $2.2 million to public art over the last four years.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Rapundalo also argued the money being set aside for public art isn't stopping any capital projects from getting done. He called it budget-neutral and said it has no impact on the city's general fund, which pays for basic services like police and fire protection.
Another issue on the minds of many voters is the pedestrian safety ordinance, and the two candidates offer different perspectives.
Rapundalo and the rest of council unanimously approved the ordinance, which goes one step beyond state law and requires motorists in Ann Arbor to stop not only for pedestrians in crosswalks, but also those approaching. Enforcement started last month.
"If this is a way where we can improve pedestrian safety, I'm all for that," Rapundalo said. "So yeah, I'm supportive of it."
But many residents continue to have concerns about the increased potential for rear-end accidents resulting from motorists stopping in busy traffic to let pedestrians cross, as well as the potential for pedestrians getting hit when one vehicle stops but others don't.
While going door-to-door last week, Lumm encountered a 2nd Ward resident who said she's planning to dress up as a "crushed pedestrian" for Halloween.
"I would move to suspend it until we get it right," Lumm said of the ordinance. "It was well intentioned, but I don't think it was well vetted. It's very confusing as written, and people are afraid that it is is causing more unsafe situations than safe."
Rapundalo told AnnArbor.com last week he remains a strong supporter of the ordinance, but he backtracked slightly this week and joined other council members in saying he thinks the city should take a closer look at the use of the word "approaching," which he said is confusing people. Still, he argues the new requirements aren't that big of a change.
"The only difference we have in our ordinance that wasn't already there in state law is about approaching the crosswalk," he said. "The police really were not enforcing that state law, so if nothing else, what's changed is now the police are enforcing the state law."
City spending and public safety
As long as Rapundalo has been on council, Lumm argues, the city has made little progress in addressing its structural budget problems — instead adopting "mindless across-the-board spending cuts" that disproportionately impact police and fire services.
She points out 74 positions in police and fire have been eliminated over the last six years as the council approved millions of dollars in cuts to public safety. She calculated a 23 percent reduction in police and fire staffing, about triple the amount seen in other departments.
Public safety should be the city's top priority, Lumm said, arguing the cuts have been too severe and have put residents and the health of downtown at risk.
Rapundalo, as chairman of the council's labor committee, has pushed for concessions from the police and fire unions to help avoid some of the layoffs. A new contract with the police officers union — including health care plan changes Rapundalo championed — is expected to save the city somewhere between $400,000 and $450,000 in the first year.
Rapundalo and the mayor recently announced they're working to halt future cuts to the police department.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"I don't disagree — I think public safety is important," Rapundalo said. "And now that we've got the contracts squared away, at least for the police rank and file, maybe now we can turn our attention to how do we sustain the ranks, if not be able to beef them up."
Rapundalo said he finds it interesting Lumm criticizes him for cuts to public safety when she proposed cuts to the police department when she was on council. He pointed to a time when Lumm brought forward a resolution that included a $100,000 cut to the police budget.
"It was in an indiscriminate sort of manner," he said. "To me, first of all, that's not a great budget approach. But secondly, that certainly doesn't tell me that that's somebody who's supportive of police, while at the same time she's approving these expensive, luxurious contracts that we've had to — particularly me — work hard to try to roll back."
That's one area where Lumm argues Rapundalo is distorting her record. She provided a copy of the May 28, 1997, meeting minutes where she brought forward a $1.2 million cost-cutting proposal that included the $100,000 hit to the police budget.
That was at a time when the department was adding 11 full-time employees, Lumm said, and her proposal was intended to avoid a tax increase and reduce over-hiring. She noted she also called for $35,000 in cuts to the mayor and council's budget, including less travel spending.
Like most things she tried to do on council, Lumm said, her proposals were voted down. After reviewing old records, she said she was reminded of how much opposition she faced.
"I drove them all crazy," she said. "In going back through these things, there was one e-mail where one council member said, 'Jane, you know we are never going to support anything that you bring forward.' I mean, there was that, but it never kept me from trying."
Lumm also said Rapundalo is wrong to imply she's responsible for lucrative labor contracts approved in the '90s.
"If anybody knows me, they know what I tried to do when I was on council," she said, adding she started as early as 1994 trying to push for changes in health care plans.
"So I tried to launch that. Again, there wasn't much of an appetite, but I tried," she said. "And then in subsequent years, every year I'd send out budget memos and messages to council and I would bring this up. I even did it through the end in '97 and '98."
Trains and transit
Another of the major differences between Lumm and Rapundalo is their stance on Fuller Road Station, a $121 million project that involves building a new transit center in front of the University of Michigan medical campus. Rapundalo is a staunch supporter of the project, which is expected to be a prime stop for a new federally funded high-speed rail corridor between Detroit and Chicago and a hub of activity for bus transit services in Ann Arbor.
Lumm said she doesn't support the current proposal for Fuller Road Station.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Lumm said she doesn't support the current proposal. The long-term vision could very well be in Ann Arbor’s best interests, she said, but all that's included in the first phase is a parking structure with a projected $10 million funding commitment from the city.
Rapundalo said anyone who questions whether the city should be pushing forward with Fuller Road Station apparently isn't paying attention.
"Here the feds are dumping all this money into the state, the state's buying the tracks, they've got the trains and so forth, improvements are going to be made, we're the busiest stop along the way, and we're going to say, well, no?" he said. "I mean, it makes no sense."
Lumm said she thinks it's "insane" that the city is spending money to study advanced transit options like monorails and street cars to better move people throughout the city. She called it another example of the city taking its eye off the ball on meeting basic needs.
Lumm also speaks critically of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a countywide expansion of transit services over the next 30 years. She said there has to be a cheaper solution.
"AATA apparently serves two-thirds of Washtenaw County," she said. "That's a pretty significant chunk. I've got to believe there are ways we can run these routes more efficiently."
Rapundalo and Lumm also differ on issues of taxation. Rapundalo says he wants to explore revenue restructuring, including possibly through a city income tax or a Headlee override.
"We've got to have that dialogue," he said. "It's the other half of the equation. It becomes even more important in light of the state's discussions about repealing the personal property tax."
Lumm takes a different stance, arguing the city must get its costs under control before asking taxpayers for more money.
Both candidates are expected to attend a candidate forum at 7 p.m. tonight in the media center of Thurston Elementary School, 2300 Prairie St.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
Comments
demistify
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
Ryan, You need to be more careful in distinguishing between reporting and editorializing. The sentence in your story: Lumm's surprise campaign this year has gained support from both Democrats and Republicans who share her concern that elected officials in Ann Arbor have lost touch with the community's values. is not a statement of fact. It is a direct quotation of Jane Lumm's campaign claims and, as such, should have appeared in quotes.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
If I was in the 2nd Ward I'd vote for Lumm. The status quo is broken in my opinion and anything that jabs at it is better than...errrr... less bad than.... the alternative.
KJMClark
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 12:15 p.m.
"But many residents continue to have concerns about the increased potential for rear-end accidents resulting from motorists stopping in busy traffic to let pedestrians cross, as well as the potential for pedestrians getting hit when one vehicle stops but others don't." Ryan, have you polled *residents* about that? AA.com has polled its readership, many of whom have admitted that they aren't Ann Arbor *residents*. This is some questionable reporting, don't you think? Maybe AA.com should commission a poll of Ann Arbor residents before making that kind of a statement.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 10:29 a.m.
If I were Rapundalo, I wouldn't keep babbling on about how horrible the past was. You mean when roads were repaired, when city employees and Unions weren't insulted and bashed, when the City repaired sidewalks, picked up leaves and Christmas trees, when Council didn't engage in junior high level email exchanges bashing voters, et. al.? Trust me my Rick Snyder campaign supporter friend--it's an argument that you just aren't going to win.
KJMClark
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 10:28 a.m.
In case people haven't noticed it, in gas prices have gone from averaging around $1.10 per gallon in the 90s to over $4 per gallon in 2008 and again this past spring. At the same time, we went from the internet stock bubble-led economic boom of the late 90s to the worst economy since the Great Depression. In the 90s, there was no question that the school buses would stop in kids' neighborhoods to pick them up. In the 90s cities had no problem increasing police and fire departments without raising taxes to do it. Any one who thinks we can go back to that now is not dealing with reality. We didn't have to do anything to attract businesses then, and yes, the new kinds of businesses we want to attract *like* public art. Politicians can't lower gas prices, no matter what they say on FOX, so we have to think about the alternatives. Kids have to walk to bus stops, and we need safe places for them to cross where motorists actually stop at crosswalks. There are a lot of people in the County who can't afford spending 20+% of their reduced income maintaining two cars. Believe it or not, having a high-speed rail option to Chicago is attractive to the same high-tech businesses that like public art. It's not the 50s or 90s anymore.
Patricia Lesko
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 5:50 a.m.
Ryan, You write: "Lumm, who served as a Republican on council from 1993 to 1998, is running as an Independent. She's firing back at Rapundalo and rejects his characterization of her record." CM Rapundalo has a web site full of misleading and deceptive characterizations of Lumm's votes and her political stances. He kindly lists footnotes, but doesn't link to the City Council meeting minutes. Voters are lazy blockheads who will simply see footnotes, presume thorough research, and not bother to check the primary sources. Rapundalo likes to tell people he's a leader in the bioscience community, and looking to provide "principled leadership." Well, what he's serving up with this campaign, and on his unprincipled campaign web site with his footnotes to nowhere, is a classic example of scientific fraud. A2Politico did check the primary sources (<a href="http://www.a2politico.com/?p=10601)" rel='nofollow'>http://www.a2politico.com/?p=10601)</a>. The City Council minutes show clearly that CM Rapundalo has deliberately misrepresented Lumm's votes and views. He should not only be called on the carpet by Lumm, but by AnnArbor.com, as well. That would be embarrassing however; your editorial board already endorsed him—in part for his alleged "diligence."
Rick Taylor
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 12:13 a.m.
I'm at this meeting right now and don't know either of the candidates prior to this evening. That being said, I find it appalling that Jane Lynn's supporters are writing inflammatory questions and snicker loudly at Stephen Rapundalo's answers. I'm just saying that Stephen's answers deserve to be listened to. I must also say that both have taken cheap shots at each other.
Patricia Lesko
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 5:55 a.m.
Rick, I was there, as well. The questions didn't strike me as inflammatory (budget, unfunded pension liabilities, Fuller road, union contracts; those were rather run of the mill). People laughed because CM Rapundalo insisted Jane was on Council when she wasn't, and that she'd been in the majority as a Republican on the Labor Committee after she repeatedly corrected his error of fact. Your characterization is somewhat puzzling, and I feel like people listened very respectfully—with the exception of one outburst which Jane sought to quell quickly.
Vivienne Armentrout
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 1:20 a.m.
I agree that candidates deserve courteous attention at such events. But the candidate is usually embarrassed by bad behavior of supporters. Too bad.
Kai Petainen
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 12:32 a.m.
that's not cool. respect should be given to both candidates to present their views.
Kai Petainen
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 11:02 p.m.
just wondering... is it being taped?
GoBlue1984
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 10:34 p.m.
Whoever gets rid of the pedestrian ordinance first has my vote :-)
Vivienne Armentrout
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 8:35 p.m.
Rapundalo's statements about Fuller Road Station similarly miss the point and fail the reality check. They keep talking about transit, but that is not what is currently being planned. What would be built is merely a parking structure for the UM. There is no federal funding for a future transit station (though there was a grant for planning and environmental assessment for such a station). The Feds are fixing up our Amtrak corridor from Detroit to Chicago, but that does not indicate that they will support a new station. There seems to be a general belief among supporters of this project that it will be given to Ann Arbor without any real investment of our own tax dollars. But transportation funds are not used in that way. In addition, transportation funding in general is undergoing an evolution or possibly an abrupt change. Federal transportation funding is being extended for shorter and shorter periods (currently till Nov. 18) and Senate and House committees cannot agree on it. See <a href="http://www.transportationissuesdaily.com/category/funding/appropriations/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.transportationissuesdaily.com/category/funding/appropriations/</a> This is not a time for big gambles. "Looking forward" should also acknowledge and accommodate risks, especially when the city's financial viability is at stake. As a budgeteer, Mr. Rapundalo should understand that.
KJMClark
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.
Vivienne, you know, or at least should know, that federal funds are not usually given to projects before planning and environmental assessment is done. A federal grant for planning and EA is a strong sign of transit administration support. So the federal government is supporting rail improvements on the corridor, and has provided a grant to plan and do the environmental assessment, and you *honestly* think they won't be supportive of an improved station at the highest passenger stop on the line??? Honestly? Regardless of the length of the continuing resolutions (which are caught up in the political bickering), this is the kind of multi-modal project that the Department of Transportation has been pushing for in the past two administrations. There's no reason whatsoever to believe that they're suddenly going to drop all support.
Tex Treeder
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 8:24 p.m.
- dangerous ordinance on crosswalks - "only" a penny on the dollar - hard to contact, rarely responds to constituents - manipulating public perception to appear involved in issues I rarely vote for Republicans, but it's time to replace Mr. Rapundalo. I'm voting for Ms. Lumm.
David Cahill
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 8:23 p.m.
AnnArbor.com, thanks for the continuing detailed coverage of this race. The old Ann Arbor News did not have this kind of coverage during its last few years.
Ryan J. Stanton
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 8:45 p.m.
You're very welcome, David. Thanks for reading.
Vivienne Armentrout
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 8:20 p.m.
Mr. Rapundalo's positioning as the hard, practical budget-cutter falls apart with his defense of the Percent for Art program. "We're talking about a penny on every dollar...I mean, that's not very much," he said...Rapundalo also argued the money being set aside for public art isn't stopping any capital projects from getting done. He called it budget-neutral and said it has no impact on the city's general fund, which pays for basic services like police and fire protection. Not very much when the amount runs into the millions? And no expenditure, ever, is budget-neutral. This program is a shift from roads and sewers to publicly funded art. If he wants to defend that as a good expenditure, fine, but don't tell us that the money didn't matter. That it does not directly impact either the general fund or capital projects is beside the point. It is money that has been illegally diverted from its designated use, which is for basic infrastructure.
Sparty
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 7:07 p.m.
If there haven't been enough examples of this City Council's over-reaching, over-spending, refusing to listen, refusing to engage with the citizens, then I don't know what could be said. We get what we allow to happen! Vote No to the incumbents on this reckless City Council. Be engaged for Ann Arbor! Vote for Jane and the 3 Republicans running for the other seats to bring some diverse perspective and balance to a desperately broken City Council needing some leadership. Vote No to incumbents!
xmo
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 6:51 p.m.
"strong majority on the 11-member council is whittled from eight to seven" Who is the Puppet Master for the Eight council Members? Regime Change!
Jimbo
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 6:44 p.m.
WHOA! Rapundalo and Lumm also differ on issues of taxation. Rapundalo says he wants to explore revenue restructuring, including possibly through a city income tax or a Headlee override. Enough said!
Jimbo
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 6:35 p.m.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME! ""I think this is just another example where she's being short-sighted. We're talking about a penny on every dollar," Rapundalo said, defending the city's Percent For Art Program, which sets aside 1 percent of the money spent on capital projects for public art. "I mean, that's not very much," he said. It's $2,200,000.00! Get this guy outta there NOW!
beeswing
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 6:09 p.m.
Only a few times in my life have I have voted for a Republican but Jane Lumm is on that lonely list of mine. Lumm is exactly the type of person this town needs on city council right now! Enough of this madness!
free
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 6:08 p.m.
"Really for me it's about continuing to have strong principled leadership that can move Ann Arbor forward," Rapundalo said. "Move Ann Arbor forward" in this case means vote with the majority and their definition of "forward." My definition of forward is in the direction the majority of Ann Arbor residents want to go.
nickcarraweigh
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:52 p.m.
Is the automobile in the photograph idlng in a criminal manner?
so much nonsense
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:32 p.m.
@obvious comment That's funny, because I see Rapundalo as the one thinking things through. He is the one who states his positions on the issues and says why he supports it. Lumm just gives the Republican-eeze remarks about efficiency, cutting costs and how any investment in the future is wasteful. hhmmm...sure sounds like the teapartiers and republicans in washington.
Jimbo
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 6:37 p.m.
I agree with you Wheels. Once he found out Jane Lumm got in the race, was the first time I ever heard from the guy. He and the Mayor came door to door. I should have let the dogs out on them!
2WheelsGood
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:52 p.m.
---"Admitting something needs to be tweaked is not a bad thing; it shows willingness to listen and have an open mind." Normally I'd agree, but in this case it's about him desperately trying to get reelected. He only got this "open mind" recently as the election approaches.
so much nonsense
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:47 p.m.
Admitting something needs to be tweaked is not a bad thing; it shows willingness to listen and have an open mind. Ann Arbor city council did not invent the crosswalk law. They only added on to an existing law that was not enforced. They should have enforced the state law before adding additional parameters, but hindsight is always 20/20. IMO it is not the "approaching the crosswalk" that is a problem right now, it is the original state law that requires a car to stop at the crosswalk to begin with. Nobody was stopping before. Now that they are, we are having issues. The 'approaching" part does cause problems but different problems....i.e stopping unnecessarily.
2WheelsGood
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.
You call this pedestrian crossing law "thinking things through"? Wow!
deb
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:29 p.m.
The issue with train station is that it adds no additional parking for the city of ann arbor residents then what is currently available at the old train station. There is no reason to build the parking structure then but for the U of M. If they want a parking structure make them really pay for it, not just construction costs (construction costs that don't include getting the property ready. The city has already spent how much on rerouting sewer and other projects for the structure?). If fuller rd is truly the best spot for the station then the city should put a station there and increase parking for the mass transit users. Additionally, if the city were to not build the garage, and kept a relatively small footprinted train station (the size of the train station as proposed with no parking garbage) we could turn the excess space into a park, or at least open space, rather then a gigantic steel and concrete parking structure. Long ago, train stations were built with thoughts of their surroundings and how they were the gateway to the area where they were located. People were able to step off the train and get an impression of the area when they stepped off the train. Even if the impression wasn't a true reflection of the area, they still tried to make it a good first impression. A station connected to a gigantic parking garage dose not give a very good first impression, or represent ann arbor well. Rapundalo argument about how lump will divide is just what we need. Discussion and discourse over issue in the city hall so we end up with well thought out proposals and laws. When we don't have any adversarial discussions in the room we end up with poor laws like the new pedestrian safety ordinance.
demistify
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
It is true that the Fuller parking will mostly be used for UM access. It would be equitable for UM to contribute more (although there is no way to compel it to do so). It is incorrect to claim that non-UM residents will not benefit. Those headed for UM are now parking elsewhere, and that public parking will be freed up.
obviouscomment
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:25 p.m.
"Rapundalo called his opponent a negative thinker." From what I've read in this article alone it seems that what he calls a "negative thinker" is actually someone who thinks things through, weighing the pros and the cons, before standing behind something.
Roadman
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.
"Lumm says Rapundalo has his priorities in the wrong place and is distorting her record." Agreed. Rapundalo has failed to exhibit fiscal conservatism by supporting the One Per Cent For art Program and spending money foolishly to consider monorail and other budget-busting extravaganzas. Meanwhile, citizens are upset over a 27-person reduction in civilian and officer personnel from the AAPD and furher rollbacks in the Fire Department. Other essential services are being reduced and many comunity activities funded by the city reduced or cut out altogether. Citizens are losing their homes in foreclosures and property tax delinquencies. I remember Jane's tenure on City Council and it was an intelligent advocacy responsible priorities.
Kai Petainen
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.
"Lumm is critical of many of the programs and projects Rapundalo has supported, including spending on public art, the pedestrian safety ordinance, the proposed Fuller Road transit station, the new Ann Arbor Justice Center that houses police and courts, and the underground parking garage being built by the Downtown Development Authority." Lumm... you're a breathe of fresh air. I wish you, AND I wish Rapundalo the best of luck in this campaign. If I can be a bit cynical -- I'm not sure either candidate can change much in Ann Arbor. The reason being.... is that big power can come from those who have been at City Hall much longer than the mayor or members of the council. They have the political connections, and they have the money/power connections. If we look at the waste management artwork, part of that was funded by 'water' -- how long have those involved with 'water' been in power? How strong are their political/business connections? The water artwork was a monument to those in water and waste management. Lumm might win, Rapundalo might win -- but some of the true power lies not in the mayor, nor in the council.
Ryan J. Stanton
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.
Both candidates are expected to attend a candidate forum at 7 p.m. tonight in the media center of Thurston Elementary School, 2300 Prairie St. <a href="http://annarbor.com/news/2nd-ward-candidates-for-ann-arbor-city-council-to-appear-at-wednesday-night-forum/">http://annarbor.com/news/2nd-ward-candidates-for-ann-arbor-city-council-to-appear-at-wednesday-night-forum/</a>
Mick52
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
" the city has spent the last 15 years cleaning up the mess made by Lumm and other council members from the '90s" That statement was enough to make me decide Ms. Lumm is the better candidate. I do not recall any issues back then that were as odd as what has occurred since then. There have been no republicans on council for years and the last few were quite moderate and not at all an issue. Besides Ms. Lumm alone is not going to change much. The point is who is the better candidate for ward 2.
so much nonsense
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.
Sure sounds like Rapundalo is the grown up in the room. City council should be forward thinking. City council should be able to make decisions that are correct for the community even if they are unpopular in the beginning. That takes leadership. Rapundalo, although not perfect, has that leadership. He has the ability to look ahead and push for things that he believes is in the best interest of the entire city. Lumm just sounds like another naysayer who wants to prevent change and cannot EVER see potential in the new or unknown. She had her chance on council in the 1990's, where she was a complete disaster, and now she wants the citizens to give her another chance at destroying the future of our city. No thanks.
demistify
Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 2:03 p.m.
This comment is sharp but within bounds. I find it symptomatic of the deterioration of political discourse that it promptly drew 2 responses so uncouth that they were deleted.
dotdash
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.
AA: can you mention again the time of the candidates event tonight at Thurstone so people know they can go tonight to hear more?
Ryan J. Stanton
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 5:08 p.m.
I added a note to the end of the story. Thanks for the suggestion.
djm12652
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
At least the word "functional" is in there somewhere...unlike the current dynasty which is in my opinion...useless.
2WheelsGood
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:18 p.m.
---Rapundalo fears there could be a throwback to the City Council of the '90s, which he called "quite a dysfunctional group" that "got nothing done." Coming from him, being called dysfunctional is actually a compliment.