"I can't imagine any good retailer or restaurant owner who would be in favor of that. I understand why they're doing it. But as somebody who really values the viability of the downtown and recognizes how fragile it really can be, I'm very opposed to it." - downtown Ann Arbor art gallery owner Elaine Selo, on proposed parking rate increases by the DDA.

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“We enforce all state law. We don’t have a special unit for the prosecution of dispensaries or anything. We simply deal with them like the other 9,000 or 10,000 warrant requests that will come to us in a year." - Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie, on whether his office is making any special effort to shut down medical marijuana dispensaries.

"Hurricane Irene couldn’t blow that thing down." - local developer Steward Beal, on the structural soundness of the fire damaged Thompson Block building in Ypsilanti following the removal of support scaffolding .

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"Sometimes we don’t get it right. For years now, Ann Arbor has made a mess of sidewalk repair and replacement. We’re looking to do better in the future." - Ann Arbor City Council Member Christopher Taylor, in a letter to residents championing what he calls a "modest tax increase" to fix a broken system.