I'm Over $15 an Hour

My first job was at Burger King. I was 15-years old. Six months shy of my 16 birthday. I would walk to work each day and pray for a way back home at nine o'clock when I got off in the winter. When summer hit, and the days got longer, I would walk. On Sunday, the regular full-time workers were off, and I worked a seven a.m. shift. I would walk the three miles down Franklin road at six-thirty in the morning. When you are poor and don't have a car, you make due, because any money was "good" money. A job took me from Fayva to Reebok. I had money for food during school and free food at night. My co-workers weren't really my friends. They were people I knew that I worked with. My best friend back then was a young woman named Stephanie. We did almost everything together.She had discovered "stuff". She was officially 16. She and the other young women I worked with were already stealing from the drive-thru. Not only did they steal money, they stole food and most of the managers were in on it. One young man that was already a manager at 19-years old, Tom, would give his friends food and money right from our tills. We just would look at one another and knew we would be able to put back on our Whoppers that evening.

At that time, both Burger King and McDonald's were generous and gave you a free meal with a five hour shift. You could have any sandwich on the menu. On the menu, and not a creation of your own. We liked bacon on our Whopper with cheese and cheese on our chicken sandwiches. It was $.30 for cheese in 1986, and Bacon was $.69. They didn't come standard in those sandwiches, so we had to pay for extras, like cheese and bacon. I always tease my friend that she was an expert at scooting the bacon over far enough that the manage couldn't see it, when they opened the sandwich to inspect it. All of our sandwiches had to be cut in half for that reason. They would randomly pick up your sandwich and open it up and the cut and check for bacon. Her scooting never failed, either. They couldn't unwrap it and open it up. I guess that was some health regulation. If they were busy, there was tons of bacon slapped on a Whopper with cheese, and cheese on chicken sandwich. What happened at the drive-thru was much more than that. Employees can take hundreds of dollars a day. I went over that in another blog. They turn up the volume of the speaker inside, and the person on the board made the sandwiches not rung up in the system. When it's rung up, every sandwich and the way you want it came up on the screen. Since the police has made it impossible for me to enjoy a fast-food meal, I'm going to write about it. 

I wasn't allowed to work drive-thru. I didn't steal. Stealing wasn't my thing. In fact, I had my checks down to a science. If I worked 25 or 30 hours and the difference in taxes and wages. You know, gross versus net taxes. I would go in on my days off and on the Sunday I worked, which was every Sunday, I did the salad bar to an immaculate finish. Back then, they used kale as decorations between fruits, vegetables and condiments. I was clumsy with the dressings and spilled them all. Blue cheese on the salad bar, Italian in the fridge under the contraption and ranch all over the place. I was great at my job, however, and as I walked to work each morning, I would wonder what veggies and fruit I had to prepare for the day. First, I had to clean the nose guard to a perfect shine and it was the glimmer of my day. I learned a lot about food and preparing it and I was tired after my shift. I had to make that three mile trek back up Franklin Road, home. I would sometimes sleep the entire day. I was really curious why my friends were never tired or interested and doing anything different and constructive at work. They were all taking their share from the drive-thru. They didn't have to work hard like I did. They had cars and clothes and barely worked 20 hours a week. 

One guy in my neighborhood went to prison. He wanted to buy a car and went to a dealership to get approved. He said, the woman called him at work. She told him that if he bought $750 to the dealership, he could take the car home that day. He told me that he didn't put one penny in the draw that day. He said usually, he would take a few hundred dollars a day. He smoke crack and that would allow him to get high, everyday.  That day, however, his register had about $100 dollars in the till when he turned it in. His manager looked at him funny, but she was stealing, too. Years later, before the statute of limitations ran out, a woman got in trouble and told on him. She testified that he admitted to stealing they went back and got the tapes and they sent him to prison for a period of time. Back in the day, the police got free food from Burger King. They would come after a shift and order food for their entire family. Today, they run the drive-thru restaurants. They run anything that has to do with illegal activity in Pontiac. The fast-food drive thru is a money grab for sure. There are ways for fast-food owners to get around it, like two window pick-up and monitors that show your total at the first window where you pay. We had one at our drive-thru at the Mickey D's in Pontiac, and they shot it up. bullet holes all in it. And if the person at the pay window, don't mind sharing with the person at the pick-up window that really doesn't work either.

So, now there is a group of people in the fast-food industry that wants a raise. I know they are stealing and am a bit perturbed with their insistence on $15 an hour, when they take everything that's not bolted to the floor. Our McDonald's used to run out of chicken and fish! They never had chicken or fish-fillets. Who steals chicken and fish, and it won't taste the same with than grease that hasn't been changed in years! I don't go to any fast-food joints, because they know I feel this way. How can you ask for more money, when you are taking from your employer, anyway? If I were the fast-food owners, I would make drive-thru a credit only pay method. So, you cannot pay for your food in the drive-thru with cash and credit, debit and gift cards ONLY! If you forget and come through the drive-thru, the cashier could still take your order, but they would have to suspend the transaction, go to a front-end register and pay. First, however, they have to suspend the transaction from the drive-thru register. That way, they transaction would be accounted for. Another full-proof way to tell if a employee is stealing through the drive-thru, is to count the customers that stop at the speaker. When you pull up to the drive-thru, a sensor is in that cement that alerts the cashier they are there. If a manager counts the number of cars that set off that sensor, to the number of orders place at the register. If those numbers don't match, give or take four or five drive-offs, somebody stealing. Because the number of cars at that speaker, doesn't match the number of transactions on your report. Very few owners pay attention to the information at their disposal, because it is all right there. Managers, I've learned are the biggest culprits and blame it all on the employees they "catch", because they knew they were stealing all along. They just waited, until they needed a scapegoat for missing funds.

I've had managers bush stealing off with, "All they do is write it off on their taxes". But when your employees are stealing from both your inventory and payroll, a company can suffer. Ask the people at Sears. They were getting huge hits from theft. When your employees steal from you and your store isn't making enough money to cover the cost of the goods you sell, you have a problem. You send a store a hundred treadmills and you only have available 50 and they cost you about that much. You have delivery that my manager too often told me that they lose money on, and if a customer picked up a treadmill and it didn't work? Well, Sears would send them a new one, free! We would ring it as cash in, cash out, but generate a cash receipt. Then turn it in to the cash office. Someone in the cash office would use that cash receipt to generate a refund, in cash! I had one treadmill returned four time for a total of $3,200. I don't know if it was a multiple cash office employees or just one, but whoever did it, it was a shame. That's why I can't stand unions. Ultimately, they are fighting for people that don't even deserve a job. Then they don't even fight for you at all. Not where it counts, and I think a fast-food union would be a travesty to fast-food owner all across this country. To put a union in place, without some kind of measure to stop them from stealing their money would not be fair! If they write it off or not. I want to know how you can double-dip and still have rights? 

In my community, the Black Community, we lack a sense of moral and ethical behavior. Our parents teach their children that White people owe them something and give them no self-actualization. White people don't owe you nothing, but you owe yourself everything. You owe yourself an education, hard work and a life filled with happiness. When you believe in God, he can carry you beyond what any man can give you. Respect is the key. Not respecting a person just for their skin color, but respecting a man for just being a man. That can cause doors to open that you never knew would open for you. But whatever you give, expect to get that back. Never give up on doing good. Also, never let any man invade your space. Who you are. What you are capable of. Most importantly, the way you see the best in who you are. As a Black woman, I shouldn't go buy a car, get a car repaired or buy a big ticket item of any kind. We get duped the most. I know that and knowing is half the battle. I would be all for $15 an hour. Housing is going up in the urban communities at an epic proportion and that portion of money we make is not enough. So, they get a union, a raise and money from the coffers, too? I'd agree as soon as the owners make an attempt to secure their bag. If they don't they are free to give money away "hand over fist". We wonder why we pay $5 for a Big Mac!

Eating Your Own and Other Tales

Mary Pietila

Well, last week "Messy Mary" got herself in a mess. When the Deputy Mayor opted to play the tape, where Randy Carter called her names that I can't repeat. She allowed the tape to be played in Council Chambers. Once the tape began to play, Randy Carter stated that the meeting was over and hit the gavel. Something that I felt should not have happened, because it was his folly in question. While it was all questionable, I don't believe that Kermit Williams didn't know what was about to happen. His leaving was strategic. His absence was on purpose, and Carter leading that meeting when he did was ideal. He shut it down and on cue, the Council stood together and left. Carter had the gavel and even if public comments weren't over, he closed the meeting. Some people did not get a chance to speak. She allowed the Deputy Mayor and DPW workers to yield their time and show the tape. Five of them were there and yielded their time for citizens to watch the entire video. Carter walked through a park cussing and calling names, because his park wasn't cleaned. The DPW workers were upset, because he called them lazy. That's why they yielded their time. Pietila kept the meeting going out of respect for those people that had come to speak. City Council should not be able to stop meetings, because they don't like what is said. What she did was for the greater good of the people. The President says that she gave the city a black-eye. No, Randy Carter gave the city a black-eye, when he walked through a park and said the things he did.

They voted to censor "Messy Mary" and voted to not censor Randy Carter. Mary got three (3) months from presiding over different committees. They think that I don't like Mary and would agree. The idea that none of this would have happened if Carter hadn't made that tape, let's me know they hate women. If I could speak candidly, I would say "they were playing for the other team". Calling women names and Kermit Williams sat at that meeting and beat the gavel through the Mayors comments and got upset when she and the the Deputy left. I would never step foot in another one of his meetings. I would not grace his presence with my class and intelligence. He sat in that meeting and made faces at someone in the audience when they left. "Um, Mayor, you and the Deputy Mayor are leaving. One of you have to stay and close the meeting." The people of this city then watched him make funny derogatory faces at his friend. More than likely Renee Beckley. Who I believe suffers from a neurological disorder. She was thrown out of the meeting last week by Pietila, because she was on one of her loud and graceless rants. Williams was doing her a favor by censoring Pietila. He has to keep all his players happy to run and sound cluster f**k. Those meeting are the worst show of hypocrisy and ignorance I ever heard. While "Messy Mary" was wrong, it was the strongest and realest thing that anyone has ever did in this Council so far. 

Disrespecting women is going on in our City Council and I wonder why? Who is this Attorney Monique Sharp. I don't see anything she does for City Council. I'm going to write FOIA for her resume. The most she does, that is smart, is refer everything back to Attorney Anthony Chubb. Chubb is the City's Attorney. He is who he says works for the Mayor. He is good at it, because the Mayor never is counseled to create a resolution right there in Council Chambers. What they should do is stop being lazy and come to a meeting, after having a meeting. This would help them be more prepared to serve the citizens. They come into meetings not prepared to deal with the business at hand. Every week, before the Council Meeting they should sit to discuss how they feel on all the city business they will handle on Tuesday. When the meetings were held on Thursday, they had all week to prepare. On Tuesday the week has just begun. You can't create anything, when the President wants the meeting to be over by eight. He plows through those meetings at such a high-rate of speed that he doesn't know what's next on the agenda.

A woman came to the meeting to talk about what happened last week. The entire time, I could see the God all in her. She addressed the Council with dignity. She asked that they have standards and that they respect the office. They can't respect their own. They came at Mary Pietila for being real and transparent. Something Gloria Miller always claims to be. Again, she's so ignorant that I can't. She obviously hasn't got the memo on citizens rights to access to public figures on Facebook. She blocked me from her page, which a Federal court has deemed unlawful for public officials. Trump and AOC are fighting that fight about their Twitter. Both have blocked several people that AOC deems to be harassing her. A Federal judge deemed blocking citizens illegal. Miller doesn't know her job, anyway, and wouldn't understand that Federal law supercedes all State and Local laws. So, she needs to unblock me. I just asked her for papers that she claimed she had about the settlement on the Phoenix Center, and papers that obviously don't exist. I never called her out her name or a liar. As soon as she said that she doesn't dislike the Mayor, I now knew she does. 

If I were the Mayor, I would never go back to one of those meetings. I would never be involved with anarchy. She is Mayor and the City Council President has such disdain and disrespect for her that she should never ever go back. Self-love should dictate that. She told Williams not to call her quick. he said, "Okay, I'll call you slow then." What is that? Jealousy maybe, he did run for Mayor and State Representative and lost both time. To women I might add. The faces he made were reason enough to know that he is trying to agitate and irritate her. He's broke and I bet she waits him out. I'm going to put a little pressure on him and try to push my recall through. There has to be someone that saw his expressions that understand that he must be removed. He is a leech on the back of our city. All he wants is the money. After what Randy Carter did, he should be recalled for MALEFICENCE. He acted in a way that he did harm to the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor. As President, Kermit Williams supported and was a catalyst to that maleficence. We all saw it, today. The way he beat that gavel and stopped the public from hearing what she had to say was ridiculous. I can't believe she comes back to a place that she is clearly not welcomed or respected. If I could just get one person. Just one human that is able to stand up for our city to apply for the recall petition, we can stop Kermit Williams and save our city. 

As it stands we have nothing to lose, but a degenerate leader. So full of his own rhetoric that he can't even fake it. He got so caught up in his own games, he let the camera catch him in his games. This is a game that is poorly played. He forgets that he can be recalled. I have a box of flyers I plan to distribute on tomorrow. I will be stopping at every business and dropping them off. Hopefully, this time I will get a response. I know with the tapes from the last three months, Oakland County would have no problem allowing the signatures to be obtained. This man is a monster that wants to break our city by creating chaos. This meeting is a prime example. Join me in recalling City Council President, Kermit Williams, before it's too late!

What all the fuss is about!

Randy Carter: The Cussing Councilman

Randy and Brenda Carter

I associate with people who aren't my friend on Facebook. As an example, I went to an event with Brenda Carter and her husband Randy Carter about two weeks ago. Representative Brenda Carter works really hard to keep her position as State Rep. productive. Her husband, Pro-Tem Randy Carter of the Pontiac City Council is a mess and always has been. While on the Pontiac School Board, Rep. Carter did some fantastic things. She took a group of 10 Pontiac students to Japan. Not only did she take them to Japan, but they learned the culture and the language, before they went. She told me that they spent countless hours getting ready for the trip. Asian culture is strict, and proper. There are a lot of ideas and traditions that are passed down. As a business major, I had to learn about their culture specifically, because there are rules that must be followed. Asian culture is the oldest culture in the world. Africa holds the first life, but Asia holds the first civilization. They built cities, with sewer systems and toilets. Arborist created systems of planting things and cultivating them. Asia is a also a continent of great work and amazing art and language. Our children had to gather all of this in one year and then President Carter, did a wonderful job of leading them into a fantastic experience that they will not soon forget.

Her husband went with her. As in any relationship, you can't leave your mate out of the good things that you do. Especially, when they also strive in the community to work hard and get things done. It becomes a plus, to have his strength as your support, when dealing with the community. When his choices, however, begin to disrupt your progress, what do you do? I wrote a wonderful piece on Mrs. Carter, before she was elected to the State's House. I found her refreshing, because she works hard to get her message out here and to make it work. Her husband, however, is becoming a liability. You read my blog about him and the information that he knew about the State marijuana issues here in Pontiac. He sat with me and personally went over all the systems that were dealing with the subject. I had to look in his eyes and tell him that I'm not interested, because I don't use drugs.

So, he makes this video about Hawthorne Park. It's that park where that young man took that couple out to and killed them back in 1989. I was out of high school only a year. Over the years, I've heard Pontiac City Council members talk about the park and improvements, but I find it ghastly. From the looks of the park it seems that the elements have gotten to the park more that anything. If their were people that truly wanted to be involved and play and have picnics in Hawthorne Park there would be an uprising in the citizenry in his district. He's heard on the video cussing and calling "Ho's" and "Skanks". Who is he referring to, and why does he have to use such language? Before making an outrageous video like that, you would think that he would have sat with Balint and had several conversations about the situation. He admits that he had made "a complaint". A complaint as in one? That's totally unacceptable. People are serious about this city, and I'm just wondering why City Council has such a hard time acting like adults. How come they fail at every turn to sit down and talk to the administration with sense and a little respect. If not for the woman, the office that she was duly elected, too.

I read the comments on the video. There were only a few. One person wrote:

“Your mayor likes to brag about all the surplus funds the city now has – must have come from lack of providing city services – as much of what yoor video shows is hazardous – don’t you think having channel or whomever come out and do a story?”

He then replied:

“Thank you Marcia Battles: The evidence is overwhelming. There exist over 40 parks within the City of Pontiac, Michigan? Not on the “give-a-dam” list to be visited or have Inspections records for many years.”   -Randy Carter

I think the word is "prioritizing". Everything can't be done at once, and when people refuse to be civil, working with them is surely not a priority. This video is counter-productive. This "woman" never said one word about his language. Never said one time that as an elected official that he had a obligation to be proper and not be on Facebook cussing and carrying on. I want to know what she has against the Mayor. To have a total disregard for herself and the language he used is a disgrace. I've seen this Marcia Battles at events and she always walks around with her nose turned-up and seeming to be better than others. I know most of the women who have ought with the Mayor is that way. She hints about a news station coming out to see what's going on. I think the story will probably be about a councilman that is out of control and less about a dilapidated park. He was out of control! I think his wife's job is in jeopardy. How do you explain this kind of behavior away? There were people, playing in the park. Not as many as in Beaudette Park on a summer day, but there were people there. I think that he should talk to the administration and not just "make a complaint". I know that when you throw out a little honey and be true with it, you'll get more done. Don't just do it to get something. Find a common ground and work on that angle. He says that he was an engineer at GM. I hope not going in the board room cussing and carrying on like that. Everything must be done, "decently and in order".

I want to add this, and it is not mean spirited. His wife is doing so well. What man that truly loves his wife, would put on such a damning and obtuse act. There were children playing in that park. His wife is an advocate for children and their education. Why is he walking around a park, of all placed cussing. Absent from the chaos at the council meeting was the President. He took off, before the fireworks went off. Not truly understanding that he doesn't look smart, but cowardly. Either way, it's not a good look for him. He and Pro-Tem Carter are friends. They think they are slick. I told him about a situation I am having and he state, "Oh, I never heard about that!" He acted shock, but didn't ask me to elaborate. Representative Carter has to deal with a lot of "important" people. She usually brings her husband along. I don't think that will be as comfortable now, as it has been before.

Our children in this city deserves more. The attack was on the Deputy Mayor, Jane Bais Disessa. She took her time and spoke at the council meeting and spoke her peace. Then she went to the video. The Council got up and walked out. I can't believe it. When the camera came up, there was no one sitting at the dais, but "Messy Mary" Petilia. Williams left earlier, Waterman led the charge, Miller, Taylor-Burks and Carter followed suit. I wonder what kind of people vote in Pontiac? Carter, is a miserable man to go out to the park and cuss like that, call names and Challenge this Mayor and Deputy Mayor. He's not even from Pontiac! His biggest "claim to fame" is his clean-ups. That neighborhood has always been nice, since I remember. I believe that is Susie Shoemaker's district and she was awesome, and could work with people and get things done. I believe that Pro-Tem Carter needs to speak to her about dealing with things. She's White, though, and I wonder if that is close to "s**t color". Because that all the Mayor deals with. 

Yaktown allegedly has millions of dollars, but our park looks like [explicit]. Where are the crumbs for my park. Hell to the Naw Naw!!   -Randy Carter

I think his "money is where is mouth is". His dignity and self-respect, too. I pray that he finds his way to think, before he allows his anger to get to him. He has a higher calling as a public official. He can't use words like "Skank" and "Ho" when referencing the Deputy Mayor and the administration. His wife Rep. Carter only commented, "Wow!" That could go either way. Kenny Anderson, community activist and case manger at Community Network Services, came to her defense and went on a tirade He faced the Deputy Mayor and her supporter and called them out for showing the video. People had signed up for "Public Comments", one after another. That way, they could yield there time to the video, and the tape could be played in its entirety. Anderson has a health initiative with Rep. Carter. He always talks about people being a part of a system, where they don't stand for their own views, but those of the people they follow. I think, tonight, we saw that Kenny Anderson has a side. He works with Brenda Carter, and tonight, her reputation was tarnished and his program is now in jeopardy. Due to his political Black activism, not many people want to deal with him. He knows now why people hurry to the sides of their leaders, when they are in distress. 

Pro-Tem Randy Carter
Pontiac City Council

You can watch the 15 minute video by clicking the link, below: 

https://www.facebook.com/randy.carter.184/videos/3231649673513607/

Mouthpiece Miller

Gloria Jean Miller

I watch "Basketball Wives" on VH1. There is this woman on there named CeCe. She is engaged to an ex-basketball coach. A man named Byron. Byron has a son, who is not his biological son, but he raised him since he was a toddler. His son's name is Thomas. Thomas is married to a lovely brown-skinned woman named, Kristen. They have a toddler. On one episode, Kristen cries and says that Byron and CeCe, don't come to see their kid. Bryon is all at once over Kristen and doesn't want her at the wedding. Of course, now Thomas isn't coming, and this CeCe woman says, "I don't care!" Then she has this meeting with OG. OG is a basketball girlfriend that doesn't like Kristen, because some things said. So, CeCe in her family hateration tells OG that Thomas, is not Bryon's real son. OG and Kristen are at a gathering of the women. OG picks a fight with Kristen, and spits out of her tired mouth the truth about Byron and Thomas. That sends Kristen into hysterics, because she loves her husband and like any woman that loves her man, wants to protect him and his secrets.

All the women in the room know what's going on. I know from my living room couch what's going on. CeCe doesn't like Kristen, and has now given OG a bone to carry back to Kristen and hurt her to her heart. She can't do it, because that would show her hand. She wants to convince Byron that she really likes Kristen, but she's just this evil manipulative person that he shouldn't like. He doesn't like Kristen, because she was dropped from the guest list quick. Too quick to be her father-in-law. It was in CeCe's deliverance of the news that caused the rift between Kristen and Byron. CeCe doesn't want the family involved and only hers. She wants control, but she is dealing with some A-1 women that can see a snake from a mile away. They played these games before and been the victims of these games. CeCe will not prevail and the show will go on. With or without her, just ask Jennifer Williams.

Now, what does this have to do with Pontiac City Council Member, Gloria Miller of District #5. She's being played and don't even know it. She's a good person, true, but she's getting played by the devils that sit on the dais with her. They are all crooks, and she is not. She gets on television every week and yells at people. She told the Deputy Mayor one night she needs to resign. Yelling at people about who she is. I heard a long time ago that you never need to tell people who you are. They should be able to see your good works by the things you do. You don't need to preach every week about your goodness. You can't even say that people like you, because you never know who truly likes you. People will sit in your face and lie to you! Kristen thought that CeCe liked her, until she got around the "Wives" and they embrace Kristen. CeCe then began weaving her web of deceit. Gloria Miller is in the same predicament. They are using her to say all the bad things they want to say, but can't, because it would make people hate them, and they are hanging on by a thread as it is. Most of the things she say are either dumb, corruption at work or lies. Made up to make the Mayor look bad. So, they get a true person that is only trying do their job. Someone who is unschooled in the games that are played and is falling deep into their hands. I just hate watching it, because they are doing an excellent job, because I can't stand her!

All of them sit there and let her ramble on about nothing. Loud talking and making a bunch of noise about nothing. Everyone is wondering what's wrong with her. The things that she says, she acts like a bully and she is just a City Council Member. They voted together, up until a few weeks ago. Then they stopped, but you can go back and see the tapes. You'll know whose playing the game, when you see whose votes changed. She can come out of that seat anytime. With a recall or voted out when her term ends. Chuck Johnson, a political rambler came to the podium a few weeks ago and told her a story. There was a person, I think a person from DPW, he was treating people badly. Bullying them like Councilperson Miller, and he was found dead in a vacant house or something. They said that Chuck Johnson had come to the meeting and threatened Miller and somebody in the audience called the police. Not one time did Mr. Johnson threaten her. He told a story. I think he was trying to tell her that she was becoming bigger than her position and some people weren't going to tolerate her vocal tirades and opinions that she hasn't one clue about. In other words, "Keep on and you gone find out what 'bad' really is." She took it to the Oakland County Circuit Court and got a Personal Protection Order (PPO) against him. I just about know where that suggestion came from.

I think our City Council has friends out at the Circuit Court, because I told you about the lawsuit they one. They had to pay a lawyer they had never retained. The President engaged a firm, without permission from the Council or Mayor. A judge ordered the City to pay them them $90K on the President's scam and money grab. They gave her the PPO and he fought it. He went to the judge and asked them to drop the PPO. He had not threatened her. I can't find the video and they may have taken it down, because of the content issue. It should be shown, because the people need to hear, for the second time that she lied to the court. He never threatened her. Tonight, she spoke on the situation, which may or may not be a violation of the PPO. She ordered him to stop talking about it, and to "Be a man". I made reference to the President in a post on the meeting on the Mayor's page. That he allows her to do all the talking for him. Now, she's telling Mr. Johnson to "Be a man"? I see she get's geeked, when Taylor-Burks, Petilia or Waterman raise their voice. They do it once, or for a few seconds. She gives entire speeches with her voice raised, telling people what to do. She so loud and wrong, and don't even realize she been CeCe'd. I'm telling you, she makes me sick.

She is a beautiful woman. She had the potential to be a very good councilperson. If she would just be quiet and learned the ropes. They have her mind all in the wrong places and she comes to the meetings ready for a fight, every week. You can see it on her face, and how she pulls her sweater on her shoulder with an attitude. I don't know who makes me sicker, her or the Clerk. The Clerk actually thinks the council chambers are a place where he straightens out his problems. They say it's not the Mayor's meeting, but the Clerk grabs the mic and it becomes his meeting at the drop of the dime. He is doing a poor job at keeping his mouth shut. The Mayor told him tonight they can go, if the Clerk wants to give her report. The look on his face! Lort, he wanted to go straight off. I felt the "magic" through the screen! He was ready to get lit. He's been allowed to run a muck, because that keeps the attention on him and not the real culprits. He can't see it either, because they got him all in his emotions, too. The Clerk should be silent. He's the biggest instigator at the table. Always grabbing papers and putting them in the Presidents face, shaking his head and making melodramatic sighs and faces. I would say something, but I'm going to let it go.

I hope this helps Miller and the Clerk find their places. Because at this point they are being manipulated and playing someones else's game like a puppet. She's going to read this and go to the council meeting next week and say, "I'm nobody's puppet!" Proving that exactly what she is. Remember, what I said about letting people see what you are. You don't have to tell nobody anything about you. They'll see it in your words and actions and I see a puppet. I would go deeper, but I don't want her people looking for me, like they looking for Chuck Johnson with guns and stuff! 

Listen to her at about 1:50:35

https://www.facebook.com/pontiacmayor/videos/490811651492636/?t=6340

NAACP...Fake News Maker

Reverend Wendell Anthony

Remember, I went to that Black Legislative Caucus last month? I had a little trouble with Wendell Anthony. President of the NAACP Detroit Branch. He and a few of his cronies, including his daughter create a smorgasbord in front of me and ate like hogs. Even invited a Michigan leader to join, I however, was not invited to the party. Steele Hughes was seated at the table with me. In fact, he is the man that I refer to as "the young man". He sat in front of me with his burritos, pulling cheese with his fork and looking at me like I wanted some. Actually, taunting me with his food. I guess the police had informed Reverend Anthony that I didn't have money to eat. What I didn't have time to do was lose my parking, ride around looking for food and ending up missing Garlin Gilchrist's speech. I have to watch who I speak of fondly, because the police will harass them, too. But, Lt. Gilchrist was next, after lunch. I sat and ate my turkey sandwich anticipating his speech. I by no means wanted to miss him. I'm not bigger than the State, by any means.

Mr. Steele is good friends with Wendell Anthony, head of the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP. I have to say it again, because I can't believe that what is going on is going on. I watch Channel 7 Action News this evening, and there is Steele Hughes. If that's his name. He was arrested and "beat up" in Detroit by some police. He was awarded $45K for his trouble. Absent was his friend Wendell Anthony who will probably be showing up tomorrow with his righteous indignation about what happened to Mr. Hughes. Chief Craig also has a problem, because if this is a fake incident to get Hughes money, create police brutality where there is none, or hype the notoriety and power of the NAACP, his officers are involved! Not only did they wrestle Hughes to the ground, take him to jail and cause him to stay there for 72-hours, but they lied on purpose. Creating a scenario that they lied to cover-up their "abuse" of Hughes. It was all on Channel 7, today.

Now, I know from the Black Caucus meeting he's a flunky, because I sat quietly and was picked on by him. He and all the rest of the people that Reverend Anthony had trying to make my mouth water? I really don't know what eating food in front of someone can actually do for their status. I don't know Mr. Anthony or any of his staff. I don't know if Mr. Hughes works for him or not. I do know that he is not a gentleman, and a very sorry and petty man. I'll let you see for yourself in the video. Excuse Anthony's daughter, who is a size zero and is trying to convince the world she eats by chowing down on her chips and salsa. She knows how to be fake legitimately. Hughes is the guy in the blue suit pretending to be interested in what Lt. Gilchrist has to say. You can see his fake demonstration of that on the video, too. 

What I want to know is this: If Wendell Anthony, President of the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP, is your friend. Where is he during your misunderstanding with the Detroit Police? Furthermore, where is he in your interview with the local news. See, even if this was settled, it can be the cause of a lot of political activism in the city with the police. It can cause loss of morale in the police department, trust in the community, between the citizenry of Detroit and the police. Not to mention the city had to settle an amount of money for a fake crime. I'm watching the news report and I don't believe any of it. Wendell Anthony has a lot of power in Southeastern Michigan. You should have seen the way those Legislators came to him and gave their salutations, while I sat amazed at his level of rudeness, superiority and lack of chivalry. I think that he and Hughes need to read the book on how to treat a woman. In this so-called attack, he was with his fiancee. They had just had dinner and he was walking to his car, with a doggy-bag of craw-fish and rice. Well, I know he can eat, but I didn't know he was also good at running game. This is Hughes on Channel 7 Action News, today:

Now, this is the thing that is most disturbing. How many times has this happened in Detroit? I know in Pontiac, the City Council President conferred with an attorney and got $95K, Nobody knew he was talking to an attorney. Not the Mayor, not even his fellow City Council Members. He did it all on his own! The City didn't pay, because they had not retained an attorney. More than likely they saw it as a money grab. Since the Mayor got in office, stealing is hard to do. City Council President, Kermit Williams, not able to steal, may have gotten desperate. In my opinion, the law firm was guilty of fraud. You can't charge someone without a retainer. Nope, crooked judges at Oakland County award them a sum of nearly $100K. With all the right players, they could get away with small sums like this over and over again, because people complain about large sums. When millions of dollars are at stake. People don't think twice and such a minuscule amount. The City of Detroit is out more than just that $45K, but those police salaries, lawyer fees and the bad publicity! The publicity  alone should be enough to start an investigation. If it's what I think it is, Wendell Anthony is sick. The African-American Community deserves so much more from an organization that was started to lift up our people. To have it destroyed by a power hungry individual that just wants to be seen as some kind of King, can't stand. W.E.B. Dubois is rolling over in his grave. We must ask for better. We must demand better!

Update:

It seems that The NAACP National Convention was coming up, soon. It seems that Reverend Wendell Anthony might have been wanting to use this contrived incident to boost attendance and attention to the event, with his righteous indignation. Now that I have shared this blog with people in the news, he has shifted his righteous indignation to Donald Trump, President of the United States of America. That was smart, because no one dislikes Trump more than African-Americans in the US. This is just insane that a man in his position would need to create controversy in order to boost the number of people that attend his event and pay attention to the NAACP. I feel that many people in the community are tired of his falseness and opportunistic ways and no longer run to him for help.  Mr. Steele seems to come from the same kind of uppity background, himself. During the interview there was a picture of him and four other men. That may be his fraternity or some other kind of social organization. Some people have eternal devotion to their frat. Exposing that picture to a local news report, could be his way to show some kind of loyalty to the group. I don't know, but it seems that they were going to blow this small and made up arrest to sell more tickets to the convention. Just like movie stars suddenly have naked photos leaked, family members exploit their lives or a DUI just before their movie is about to be released. I guess the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP knows the same tricks of the game!

Facebook Jail

On July 2, 2019, I woke up and was in Facebook Jail. There was a meme where a woman was looking over her boyfriends shoulder. He was reading a text that asked him to come over, because his girl was going to work. He ended the text with "I love you". Then the meme asked, What's your next move?" The meme is below:

I wrote my next move would be to ask if he is a "f*g". I wrote other curse words, but I left letters out and replaced them with an asterisk. So, I'm thinking that the word that was offensive is "f*g" It is a homosexual term that is according to Facebook is offensive to homosexuals. So, why would they post a meme and ask my next move, if they want homosexuals to not be offended? Who is Facebook to decide what is an insult and what is not? People call "Ni**a's on my page all day. That is offensive to me. None of my friends have been put in Facebook jail! Why not just get rid of offensive memes all together.

I see Black kids twerking, young Black men in horrible sexist situations that are so stereotypical of a gay man that is just demonstrative. I got a video in my "Memories" of a Black man acting extra gay. It starts in his bedroom. He's laying in the bed talking to his boyfriend. Then his mother calls him to mow the lawn. He get's up and acts like total gay man. His mother calls him a "punk" and "fat". He is a very exaggerated way, gets outside and tells his "boo", "I'll call you beck!" Starts the mower and in a very gay and exaggerated manner, with all the gay mannerisms starts mowing the lawn! 

The police have Facebook looking at all my posts, because I write blogs about their illegal activities and those of the City Council in Pontiac. I use Facebook as a platform to get the word out and pay for ads that help my blogs reach people in and around Pontiac, and surrounding areas. My nephew came over and told me that they can delete your account all together if they you break their rules four times. These crooked cops State or Federal are using their influence as law-enforcement to try to get me kicked off Facebook. This would help block my blogs from being read. They have used their influence to decrease my audience on Facebook, as well as Google that powers my blog. 

I used to pay for ads and get three or four-thousand hits. In fact, Eric Hawkins resigned his position from the Southfield Police Department, after my blog about him. His absence was mighty blow to crooked law-enforcement and their illegal activities. Now, they are using their influence to minimize my blog being shared on Facebook. I have seen people murdered on Facebook. A Asian man chopped a man up on the street. I've seen women shot in the head and children being physically abused. It's not taken down, because it may help a child be safe. Black children are exploited on Facebook, twerking and in sexual "grown-folk" situations. All of that is offensive to me. I've had to block people with vaginas, sexual positions and butt-naked women on my feed. One word, makes them suspend my account for seven(7) days. That ain't nothing, but the police. Using their influence to harass me, because people are reading my blog and people are taking action, because of it. Here's another example:

As a woman, I am offended. I don't think of myself as a ho. Our little girls twerking offends me. Look at this video that has circulating on Facebook for a year:

https://www.facebook.com/9jagidi/videos/402820877219858/

This is all a joke. Who made Facebook judge and jury about who is offended? How come they get to decide who is offensive and who is not? I was offended that they put up a meme, ask me a question and then are offended by how it was answered. I report videos and memes all the time, and I never knew that word is offensive. I've been offended a lot on Facebook. Those shadows over death videos are only making people want to see what's under them even more. Doing that might be the legal thing, but not the best thing to do. I have seen gore, death and things I would never want to see. I socialize on Facebook and would never want to change, but I guess after two more bad words I won't have a choice. I called a "b*tch" and a "f*g" and now I can lose my Facebook? Who is policing Facebook? Check out this video with this young Black boy pushing up on this little Black girl. Talk about inappropriate.

https://www.facebook.com/lilphee1/videos/1420703321310977/

"What I'm saying is..." Budget Woes

  

Impact on the community's Youth Center felt by citizens
Channel 7 Action News

         

Pontiac City Council has no idea how to run a city. Oakland University has a very strong Master's of Public Administration program and each of the council members should enroll. I don't think any of our council members could, because you have to have a bachelor’s degree to start a Master’s program. Only three of them have degrees. None of them have a degree in Business. At this time, a Finance or Accounting class is a must. They haven't a clue what they are doing, and they fill the time they have discussing our budget arguing to hide their ignorance. Our Mayor had to thank Kermit Williams, Council President, for admitting he had no idea. That is a big step for a very small-minded man. I'm watching the budget hearings and it's worse than pulling teeth. They are in essence trying to give birth to city business that works. That's not set up to be a piggy bank for stealing. 

The City Council wants to take everything from the Mayor that she does right. Gloria Miller is doing her best to cripple her Youth Program. They took her three full-time positions down to one. The rest will be part-time. They have people working at our Youth Center with Master's degrees, and who have worked with youth their entire careers. Pontiac is use to people dealing with their children who are not equipped to deal with their children, but have a "heart" for the children. Our Mayor has put in place individuals who don't just show up with a bag of balls and throw them on the gym floor and let them attempt to make a basket. They are true professionals, and what the children in our city need. They can build a program that supports the future of our children. "Cutting off their nose to spite their faces." Not investing in our children is a mistake. Miller doesn't like the Mayor and is hurting our children to make a point to the Mayor. She doesn't care anything about our kids...NOTHING! It's the dark-skinned against the light-skinned woman. That how I see it, because all Gloria Miller talks about is how uppity the Mayor is. Doris Taylor-Burks, too. Jiggaboos and Wannabees, good and bad hair.

In the past, Pontiac hired their friends. Friends of the Mayor, Council friends and relatives and longtime residents that are "popular" among the people. Now, she is hiring people who are qualified to do the job. Things are getting done, but no one wants to concede to the Mayor. Gloria Miller has little or no education. She was elected on feelings, and the foolishness of people driven by her "heart". We in Pontiac need to realize that our heart isn't going to fix things. It's not going to raise money or appropriate funds properly. If the only thing our City Council has done is balanced their check book, we are in trouble. In other cities, the City Council is educated. If a Council Member is not educated they have the brain power to learn. Our Council, stuck on creating fake accounts has no idea about balancing a budget or finances, which I told you last blog are two different things. Just like Management and Marketing are closely related in Business, Accounting and Finance are brother and sister. Business is made up of these four units with Economics being that close-knit cousin, because it encapsulates all of it working in our society.

Gloria Miller on a quest to destroy the Mayors Youth Program, has taken a piece of our economic strength in this community. If those people own home in the city, they are now unable to pay their mortgage, buy groceries or spend money in our city. That's why in the 80's the city fought so hard to keep people in our fire, police and administration in the city. We don't have the housing to support many of the people that worked here and had a spouse that also worked. They could afford to buy a home of greater value than Pontiac had available. Rising crime and drug related events along with a failing school system, moved people out of the city. Our children have suffered from all of those things, too. We need a place where they can go for the summer and grow in their talents and self-care. Councilperson Miller, mad at the Mayor for her success and light-skin, is causing our children harm with her jealousy. She was big on shutting down the jobs of good people, and couldn't open her mouth when the business was talked about, because she's ignorant. She's not fooling anyone when it comes to her slight of the Mayor and wanting to see her fail. At the same time, ruining the ability for our children to grow. Regardless of what she feels will work, the Mayor keeps reminding them that they agreed to most of what they are now opposing, and this is the Council going back on their word.

Councilperson Gloria Miller

Mary Pietilia is unbelievably rude and annoying. In the last two meeting she's disrupted the meetings by yelling out, "I wanna go home!" How about you resign your position or do your job. You knew last year that you'd be tackling the budget at this time. You and all of the rest of the Council are so stuck on doing what Kermit Williams want to do that you dropped the ball on the budget; again. Every year it's the same thing. Kermit and his cronies, Taylor-Burks, Miller, Carter and Waterman hold up the budget. Mainly so Williams can create and get his little accounts in and  pillage the city. Then they go through and try to find the accounts they THINK the Mayor and her administration are using to steal. Accounts they feel are marked "Other". There can't be any anonymous accounts that seem to have no significance. Today, they fought over the word "Executive Misc." or something. The type of account that he and his cronies used to steal in the past. They want it to be called "Census..." and their lawyer opted to add the word "Only". This way they would have to come before the Council to get at the money. "You only see in other what you see in yourself". The attempt to put specific names to these accounts are to stop the Mayor from stealing.

But she makes enough money that she doesn't have to steal. That's why they were so angry about her taking that raise. She doesn't have to steal a dime from the city. She has a salary that is more than enough. The Council denied the raise, because they want to come off like they are for the people. They gave the money back to look good, hoping they would just steal the rest that they need from the city coffers. Sadly, the Mayor has her hand on the purse strings. So tight that Gloria Miller want to hurt the kids in our city and take away the staff at the Rec Center. Thinking about her slight to our kids makes me sick. She is so stuck on her own wants and needs that she is punishing our children. She needs to be recalled, too. She knows nothing about City Works, anyway. What her biggest quest should be, instead of working with Kermit Williams to destroy the Mayor accomplishments, is to educate herself on what her job is. I recall, she doesn't even know what her job is a Legislator. She said one evening, "There should be something done about the trash, because I don't like the way this is going". Mr. Gustafson let out a chuckled and proclaimed, "You're the Council. Write an ordinance and fix what you don't like."  She thinks her job is to sit in Council Meeting and start trouble. She has no idea what the branches of government do, and Pontiac citizens elected her. That says something about our city. She can talk the talk, but can she walk the walk?

They finally let the Finance Director talk, because he's the only one that knows what's really going on. The Deputy Mayors tries, but she and Williams had it, tonight! Even the Council lawyer, has no idea what's really going on. I'm sure she is intentionally left out of the Mayor's budget meetings. She's trying to get any coins that fall to the floor herself, and has calmed down her disrespect of the Mayor. She should, because at some point the City Council will be held accountable for the decisions they've made out of pure ignorance. As an educated woman, Sharpe is going to look stupid when things don't work out. Williams said that he went out and got advice. Not from her or his partner the City Clerk, who has nothing to do with Fiance. He got his little raise. He was seen tonight shaking his head in disgust, when he doesn't have a degree in Finance either. Just a troublemaker that needs to be let go, because he can't be neutral. He gets a raise for being messy, but they fire people that see after our kids? Kermit Williams is such a slimy person and he and the Clerk's "love affair" at these meetings are obvious. He leans in, and uses paper to cover his mouth, while he speaks and has close loving talks with Taylor-Burks, while EVERYBODY interrupts the Mayor. Attorney Chubb spoke when Taylor-Burks was speaking, Taylor-Burks shouted out, "I am speaking!" You ain't got nothing to say, because her PhD. is in Psychology. She also knows nothing about Finance. She, like Miller sat silent during most of the Budget talks. She mad she's not light-skinned, she needs to educate herself and maybe she'll get some respect. The people elected the Mayor across the entire city and she can't get a break. Taylor-Burks sure isn't going to give her one!

Councilperson Doris Taylor-Burks 

Mr. Newsome, who I saw get frustrated with the process, tried to work it out. He explained to the Council every time they came up with a "lame brain" idea to solve their problem with the Phoenix Center. They have a $12M debt due by November, and Kermit Williams is using simple math to solve a Finance problem. Not taking into account the Time Value of Money (TVM) over 10 years. Not accounting interest and taxes, and other things that impact money. Just how simply he solved the problem, should let him know it's wrong. Before Finance class, I would address a problem simply, too. I laughed so hard the other day when he said, six-million dollars over ten years, six-hundred thousand dollars a year. "Am I right?" Mr. Newsome and Mr. Chubb actually hated to hurt his feelings and said, "Yeah". Because he was right, six million divided by 10 years is six-hundred thousand, but not in Finance terms. Depending on the economy it could be so much more than that or less. It all depends. One thing for sure, if you owe six million dollars, it will cost you more than six million dollar in the end. That's what Mr. Newsome understand far too well. That simple math could actually create more problems than it solves, because there are accounting rules and transactions that must be shown on paper. Because none of a budget is based on actual money the city has. It's an estimation of what the city MIGHT spend this year. It could be less, it could be more. But whatever they do, it MUST balance. This money that doesn't exist. Without taking this blog to another place, there are rules and those rules need to be followed.

That's why the Mayor asked for things to be put in writing. Tonight, the Council-President, Kermit Williams, asked for certain things to be put in writing. The Mayor asked him to put all his demands in writing, and he leaned to the Clerk and said, "You have to tapes of tonight. You'll get your information from there." When he asked her to put things in writing tonight, I almost fainted. "What's good for the goose is good for the gander". Put all your unreasonable demands in writing. The Mayor said, because Mr. Newsome needs to be clear, because he doesn't want to break the Rule of Ethics in Accountancy. He has to follow those rules or there are consequences. Mainly when audited. People need to know where to go. Follow the general rules and they don't have to look for it, and think your hiding money or stealing. Kermit Williams banged his gavel, that he doesn't know how to use, and said he didn't ask the Finance Director to do anything illegal or unethical. He claimed the Mayor was trying to make the Council look bad. Well, for one, that's not hard to do. But if he, nor the Council knows anything about Finance ethics, how does he know he didn't ask him to do something illegal or unethical? It is obvious to me, and everyone sitting home watching that he is ignorant. From the frustration on Mr. Newsome face it is clear to him, too.

I have a degree in Management. It is the fundamental that you are able to delegate authority. That means, what you don't know, you hire someone to do. That's why Management majors, like myself, take a class in every division of business. I've taken three Accounting class, four Marketing, Two Economic, two Statistics and countless Management and Supervision classes. I've taken three Law classes and Government. As a Manager, it is your job to manage all these people. Even if your not an expert, you need to know a little bit, and enough to be able to function in a room where all of them are communing or when talking to them one-on-one. Many feel this is the reason Trump doesn't like meetings. You need to have a working understanding of it all, and I'm telling you our Council knows NOTHING! The Mayor knows her fair share. Simple accountancy is lost on every one of them and our people need to elect people who understand. Kermit Williams said that he survived two Emergency Mangers and two Mayors. He survive, only because they allowed him to sneak his little accounts through. Since he was still able to get his little bit, he could care less what they did. Mayor Waterman is different. With the help of some good accountants, she found his stash and eliminated most them. I believe with the help of John Balint he is getting some money, but clearly not enough. Cutting down trees?

I want the people of District 7 to hear me, and hear me well. We need better leadership. We need people who know and understand how to run a city in those chairs and stop electing people on their "heart" and friendship and who they Mama is. Support my recall of Kermit Williams and do what we were taught to do years ago:

"If you want to get rid of a snake, get rid of the head."

They are all following his lead. Get rid of him and we'll have a stronger and better city.

Save our city!