Revising the Detroit Charter

Detroit Common Council President Charles Pugh is against the proposed revision of the Detroit City Charter. He feels it doesn't give the Common Council enough confirmation power over mayoral appointees. The Charter Revision also calls for an elected police commission, at large voting for two council members with the other 7 elected from districts, a standard of ethical conduct clause, and yadda yadda yadda.

We have intended to write about the revisions for week, but the fact is we simply get excited over them. We cannot shake the feeling that, in the end, it's much ado about nothing. Not only is the process dull and boring except, perhaps, for constitutional law geeks, but given the type of leadership Detroit has suffered for years now we do not see where the changes will help.

Yes, yes, districts for council members and elected police boards are all well and good. They call for better accountability among elected office holders and keep the police in check. In the abstract, all that works. But if all that's going to happen is that the same kind of wrangling will go on between council and mayor as has been our fate for years now, how will altering the Charter replace that?

We recommend voting for it just the same, if for no other reason than that stirring the pot maybe, hopefully, will leave a better stew. But our skepticism will remain until and if Detroit can find itself better people at the helm. Unless that happens, all the revisions in the world will not make Detroit a better place.