The municipal elections being held Tuesday, November 3, provide an unprecedented opportunity for Arab Americans, particularly in Dearborn. While the election is important because it decides who will be making the decisions that affect our everyday lives — running the city, running the schools, protecting and maintaining neighborhoods — it is also the first test for Arab Americans in the 2010 midterm elections, during which a third of the Senate and all of the House of Representatives will be chosen at both the national and state levels, as well as a new governor for Michigan.
Candidates know that 40% of Dearborn’s population is Arab American. They will closely watch to see what kind of turnout this community delivers in 2009 in order to best allocate their time and effort and make their messages and their platforms attractive to us next year.
There are 17,000 registered Arab American voters in this city of 90,000. Municipal elections always generate a very low turnout, and we should take advantage of that to magnify the impact we have on the results. If every one of our endorsees is elected, you can be sure the message that we are here to court in 2010 will be loud and clear.
DEARBORN
Ali Sayed • City Council
Sayed, 28, was raised in Dearborn among eight siblings. He graduated from Dearborn High School in 1999 and is currently pursuing a degree in Public Administration.
Sayed’s plans include working towards partnerships with corporations and organizations to encourage new businesses in Dearborn for job growth while focusing on business retention and economic development.
Since 2001, his company HYPE has given Dearborn youth the opportunity to excel in various sports, acquire discipline and work as a team in a fun and safe atmosphere.
He wants to encourage a move that will get families more involved with neighborhoods and parks to assist the city in maintaining a high standard of living.
Sayed also wants to focus on developing a more effective management system to relieve the burden on taxpayers. Increasing communication between departments and residents and instituting leadership reform are also high on his list of proposed improvements.
We believe Sayed will bring a young, fresh voice and new ideas to take Dearborn into the future.
David Bazzy • City Council
Bazzy is a 51-year-old Dearborn resident who is currently the president of Kenwal steel and Kenwal pickling companies. Bazzy graduated from Edsel Ford High School in 1976 and has an MBA from Wayne State University.
He has also been a chairman of the Dearborn Charter Commission, was Commissioner for five years on the Zoning Board of Appeals, was Commissioner of Recreation during the Ford Woods Redevelopment Project and was Vice President of the Dearborn Hockey Association.
Bazzy believes his background in both the public and private sectors will help him deal with the tough economic climate in Dearborn and metro Detroit.
Bazzy wants to bring more non-restaurant businesses to Michigan Avenue in west Dearborn for more variety in the local economy and plans to seek low-cost loans and federal dollars to create residential home buying, which he believes is the key to neighborhood stabilization.
Suzanne Sareini • City Council
Sareini, a lifelong Dearborn resident, is running for her sixth consecutive term on Dearborn City Council. Sareini graduated from Fordson High School in 1969 and has served on several state, county, and local commissions while also owning several small businesses in Dearborn.
Sareini serves as a Trustee of the Board of Directors for the Advanced Technology Academy Charter Public School in Dearborn, having been appointed by Lake Superior State University in 2005. She is also a founding member of the Lebanese-American Heritage Club and was appointed to serve as the organization’s director from 1995-1996. She was appointed in 1992 to serve on the Meritorious Rank Review Board for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management by President George H.W. Bush.
Sareini’s areas of focus on the council have been public safety, senior citizen issues, business districts, schools and maintaining strong, stable neighborhoods.
She hopes to continue to move the city forward by bringing new industries to Dearborn, working on maintaining the quality of neighborhoods, addressing parking issues in business districts and balancing the city’s service mix against budget challenges.
Robert Abraham • City Council
The 43-year-old incumbent Abraham has served since 2002 (two terms) and is a lifelong, third-generation resident of Dearborn. Abraham graduated from Fordson High School in 1985 and is a CPA with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Computer Science from Hillsdale College in 1989.
Abraham was owner-operator of the Dearborn Certified Public Accounting Firm Robert A. Abraham and Associates and in 2005 became Chief Financial Officer for a global supplier of specialty steel. Abraham is also Director of the Board and Treasurer of the Henry Ford Community College Foundation and Director of the Board and Treasurer of the Fordson Varsity Club and a member of ACCESS.
Abraham said his top priority for his next term would be to listen to the voters to work with them for practical solutions to the problems they face during the economic downturn. He acknowledges a tough budget situation but believes that an experienced council is necessary to make the tough decisions in the future. His campaign slogan is “S.O.S.,” meaning “Save Our Services.”
George Darany • City Council
Darany, a 50-year-old incumbent, is running for his second term on City Council. Darany is the former owner of Classic Trolley and a former realtor who holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
His community service background includes winning the 2008-2009 Dearborn Rotarian of the Year Award and the UM-Dearborn Community Service Award. He was also the Dearborn Goodfellows president in 2008-2009 and has volunteered at numerous community services events in the city including within the Dearborn Public Schools.
Darany knows the budget crisis will be tough but believes he has a good grasp of the situation due to his experience on the council. Foreclosures are another problem he acknowledges, and he supports the city’s efforts to purchase some of the homes for demolition in order to keep neighborhood values from falling. He also wants to pursue more grant money to prevent vandalism and looting, which has become commonplace in other cities and has started to crop up in Dearborn.
Thomas Tafelski • City Council
Tafelski, a 1988 Fordson graduate, is a lifelong Dearborn resident who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1992. He became President of the Dearborn City Council in January 2007 and is currently serving his second term on the council.
Tafelski served on the City Planning Commission from 1999 to 2001 and the City Beautiful Commission from 1998 to 1999 and is also a member of the Dearborn Polish Legion, Dearborn Elks, and the Fordson Varsity Alumni Club.
Brian O’Donnell • City Council
O’Donnell is a 36-year-old Dearborn resident who holds a BS from Madonna University and an MBA with an emphasis in Leadership Studies from Baker College.
The Dearborn Divine Child graduate has been a healthcare sales executive for nine years and has volunteered for Divine Child and numerous civic organizations. O’Donnell was named the City Beautiful Commissioner in 2009 and the Vice President of the Dearborn Federation of Neighborhood Associations in 2009 as well and is a Trustee of the Dearborn Hills Civic Association.
Hussein Berry • School Board
Berry, a 37-year resident of Dearborn and a Dearborn Public Schools product, is looking to become the only Arab American on the Dearborn School Board after running unsuccessfully in 2007.
A Dearborn real estate agent and PTA fixture, Hussein Berry said during a recent fundraiser, “When there is an issue on the table, I will investigate it thoroughly and make a decision based on — and it’s pretty much how I run my life — how will this decision affect the children of this district?”
He is currently serving as a trustee on the Dearborn Area Board of Realtors and served as the group’s president in 2008.
Berry’s wife Nada has taught for 14 years in the Dearborn Public Schools system where his children also attend classes.
He knows that financial issues are the city’s biggest challenge but believes his business background will help in that department and plans to reduce unnecessary spending in order to bring students the best education possible. Berry said he has coordinated an “adopt a school” program for local businesses that could be rewarding for both sides as parents are encouraged to patronize the businesses corresponding to their child’s school.
Berry also wants to emphasize more parental involvement within the schools to create a stronger educational community.
We believe this race to be the most significant in next week’s election and we urge you to vote for Berry for the Board of Education.
John B. (Jack) O’Reilly • Mayor
Mayoral incumbent O’Reilly is the son of former Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly, Sr. He was sworn in as Mayor Pro Tem in December, 2006 after the passing of former Mayor Michael Guido.
He was then elected in 2007. O’Reilly worked as a city council member for 17 years, earning the highest number of votes in each election since first running in 1989. O’Reilly has been the executive director of the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) since 1996 and has been a licensed Michigan attorney since 1980. He was hired in 1983 to the post of staff counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. O’Reilly graduated from Dearborn’s St. Alphonsus High School and also received an Associate of Arts degree from Oakland University and a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Detroit-Mercy.
DEARBORN HEIGHTS
Tom Berry • City Council
The 53-year-old incumbent Berry is currently completing his first term on Dearborn Heights City Council. Berry graduated from Fordson High School in 1974 and continued his education at Henry Ford Community College where he studied Computer Science and Accounting.
Berry has been employed with Belle Tire Distributors for the past sixteen years and currently serves as Business Development Administrator and Sales Liaison while spearheading recruitment initiatives. He is also active in many community organizations including the Goodfellows. He spends time advocating for cancer fundraising, senior affairs and watershed issues.
Berry believes his first term was a great learning experience and is excited about the potential to create positive change the second time around. Areas of focus include improving Dearborn Heights’ sewer system, making sure that ordinances are properly enforced, and ensuring that the city’s police force will continue to work towards offering “strong and fair protection.”
DETROIT
Mohamed Okdie • City Council
Born in Detroit in 1949, Okdie is looking to become the first Arab American to serve on the city’s council. He earned an Associate’s Degree in Psychology from the Detroit Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and a Master of Social Work with a specialization in Community Organization and Administration from Wayne State University.
His educational background and experience on the boards of various labor, professional and political organizations boost his viability as a qualified candidate.
He currently serves on the Board of Regents at Eastern Michigan University, appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2007.
“All of those boards and activities give me unique insight into decision making with regards to budgets and how these budgets affect peoples’ lives on a daily basis,” he said. “All that combined gives me a unique package of experiences specific to the city council job,” he said.
He’s expressed plans to create a land bank to address the massive amount of vacant property in the city, and a strong stance against cutting any more city services.
“Our city services are already cut to the bone by the previous administration. My desire is to look not necessarily at cutting city services or programs, but to get into them to be streamlined and to make them more efficient,” he said.
John Bennett • City Council
Bennett is a lifelong Detroiter who has served the last 13 years as a Detroit police officer. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Public Affairs from Wayne State University and has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University. Bennett has also been a mentor in the city for youth for over 20 years.
Gary Brown • City Council
Gary Brown is the former Detroit Deputy Police Chief and was educated and raised in Detroit. He is also a former U.S. Marine who holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. During 26 years of service with the Detroit Police Department, Gary served as Commander of the 1st, 3rd, 9th and 11th Precincts, and provided executive direction in Gang Squad, Narcotics and Internal Affairs.
Brown serves on the Mariners Inn board, leads his neighborhood vacant house committee and is a volunteer lecturer at Detroit’s Barsemian High School.
Jai-Lee Dearing • City Council
Dearing, a lifelong Detroit resident, is a 37-year-old small business owner who served as Detroit’s Housing Commissioner.
He graduated early from Martin Luther King High School and went on to Wilberforce University in Ohio before having to return home to tend to his sick father and helping to run the family business. Dearing is also a member of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP as well as the Booker T. Washington Business Association and the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Fred Elliott Hall • City Council
Fred Elliott Hall, the son of attorney Elliott Hall and Rev. Beverly McCutcheon, is a business owner with an MBA in Finance from Wayne State.
He founded Novatech Computer Services, Inc., a computer networking, web design and consulting company in 1989 that is currently celebrating its 20th year in business. In 2003 he bought H & P Protective Services, Inc. a security guard company.
James Tate • City Council
Lifelong Detroiter James Tate voluntarily left his position as 2nd Deputy Chief of the Detroit Police Department (DPD) because he believed Detroit lacked adequate representation on city council.
A graduate of Wayne State, Tate brings management, organizational and leadership skills having also served as Assignment Desk Editor for WXYZ Channel 7 and Communications Coordinator for the City of Detroit.
JoAnn Watson • City Council
JoAnn Watson is currently completing her first full term as a Member of the Detroit City Council, where she has sponsored more than 1,500 laws in 6 years, including: a ban on hand-held cell phones & texting while driving, a ban on smoking in public places, and a law demanding that Receiving Hospital & Hutzel Hospital remain open “in perpetuity”.
Currently, she is a board member with the ACLU, NAACP, and is Vice President of the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority and has won more than 800 awards in her lifetime.
Rose Mary Robinson • Charter Commission • Vote for only one
Rose Mary C. Robinson has been an attorney for over 35 years, is a 45 year Detroit resident, and served as a Democratic Wayne County Commissioner for six terms between 1970 and 1982.
A lifetime Democrat, she was elected Delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention and elected Democratic Precinct Delegate in 1966, 2006 and 2008. In the 1970s, Wayne County Commissioner Robinson worked with Arab American leaders to aggressively increase the number of Arab Americans employed by the County of Wayne. Robinson was a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama in 2008.
HAMTRAMCK
Abdul Algazali • Mayor
In Hamtramck, a city of 24,000 where more than two dozen languages are spoken, mayoral candidate Abdul Algazali has made a lot of noise in his bid to unseat incumbent Karen Majewski.
A Yemeni immigrant in his fourth year serving on Hamtramck’s city council, Algazali speaks often about his history of “pulling people together,” during time spent on the city’s planning commission, human relations commission and as a councilman.
He’s gained support from the city’s sizable Yemeni and Bangladeshi American communities, and in 2007 successfully pushed hard to get an ordinance passed prohibiting city employees from policing or denying services to people based on their appearance, immigration status and other factors.
Hamtramck’s Yemeni community has been denied a major governing role despite their growing numbers since the 1950s, except for Algazali, who is completing his first term as a city councilman and has served on several boards and commissions.
A 2005 city charter revision redefined what was once a strong mayoral position in the city.
The mayor’s duties are now primarily limited to chairing and setting agendas for board meetings, signing official documents and appointing residents to boards and commissions.
“There’s a large segment of the community whose voice is not being heard, and I want to indicate to those people that this is America, and everyone’s voice should count,” he said.
ROSEVILLE
Abdalla Awwad • Treasurer
Awwad is showing that Arab American political participation reaches far beyond Dearborn, taking on incumbent Treasurer Catherine Haugh in this eastern suburb.
Awwad, son of a Palestinian immigrant, was born in Detroit and grew up in Roseville.
With juris doctor and education degrees from Wayne State University, Awwad, 33, touts his education as a major qualification.
“I’m trying to give Roseville a more educated voice, and some diversity,” he said.
Awwad’s dedicated a large part of his campaign efforts to spreading the word online, spending only $287 so far, he said.
He said the technological savvy he hopes to bring with him to the Treasurer’s post will help to develop more online services to residents, reducing some costs and making the office more “green.”
His campaign website, dellaforroseville.org, already offers links to municipal resources and free business and employment postings.
Awwad, known to many in his community as “Della,” lives with his wife Margaret and five children.
YES • HFCC Millage
On the ballot is Henry Ford Community College’s one-half mill (0.5 mill) operating millage that expires in 2010. At stake is approximately $2 million of HFCC’s local operating budget. This proposal asks voters to RENEW the College’s local operating millage of one-half mill for 5 years. This is a CONTINUATION, NOT AN INCREASE. According to the City of Dearborn Assessor’s Office, the average Dearborn home has a taxable value of about $67,400 and a market value of a little more than $139,500. Based on this information, the typical Dearborn homeowner would pay $33.50 per year to support the renewal millage. This is a small price to pay for the value that HFCC delivers. HFCC has been an important part of this community and deserves our support. Vote YES!
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