We can all take a deep breath, avert our gaze, and rest easy. Washtenaw County now has a progressive prosecutor—Eli Savit, whose platform claims that (1) coercive plea bargaining, (2) over-prosecution, (3) prolonged pre-trial detentions, (4) aggressive prosecution of drug possession charges, and (5) racial…
Ypsilanti Township is currently holding an election that will end on August 3, 2021. There are 4 millages on the ballot: Fire protection, prevention, rescue services, and equipment reserves, which is expected to generate an estimated revenue of $4,625,417.00 in the first year. Police protection,…
This article has embedded timestamped video links from Ypsilanti City Council meetings on May 18 and June 1. In a move that surprised even some councilmembers during the Ypsilanti City Council meeting on May 18 of this year, four of the seven members of council…
ON MAY 18, YPSILANTI CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO GO OVER BUDGET AND HIRE 3 ARMED YPD OFFICERS AND 1 YPD RECORDS CLERK. THE VOTE WAS SPLIT 4-3, WITH THOSE OPPOSED EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT ADDING TO THE BUDGET DEFICIT AND LACK OF TIME FOR PUBLIC INPUT, INCLUDING…
ON MAY 18, YPSILANTI CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO GO OVER BUDGET AND HIRE 3 ARMED YPD OFFICERS AND 1 YPD RECORDS CLERK. THE VOTE WAS SPLIT 4-3, WITH THOSE OPPOSED EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT ADDING TO THE BUDGET DEFICIT AND LACK OF TIME FOR PUBLIC INPUT, INCLUDING…
>Published in Collaboration with Black Ink< ON MAY 18, YPSILANTI CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO GO OVER BUDGET AND HIRE 3 ARMED YPD OFFICERS AND 1 YPD RECORDS CLERK. THE VOTE WAS SPLIT 4-3, WITH THOSE OPPOSED EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT ADDING TO THE BUDGET DEFICIT AND LACK…
“Taxpayers are paying the police officers to kill us, bottom line.”
Hello everyone! My name is Colton Ray, and I was elected to the position of EMU Student Body Vice President for our Student Government on October 5th, 2020. Since then, Student Body President Luis Romero and I have been tasked with fitting a normally three-month-long…
“This is pathetic” coming from carriage mom, litter discarded serta cardboard beautyrest Implementations decorate the arrival and visitations. Bland pomp middleclass tidyness as laundry static sheet personified. Art is pathos a beer can beside a concrete wall left behind a picasso teeterer alley inside gallery…
If you’ve reviewed your ballot ahead of voting you may have noticed two charter amendment proposals for the City of Ypsilanti. Currently, the Mayor has the sole power to nominate residents to city boards and commissions. Proposals A and B asks voters if nomination power…
Filling of Vacancies. Mayor. Vacancies occurring in the office of Mayor shall be filled by the Mayor Pro Tem until the next general election and vacancies occurring in the office of Mayor Pro Tem shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term…
On July 6, the federal government released the names of organizations that have received forgivable loans of at least $150,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP was created by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to…
The last time Jupiter and Pluto had a rendezvous it was around the turn of the Century, and we got the Spanish Flu. This year they met up in March and April during the first global wave of Covid-19. Again in late June (resurgence), and…it…
In response to the end of the Michigan Eviction Moratorium, the Washtenaw County General Defense Committee has organized an action taking place to resist the coming wave of evictions locally. “On Wednesday, August 19th, at 12:30 pm, the Washtenaw General Defense Committee (GDC), in collaboration…
Although prosecutors wield major influence and power in the criminal justice system, this position receives relatively little attention and scrutiny in comparison to other local electoral positions. According to the Youth as Cultural and Civic Leaders collective, the county prosecutor decides 1) who gets charged,…
As a recent arrival to Ypsilanti Township from Ypsilanti I was new to local township politics. While often overshadowed by nearby municipalities, Ypsilanti Township’s population of 53,362 is more than double the City of Ypsilanti and shouldn’t be overlooked. I’ve noticed the attention on social…
On July 20th, Terril “Goochie” Cotton organized his third Black Lives Matter demonstration in downtown Ypsilanti. When asked if he is ever going to stop organizing protests he responded, “I don’t want to—if I could I’d do it everyday.” What’s Left captured 2 speeches from…
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we have seen magnificent displays of human kindness and unity. Communities are rebirthing age-old traditions and practices of caring for one another in a time of crisis. Through mutual-aid groups and organizations, members provide (or exchange) resources—from long-term housing or shelter…
Along with article submissions from the community, What’s Left periodically receives messages of support from readers. If you’d like to submit a story idea, inquiry, or send a message you can reach issue 5 co-editors Amber and Desiraé at contact@whatsleftypsi.com or here. 7/5/2020 Hello, I…
On June 20th, Ayanna Bennett organized a Black Lives Matter demonstration in downtown Ypsilanti and highlighted that “#BLM is not a moment—its a movement.” What’s Left captured moments from the action and interviewed demonstrators in the street asking, “can you imagine an Ypsi without police?”…
I would be willing to bet you hate your job. You probably work too many hours, for terrible wages, and live one paycheck away from desperation. You might even be like me and have two or more jobs—that is if you’re lucky enough to have…
Ypsilanti, Michigan Mayor Beth Bashert made national news on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, after video surfaced of her comment from the previous night’s City Council meeting (full video here). During a vote to reinstate Ka’Ron Gaines as a Human Relations Commissioner, Bashert states “since I…
Ypsilanti City Council voted on June 4, 2019 to appoint Annie Somerville to the vacant City Council seat in Ward 3. City Council’s process lacked transparency and did not reflect public constituent input. In-person interviews of candidates to fill the Ypsilanti Ward 3 City Council…
Racial Equity and Representation Since her inauguration on November 12, 2018, Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert has decided not to reinstate two Black city commissioners to their respective commissions. A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that Mayor Bashert has not nominated a single non-white Ypsilanti…
In Ypsilanti, the mayor has the sole power to nominate people to the city’s commissions. City commissions are government bodies made up of volunteers who make decisions that affect Ypsilanti. Some commissions merely advise City Council; others actually have the final decision-making power over city…
June 6th was a hot day in Ypsilanti; a day when over a thousand people took to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest domestic terrorism from the police. Upon entering downtown Ypsilanti it was difficult to miss the…
It’s Saturday at Beautiful Gate Church in Ypsilanti. Families and individuals are lined up outside, coming in two-to-three at a time, to get groceries for the week. Many of the folks know one another––they may be neighbors, friends, or just people who see each other…
City Boards and Commissions During discussion of a Human Relations Commission recommendation to increase diversity in board and commission appointments on Nov 5, Councilmember Somerville suggests creating a report of demographic information from city commissioners through a voluntary survey of commissioners. In a 3-to-3 decision…
