Southwest Lansing (MI) and my neighborhood

Will I vote for Lansing (MI) Mayor Virg Bernero to be re-elected next year?

The answer:  Probably, unless I presented with a choice that’s a very clear contrast and obviously better than the incumbent.  The only possible opposition mentioned is incumbent Council Member Carol Wood who has gotten crosswise with the mayor more than once.

I ran into “Virg” last Thursday at our Averill Woods Neighborhood Association block party and talked at length with him about several issues that we both feel strongly about.

There’s no avoiding his passion and his energy for his job and it’s hard to miss what has happened in our downtown and what new development near the State Capitol building that has been approved and will become reality in the next few years.

My sense is that it’s hard to have a middle ground about our mayor.  It seems that residents either love him or they detest him with a vehemence that would usually be saved for somebody on death row.  There are lawn signs around town that say “Anybody But Virg” and I suppose there will be signs that say “Nobody But Virg.”

Without getting into issues, there’s one thing that bothers me about “Virg.”  It’s his attitude that once he gets a vision that everybody else has to agree with it.  And if you disagree, you might have your parentage questioned and perhaps a question might be raised whether your mother was a human.  Now come on, Virg.

Check this quote from the Lansing City Pulse where he essentially tells the Lansing City Council that they were either for him or against him.  Now let it be known that the vote on this important downtown development issue was unanimous after much work.  So, there’s hope that the council and the mayor CAN play nice.

How do you feel about Mayor Bernero?  What has he accomlished and what has he left undone?  Does anybody have a checklist?  Who could do a better job?

I like Virg and until a better option is presented, I will vote to re-elect him.