:: Dayne Walling for Mayor of Flint ::

Walling Campaign Open House

Our open house yesterday was a great success! Lots of people stopped in to visit our wonderful office space on the corner of Grand Traverse and 5th streets to talk with Dayne and his staff about the issues facing Flint and Genesee County. Many people bought their “Walling for Mayor” T-shirts, signed up to volunteer and left with a Walling for Mayor Action Pack to help spread the word about Dayne to their friends, family, and neighbors. The first batch of “Walling for Mayor” stickers arrived just in time for the open house and were a big hit with the kids who attended. WJRT-TV 12 was also on the scene interviewing Dayne and we made the 6 o’clock news once again.

“It’s great to see so many of our supporters and have a chance to hear their concerns” said Dayne. “This election is about the citizens of Flint and their hopes for our city. We need real leadership that is accountable to the people.”

The Best Coneys in Flint are at Tom Zs

After a long Sunday afternoon of knocking on doors and talking to voters, we all went out to Tom Z's Original Coney Island for the best coneys and fries in Flint. They also serve up a great 1/2 lb. burger deluxe that can't be beat. At the corner of W. Court Street and S. Grand Traverse, Tom Z's is just up the street from the campaign office. It is open 24 hours a day, so when the other places in downtown are closed, Tom Z's is there for you. A Flint original.

Mott Bears Win Big

The Mott Community College men's basketball team came home with the national championship in the Division 2 tournament. It was great to see the team and coaches get off the bus. We all love basketball, especially my son Emery. This is a proud moment for Flint. Not only is the national championship in the bag, the victory also marks the first time in history that a team has gone to the finals four years in a row. Way to go Bears!

Dayne’s Conversation with the People of Flint Continues.

Dayne was in Flint’s 5th Ward Tuesday morning at Good Beans Café for his weekly coffee talk. Dayne spoke with many of the busy café’s regulars as they were in and out. While speaking with Ken Van Wagoner, the owner and operator of Good Beans, Dayne learned about an upcoming Carriage Town Cleanup and committed to being there for an early morning shift.

Dayne also spoke with a fellow Flint native named Melanie Milow about the need for students to be exposed to the arts. Mel is a dancer now based in Denver, Co. You can see her work as a choreographer on YouTube. Maybe the fact that Flint is home to Red Ink Studios , which provides free studio space to artists, will bring her back home.

Fighting for Working Families

At the Local 651 membership meeting on Sunday, I saw that the union brothers and sisters at U.A.W. Local 651 Delphi East are doing everything they can to keep their good jobs in Flint despite the plans that Delphi has to shutdown most of its U.S. operations.

It was truly inspiring to hear the commitment expressed by U.A.W. International Vice-President Cal Rapson. He is representing U.A.W. in the negotiations and is not going to let us down. Art Reyes, U.A.W. Local 651 President, and Duane Zuckschwerdt, Director of U.A.W. Region 1C, were equally passionate about the need to protect our workers.

My own commitment to bringing opportunity back also implies that I will fight to keep opportunity here. The workers that started as temporaries at Delphi now have a more permanent status. This is real progress that has to be continued.

Community Business

Join Dayne on Wednesday, March 14th as he attends the Eastside Business Association’s meeting at Brown Funeral Home at 1616 Davison Rd. from noon to 1 p.m. The Eastside Business Association works with the business community and Eastside residents to improve Flint’s neighborhoods. Dayne will be there to listen to the concerns of community members and to learn more about the Eastside Business Association’s current projects. Making Flint Open for Business is a key part of Dayne’s Roadmap to Opportunity, and partnerships between small businesses and informed citizens fostered by groups like the Eastside Business Association are vital to the future of our city.

If you are a member of a group and would like to invite Dayne to your next meeting, please contact us at votewalling@gmail.com.

People Across Flint

Since my announcement, I have been out talking with residents in every corner of the city. Over morning coffe, lunch and dinner, I have heard loud and clear that this community wants to get into the 21st Century. People want neighborhoods and jobs that fit their needs today not the 1950s. Families should start taking care of each again too. Too many kids are growing up without much of a chance.

Most people recognized that one elected official can not make all these changes over night. Even Governor Granholm can not do it alone. But people in Flint know that leadership does make a difference. That is what this campaign will be about. Send in your ideas about what should be added to our Road Map to Opportunity.