My fundraising party

In case you missed my fundraising party...

MESSAGE TO ALL MY FRIENDS: 

 

My deepest thanks to the many supporters of my grass-roots Mayoral campaign who turned out for my fund-raising party on May 25 - and to the members of my committee who made the affair so successful.  Thanks to you, we have a good start-up kitty for lawn signs, cards, radio spots, etc.  For the information of those of you who couldn't make it (and for those of you who did), our next (and final) Telford-for-Mayor Fund-Raising Party prior to the August 6 primary will take place again in the Rumors on the River Restaurant in the River House at 8900 E. Jefferson, just east of the Belle Isle Bridge, on THURSDAY, JUNE 27, between five and eight o'clock p.m.. Tickets are again $20, and are again available at the door.  You can also make out checks to Committee to Elect John Telford and mail them to me at 8900 E. Jefferson, Ste. 1107, Detroit MI 48214. Please spread the word to folks in your circle of influence who care about Detroit and about our city's public schools and schoolchildren, and let me know via email or by calling me at 313-460-8272 if you would like to volunteer in my Mayoral campaign.   .

While I've been speaking in churches and invading the barber shops, and I spoke at a cage fight on E. Jefferson last Saturday night (one of my former Finney kids won), you may have noted that I've been notably absent in the early Mayoral debates.  A few key phone calls have now rectified that, and I will be debating at the Charles A. Wright Museum of African-American History between 8:00 and 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30.  (That debate will be televised.)   Some earlier debate sites where I'll also be participating include the New Center Park on the southwest corner of Second Avenue and West Grand Boulevard  on Friday, June 7 at 5:30; the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament at 9844 Woodward Avenue between E. Boston Blvd and Trowbridge at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20; and the Dexter-Elmhurst Community Center at 11825 Dexter between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25   I may also be debating tonight at the Galilee Baptist Church at 5251 E. Outer Drive at Lappin (just east of Van Dyke) at 6:00 p.m.  I wasn't invited, but we have conversed with church officials and hope that in fairness as a duly certified candidate I may be permitted to debate.  If not, we will be seated at strategic points in the audience to pose questions to participating candidates and offer answers of our own.

Also, for those of you who are interested in old-time Detroit athletics, as a former All-American quarter-miler (WSU, 1957),  I'll be making a brief presentation to another All-American quarter-miler (Deon Hogan of old Kettering High and Kansas State, 1983) at the Detroit Track Old-Timers' 22nd Annual Awards Dinner at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul on Woodward at Warren on Friday, June 21 at six o'clock.  Tickets are $22 and are available at the door.      

P.S. - An update on my federal lawsuit to retain my Detroit Public Schools Superintendency: Federal Judge Sheeh has set a court date of July 25 at 9:00 a.m.to examine the possibility of tying my case into the broader federal suit to overturn Public Act 436, the disenfranchising replacement law for PA 4, the emergency manager law.  When I become Mayor (and if we can get the word out to enough grass-roots voters, my mayoralty is a distinct possibility), I will still exert sufficient influence to be involved in the selection of my suitable successor as DPS Superintendent - one who will cooperate with the current good elected board to release the EM from his job on February 8, 2014 and regain power for the elected board.   

Educator and activist John Telford joins Detroit mayoral race



By Ann Zaniewski

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer


The ballot for Detroit’s mayoral race got more crowded Monday with John Telford’s announcement that he would seek the city’s top job.

“I haven’t been happy with the way things (have been) going in city hall ever since the (Kwame) Kilpatrick administration,” Telford, former interim superintendent for Detroit Public Schools, said. “I want to see more cooperation between schools and the city.”

Telford, 77, is among about a half dozen candidates who have submitted signatures to appear on the August ballot.

Telford is a civil rights advocate with an educational career that spans more than five decades. He has taught, coached and served in administrative roles at several Detroit schools, according to a news release from his election committee.

His résumé includes serving as deputy superintendent for Rochester Community Schools from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, and in 2009 he served briefly as interim superintendent in Madison District Public Schools, where his plan to end the district’s deficits by recruiting students from Detroit was met with controversy. He served for about 10 months as interim superintendent for the Detroit Public Schools district before being replacedin late March after state-appointed emergency manager Roy Roberts gained academic control over the district.

Telford said if he’s elected mayor, he would offer police, recreation and other city services to high schools to turn them into community anchors.

Telford said that in the mayoral race, he’s targeting front-runner and former Detroit Medical Center CEO Mike Duggan. He criticized Duggan’s role as a board member of the Education Achievement Authority, the controversial school district set up by the stateto reform troubled schools. Duggan recently resigned from the board.

“Some folks think I’m running to keep Mr. Duggan out,” Telford said Monday. “But no, I’m running to win.”

Telford said he submitted more than 1,000 signatures Monday to the city ensure a spot on the August ballot. Mayoral candidates must turn in at least 500 signatures from registered Detroit voters by the end of the day today.

John Telford for Mayor of Detroit

My friends,


Tomorrow I will be formally announcing my candidacy for Mayor of Detroit at 1 pm on Monday, May 13, at the City Clerk's office on 2978 West Grand Boulevard. I do so for no other reason than because I care deeply about this city of my birth, and I believe strongly that I have the ability to contribute to its restoration. Some of my critics have implied that this is all about ego, and that is simply incorrect. Nothing more need be said about that except that these are people who may claim to know me but quite obviously do not know me at all.

Please allow me to address a few other concerns that I already know are out there. For example, the concern that I may be too old and/or infirm to take this extremely challenging job. I don't challenge the fact that I'm no longer a young man. I strongly contest the assumption that my age will hinder my ability to work vigorously for this city. I believe freedom fighter Nelson Mandela was older than I am now when he became president of South Africa after spending more than a quarter century behind bars. Sure it's true that Detroit is a challenging city, but I defy anyone to say that the city of Detroit faces more challenges than the nation of South Africa did at that point in time. And no, I am not equating myself to Mandela. Hardly. I am, however, making the point that anyone who assumes someone of my age cannot be up to this job needs to do some research.

Then there is the concern that I am white. Yep. I am. Have been all my life and, I suspect, I will most likely be white up to the day I die. As for whether a white man can collect enough votes in a predominantly black city to be elected, well, the only ones who can answer that question are the voters of Detroit. I will say that, as someone who was born and raised in this city and who has been an educator in and around this city for more than 50 years, I have learned that Detroiters are not stupid. Far from it. And for anyone to assume that they will automatically dismiss any candidate simply because that candidate is white does not understand this city as well as they think they do. No, I am not naive. Nor am I dismissing the potency of the race issue in Detroit. Like I said, I was raised in this city so of course I am aware of the part it plays. But race only plays one part, not every part.  Detroiters, although understandably more predisposed to vote for African Americans since most of them are African American, do not use that measure as their sole criteria in the voting booth. They also are willing to vote for those who are in their corner. How else could you explain a Maryann Mahaffey?

There will also be those who will eagerly pounce on my admittedly 'colorful' past. Fine. It's all in my book. Anyone with any questions are more than welcome to purchase my book and I welcome the additional sales. I have always been open about who I am and the life I have led. But if anyone believes they can prove that I have not lived a life committed to the City of Detroit, then I would find that interesting. Because my record is there, and it speaks for itself. My record as an activist, and as a civil rights fighter is all there. My record as a fighter for Detroit children is all there. My record as someone who will never stop fighting, and who knows how to fight, is all there.

I am a Detroiter.