WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE
LATER ON THIS MORNING.
UP FIRST, ANOTHER ARREST THIS
WEEK IN MACOMB COUNTY
GOVERNMENT.
THE FEDS CLEARLY HAVE THEIR JAWS
SET ON MACOMB CORRUPTION.
COULD GO.
BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE IS A LOT
OF NERVOUS FOLKS.
THEY FOUND BEYOND ARRESTED
INDICTMENTS, THEY'RE CREDITED
FOR BEING THE DIFFERENCE FOR
DONALD TRUMP WHERE THE MARGIN
WAS RAZOR THIN.
THERE'S SOME BITTERNESS OVER THE
METRO AREA COUSINS OVER THE FACT
IT WAS MACOMB VOTERS WHO PUT THE
STAKE IN THE REGIONAL TRANSIT
RTA.
AND A SNIT HAS BROKEN OUT
BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE BETWEEN
ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION.
WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?
WE'LL GET CAUGHT UP WITH THAT
WITH MARK HACKELL.
HE'S UP FIRST THIS MORNING ON
FLASH POINT.
♪
>> WELL, THE FOLKS IN MACOMB
COUNTY HAS GOTTEN USED TO THEIR
POLITICS GETTING NATIONAL
ATTENTION, REAGAN DEMOCRAT.
BUT THE FOCUS HAS BEEN
PARTICULARLY INTENSE AND LET'S
TALK ABOUT THAT MORE WITH MARK
HACKELL, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON FLASH
POINT.
LET'S START OUT WHAT'S GOING ON
WARREN.
THIS PAST WEEK ON THURSDAY HE
GOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND STARTED
TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING, AN
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECTER LOOMING
OUT THERE, MADE A LOOSE
COMPARISON TO WHAT HAPPENED IN
FLINT, AND THEN WALKED IT BACK A
LITTLE BIT.
CAN YOU--
THIS APPARENTLY HAS SOMETHING TO
DO WITH FREEDOM HILL.
EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON.
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S BETWEEN ME
AND THE MAYOR, I HAD TO STEP
FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE CRYPTIC
FACEBOOK AND REFERRED TO IT AS A
MINI VERSION OF FLINT.
NO PUBLIC OFFICIAL SHOULD USE
FLINT AS A WAY OF ATTENTION TO
SOMETHING BY DRAWING ATTENTION
TO THEMSELVES.
IT DREW A LOT OF CONCERN.
RESIDENTS IN STERLING HEIGHTS OR
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WERE
WORRIED ABOUT DRINKING WATER
WAS WRITTEN.
I CALLED HIM AT 6:00 IN THE
MORNING AND SAID WHAT'S GOING ON
HERE?
I DON'T LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING
AND WE NEED TO HAVE A
BACK.
AND I HAD TO STEP IN AND HAVE A
PRESS CONFERENCE BECAUSE THE
MEDIA COULDN'T GET TO HIM TO
FIND OUT WHAT HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT AND SAY, FIRST OFF, LET'S
HOLD OFF, THERE'S ISSUE DEALING
WITH THE DRINKING WATER BECAUSE
WE HAD THE EXPERTS THAT
UNDERSTOOD DRINKING WATER AND
EVEN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS,
EVEN HIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
AND CREATE ADD CONTROVERSY
BETWEEN HE AND I.
HILL.
>> LANDFILL ISSUES.
HEIGHTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S GOING AFTER
STERLING HEIGHTS BECAUSE
CONCERNS ABOUT MAJOR
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, IT'S NOT--
>> YOU DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S
ANYTHING LOOMING OUT THERE
THAT'S TROUBLING.
>> IT'S KNOW THE THAT I DON'T
BELIEVE IT, THERE ARE EXPERTS
ENGAGED IN VARIOUS ISSUES IN THE
COUNTY AND THAT ONE CERTAINLY
ISN'T ONE, OKAY, THERE'S AN
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN IN THE
NOT THE ISSUE.
>> LET'S MOVE ON TO THIS
CORRUPTION CASE THAT WE'VE BEEN
WATCHING UNFOLD AS THE FEDS NOW
MADE THREE VERY HIGH PROFILE
ARRESTS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
BUT THE SENSE AMONG ALMOST
EVERYBODY I TALKED TO IS THAT
THIS IS JUST THE START, THAT
THERE'S MORE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING ON?
>> I HEAR THE SAME.
YOU'VE GOT PUBLIC OFFICIALS THAT
ARE NERVOUS, APPREHENSIVE AND
CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
A LOT OF THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY
GET INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, THE
QUESTION BECOMES, ARE THEY
TAKING MONEY TO HELP AN ELECTION
CAMPAIGN, AS A CAMPAIGN DONATION
OR TAKING MONEY BECAUSE IT'S
SOME TYPE OF A BRIBE TO GET
SOMETHING DONE?
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S WHAT'S
BEEN HAPPENING WITH SOME OF THE
MUNICIPALITIES.
AND I ONLY SAY MACOMB COUNTY
GOVERNMENT, BUT IT'S A
MACOMB COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS
BEEN BROUGHT IN BECAUSE OF THIS
AND YET, THERE'S TALK ABOUT THAT
BEING AS WELL.
ISSUE.
>> THE TRASH COLLECTION ISSUE.
HAVE YOU BEEN TALKED TO BY THE
INTERVIEWED?
>> FULL DISCLOSURE, IT'S NOT SO
MUCH THAT I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWED,
BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO
ME AND MY BACKGROUND IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
NO LONGER DO I HAVE THE ABILITY
TO INVESTIGATE, BUT ONE THAT'S
DIRECTED INDIVIDUALS THAT FELT
LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN WRONGED BY,
YOU KNOW, CERTAIN PUBLIC
OFFICIALS BECAUSE OF CONTRACTS
OR WHAT NOT AND PLAIN TOLD THEM
YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY
THAT'S A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
THAT UNDERSTANDS LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND YOU NEED TO SHARE
INFORMATION AND NOT BE AFRAID OF
THE RETALIATION OR RETRIBUTION.
ABOUT.
THEY'LL COME FORWARD, BUT AFRAID
THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND NOW
THEY'RE EXPOSED AND MEAN
SOMETHING WITH THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS
CAUSE FOR MORE CONTRACTORS AND
DEVELOPERS AND PEOPLE FEEL LIKE
THEY'RE BULLIED BY A PUBLIC
OFFICIAL, TO SAY THAT I THINK
THAT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
>> IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE ONES
THEY'RE BRINGING COMPLAINTS TO.
ICEBERG?
HOW BIG IS A CORRUPTION PROBLEM
OF THE MUNICIPALITIES?
>> THE RIZZO THING WASN'T ON MY
RAR DA.
THINGS THEY BROUGHT YOU.
>> IN CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD.
IT'S MORE CONNECTED WITH GETTING
THE PERMITS THAT PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE GETTING AND PAY TO
PLAY CONCERNS.
WITH THAT SAID, THAT INFORMATION
HAS BEEN PASSED ALONG.
ARE THERE AGENCIES WORKING
COMPLAINTS?
ABSOLUTELY.
I'M VERY CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE
VERY INTERESTED IN TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT, DID SOME PUBLIC
OFFICIAL DO SOMETHING THEY
SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE BECAUSE OF,
YOU KNOW, THEIR POSITION IN THE
PUBLIC OFFICE.
>> HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE
THEN, THE POLITICAL AND BUSINESS
CLIMATE IN THESE BEING
INVESTIGATED?
THERE'S NERVOUS PUBLIC OFFICIALS
AND WAITING AND SEE--
>> DO YOU SENSE THEM AS BEING
>> YOU KNOW WHAT?
I DON'T THINK THE PLACES, BUT I
THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, THEY'VE
BEEN ACTING IN THAT FASHION.
NOT ONLY FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD,
BUT SOME THINGS I'VE WITNESSED
AND SAW MYSELF, ALBEIT, I CAN'T
COMPLAIN ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE,
FORWARD.
SO PEOPLE SOMETIMES WONDER, NOW
WHAT?
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE PART OF
THE SOLUTION AS A PUBLIC
OFFICIAL, YOU CAN'T SIT AND
WATCH THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
I DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY.
30 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IF I WERE TO GIVE SOMEBODY SOME
DIRECTION WHERE TO GO I'M AS
MUCH AN ARE THE PA OF THE
PROBLEM AS THE INDIVIDUAL
CREATING THIS PROBLEM.
PUBLIC OFFICIALS NEED TO BE PART
OF THE SOLUTION AND WORKING WITH
WRONG.
IF THAT'S HAPPENING YOU NEED TO
STEP UP AND COME FORWARD AND
DIRECT THEM TO THE RESOURCES
DONE.
>> LET'S MOVE TO WHAT HAPPENED
IN THE LAST ELECTION IN MACOMB
COUNTY.
YOU'RE HAD A DEMOCRAT AND YOU
WATCHED, I THINK, SOME PEOPLE
ARGUE IN A STATE WHERE MAYBE THE
MARGIN WAS 12 TO 13,000 VOTES
BETWEEN HILLARY CLINTON AND
DONALD TRUMP THAT THE
OVERWHELMING WIN THAT HE HAD IN
MACOMB COUNTY WAS THE DIFFERENCE
CHARACTERIZE WHAT YOU THINK WE
SAW IN MACOMB COUNTY.
>> IT'S INTERESTING, I LISTEN TO
POLLING AND TALKING ABOUT POLLS,
LOCAL OR NATIONAL AS I LISTEN TO
IT, I FIND IT INTERESTING, I
DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE CALLING
SOMEBODY AND GETTING A REACTION
TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO
SAY?
I'M ENGAGING AND LISTEN TO
CONVERSATIONS AND TALK TO THEM.
I DON'T TALK TO THEM AND TRY TO
CONVINCE THEM, BUT AS THE
CONVERSATION GOES ON I KEPT
LISTENING I WAS CONVINCED THAT
DONALD TRUMP WAS GOING TO WIN
MACOMB COUNTY.
I SAY THA BECAUSE FIRST AND
FOREMOST SIGNS DON'T WIN
ELECTION, I'VE NEVER SEEN AS
MANY PRESIDENTIAL SIGNS FOR A
CANDIDATE IN MACOMB COUNTY AS
THE ONES WE SAW FOR DONALD
TRUMP.
AMAZING AND CONVERSATIONS WITH
THE REGULAR, I GUESS, IF YOU
WILL, WORKING CLASS PEOPLE THAT
CHANGE.
NOT SO MUCH THAT THEY LIKED
DONALD TRUMP, BUT THEY WERE
TIRED OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND
THEY WANT TODAY GIVE THE
POLITICS BACK TO THE PEOPLE.
>> IT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE
MACOMB COUNTY WENT TO ARE BARACK
>> YES.
>> A LOT OF OTHER COUNTIES DID
AND THOSE COUNTIES WENT--
HILLARY CLINTON AND MACOMB
COUNTY CHANGED ITS MIND, I GUESS
YOU'D SAY, IN A BIG WAY.
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MACOMB
COUNTY THAT ISN'T HAPPENING
SOMEWHERE ELSE?
KNOW.
I'M FORTUNATE BECAUSE I'M ON THE
THAT.
IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN DURING THE
GUBERNATORIAL RACES WHEN
GOVERNOR SNYDER WAS WON, HE WON
MACOMB COUNTY HANDILY, 67% OF
THE VOTE YET I WAS RUNNING ON
THE TICKET AS A DEMOCRAT, AS
COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
AND I WON BY 70% OF THE VOTE.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE STRONG
REPUBLICANS AND STRONG DEMOCRATS
OR DEMOCRAT.
AND THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL
CROSS OVER DEPENDING UPON THE
ISSUE.
YOU CAN'T TAKE MACOMB COUNTY
VOTERS FOR GRANTED.
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
YOU TOLD MSNBC, YOU DON'T EXPECT
THEY HAVE A TON OF PATIENCE FOR
DONALD TRUMP.
HE BETTER MOVE QUICKLY.
>> THEY EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING
HAPPENING AND IF YOU'RE NOT
DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A SPECIFIC
PROMISE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT
JUST LOOKING FOR CHANGE AND I'VE
GOT TO TELL YOU, I THINK THE
BIGGER CONCERN IS THIS
WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER,
RATHER THAN COMING IN AND
SAYING, YOU KNOW THE PENDULUM
SWUNG TOWARD THE LIBERAL SIDE OR
CONSERVATIVE SIDE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE
PEOPLE SAYING THEY'RE WORKING
TOGETHER AND THEY WANT TO SEE IT
IN ACTION AND I'M ONLY HOPEFUL
YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THAT, WHETHER
IT'S OUT OF DONALD TRUMP'S
ADMINISTRATION OR IN MACOMB
COUNTY, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU
IT'S GOING TO SWING BACK.
>> AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S A
LITTLE RESENTMENT IN OTHER
POCKETS OF THE METRO AREA FOR
MACOMB COUNTY, IN THAT PEOPLE
RTA.
YOU AND BROOKS PATTERSON BOTH
DECIDED YOU WERE GOING TO SORT
OF BE AGNOSTIC THROUGH THE
CAMPAIGN ON THIS, BUT CLEARLY IT
DID NOT REGISTER THERE IN A WAY
THAT WAS, AND I GUESS I'M ASKING
THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED
MACOMB COUNTY THAT WAS DIFFERENT
THAN THE WAY THE STORY WAS TOLD
IN THE REST OF THE METRO AREA?
>> INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT THE RTA FIRST AND
FOREMOST, THERE ISN'T ANYONE WHO
SAID WE DISAGREE WITH REGIONAL
TRANSIT AND THE FACT THAT MACOMB
COUNTY THE SMART SYSTEM THERE
MACOMB COUNTY.
WE NOT ONLY SUPPORTED IT, BUT
SUPPORTED THE ENHANCEMENT WHEN
INCREASE.
THEY WANT TO LOOK AT IT LIKE
PROPOSE
ONE.
THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE PROPOSAL
AND SAW THROUGH IT, THIS ISN'T
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
I HEARD IT AND LISTENING TO THE
PEOPLE AND TRIED TO WARN THOSE
AT RTA, YOU NEED TO COME OUT AND
TALK TO MACOMB COUNTY, DON'T
POLL THEM, ENGAGE WITH THEM TO
FIND OUT WHA THEY'RE LOOKING
FOR TO ADD VALUE OR GET THEM TO
THINK, YOU KNO WHAT?
THIS IS SOMETHING IN MY LIFE
THAT I COULD SUPPORT THAT.
THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT
SMART IS PROVIDING AND HAPPY
WITH THAT, BUT DIDN'T SEE THE
CONNECTION AND UNDERSTANDING.
I GET IT, I SEE IT, BUT THE PLAN
THEY PUT FORWARD IS WHAT THE
PEOPLE VOTED NO AGAINST.
TO BE UPSET AT MACOMB COUNTY,
WHY DID I LOSE OR DIDN'T I GET
THROUGH THE PL PROPOSAL, WHY
WEREN'T YOU ABLE TO CONNECT WITH
THEM.
>> YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TELL
THE STORY AND THEY TOLD IT IN
OTHER PARTS.
IN OAKLAND, IT WAS ALMOST A WASH
WASH.
LAST QUESTION, I TALKED TO
INITIATIV
INITIATIVE, MAYBE THEY OUGHT TO
WASH MACOMB COUNTY OUT OF IT.
>> I THINK THAT'S A COP-OUT.
NO ONE IN MACOMB COUNTY SAID WE
DON'T WANT REGIONAL TRANSIT.
>> IT'S CAN ULT IF YOU'RE
READING THE RESULTS.
SOME PEOPLE DRAW THEIR OWN
>> MACOMB COUNTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN
A SUPPORTER WHEN IT'S THE DIA,
SUPPORTIVE OF THE ZOO, THE COBO
AUTHORITY AND BEYOND.
THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE HAVEN'T
OPTED OUT AND MACOMB COUNTY HAS
HALLS BEEN ALL IN.
IF YOU LOOK BACK IN TIME AND
START TALKING ABOUT THE METRO
PARKS, WE'VE BEEN A PART.
IT'S NOT OKAY, LET'S LEAVE THEM
OUT AND LOOK AT OTHER AREAS.
EVERYONE.
THEY'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
>> MARK, ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU