Two Hamtramck City Council members to remain on board despite investigation into residency
At the April 25 Hamtramck City Council meeting, a private investigator, using public records, surveillance, and GPS tracking, revealed that Muhith Mahmood lives in Troy, and Abu Musa lives in Warren.
"We have elected people to represent us who think they're too good to live with us," Russ Gordon from Hamtramck said.
At Tuesday's meeting, both Mahmood and Musa argued that while they do have second homes in those communities, they live in Hamtramck.
"My W-2 since 2011 in Hamtramck address and all other things, my insurance and my car in Hamtramck," Musa said.
However, dozens of residents spoke during public comment about their distrust of Musa and Mahmood and their frustrations with the idea that elected officials might not live in the communities they serve.
"We need to call it what it is, a complete failure of leadership," said Andrea Karpinski from Hamtramck.
"This is a close-knit community, and you already know what that investigation was going to prove, you know where your colleagues live, and it's not here."
Mayor Pro Tem Khalil Refai said there's not enough evidence for any action right now, and the city council voted against removing either Musa or Mahmood. However, both residents and the city council continued to raise the issue that there's no hard definition in Hamtramck of what officially makes someone a resident.
"Tricky subject. There's evidence that shows they're not here 100% of the time, so what constitutes a resident of Hamtramck?" said Diane Frkan from Hamtramck.
As of right now, Mahmood is aiming to become the mayor of Hamtramck, and Musa is running for reelection on the council. Many residents tonight are saying that if they're not kicked out, they'll have to vote them out later this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WARMINGTON: Veteran ignites debate by challenging Nova Scotia's $25G fine for woods walk
For those wondering if Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston was serious about fining citizens $25,000 for taking a walk in the woods, meet the first person to receive one of those lofty fines. His name is Jeff Evely – and he's extremely serious himself. There wasn't a challenge he wasn't up to facing while serving with the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan in 2009 and later in Iraq in 2019. He understands what it's like to go to war and come home with scars. The Air Force veteran of 20 years worked in the unarmed aircraft unit, which meant, 'I would see our young soldiers die at night and watch them get loaded on planes in caskets in the day.' Needless to say, he suffers from PTSD. 'I saw more Canadians loaded into Hercs than most,' he said. 'So, I understand the price and cost of freedom.' And when someone is being told they will face a fine for walking in the forest, he admits he does not approve. 'I fought it last time they did that and I am fighting it this time,' he said. 'It's just a walk in the woods.' On his X account, he posted a video of himself on his own property and then later 'at the ministry office eight minutes from my house' near Sydney, Nova Scotia, where he gave a heads up to the provincial environmental officers that he was going to go into the woods across from their building on Friday. They warned Evely not to do it or he would be fined. He did it and they gave him a ticket for $28,872.50. 'Seems there are taxes and fees and victim sure charges,' Evely said with a chuckle. He feels the people of Nova Scotia and Canada are victims of government overreach and tyranny. The Nova Scotia government's 'stay out of the woods order' comes across to many as Orwellian. There was no order to not sell matches or lighters or ban chainsaws or cooking stoves or to throw the book at actual arsonists with stiffer sentences. Just a sweeping ban on law-abiding people and their movements. 'It's about human dignity,' said Evely, who believes banning citizens from going for a walk in the woods on the premise that they could start a fire is unconstitutional. The JCCF (Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms) agrees with Evely and he said they'll will help him battle this out in court. Having covered veterans in foreign wars, my suggestion to Houston would be to drop this case immediately and not to do to this to a veteran who has to live with the horrors of war. It would be better to alter the message and rules to simply tell people not to have campfires or smoke while in the woods instead of effectively locking them down. Going into the wilderness is a right of passage in Nova Scotia – not just for a Canadian veteran but for everyone. There are ways to prevent forest fires, but taking away freedoms should not be one of them. Evely is prepared to lose his shirt to try to make this point. Feeling people lawfully and respectfully hiking in the woods are not going to start a forest fire, he said his goal is to fight back against 'do as I say or else' authoritarian-style government that goes beyond common sense. That's why veterans like himself fought – and often died – in wars. WARMINGTON: New statue is turning heads while reminding that cancelling history cancels freedom WARMINGTON: Sir John A. Macdonald was set free and now the guy who wanted him freed is too WARMINGTON: Historic Emergencies Act ruling vindicates Freedom Convoy truckers Evely said he harbours no ill will for the provincial officers who laid the charges. 'They are just doing their jobs' and 'I told them it was not personal' and 'we shook hands when I left,' he explained. But Evely will see them in court. The Houston government maintains the ban on entering forests is necessary given the hot, dry conditions throughout the province. Evely says he believes in staying on top of leaders who overstep their authority in treating people like they are enslaved. Either way, a fire has started in Nova Scotia – if not one in the forest, one in the courts. jwarmington@
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Teenage arrested after three shot in New York City's Times Square
A 17-year-old suspect has been arrested after three people were shot in New York City's Times Square in the early hours of Saturday. Gunfire rang out at around 01:20 EDT (05:20 GMT) at West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue, below the towering billboards in one of the world's busiest tourist hotspots. The teenager has not been named by police, and charges were pending. The shooting comes three months before the election for New York mayor, and as President Donald Trump sends federal agents into the streets of Washington DC to crack down on crimes committed by young people. The shooting in Times Square erupted during a fight outside a Raising Cane's chicken restaurant. It stemmed from a dispute, according to the New York Police Department. A handgun was recovered at the scene. Police say a 19-year-old man was shot in the foot, a 65-year-old man was hit in the left leg and an 18-year old woman was grazed in the neck. They were all admitted to hospital in a stable condition. Last month, a gun attack on an office building left four workers dead in Midtown Manhattan. The suspected gunman, a 27-year-old from Nevada, was believed to be targeting the National Football League offices. According to New York police, the city has seen historically low levels of gun violence in recent months. On Friday, Trump ordered federal agents into the streets of Washington DC to curb "totally out of control" levels of crime. Washington DC's homicide rate remains relatively high compared to other US cities, with a total of 98 such killings recorded so far this year. Homicides have been trending higher in the US capital compared with a decade ago. But federal data from January shows that Washington DC last year recorded its lowest overall violent crime figures - once car-jacking, assault and robberies are incorporated - in 30 years. On Saturday, Trump announced plans on Truth Social to host a news conference at the White House on Monday, "which will, essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, DC". A mistaken elevator, frantic emails and a run for help - how New York shooting unfolded Soldiers who tackled military base gunman hailed for 'heroism'
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
FDA official returns to agency after Loomer-led ouster
Federal agencies ActivismFacebookTweetLink Follow Dr. Vinay Prasad, a controversial critic of the US Food and Drug Administration who took a top role at the regulatory agency in May, has returned to his job weeks after resigning amid pressure from the White House and right-wing activist Laura Loomer. 'At the FDA's request, Dr. Vinay Prasad is resuming leadership of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,' said Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon in a statement to CNN on Saturday. Nixon did not respond to CNN's inquiry about whether Prasad will also return to his role as FDA chief medical and scientific officer. In late July, Prasad, a hematologist oncologist, said he was resigning because he 'did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the FDA' and had 'decided to return to California and spend more time with his family.' Prasad's departure came amid fresh pressure from the White House for him to resign, according to a person familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to describe the internal dynamics, and followed days of criticism from Loomer, who has extraordinary access to President Donald Trump. Loomer had taken shots at Prasad on her website and on social media, attacking him publicly for days as a 'progressive leftist saboteur' who was 'undermining President Trump's FDA.' Loomer focused on Prasad's previous social media posts and podcast episodes, where she said he aligned himself politically with liberal politicians and expressed 'disdain' for Trump. Her posts were followed by others from figures including former US Sen. Rick Santorum, who called Prasad 'the man destroying @POTUS legacy for helping patients,' and a Wall Street Journal opinion piece headlined, 'Vinay Prasad Is a Bernie Sanders Acolyte in MAHA Drag.' Prasad had been a vocal critic of some of the agency's drug approvals, as well as the government's response and vaccine policies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Loomer, reacting to the news of Prasad's return in a Saturday post on X, called it an 'egregious personnel decision' and said she planned to '(ramp) up my exposes of officials within HHS and FDA' in the coming weeks. Prasad also drew criticism from former officials and vaccine experts after internal memos from May revealed that he overrode FDA scientists on recommendations for two new versions of Covid-19 vaccines. The then-CBER director rebuked recommendations for broad use of the shots; the FDA eventually approved the vaccines for use in older and immunocompromised people but did not advise them for younger Americans who don't have underlying conditions. CNN's Meg Tirrell, Sarah Owermohle, and Adam Cancryn contributed to this report.
