WDET is gathering Metro Detroiters’ views of the current political landscape as part of our Citizen Vox project.

That includes Detroiter George Thompson, who we caught up with at a Midtown QLINE streetcar stop.

He says he knows citizens are supposed to have the ultimate political power: their vote.

But Thompson says he fears the typical resident has little say in what government does.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

George Thompson: Because a lot of times decisions are made from behind closed doors, where people are not allowed to go in to hear what’s going on, or pass on their opinion and try to persuade. It’s all about whoever got the political movements to make the money to give to the politicians to do the decisions that they want them to do. It’s big business. So, basically, whoever’s got the money can run it. Whoever got the money, the connections and know the people within the circle, they got the power to make whatever happens in this country happen.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Whoever is elected to any of the offices in play, senate, governor, etc., what issues would you like to see them tackle that would be particularly important to you?

GT: Anything dealing with human rights, man, and human welfare. Giving people an opportunity to live the American dream, work hard and fulfill their dreams, hopes, and desires. A man’s home is his castle. So a man needs a place to stay. He needs to be working somewhere so he can take care of the place, raise a family to be productive citizens of this country, and live the American dream that was set for us when the founding fathers founded this country.

But right now it ain’t about that. Because if you look around, you see people who are hungry, people who are struggling, gas prices are out of control. People can’t really enjoy life like they should be. You take a pay check in one hand and it goes out the other. Inflation’s going up, but the checks ain’t going up along with it. So we’re going through some hard times right now. And it seems that nobody is really trying to help to fulfill that for us.

QK: When you talk about helping with the American dream, is there anything in particular that you’d like to see? Lowering prices somehow, trying to get more affordable housing, things like that?

GT: One thing is, before we help other countries, man, we got to make sure our country is up to par. Because we got issues and problems that we need to address seriously to help our country be strong enough so that we can be able to help others. How are we gonna help somebody with a flat tire and we got four flat tires?

There are people out here who don’t want to work, I understand that. But people who are looking for something, help them find enough minimum wage to attain some of the things that they desire in life. Shoot, I remember when rent prices were like $450. Now it’s double and triple that for the same place.

We are still making $14, $12, $10 an hour. And they think that’s supposed to be enough to attain a nice decent apartment or a roof over our head for our family. But it’s not. We struggling, man. And it’s hard. Gas prices are going up. There’s more problems now than ever. Everything just went crazy, man. It makes no sense. You give us something, then you triple up everything else to get the money back. And that’s not right. Not right at all.

Citizens hold the ultimate political power under the U.S. Constitution.

But do people in Metro Detroit feel they have the power to change or affect the government?

WDET posed that question as part of our Citizen Vox project.

Former Detroiter Stephanie Cochran says she doubts that she will feel that authority over government until a new generation of politicians take office.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Stephanie Cochran: Culture is evolving, generations are growing, and we need fresh, young, new faces with fresh, new, young ideas that understand how times have changed. I understand tradition is important. But we have to evolve with the growing society. So, until we get new, young, fresh faces in there, we’ll never have the control. It is our right and our power to choose who we put in there. But the masses put the same people in office every time.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: If there were some fresh, new faces in there, what issues would you like to see them try to address right now?

SC: Livable wages, that’s my first thing. People are miserable in their situations. They’re working just to get by and they’re not even getting by. Most households have a minimum of two jobs per adult. In situations like that I need job security, I need better jobs, I need higher-paying jobs.

And that leads directly into affordable housing. I had to move out of the city of Detroit because I couldn’t afford to live in the city anymore. For what I was paying for a studio apartment on the riverfront, I now have a whole three bedroom home in Warren. It’s like I was bullied out of my neighborhood. I grew up in that neighborhood, I had been there since childhood. And I was bullied out because people with higher incomes have come in and bought up all the property, redeveloped it, and now everything is astronomical and sky high for native Detroiters to stay in their communities.

QK: City officials in Detroit, among many other officials, often push the need for affordable housing and that they’re addressing it. But that doesn’t seem to be having much of an impact in your view?

SC: Not really, because it sprinkles here and there. If you really want to see some dynamic impact, invest in the communities. Go door to door, knock on people’s doors, offer them grant money. “Can we help you fix your house up? Do you need some assistance buying the lot next to you so you can maintain it on our behalf?” Get creative with the options. Don’t just throw up a high-rise or a complex in the worst neighborhood in the city and call it affordable housing, knowing it’s only 40 units in that building. That’s 40 families taken care of out of what, thousands?

QK: Other issues that might be important to you?

SC: Inflation is definitely a a worry, especially with the tariffs constantly fluctuating and us being right here on the Canadian border. We see the price influx first.

QK: If you were elected to whatever position, how do you think you would go about trying to attack those issues?

SC: The first thing is more open lines of communication between the political scene and the direct constituency it serves. I think if we had more clear, concise conversations, more people voice their concerns and they were actually heard, we would get a lot farther.

QK: Does it feel like you’re kind of cut off from some of the representatives right now?

SC: It does, it does. You call and you get their aides or their voicemail. Or you’ll send an email and it will go through a chain of command. And by the time you’ve gotten your issue to someone who has the power to help, it’s either no longer an issue or you’re too exhausted to keep fighting.

For me personally, being the parent of a recent high school graduate who had to take her child to a suburban school district to feel confident in the education she was receiving, I want Detroit’s school system to pull it together. There are schools in Detroit that don’t have computer labs. There are schools in Detroit that don’t even have enough books per student. There are suburban schools that send laptops home with their students at the beginning of the school year that is theirs to maintain for the rest of the school year. Why can’t Detroit have that same type of opportunity for our students?

After another year of standout reporting, storytelling and music programming, WDET has earned more than 40 awards from some of the industry’s most respected journalism and broadcasting organizations.

Leading the honors is a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, one of broadcast journalism’s most prestigious recognitions. WDET also received awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the Society of Professional Journalists, Public Media Journalists Association and the National Headliner Awards.

The awards reflect the scope of WDET’s work, recognizing excellence in journalism, music programming, digital content and community storytelling.

Local-interest series such as “Citizen Vox Project,” “CuriosiD” and the culture-focused “Container on The Metro” were among the recognized projects, alongside award-winning reporting from programs including “The Metro,” “All Things Considered: Detroit” and “Morning Edition Detroit.”

Pat Batcheller wins the Region 7 Murrow for ‘Morning Edition Detroit’ newscast

The award-winning 7 a.m. broadcast of “Morning Edition Detroit” on Oct. 16, 2025, featured coverage of Detroit’s mayoral debate and residents’ reactions, city beautification efforts and other local news from across the region.

As in all of his broadcasts, Batcheller navigates seamlessly between news, weather and traffic, demonstrating the skill and versatility of a seasoned host and trusted reporter.

This marks his first Murrow Award.

Local Awards

Society of Professional Journalist awards

The Society of Professional Journalists honored WDET journalists with first place in several reporting categories, such as arts, auto, investigative, education, sports and more. Stories documenting ICE detention and global conflict from local perspectives spoke to the key issues of today, earning The Metro several awards.

Michigan Association of Broadcasters

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters recognized WDET’s work in the social sphere and gave a nod to music shows like Waajeed’s The Boulevard and Mike Latulippe’s The Detroit Move— a great send off to the latter show, which retired this past winter. 

National Awards

National Headliner Awards

Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the National Headliner Awards are among the oldest and most respected journalism competitions in the country. Earning national recognition in the contest is an achievement in itself, and WDET received two awards this year.

Public Media Journalists Association

The Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) champions journalistic excellence across public media, honoring journalists whose work informs, engages and empowers their communities. The national awards program recognizes some of the best reporting and storytelling from stations across the country. This year, WDET earned five PMJA awards, highlighting the impact of its journalism and community-focused programming.

As part of Crossing the Lines WDET is speaking to Highland Park residents about the city and upcoming state elections.

Highland Park has only two K-8 charter schools and has not had its own high school since 2015. The city also has many transient residents, which makes it hard for the schools to retain students.

Angela Fleming is a born and raised Highland Park resident. She says quality education for children is her top concern for the city.

Fleming spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Angela Fleming: Well, I’m a long-time homeowner in Highland Park, and my main concerns are our school systems. You know, when I was raised and brought up in the school system, we had very beautiful school systems. Now that I see, you know, the children going to schools now they’re being very deprived of education. And I say that because we have one school. I’m a tax paying citizen. I would like to see more schools open in the city of Highland Park.

Bre’Anna Tinsley, WDET:  Do you feel that the current state administration is providing enough resources to the city?

AF:  I think they could do better, or even if they are providing the money, where is he going? Why don’t we as taxpayers see what they’re actually really doing in Highland Park? Rather than fixing the roads – which the roads need to be fixed also— but what about the kids education? Can our kids get educated on levels that will allow them to be competitive in the world we live in or the times we live in? So that’s what I would love to see change.

Let our kids get some education, let them have the opportunity of living healthy, normal lives, which I’m sure we all as parents would like to see our kids go to good school systems, our kids getting the education that we got when we came up. And then, not only that, being in healthy, normal environments.

BT: Do you have someone in mind for governor the governor’s races coming up this year?

AF:  I can’t really say, because there’s a lot of competition, and it also has some good people, but I’m not going to pass judgment on that. The voters will decide who they think the best contender is.

BT: You mentioned education, do you have any specific ideas or things that you will like the next governor to do towards education that might help the city of Highland Park?

AF:  Well, I think when it comes to education, that is one of the most areas that we need to focus on, as it relates to your you know, your crime level. Also, I think if kids get more education, get into the right areas as it relates to your recreation centers, after school programs that they have a better opportunity at being better citizens. In order to be a better citizen, you have to do things that require for you to be brought up in a way that would show a direction as to how you getting trained, or how you getting taught, or how you even getting educated. You know what I’m saying?

BT: Okay, well, I have one more question. Is there anything about Highland Park that you would like the next representative or the next governor to know.

AF:  I think the next governor should understand that Highland Park is just a small community, and we as homeowners or residents of the city of Highland Park should possibly have more meetings that will allow the government to be able to make making better decisions that would be more beneficial to the residents and the children, or even just the residents of that city.

This piece is also a part of WDET’s on-going series, Citizen Vox, where reporters ask residents about their priorities ahead of local elections.

Highland Park is a small city that once had a relatively large population for its size. At the height of Detroit’s automotive boom, more than 50,000 people lived within Highland Park’s 2.9 square miles. Today, the population is less than 9,000.

WDET’s Crossing the Lines series features conversations with and stories about Highland Park’s people, culture, and history.

Detroit Public Radio’s Citizen Vox project gives residents a chance to express how they feel about their communities and the issues that matter to them.

WDET’s Pat Batcheller spoke with Highland Park resident Ken Bates at a coffee shop on Woodward Ave. on April 10, 2026.

Bates was born in Detroit but moved to Highland Park with his wife more than 25 years ago. They bought a Craftsman-style bungalow in a historic district of the city. Voters elected Bates to the city council in 2018, where he served until 2022. He chairs the board of an energy nonprofit called Soulardarity. Its mission includes installing solar-powered streetlights in Highland Park’s neighborhoods.

Bates shares his thoughts on housing, poverty, community pride, and development.

Ken Bates: We know that there’s a housing crisis, a housing shortage nationally, affordable housing. Highland Park has an abundance of land that is underutilized, that really could be put forth in terms of development. So, we could look at land trusts. We could look at affordable housing, low-income housing, market rate housing, duplexes to grow the population because that’s what we have in abundance.

Manufacturing? I doubt that will ever come back to the extent that Henry Ford and Chrysler and some of the other manufacturers had here. That’s a bygone era.

And so, we have to look into the future as to what will help Highland Park become sustainable. What kind of industries should we count on?

You have to get education on board. You have to get private development. You have to get your government funding all in order, and you have to have a plan and a vision and the expertise in order to do it.

If not, you’re just maintaining the status quo. And year after year, you’re just one disaster away from some financial calamity, whether it be a natural disaster or something like the Great Lakes Water Authority suing us for $19 million and threatening to put it on our tax rolls.

Pat Batcheller: What do you like about being in Highland Park?

KB: Highland Park is centrally located. It’s convenient. There’s a sense of—like with my block, I never expected it to be so diverse. And yet you’ve got immigrants, you’ve got people of different faiths. You’ve got people who are ascribed to different lifestyles. I mean, it just it goes on and on, different political beliefs, and we all live together in the same community, and we’re able to communicate and talk and look out after each other.”

PB: From the conversations I’ve had with you and some of the other folks I’ve talked to, it isn’t really the borders that define Highland Park, it’s the people. Would you agree with that?

KB: Well, yeah, I would say the people do define Highland Park because, because again, they’ve been here. Most have been here quite a long time. And even if you travel outside of Highland Park and talk to people that formerly lived here, many people will tell you, ‘Yeah, my grandparents lived here.’ They remember it as a great city. They’ve had fond memories.

The historical district is obviously something that has gained attention. People are looking at those homes and, if they have the means to renovate them, are coming in and deciding, “well, let’s renovate this home.” Because you can’t rebuild those anywhere for anything that I would consider reasonable.

Highland Park has just had its own identity for a long, long time. And so, I can’t see that changing because it would be so difficult to incorporate us into the Detroit culture. We’re not Detroit. We’re not Hamtramck. We’re Highland Park.

PB: What’s the most pressing issue facing Highland Park right now?

KB: It’s poverty. You’ve got to figure out how to raise people’s incomes up, so to speak, their standard of living. So, whether it be through employment, homeownership, because poverty impacts everything around us. For example, ALDI is usually out of shopping carts because people abscond with them. If you’re running a business, that’s not helpful. We were fortunate in that Foot Locker moved into the old CVS building because CVS, Rite-Aid, and another drugstore left.

Convincing businesses to come here is a real challenge because the landscape has changed. Brick and mortar stores aren’t necessarily how people are going about retail experiences. You would think that we would have a thrift shop or something of that nature in a community like that. We don’t.

So, trying to look at trends that will allow people to be gainfully employed, increase home ownership, educate their children are things that should be made priority.

The appearance of the city has to change because we have a lot of blight. We had a press conference celebrating the announcement of Highland Towers on Woodward being torn down. We’ve got to have news that is uplifting, that is showing progress now. Yes, the building should be torn down because it’s caught on fire sixteen years ago. But we need to be announcing opportunities for growth projects that will bring about change.