Ann Arbor local election, Nov 2018 - any write in candidates? (Taylor: lawyer, neighborhood)

[PunkisDad]

Good afternoon,


Ann Arbor townie here. I am dissastisfied with both the mayoral candidate, Chris Taylor, and my ward (5th) candidate, Ali Ramlawi. While they're from opposite camps (the 'activist/developer' side in the case of the mayor and the dissenters in the case of Ramlawi) I can't in good conscience vote for either. It really frustrates me, because I believe that in a representative democracy you have to pick people who sometimes you don't agree with, but they are too much for me.


I believe Mayor Taylor has a disregard, even a contempt, for the neighborhood residents of the city. He also seems disinterested in the basic functions of city government and more interested in major policy. To me, local government is almost always the wrong arena for that. He should run for a state office or higher, then, instead. He also seems to lead the charge in spending with reckless abandon and then crying broke and talking about new taxes. It didn't surprise me that he's a lawyer from New York, and I just think he is a bad fit for a rather small Midwestern city.



Mr. Ramlawi on the other hand is a restaurateur and a political gadfly. I have not heard him add anything meaningful to the conversation. He either seems to demonstrate an almost willful ignorance on city government or exude negativity and hostility. Nothing substantive. In fact he has made comments that make me question his intelligence.



So, is anyone running as a write-in in either of these races that I can protest vote for? I am a veteran and I believe in our system of government and I hate to just not vote for an office. To me, that is too close to not voting altogether. Please know that I am looking for someone who is an actual write-in, i.e. they have filed.


Please know as well I am thinking about running in the future, too, and I think all ordinary people here should consider it, as I believe a city this educated and fully of amazing people should not have such a dearth of good choices.



Thank you for reading and feel free to share your opinions on our local races as well.