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Kozachenko, Democrats Feud; Coalition Appears Over

Kozachenko, Democrats Feud; Coalition Appears Over image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
October
Year
1975
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Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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Kozachenko, Democrats Feud; Coalition Appears Over

BY GLEN HARRIS

City Government Reporter

The speculation after last April's city elections that Ann Arbor was going to be run for a year by a Democratic-Human Rights Party coalition fell asunder Monday night.

The already strained lines of agreement between lone HRP Councilwoman Kathleen Kozachenko and the five council Democrats tore apart completely in a meeting punctuated by political invective and considerable shouting.

At one point Democratic Mayor Albert H. Wheeler threatened to leave the session when Kozachenko stepped outside the council's rules to deliver a blast at the Democrats.

The eruption came when Kozachenko introduced a resolution that would have . directed the city attorney’s office to prepare a rent control ordinance based on the 1974 HRP charter amentment voters rejected. To formally get the item on the floor for discussion a second to her motion was needed, and none came.

Wheeler than moved on to the next agenda item, but Kozachenko announced she was going to argue for her resolution anyway. While the mayor was calling for discussion on the next item, Kozachenko began lambasting the Democrats as “liars” who campaigned in support of rent control but have done nothing about it.

In a suggestion to quiet Kozachenko Councilman James Kenworthy, D-Fourth Ward, asked for a sergeant of arms to be called. Council has no formal sergeant of arms, but it relies on the police department one floor below the council chambers to handle any disturbances.

Kenworthy's suggestion was ignored by Kozachenko, as were suggestions from other Democrats for the HRP councilwoman to wait until the end of the agenda when any council member can speak on virtually any subject. Kozachenko kept on blasting the Democrats, accusing them of running on a rent control platform but never intending to do anything about it.

An attempt to recess the meeting was made, but voted down by Kozachenko, the five council Republicans and Council-woman Carol Jones, D-Second Ward. When Kozachenko began again to speak Mayor Wheeler announced, over the councilwoman's voice, “If you people want to sit here and listen to this nonsense you can. I’m leaving." Wheeler then put on his coat and began gathering up his working papers.

Kozachenko then accused the Democrats of “being afraid of being called liars.”

She proceeded with her soliloquy while other council members urged Wheeler to proceed with the next business item. But the mayor again began preparing to leave, announcing, "This council doesn't have enough guts to take some action when something like this is going on, and I don’t want to have anything' to do with it.”

This pronouncement apparently settled the frayed nerves somewhat, as Kozachenko stopped talking, the mayor sat down, and the meeting proceeded.

Prior to the eruption Kozachenko had directed her verbal guns at the Democrats in general, and Wheeler in particular, over a motion she made to provide unemployed persons with free legal advice through the city attorney’s office.

Wheeler and most other council members opposed the measure, with the mayor noting that the human services department tie has proposed creating would provide legal advice.

Kozachenko pointed to Wheeler’s veto of an HRP-GOP approved Community Development Revenue Sharing funding plan, saying, “All the Democratic Party has accomplished is holding up CDRS money and legal aid" funding contained in it. “All we’ve got is a veto and a lot of hot air,” she added.

“Nothing has changed since before April (when Republicans controlled council) . . . only things are slower," Kozachenko said.

At another point in the meeting when Democrats and Republicans agreed funding was needed for a Bicentennial Commission, the councilwoman said the commission celebrates the "genocide" of native Americans.

At still another point in the meeting she again took on the Democrats during discussion of her motion to drop one council member (a Democrat) from an emergency hiring program executive committee. By having two Democrats, one Republican and one HRP council members on that committee "The whole point is to get enough of your (Wheeler’s) hand-picked people on this committee so you can go in and do whatever you want,” Kozachenko charged.

Wheeler responded, “I don’t know what your problem is,” saying in the past all the hiring decisions were made by elected officials, but the present committee includes two citizens.

Shortly after the' rent control disruption Kozachenko left the meeting. But one of the last items council acted on was her requested appointment of an Ann Arbor Transportation Authority employe to the AATA board.

With the five Republicans solidly in opposition to the appointment, Councilwoman Jones urged, “Her constitutents should speak to Councilwoman Kozachenko, who doesn't see fit to stay around to the end of the council meetings to get her items passed ... A council member who doesn’t stay around doesn’t' deserve anything.” The appointment failed on  6- 4 VOTE.