David Bazzy: New Dearborn Council (to-be) Member
Back in August after the primary election, we wrote that former Dearborn council-candidate David Bazzy would indeed be joining the city council, despite his earlier election loss.
That was because Dearborn Councilman George Darany and Councilwoman Suzanne Sareini were competing for the 15th District seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. With Darany’s victory on Tuesday, Bazzy will now join council in January. Bazzy you will recall finished just 548 votes shy of landing a seat on the Dearborn City Council in the last general election, finishing just behind Councilwoman Nancy Hubbard.
David Bazzy
DeepsaidWhat.com caught up with Bazzy on the day of the election to get his thoughts on what he views are the biggest issues facing our city and what he hopes to accomplish when he finally does join city council. He says he is excited about joining the council.
”I ran because I felt I had some value to add to the city during these tough economic times, certainly the toughest in my 52 years living here in the city,” he told DeepsaidWhat.com.
Bazzy says while he may make some mistakes on council, he will always act and vote in a way that is best for the city.
He says the city’s two biggest problems right now include managing a huge budget deficit with a declining tax base and finding a way to fill the many vacant building in our city.
“These vacant buildings are detrimental to us being able to move the city forward. That is both vacant commercial buildings and residential housing. We have problems on both fronts.
“We need to focus on being a consumer advocate on individual owned homes,” Bazzy added, referring to how mechanisms in place today create an area of more foreclosures because of those who short-sale homes in our city.
“We have to get smarter and more creative to get younger couples to move into the city. We need to put things in place to attract them to move here and then work with them to help them become owner-occupants of homes.”
Bazzy said he will “work hard and I will listen” on council.
“Public service is not unlike a private business,” he said. “There is a process. The city has to move things at a faster pace because business is moving at a faster pace.”
Bazzy, 52, is a life-long Dearborn resident who graduated from Edsel Ford and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Wayne State Univesity. Today, he is the President of Kenwal Steel and Kenwal Pickling in the east side of the city. He and his wife of 26 years have three boys, all of them now in college (two of his sons graduated from Divine Child, one from Dearborn High School). He was elected to the Dearborn Charter Commission in 2005 and served as its president. He formerly served on the Zoning Board and Recreation Commission.
Bazzy wouldn’t say who he voted for State House because he said whatever the outcome, he will need to work with one of them on City council. “Whoever gets elected, I know they will do what is in the best interests of our city and the state.”
Spoken like a true politician.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Going to be a real asset for the people on the Council. He won’t be O’Reilly’s yes man the way George was, and Nancy, Robert,Mark are. You have your work cut out, but I for one believe you are the right man, and you should have made it at the last election.
November 7th, 2010 at 10:57 am
I would have to disagree on George being an ‘O’Reilly yes man’ he was one of the few that would disagree with Jack.
I would like to know which city service programs that Dave Bazzy thinks should be eliminated due to the budget problems we are experiencing. As a matter of fact, I would like to know how ALL the members on the council feel about this.
November 7th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I know Dave personally- great guy to fill george’s seat! Smart and business savvy- great combo
November 7th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Mr. Bazzy made the right comment about working with one of the State Rep candidates after the election. Spoken like a politician, yes, but also spoken like an intelligent man. Welcome to the Council, Mr. Bazzy.
November 7th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Quit puckering up to Darany, I as well as a lot of other people voted for hi, so he would get off the Council. Believe me we came ahead with David, now please don’t prove us wrong — David good luck.
November 7th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Seriously, Migel, do you even have a clue before you start spouting off? Bazzy was one of O’Reilly’s guys in last year’s council election, while Darany was one of the few sitting council members O’Reilly did not endorse. Darany was one of the few independent thinkers on the council.
From this weekend’s Dearborn Press & Guide:
Bazzy’s addition to the council also could mean the further entrenchment of Mayor John B. O’Reilly’s voting majority on the seven-member body. O’Reilly endorsed five candidates for the 2009 council race – Sareini, Bazzy, Mark Shooshanian, Bob Abraham, and Nancy Hubbard – and now will have all five on board.
November 8th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Anyone else hearing that Mayor O’Reilly may soon be offered a judicial appointment? If true, that certainly will alter the entire makeup of the city government..
November 8th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Come on Migel. Bazzy was the chairman the charter commission, the mayor had him do his dirty work when they rewrote the city charter to give the mayor more power… he is definitely in the mayor s pocket…wake up DEARBORN go to the council meeting and ask questions about all the spending !!! Its your money…
November 8th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Dave Bazzy to the Mayor is like Nancy Pelosi to Obama, enough said.
November 9th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Mayor Puddin Pants can’t become Judge Puddin Pants soon enough. This appointment will allow Puddin Pants to avoid any responsibility for the disasters he created. Typical par for the course. Go from office to office collecting paychecks and pensions, and not doing a damn thing. Cant cut it in the Private sector run for office.
Thanks Granmole, what a great appointment.
November 9th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
I would be very surprised if O’Reilly receives any judicial appointment from the Governor before she leaves. He’s not qualified for any judgeship and there are a lot more people who have delivered more for her than he has, so he’s probably towards the bottom of her list.
We can only hope that Bazzy will decide to exercise his own voice and be a stronger and more independent voice on the council than the rest. There seem to be an awful lot of people who are dissatisfied with the current council and mayor, but apparently this never translated at the voting booths–think next time before you vote, people!
November 10th, 2010 at 11:26 am
I would be very surprised to see a white male from Dearborn appointed to a judicial position in Wayne County.
November 10th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Anything is better than what we lost, believe me. As far as Jenny appointing the big fella, exactly what has he done? He has never handled a case in his life, and now he is going to pass judgement on someone else — not going to happen. The only way he becomes a judge, is when he gets enough balls to run for the office — Case closed. He is never going to be appointed, because he doesn’t deliver anything to the table, except his appetite.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:18 am
If memory serves me well, O’Reilly was set to run against Granholm appointee Judge Wygonik on Dearborn’s 19th District court a few years ago, but due to the untimely illness and subsequent death of Mayor Guido, was convinced by his late father, the first Mayor O’Reilly to put his judicial plans on hold and serve as mayor. So, it’s not such a long shot for him to be appointed–and I don’t believe he is any less qualified than many Granholm appointees. And, he does have some experience with Sharia Law (just kiddiing….)
November 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Can the Big Boy raise money for a campaign? He can count me out, simply because he is a wishy washy panzie. People know he can’t be anything but a would-be bully, but when he is pressured (like an election), he won’t take a stand. Face it, we have to live with Mr.Goodyear.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
LMAO just asking!
November 11th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Good point about O’Reilly wanting to be local judge, I had forgotten that. That isn’t exactly a qualification, of course, but as pointed out, that hasn’t stopped Granholm in the past.
Such an appointment would require O’Reilly to abandon his post as Mayor. Is there any hint that he is seeking such a move? ‘justasking’ said he has heard this…from where?
November 13th, 2010 at 2:10 am
I hope Mr. Bazzy is asked about the 5 million dollar tax credit that the city gave his steel company.
Not too bad,first he is given a steel company and then he is given a 5 million dollar tax credit.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
The Big O campaigned for Bazzy. We just got another yes man. How many more Council people need to leave before we get some real fresh blood like Kiernan, Dulmage or D’Ambrosia?
November 19th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
As far as I know, I’ve never met David Bazzy and other than comments from other people, I am not aware of what his views and/or takes are about anything in Dearborn.
However, he was the 8th choice as a council member by Dearborn residents and he must have something going for him if this many people voted for him.
As far as the “yes men” comment, despite some council members being endorsed and/or praised by Mayor O’Reilly, many times I have witnessed all and/or some of them vote against some issues the Mayor was for. Even though I don’t always agree with their votes or what the Mayor wants to do, I would hardly call them “yes men or women”.
Back to Bazzy. Before I make any judgments on him, I’d like to follow him in the council meetings to see how he handles himself, as well as listen to him speak about what his ideas are and this will tell us plenty. He is a businessman and resident, therefore he has a vested interest in Dearborn and we should at least give this man a chance, as time will tell what kind of councilman he will be…
November 21st, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Check out today’s Press and Guide to learn something vital about Mr. Bazzy. According to a state investigation, Mr. Bazzy sent out libelous mis-information about Tom Tafelski during the election last year. That is, the infamous mailing that claimed that Tafelski had arranged a lower tax-rate for himself than his neighbors paid. Well, it turned out that the neighbors who paid more taxes simply had houses that were worth more…because their properties backed onto the golf course. The same lower taxes were paid by Tafelski’s immediate neighbors on the ‘wrong’ side of the street. Mr. Bazzy incredulously claims that he doesn’t know WHO at his business would have sent those lying mailers out to smear Tafelski. Right….
November 21st, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Also, folks, the Press and Guide story exposes the fact that Suzanne Sareini, recently smeared for her personal bankruptcies in her election try, was the one who distributed e-mails last year claiming that Tom Tafelski frequented strip joints. The picture that was included in her email was one taken during Super Bowl festivities that included dancers from the Cirque de Solei. No strip clubs involved. Sareini is quoted as saying it was a ‘mistake’ for her to send those lying e-mails and that she has apologized for them so everyone should just move on…
Isn’t there a saying somewhere about ‘what goes around, comes around?’ It is very disappointing to find that Sareini could do something like that.