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<\/p>\nBy Simon Albaugh \u2013 Yemeni American News<\/p>\n
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. \u2013 Last week, Omar Thabet\u2019s MotivateMe313 hosted a candidate forum for Mayoral hopefuls, showing the priorities, background knowledge, and philosophy underpinning the campaigns of four community members.<\/p>\n
This Saturday, the Yemeni American Political Action Committee will host the candidates again for a forum at the Golden Gates Hall in Hamtramck, providing voters with another opportunity to see the candidates weighed against each other.<\/p>\n
The last candidate forum saw questions as broad as the role of the mayor in connecting Hamtramck\u2019s diverse communities. However the questions did stay topical, such as the way a mayor could lead an effort to alleviate flooding.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll in all, if the forum helped the community understand a little more about the candidates, then I\u2019m happy to say that the job was done,\u201d Thabet said.<\/p>\n
Candidates were able to differentiate themselves, with each one coming in with a distinct trait that could convince voters.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr. Amer Ghalib<\/p>\n
Dr. Amer Ghalib, a Hamtramck-based Physician was shown to be the fresh face of the race, having never been a major part of Hamtramck\u2019s local politics before this race.<\/p>\n
His stated first priority is \u201cto put an end to the division that\u2019s happening in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think now, more than ever, the city is divided,\u201d Dr. Ghalib said. \u201cPeople vs. Police, Council vs. Community, Religion vs. Politics. I believe what is needed more than ever is an open dialogue at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout the MotivateMe313 Forum, Dr. Ghalib expressed a deep focus on working through the city\u2019s budget challenges, providing open communication between the city and its government, and other transparent means. For the rest of the campaign, Dr. Ghalib will need to leverage the community trust he\u2019s built through his medical profession.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a healthcare professional, I was trained to be an advocate to the people, and to always respect their choices and to put their interests first,\u201d Dr. Ghalib said. \u201cI have that natural feeling to serve the people and I believe that I am ready to serve the people in a different way by being mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Councilman Saad Almasmari<\/p>\n
Councilman Saad Almasmari is trying to work his way up from Hamtramck\u2019s City Council. With a number of campaigns within his experience, with some being highly successful, while others being not-so-successful, Almasmari is hoping to win his biggest seat yet.<\/p>\n
Almasmari has been at the center of some controversial issues. Having voted against the millage proposal that would raise taxes by up to 10 mils, he\u2019s aligned himself against increasing taxes in any form for Hamtramck residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all, I believe that City of Hamtramck residents, they are overloaded,\u201d Almasmari said. \u201cThey have too many issues and too many bills to pay. We have a high water bill, and we have high property taxes. We are also not getting the services we need in Hamtramck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamtramck as a diverse community is most clearly represented in Almasmari\u2019s candidacy. With the city\u2019s notoriety of being a predominately Bangladeshi and Yemeni enclave, Saad\u2019s history as an \u00e9migr\u00e9 from Yemen will strike well with many voters.<\/p>\n
This is something that Almasmari is leveraging in his campaign, saying that the city\u2019s diversity is important to people like him.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s not forget that Hamtramck is a diverse town and we have too many different cultures, too many different religions, too many different backgrounds, too many different ways of thinking,\u201d Almasmari said. \u201cThat is a positive, we can\u2019t look at it as a negative. That is a positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Asm Kamal Rahman<\/p>\n
Asm Rahman is quite possibly the most experienced outsider candidate. Although this isn\u2019t his first campaign running for Mayor of Hamtramck, he\u2019s one of the two candidates who has never held public office in Hamtramck.<\/p>\n
What Rahman is hoping will be a counterpoint to his lack of political experience in City Council or City Administration is a long history of political activism in Hamtramck and Detroit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problems that I see, like us all talking about the budget \u2013 who has experience with budgets?\u201d Rahman said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we need to look at. Safety, crime and the speed issue, lower taxes, water, flooding \u2013 you name it, Hamtramck has been making the top of the list.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a finance professional in City of Detroit administration, Kamal\u2019s campaign material highlights \u201c25 years of experience in finance, administration and leadership in city government.\u201d This may offer voters who are serious about the details of Hamtramck\u2019s budget challenge a little reassurance in his candidacy.<\/p>\n
But as a continued outsider of Hamtramck\u2019s political establishment, there may still be some trust that needs to be built for Rahman\u2019s candidacy to take off.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very critical election for Hamtramck,\u201d Rahman said. \u201cHamtramck needs a fresh face. It needs new ideas. That hasn\u2019t worked yet. I think we need to look for ways to improve things in a way that has worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Current Mayor Karen Majewski<\/p>\n
Current Mayor Karen Majewski is running her fifth campaign that leverages 16 years of previous work. If re-elected, Majewski would be in a position to become the longest-serving mayor of Hamtramck.<\/p>\n
Majewski is running on those 16 years of experience, telling voters at the MotivateMe313 forum, \u201cIn short, I know this job, and you know me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drawing from her years of experience, her work as mayor has been successful, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her weekly updates of the pandemic, and various aid opportunities kept the city grounded. All of this previous work may have been an extension of the weight she felt to serve the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember the very first time I was elected to city council in 2003, and I was making my first trip to city hall in this official capacity,\u201d said Mayor Majewski. \u201cAnd coming out of city hall, there was an older couple walking up the steps and coming into the building. It hit me at that moment so heavily that I\u2019m responsible for making sure that they have a good life here.\u201d<\/p>\n