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Ezra Rowry Will Seek Seat On County Board

Ezra Rowry Will Seek Seat On County Board image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
June
Year
1972
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Ezra L. Rowry, present head of the Arm Arbor Model Cities Policies Board, has announced he will seek the Democratie nomination for Washtenaw County commissioner in the 12th District. Rowry, of 818 Pomona Rel, does not have a declared opponent in the Democratie race. Should he win the primary election in August, he is expected to face incumbent O. Herbert Ellis in the November contest. Rowry is an animal technician at the U-M. He has lived I in Ann Arbor since 1958. An Army veteran, he served nearly three years in Germany. He has served on the national board of Congress of Racial Equality, is a member of the Black Forum, has represented the poor on t h e Washtenaw County Legal Aid Board, was an organizer of the Ann Arbor Emergency Food Program for Detroit in July, 1967, drove four truckloads of food into the city during the height of the disorder there, and participated in a 1968 sensitivity symposium sponsored by the Michigan Education Association and the U.S. Department of Justce on how schools can better serve the black citizen. "I have decided to run for the Democratie nomination for county commissioner after my prevjous attempt at the office (1968), because of the great support I received (almost 2,800 votes) from the voters of j this district and fact that the things and concerns which we raised then remain unchanged and unchallenged. As a matter of fact, the situation (drugs, higher taxes, lack of responsibility) has grown even worse. "We have experienced and are experiencing an almost "wide open community" for drug dealers and pushers, increase in crime as a result and a decrease in the pólice concerns about the problem. even though the cost of policing is steadily increasing. I think this county has to take a more positive aproach to treating drug addicts than it does now. "I think that drug dealers and pushers must be dealt 2 LC70U5 with very firmly (jail period) and that importers or manufacturers of drugs must be accountable to the federal government for drugs entering the black market from their establishments. "I believe that if a food chain store or just a store is caught cheating the public through short-weighihg of food or in any way that they also must go to jail and be made to pay a large fine includng reimbursing the public. The kinds of fines which were levied against the merchants of this county for 'cheating the public' are completely unacceptable. "The method used to exclude black people, poor people, and yoiing people, but to recruit older and non-black people from outlying parts of this county for Circuit Court jury duty is unacceptable. The county's high cost of administration and no accountability policy to the public is unacceptable. "The holding of public meetings between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. as a policy is unacceptable. Meetings should be held at a time and place most convenient to the public, and they should be open to the public to the extent possible so long as the best interest of the county is being served by it (from the public agencies). "Drawing 'doublé salaries' for duplicating hours is unacceptabletomeanItrulybe- lieve that it is illegal. There are several commissioners who fit this category. If elected I v.'ill not only refusa such douüle pay but will take an active I step to have the practice ruled I illegal. "As a resident of this I ty for almost 18 years, I I lieve that I am somewhat I miliar with its problems. I I lieve that more than 12 years I of working in every partisan I election in the community for I the Democratie party and I ing won a primary and made a I good s h o w i n g among both I white and black voters of this I district, that I am the I date to represent the I cratic party in November. ■ "I believe that my local and I national civil rights postures I and leadership as well as four I years in the Model Cities I gram has helped me develop I politically and socially to the I I point needed to be a I sioner. "I ask finally that the veters I of the 12th District give me I the support you gave me in 1968 and I will do everythingi in my power to fulfill my I promises and bring 1 tive county government to the I people." I The new 12th District 1 eludes the northwest portion of I the City of Ann Arbor and is I bounded by Wagner Road onl the west. .„.- M