Singh Around The World - THE BLOG!

The 2009 Election Aftermath

2009-11-04T09:10:15-05:00

The election is over. Twitter and Facebook can go back to normal. I don't need to read another post that says, "If you don't vote--you can't complain." Though you might tweet it, they still are going to complain.

Kalamazoo Surprise

It was my first take at being a political talking head. The result? I still need to keep my day job. I was able to guess many races correctly but a few took me by surprise. The biggest surprise for me was the Kalamazoo Human Rights ordinance. I thought the last minute barrage of misleading ads would tip the scales. Kalamazoo voters proved me wrong and beat back the lies 2-1 with a resounding victory. Congrats K-Zoo!

Lansing

It wasn't a surprise that Virg won but the end result was much bigger than most pundits had thought. Well played, my friend. I had made the statement yesterday that the Mayor would not have coattails in the city council races and I was somewhat right. He was only able to pick up one of the two seats he targeted by helping Tina Houghton defeat incumbent Sandy Allen.

Detroit City Council

Overall, I was able to correctly guess the mayoral election and eight of the nine finalists for the Detroit City Council. My biggest surprise was that Charles Pugh still ended up the top vote-getter and now President-elect of the Council after the press coverage of his recent home foreclosure issue. I had thought that issue would have catapulted Gary Brown and Ken Cockrel, Jr. above him in the standings.

National Politics

Just like I said yesterday, the national media and the political parties will pontificate on the results of the Governor's races in NJ and VA and the Congressional NY-23 seat. The bottom line, in my opinion, voters were not voting on health care or Obama. They voted their pocketbooks and the economy. If anything that should send a signal to local and state politicians that the voters will be voting the economy in the next election. You better have a good message or candidate that can tackle that issue or you are toast in 2010.

Election 2009 Predictions- East Lansing, Lansing, and Detroit

2009-11-02T20:34:06-05:00

I know I have taken an extremely long time off from blogging. There is really no excuse other than I was burned out. I am ready to get back on the laptop and letting people know what I am thinking and doing. It will be interesting to see how people react to my blog now that I will be more stationary in the world!

My goal is to blog about three to four times a week. I am hoping to have a revised website by the end of the year that will represent the new stage in my life while at the same time keeping the core of my incredible journey intact. I hope you will enjoy it!

2009 Local Elections (Let me pretend I am a political talking head)

East Lansing

The election is pretty boring with two popular incumbents, Kevin Beard and Vic Loomis, seeking re-election against two one-issue candidates, Hans Larsen and Phil Belfy. It is safe to say that both Kevin and Vic will get easily re-elected. Normally, a political talking head would use some grand analogy to things that get trounced such as grapes, the French military and the Detroit Lions but I will try to stay away from such conforming rhetoric.

To give myself a challenge for this election, I have devised two questions to test my political radar.

Question 1. Will the challengers get more than 200 votes each?

Though the challengers scraped some money together and put out a mailing over the weekend, I still don’t think they will get more than 200 votes with the distinct possibility that the write-in candidate doesn’t break the century mark.

Question 2. Will Vic Loomis or Kevin Beard get more votes this Tuesday?

This question is more difficult. Vic Loomis is the Mayor so he does get more media attention and probably has better name recognition. On the other hand, it seemed that Kevin did a little bit more on the campaigning side. Flip a coin. It is probably going to be within a hundred votes but let me go out on a limb and say that more campaigning will get Kevin a handful more votes in the end.

Lansing

Here is another take it to the bank prediction. Mayor Virg Benero will easily win re-election. Virg has outspent and out-campaigned his challenger City Councilmember, Carol Woods. Please enter your own trouncing metaphor now! My guess would be at least 10 points depending on voter turn-out with a larger turn-out creating a larger gap.

The real question will be whether or not my friend, Virg, will have any coat-tails for his candidates for the Lansing City Council. History has shown that his support doesn’t always equate into victory. His endorsements of Mary Lindemann and Jerry Hollister in their respective State Representative races didn’t carry them over the finish line in 2006. More shocking was the loss of two incumbents, Harold Leeman and Bill Matt, who he had supported for the Lansing City Council in 2007. My prediction will be no substantial coat-tails this election cycle.

At-Large- Brian Jeffries and Kathie Dunbar easily win their re-election.

Ward 2- Sandy Allen ekes out a win against the Benero supported Tina Houghton.

Ward 4- Jessica Yorko wins because everyone loves her including her challenger who gave up running against her many weeks ago.

Detroit

I predict Dave Bing will win his re-election campaign though it won’t be as large of a margin as most would have thought after the primary. His realistic but tough budget decisions have made many enemies but not enough of them to vote him out of office.

The Detroit City Council is a tough one because there are nine seats that are open but here are my predictions in order of those who I think will get the most votes.

Ken Cockrel

Gary Brown

Charles Pugh

Brenda Jones

Kwame Kenyatta

Saunteel Jenkins

JoAnne Watson

Alberta-Tinsley-Talabi

Andre Spivey

Other Election Stuff

National Politics- I will not be making any predictions on the national races that are being highlighted on the news. I am sure that will reduce my marketability as a babbling talking head. I just can't believe that the Governor's race in Virginia or a Congressional seat in up-state New York have any correlation to anything other than a Governor's race in Virgina and a congressional seat in New York. If you watch the news you would think these races will actually mean something for elections in 2010 or 2012. Trust me these races are not about President Obama or the viability of a Palin presidential run.

Kalamazoo Human Rights ordinance will fail. (I hope I am wrong!) I hate the fact that the anti-gay rhetoric, lies and deceptive ads could be rewarded but it is possible. Kalamazoo show me that I am wrong!

I am not going to quit my day job at least not until the results come in Tuesday night! Don't foget to vote!

Singh Around the World- Lansing City Pulse

2009-06-17T09:09:16-04:00

I was asked by the publisher of the weekly newspaper in the Lansing/East Lansing area to write about my journey. It came out this week. This is what I had submitted to them.

Singh Around the World- A Journey of a Lifetime

“Nothing has changed, but everything has changed.” It was one of the first things I said to myself when I returned from my self-funded sabbatical. I traveled to forty-six countries across seven continents in a seventeen-month period and in many ways it felt like nothing had changed. Sure, we had elected a new president but the Michigan economy still struggled, our state legislature continued to ineptly deal with budget issues and local government still talked more than acted on regional cooperation. And while things at home stayed the same, the way the world viewed our country had changed radically.

This journey had been a long time in the making. When I was twelve years old I started to keep a “worldlist” of the places and events I wanted to experience. As I grew I thought I would see many items on my “worldlist” by taking a long-term travel trip as soon as I graduated from Michigan State University. As it is with many dreams, I set this one aside for more practical pursuits, but I never let it die.

After serving twelve years in elected office and ten years as the President and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association I began looking for the next challenge. I had saved enough money to pursue an executive MBA or graduate degree in public policy, which would be the logical next step. But a few years earlier a friend and I discussed taking a mid-career sabbatical to explore the world if we were ever at a point that we could manage it. I contemplated my options and my childhood dream became more vivid and intriguing. Ultimately I decided to put my career on hold and not run for re-election as mayor of East Lansing: I was going to pursue a “Masters of the World.” On December 28, 2007 my journey began.

Ticking items off my “worldlist” was incredible: hiking to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp; exploring the lost city of Machu Picchu; seeing the pyramids; running a half marathon on Antarctica… Amazing. But somewhere along the way the places themselves became less important and the experience of connecting to people and seeing America through their eyes became more meaningful. The human dynamic became the central theme in my “Masters of the World.”

The 2008 Presidential Election was a Worldwide Affair

Though I have incredible photographs of monuments like the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Temples of Angkor Wat, the most lasting memories came from watching the US presidential elections through the eyes of world citizens. It didn’t matter what country I was in or how isolated the village I was visiting, everyone wanted to talk about the election.

During most of the primary season I was in Central and South America. I was surprised how quickly people in these countries were drawn to Barack Obama. I had assumed since President Clinton had significant international popularity that people would have been more supportive of Hillary Clinton. People were drawn to Obama’s words, his eloquence and his personal story.

Our primary system was very confusing. I spent many hours explaining to people the multi-state process and the differences between primaries and caucuses. Since the Republican nomination was wrapped up quickly the international media only focused on the contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In turn, many people thought they were competing for the Presidency rather than the Democratic Party nomination.

The flaws of our electoral process were apparent to people as they questioned why some states voted before others or what the role of a super delegate was. A man in Argentina challenged me one night when he said, “For a country that is a champion for democracy, your country has the most undemocratic way of choosing candidates.”

As the election drew to a close, the support of the international community for Barack Obama intensified. I was volunteering with a team of Americans with Habitat for Humanity in Bangalore, India on Election Day. As the results were announced for Barack Obama, local citizens would congratulate us on the election as if we had won it ourselves.

The most illustrative example of how closely the world follows our elections occurred when my father and I went to visit the small rural farming village where he grew up. As we sat with a group of my relatives and community elders the conversation shifted to the appointments that then President-elect Obama was making. They were very critical of his renomination of Robert Gates to the Secretary of Defense since he was aligned to former President Bush. They argued that a new Indian leader would never keep leaders from the other party in their administration. I sat back and watched the conversation unfold, surprised that this conversation was happening in such a small village in India when most Americans would likely struggle to name the current Secretary of Defense if asked.

International Volunteering: America’s Invisible Ambassadors

A major component of my travels was working with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations throughout the world. I was hoping to have a better understanding of the issues facing the international community through travel, conversation, conferences and volunteering. “Voluntouring” has become a big trend in the international travel market. More people are taking vacations and adding the component of volunteering to allow them to better understand the communities they are visiting while giving back at the same time.

One of the organizations that I spent my time with was Habitat for Humanity International. I had the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in three different countries: Costa Rica, Romania and India. Working side-by-side with nonprofit professionals and local volunteers allowed me to connect with the community in so many different ways. Since my journey had me moving from country to country, I often felt disconnected with the communities I stayed in. My volunteer stints allowed me to feel grounded in the place I was living, learning things I would never get out of a travel guide.

The most tangible benefit for international volunteering is that the volunteer becomes an unofficial ambassador for their country. So many times people in other countries have a stereotypical view of Americans as self-absorbed travelers. Volunteering gives people the opportunity to see a different perspective of Americans and our culture. While I was volunteering in India, a community member commented that there were many issues between their neighbors because of the outdated caste system that kept people separated by social status; because we were volunteering with people of all castes it challenged the system.

My hope is that we harness the potential of American volunteers throughout the world. Retirees and study abroad students could be a great corps of volunteers that help support global community efforts. As we try to repair the image of America through the new administration in Washington, DC, individual citizens can become a great force in changing public opinion. While our President is making strides in repairing our image in the global community, there is no more powerful symbol than an American giving of their time and talent to support another community in another country.

It’s a Small World After All

After traveling throughout the world I realized that the Disney song is correct: it IS a small world after all! I provided travel updates through my blog www.singharoundtheworld.comand my Facebook page. I was impressed with the international network of friends and colleagues as I would frequently get e-mails or Facebook posts suggesting that I should look up one person or another in major cities around the globe. At times I would randomly bump into people that I knew or were from East Lansing and/or Michigan State University.

I took a ship to Antarctica, departing from Argentina’s southern tip. I wasn’t on the boat more than ten minutes when a woman from the boat’s catering department came up to me and said, “Mayor Singh, is that you?” My first reaction was that one of my fellow runners had put this young woman up to asking as a practical joke.

As we talked she mentioned that she recently graduated from Michigan State University and took a job on the ship because her fiance was the ship’s ornithologist. Then it slowly came back to me: we met the previous spring. She and her friend had organized a campus rally called Step It Up to bring awareness to global warming issues and serve as an educational tool on what citizens can do to limit their carbon footprint. I was so impressed by her and her co-organizer that I invited them to speak at the press conference where I signed East Lansing’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocols. And now we were on our way to Antarctica.

Another small world experience occurred to me during a volunteer initiative that I did with Habitat for Humanity in Romania. One of the participants saw in my volunteering biography that I was from East Lansing. As we talked, we found out that I live exactly one block from where he grew up and that his father still lives there. As he described his father, I realized that I had a met him during door-to door canvassing for one of my first campaigns.   I was surprised how often things like this happened during my journey.

A Primer: The Middle East Peace Process

My last few months of travel happened to be the most educational. The final six weeks had me visiting Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. It was an incredible time to be in the region with the renewed focus on the Middle East peace process and the historic meetings that occurred while I was there. During my travels Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had his initial meetings with President Obama and with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt. Along with watching the political meetings and getting the local perspective, I was in Jerusalem during Pope Benedict XVI’s initial visit to Israel. There could never be a political science course that taught me as much about the region and the current state of affairs than my personal travels.

Having the opportunity to talk with people in these countries about the issues facing a “two-state” solution in Israel really helped me shape my worldview regarding peace in the Middle East. I will admit that I originally held a simplistic view of how the problem should be solved but now I understand more fully the complications the peace process will face. Though I am hopeful that President Obama will be able to help broker a peace deal, I left Israel more pessimistic; the challenges will be more difficult to overcome than the American media leads us to believe.

There is No Place Like Home

During the journey, many people mentioned that I would struggle when I moved back to Michigan and that I should consider relocating to a more global city like New York or Washington DC but I can't leave because Michigan is my home. Though many in the international and national media have written off Michigan, I know that we will be able turn the corner and reemerge as a new state poised to take advantage of the global economy. I am willing to push all my chips in and take a bet on the place that gave my immigrant parents a home, financial freedom and endless opportunities.

The journey has ended and I have been home for three weeks with the integration being somewhat seamless. I am taking my experiences and learning and incorporating them into my consulting work that I have started doing with the Lansing-based firm, Public Policy Associates, Inc. My focus will be working with nonprofit organizations and helping communities transition to a knowledge-based global economy.

I don't know what my future will hold but I do know that the past seventeen months have been transformative.   There hasn't been a moment that I questioned my decision to pursue this dream. The learning and experiences of my "Masters of the World" is stronger and more meaningful than anything I could have learned in the classroom. I have been fortunate to take this journey and now I need to give that back to my community. The world famous traveler, Dorothy Gale, was on target when she said at the end of the Wizard of Oz, "There is no place like home." She is right--it is good to be back.

The May Update-Singh Around the World

2009-06-04T13:35:00-04:00

Dear Friends,

After seventeen months on the road, the journey comes to an end. As you know, I extended the trip by one month in order to spend time in the Middle East. My last six weeks consisted of trips to Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Israel. It was an incredible time to be there with the discussions of the Middle East peace process taking center stage last month. I was also in Jerusalem during Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the region. With so much foreign policy happening at the same time, it was fitting for me to be a hands-on spectator.

I made it back to Michigan ten days ago and it has been a whirlwind experience ever since. I have started my job as a senior policy consultant with the Lansing-based firm Public Policy Associates. I attended two conferences, the Detroit Chamber Policy Conference and the Affordable Housing Conference.

In addition to my work obligations, I made it out to Chicago over the weekend for a welcome home party thrown by my friends. We had close to 200 people come out including friends from high school, college and about twenty new friends that I had met in other countries during the trip. It was great to see so many good friends and get reconnected with them.

I decided that my welcome home reception in East Lansing, Michigan would be a charity fundraiser benefiting Habitat for Humanity Lansing. I had the opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica, India, and Romania and so it just made sense that my coming home party should benefit my local chapter.

If you are one of the readers who happens to live in the region, please stop by Thursday, June 4, 2009 at Dublin Square Irish Pub, 327 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823 from 5-8pm. Tickets are $30 with checks being made out to Habitat for Humanity-Lansing. Tickets are tax-deductible and a receipt outlining what is eligible will be given out at the event.

For those that live elsewhere or cannot attend the event, I would ask that you consider helping out this important cause. If you enjoyed the blog or were motivated by the journey, please help out. Visit their website at www.habitatlansing.org and in the one-time donation box, click on the Singh Welcome Home Reception in the drop-down menu and fill in the appropriate information. It is a secure site that accepts most major credit cards.

Though the journey is now over, I will keep on blogging for the next few weeks to let you know how I handle the transition from traveling to working. So keep watching the blog at www.singharoundtheworld.com and let me know if I should keep it going into the future.

The quote of the month----"There's no place like home."---Dorothy Gale

WKAR: Former East Lansing mayor Sam Singh returns from trip around the world (2009-06-02)

2009-06-03T07:50:18-04:00

Dear Friends,

As I slowly integrate back into the real world, I have been talking about my journey. If you get a chance, check out this link to hear my interview with WKAR Radio. New posts are coming soon so check back! WKAR: Former East Lansing mayor Sam Singh returns from trip around the world (2009-06-02).

Back at Work: They Are Today's Leaders

2009-05-29T11:34:24-04:00

Dear Gentle Reader,

I am back at working and currently blogging about a conference that I am attending for Crain's Detroit Business. The regular blog will be back next week with the last updates of the trip and my reintegration to the US and work-life! Here is the next installment:

They Are Today's Leaders

Young talent is the key buzzword in the world of urban renewal these days. Over the past decade, the state of Michigan has been exporting one of its greatest assets, young college graduates to different parts of the country. To try to stem the "brain drain" there has been a concerted effort to develop new initiatives to attract and retain young professionals in the state.

There are a number of exciting initiatives that are occurring in the Detroit area that are targeting young professionals. The Detroit Chamber has developed a track at this conference for their young professional group, Fusion. Fusion attendees have been given discounted registrations and a number of workshops targeted to their demographic. It's a good component to the conference.

I hope that next year that the Chamber will have a panel of young professionals as one of the major plenaries. It would be good for business and political leaders to hear from these young leaders. If we are to make Michigan and Detroit more hospitable for young professionals, we need to hear what they need and want from our communities. They are the group that will redefine Detroit and Michigan and their voice should be heard.

Back at Work: So why don't we treat the state government like a business?

2009-05-28T15:53:19-04:00

Dear Gentle Reader,

So Why Don't We Treat the State Government like a Business?

One of the popular conversations overheard in the hallways of the Grand is about the state of the budget. Every time the conversation comes up, the first answer out of anyone's mouth is the need to make more cuts. The problem is that we have been doing that for the past eight years. We have managed to use up $6 billion in fiscal reserves and have enacted $4 billion in cuts.

If we were running the state government like a business, we would look at a combination of cuts, strategic investments and revenue increases. We wouldn't be cutting our research and development arm when they have the potential to strengthen the bottom line in the future. But here we are talking about cutting our universities and colleges when they are producing our next generation of workers and serving as economic engines for the regions that they reside in. Instead of making key investments in our infrastructure, we put it off for another budget cycle.

We would also examine our price structure or in government's case its tax system. We would expand the base of services taxed by the sales tax like other states. We would align our laws and sentencing guidelines with other Great Lake States to reduce the expenditures in the corrections budget. We would eliminate budget loopholes that don't bring anything to our bottom line. Corporate tax breaks should create investment and build the economy and if they don't they should be eliminated. We always say government should be more business like so let's get to it!

Back at Work: Are We in A Time Warp?

2009-05-28T15:44:34-04:00

Dear Gentle Reader:

I have made it back to the US and to my home East Lansing, Michigan. I will be finishing my posts about Israel next week. I am jumping into my job feet first by attending a policy conference on Mackinac Island for the Detroit Chamber of Commerce. I was asked to blog about my experience for Crain's Detroit Business. Here is my first post.

My last Mackinac Conference was in 2007. I was finishing my time at the Michigan Nonprofit Association and my term as mayor of East Lansing. A few months later, I left the country for seventeen months as I traveled to forty plus countries and all seven continents. Having just come back to the country over the weekend, I was wondering if I would feel out of touch. The answer is no. This all seems feel vaguely familiar.

I am wondering if we are really in 2009 or did I not really leave and it is still 2007. I mean has anything changed? The state budget is still in a mess. Regional squabbles are still course of the day. Policy makers all wish there was more revenue but are afraid to use the "T' word. We are still debating a smoking ban. People are still trying to find a comprehensive transportation strategy. Everyone wants to talk about the new economy but are unwilling to make the tough changes to make it happen. I mean even the Lions are still helpless and the Red Wings are skating well in the playoffs. The longer I was gone the more things stayed the same.

I am hoping the urgency of our current situation in the State will result in a more open and honest dialog. That the seeds for real fixes and long term strategies for rebuilding the economy are planted at the conference. We can no longer ignore the structural deficits and regional isolationism. It is time for political and business leaders to make the tough and unpopular decisions. Let's let them know they can no longer keep fiddling while the Michigan burns.

Cruising Down the Nile

2009-05-21T08:43:11-04:00

Pictured: The Temple of Kom Ombo.

Part of my trip through Egypt included a three day Nile Cruise. A friend of mine from college, Katie Armstrong, found me on Facebook and mentioned that she always wanted to go Egypt so I told her to organize a trip and I would join her. Another of my friends, Beth King, was going to be in Egypt during the same time so it would be a gang of three. Katie planned a pretty comprehensive ten day plan to see Egypt with the Nile Cruise being the highlight. In the end, Katie had to back out of the trip at the last minute because of work obligations. I wouldn't have signed up for the cruise if I was on my own. As the trip ends, I have had to become more budget conscious but since others were involved, I just put it on the credit card. So far that is the only thing that I have had to put on credit but it was worth it.

Pictured: Spartan pride in Luxor.

It was a good way to see the sights and treat myself as we come to the end of the journey. The ship had about 100 passengers and we were by far the youngest of the group. The trip made a number of stops including at Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Karnak. The history and allure of ancient Egypt is fascinating but after the tour was over, I had Pyramid and Temple fatigue. Too much of a good thing!

Pictured: Abu SiImbel.

Blog Fan's--- I Need Your Help!!!!!

2009-05-17T14:12:19-04:00

Dear Gentle Readers,

The last week of my journey is upon me. I will continue to blog into the summer so you can get a sense of how I integrate back into the "real world." As I get ready to head home, I am asking you to help with one last charitable event, a fundraiser for my local chapter of Habitat For Humanity. We have a great chapter of Habitat for Humanity that is working to eliminate substandard housing and improving neighborhoods by working in partnership with local economically disadvantaged families achieve and maintain home-ownership.

Readers had been asking when I was going to have an East Lansing welcome home reception. I thought it would be a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues but I wanted it to keep with the theme of my journey. With that in mind, the reception will be a charitable fundraiser for the Lansing Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. I had the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity International in India, Romania and Costa Rica during my journey and I thought this fundraiser would be a great way to come home and help the local chapter as well. In addition, to the event we are doing a "virtual reception" for those readers that don't live in the Mid-Michigan region.

Virtual Welcome Home Reception

If you have found this blog to be entertaining or inspirational, I ask you to consider helping me support this charity. If you have laughed at the stories, shaken your head in jealousy or enjoyed the pictures, help out the cause. I am hoping that loyal readers will consider gifts of $25, $50 or more. In addition to your gift (see below), please send any thoughts or comments that you would want to be added to the actual reception guestbook to Robin Grinnell at rlgrinnell@yahoo.com.

Mid-Michigan Readers

If you live in the region, you are invited to attend the welcome home reception at Dublin Square Irish Pub in East Lansing on June 4, 2009 from 5-8pm. Tickets for the fundraiser will cost $30. Your gift will be tax deductible and checks can be made out to Habitat For Humanity-Lansing. Please RSVP for the event through Facebook (if you are on it) or to Robin Grinnell at rlgrinnell@yahoo.com.

We are also creating a host committee for the event. To be a sponsor of this event, it will cost $100 for an individual, $150 for couples, or $500 for organizations. Sponsorship includes a ticket(s) and my undying love! Please send me an e-mail if you are interested in being a sponsor at singhsam94@gmail.com.

How to Make Contributions

There are two ways to make contributions. If you would like to mail a check, send it to Habitat For Humanity-Lansing --1941 Benjamin Drive Lansing, MI 48906. Checks can be made out to Habitat For Humanity-Lansing. Please put "Singh Reception" on the memo line.

You can also pay on-line. Visit their website and in the one-time donation box, click on the Singh Welcome Home Reception in the drop-down menu and fill in the appropriate information. It is a secure site that accepts most major credit cards.

Thank you for the support!