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Greetings to all of my supporters.


As you are well aware by now, my first attempt to win a seat on Livonia City Council was unsuccessful. I have been asked why I thought my efforts did not meet with success and I only say that in my opinion there were two main items that can be attributed to the loss.


First, the low voter turn out. All though the other candidates and the City Clerk stated they were "pleased and delighted" with the 20 to 22 percent turn out of registered voters, I must say that I am disappointed in the numbers. In a city that has 73,510 registered voters, only 17,492 voted. In a free and democratic society, there is no reason for such a low number. This item ties in to my next item.


Second, disenfranchised voters also were a factor. The majority of voters felt that no matter who they voted for that it wouldn't matter since they have become accustomed to being ignored, marginalized and disregarding when it comes to their views and concerns for Livonia. When the voters feel that they aren't part of the system, they don't care who wins. To those people, I must remind them what Huey Long said which is "If you don't vote, you don't matter." You will allow other people to decide what is important for your city and your life. Please remember to stand up and be counted. It's our city and we are responsible for what happens to it.


Regardless, of the loss, I would like thank my supporters and contributors. Their assistance and encouragement was tremendous during this campaign and I hope I can count on them in the future. I would also like to congratulate the winners for a hard fought race. I have even been cordial enough to meet with Maureen Miller Brosnan since Election Day to discuss several issue that I brought up during the campaign that I felt she should attempt to move forward on, specifically the disposition of the old courthouse property, a moratorium on development of undeveloped parcels of land around the City and to focus on the currently vacant properties in Livonia, and that the Mayor's plan of squandering the 1.4 million dollars that Wayne County has given us for Neighborhood stabilization should be block and better, more logical plan should be formulated. Finally, I would like all of my supporters to know that I fully intend to return in two years and run again for seat.

In conclusion, this experience was a tremendous opportunity for me and, may I say, a lot of fun. I just love getting out and meeting people. This was also very enlightening for me as well. For those of you who didn't do the breakdown, here it is. The top voter getter was Jim McCann at 10,392 votes; at last report he spent more than 42,000 dollars on his campaign which breaks down to about $4.10 a vote. Compare that to the number of votes I received, 2577, what my campaign spent, $1300, breaks down to about 50 cents a vote. So the candidate who has lived in the city the shortest amount of time got more votes with less money than a 3rd generation Livonian who is a 2nd generation politician. My final thoughts come from Ms. Brosnan and the Livonia Observer. They both told me that even though I did not win, I did incredibly well for my first time out. They both told me that most first timers finish last and typically get only 500 to 600 votes. They told me that getting almost 2600 in not only remarkable but practically unheard of, especially for someone who wasn't born and raised here or who has lived here for more than 20 years. They were adamant that I run again in two years, which as I have previously stated I intend to do.

Thank you again for all of your encouragement and support. Please continue to email me at electmcgrail@yahoo.com and review this blog. I will keep the blog active with updates on my status and what the city council is up to. Best wishes to all and remember.....
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