LANSING – State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville) today called on Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to resign as mayor because his legal troubles are a distraction and hurting job growth in Detroit and the rest of Wayne County.
"Mayor Kilpatrick's legal troubles are jeopardizing all the efforts being made to rebuild our economy and attract new investment to our state," Corriveau said. "We need to make Michigan the kind of place that businesses want to invest in so we can create good-paying jobs for our workers. The events unfolding in Detroit are hampering these efforts. It's time for Kilpatrick to resign so we can begin to repair the damage."
Kilpatrick has been mired in mounting legal troubles, including violating bail conditions for a perjury case against him and a former aide and facing felony charges for allegedly assaulting a sheriff's deputy.
Faith leaders, elected officials, newspapers and everyday citizens have called for Kilpatrick to step aside as mayor of Detroit, including Congressman John Dingell, the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit andVicinity, and the influential black newsweekly, the Michigan Chronicle.
"More and more people are beginning to take note of the negative effect that Kwame Kilpatrick is having on our state's image," Corriveau said. "As mayor of our largest city, his actions reflect on our state as a whole. It's time for the mayor to step down – for the good of the city and for the good of the state."