07/10/2025
This week on Public Comment, hosts Khary Frazier, Malachi Barrett, and Thomaesa Bailey dig into two major policy changes affecting Detroiters: business licensing reform and Mayor Mike Duggan’s proposed youth curfew crackdown. “We're talking about different spectrums of what's happening in municipal government,” Khary begins, highlighting the overlap between executive and legislative branches. The team unpacks how reforms to Detroit's business licensing aim to reduce bureaucratic red tape—eliminating annual renewals, introducing provisional licensing, and streamlining health department requirements. As Malachi notes, “This is going to help small businesses that don’t have the resources to navigate the city bureaucracy,” while Thomaesa emphasizes the real-world impact on local entrepreneurs like Moondog Café’s Rob: “It was so hard for them to open up. The licensing process was a maze.”
The conversation shifts to the controversial youth curfew proposal, which enforces stricter fines on parents and elevates curfew violations to emergency priority status. “This just seems like... it don’t seem like it’s going to be something very progressive and constructive for the city of Detroit,” Khary warns. Malachi calls it “a crackdown,” pointing out that enforcement would include police transporting minors to precincts. Thomaesa raises alarm about the risks of escalation: “You’re just trying to get home. And so I just don’t think that policy is going to be helpful.” The group contrasts this punitive approach with community-based solutions like Umoja Debate League, Teen HYPE, and Detroit’s CVI programs. “If kids are outside, they could be a part of something instead of looked at as being destructive,” Khary urges, challenging the city to invest in youth engagement rather than criminalization.
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