Are you more politically savvy than a 5th-grader? Or, Katie for Governor, 2030

Katie, my 11-year-old niece, wanted to have a garage sale to raise money for the Michigan Humane Society. Turns out the city of Bloomfield Hills has an ordinance prohibiting garage sales. Who knew?

For most kids, heck, for most adults, that’d be the end of the story.

But Katie pressed on. She asked why.

Last month she presented the Bloomfield Hills City Commission with a letter requesting the ban be rescinded. She spoke at the Commission meeting.

This week the city’s lawyer presented a plan to amend the ordinance and allow garage sales in the city. The commission took it under advisement and may vote on an ordinance change next month.

Already, Katie has exercised her rights in a democracy more effectively than half the adults in our state who don’t bother to vote, much less lobby their elected officials.

Her story was picked up this week by reporter Bill Laitner in the Detroit Free Press and by Detroit television stations WDIV and WXYZ.

I hope she gets her garage sale. At minimum, she’s elevated the level of discourse in Bloomfield Hills (and cost the city a couple of billable hours to a high priced legal firm!).

Donations for the Katie Baxter for Governor, 2030 campaign can be mailed directly to me.

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