Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel stepped up the rhetoric on Friday. He is calling for Warren Mayor James Fouts to resign. This comes after Hackel provided 7 Action News with disturbing recordings, allegedly of the mayor.
In one clip you hear a voice that sounds like the mayor say, “This fantasy I have of meeting a few hookers and bringing them back to my place. Even if it doesn’t happen that is the fantasy.”
In another clip you hear the voice talk about the reality of what having to attend a charity event for the mentally challenged.
“Now on Friday night instead of like in the past, I would be going to meet some women, tonight I am going to meet a group of retards. Tonight is retard night.”
The voice then is heard saying more about the mentally challenged.
“You see these people, I don’t know, what good are they? They are dysfunctional human beings. They aren’t even human beings.”
It continues on.
“I don’t want any part of this. this is one of the worst parts of being mayor. This is bottom of the barrel. I don’t want to be around them. I wish them well in a cage."
While Mayor Fouts refused to answer our questions, he did send 7 Action News a text message, saying his Facebook post says it all. It says:
"In response to the nasty tape recording released by Mark Hackel. It's clear this an attempt to silence me and intimidate me. I question the validity of this AWFUL tape, the context of the tape, and who was also speaking and where this speech was recorded. The contents of this tape DO NOT reflect my attitude towards the mentally challenged. Mark Hackel will do anything and everything to disparage me. This recording was not me! (he has the expertise available to him to electronically engineer it) This is a PHONY tape with more to come. As I said when Mark Hackel can't argue with facts he attacks. This was a garbled tape. A vicious attempt to discredit me. Mark Hackel will do anything to cover up his crime even the use of anonymous phony tapes. Mark Hackel has reached a new low in politics. All because I have requested an attorney general investigation of the cover-up of the illegal dumping at Freedom Hill.”
Fouts had recently criticized Hackel about the creation of a berm at Freedom Hill. He said it caused damage, environmental problems, and amounted to illegal dumping of dirt.
The Special Olympics of Michigan responded to the comments made in the recording.
“Most people don't think of the word 'retarded' as hate speech, but that's exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends,” said Aaron Mills the Senior Marketing and Communications Director of Special Olympics Michigan in a statement. "The 'r-word' is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur. We see this as a teachable moment and an opportunity to once again remind people that our athletes need to be seen for their skills and abilities and not their disabilities."
