Saline MI
8-22-2026 12:54am

Mayor's Coffee Hour Gets Loud at Carrigan Cafe

Mayor Brian Marl's Coffee Hour with State Rep. Morgan Foreman got a little loud Friday morning, resulting in local resident Sal Randazzo being asked to leave.  A lengthy statement is on Foreman's Facebook page.

Randazzo, never one to hide his opinions, attended the meeting to talk about what he calls the "deer problem" in Saline. Randazzo said he was listening to an answer Foreman gave on another subject when he asked her why she didn't go to a township meeting to hear residents' concerns. Randazzo said Foreman jumped up, "played the race card," and became loud with him.

"I couldn't believe it. We were in Saline. We were all polite, safe and having a good discussion, and she played the race card," Randazzo said.

Randazzo said he responded by matching her loudness as he "played the Sicilian card." Randazzo talked about an ugly incident from 1891, when 11 Italian immigrants were killed in what is regarded as the largest single mass lynching in the history of the country.

"Look, racism can make life tougher, but why not go to the meeting, introduce yourself and say, I'm you're representative," Randazzo said. "I'll tell you why. It's because she doesn't need the conservatives to get elected."

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In her comment, Foreman said people are entitled to disagree with her, but not to yell at her.

"Let me be clear: you are absolutely entitled to disagree with me. You can believe I should be doing more. You can be frustrated about the data center. You can question me, challenge me, and hold me accountable for the responsibilities and authority I actually have as your State Representative. What you cannot do is yell at me, disrespect me, or become aggressive because I cannot produce an outcome that is outside of my authority," Foreman wrote. "You will never get anything from me by yelling at me or attempting to intimidate me. I will defend myself. I will stand my ground. I will not be intimidated."

Karen Carrigan was working when the voices began getting louder. She wasn't sure what was going on. Randazzo was asked to leave, and he did so peacefully.

"He raised his voice a bit too much. Dude, you're being too loud, and we're inside," Carrigan said.

Mayor Marl said Foreman handled the situation well.

"I thought she defended her position well," Marl said.

Marl said it had been a productive conversation until the final five minutes.

"Over the last 14 years, I've generally been on the receiving end of consternation or frustration, though maybe not to this level," Marl said.

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8-22-2026 10:25am

Both Mark and foreman have never showed their faces at a township meeting in support of their residents.  Other communities leaders have.
the answer she gave was a cop out indeed .  seeing saline allowing Oracle to sponsor everything  around town is also disgusting but Brian didn’t even address that when asked.  They are taking as much cash as they can get . 

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8-22-2026 10:38am

The Saline Post’s account of the mayor’s coffee hour leaves out important context, and I want to set the record straight.

Before I asked a single question or addressed anyone, the very first thing I did was announce to everyone in the room that I would be speaking loudly and directly. I was seated toward the back, and because I am hearing-impaired, even with hearing aids, I had difficulty hearing other attendees. I wanted to make sure everyone could hear me.
My volume was announced and explained from the outset. It was not a threat, an attempt at intimidation, or a sudden outburst.
My question to Representative Morgan Foreman was straightforward: Why would an elected representative not attend meetings in Saline Township to hear directly from the people she represents?
Her earlier comments suggested that township residents were expected to come to her first rather than their representative going to them. I told her it sounded as though she was putting herself above the people she represents. I did not call her names or insult her. I challenged an attitude that seemed inconsistent with the responsibilities of a public servant.
Representative Foreman immediately stood up and declared that the reason she did not attend meetings in Saline Township was that she is a “Black woman.”
I pointed out that she was already sitting in a room of predominantly white Saline residents. Her immediate response was that she had brought “backup.”
Backup? For a public coffee hour in Saline, Michigan?
Earlier, Representative Foreman said someone had called the police on her while she was knocking on doors. I do not know the circumstances, and I would welcome clarification or documentation. What I do know is that knocking on doors can be difficult for anyone. People refuse to answer, close their doors, and sometimes react suspiciously. Those experiences do not, by themselves, establish that race was the reason.
Let me be clear: I am not denying that racism exists or that minorities face real disadvantages. Sadly, prejudice is part of human nature, and people of many backgrounds experience it. I have experienced discrimination myself, and my wife is a minority woman. These issues are not abstract to me.
But recognizing that discrimination exists does not mean every criticism, uncomfortable question, or unfriendly encounter is motivated by race. Too often, invoking race has become part of a political playbook—a way to deflect legitimate questions, discredit the person asking them, and avoid accountability.
Whatever discrimination Representative Foreman may have experienced does not relieve her of the responsibility to represent every resident of her district. Difficulties and prejudice do not stop me from trying to do what is right, and they should not stop her from meeting the people she was elected to serve.
I have operated a business in Saline for many years. During that time, thousands of Black customers from across eastern Washtenaw County and western Wayne County have visited my store and traveled in and out of our community. Not one has ever reported to me that they were hassled by Saline police or made to feel unsafe here. That does not mean racism never exists. It does mean sweeping insinuations about this community deserve scrutiny rather than automatic acceptance.
I believe the real issue is political: Representative Foreman does not see Saline Township residents as essential to her electoral success, so their concerns do not receive the attention they deserve. That is my opinion, but it is precisely the kind of concern an elected official should answer—not deflect by turning a constituent’s question into an allegation of intimidation.
When I was asked to leave, I left peacefully. But asking an elected representative why she will not meet with her constituents is not racism, aggression, or intimidation. It is accountability.
The question remains unanswered: Why won’t Representative Foreman go to Saline Township, meet the people she represents, and listen to their concerns?

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8-22-2026 12:23pm

I was at this event. I have audio of it. You did not ask that direct question. You accused her of saying that she would not attend the meetings. She corrected you in saying that is not at all what she said. You argued back with her that she stated the people had to come to her. That is also not what she said. She also never said that she had back up in the room. She said that “you don’t know if she has executive protection” in that room. You have a habit of changing the words that come out of other people’s mouths.

Having the cops called on you - an older generation, white male in America (Sicilian or not) - to a younger, single, black female in a predominantly white society is not the same thing at all. Her point was that when the cops get called on you, the likelihood of you being “slaughtered in the streets” is far less likely for you than her.
Her original point was that she has reached out several times to the Saline Township, and the only thing she has ever heard from them is that they do not consider her their representative.
I took that to mean she has left the door open for them, but is focusing her efforts on the multiple other municipalities in her district that also need and want her help.

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8-22-2026 12:38pm

Rather than answer my question politely of why she would not just go to a Saline Township meeting, she jumped up and shouted because "I am a black woman" it was stunning.

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8-23-2026 9:20am

Where did I say anything about your wife? Again, you change what people say to fit your narrative.

Foreman explained her position several times. She only pointed out the racial differences when you mocked her for not having “thick skin.”

I do think that representatives should visit their municipalities regardless of whether township leaders want them there. I also appreciate the fact that she is dealing with a safety issue. Perhaps reaching out now that the leadership has recently changed may help. 

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8-23-2026 8:53pm

Oh Sal….. Our local kooky pillow salesman is at it again!

Seriously Tran, just when I didn’t think your tabloid
couldn’t get any worse you prove me wrong!

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