Any understanding of why water costs so much in Genesee County, or why Michigan is an economic basket case and a national capital of corruption, requires a working knowledge of machine politics in Wayne County. <<<< >>>> WHICH BRINGS US to Bernard "Killer" Kilpatrick, the former Ferris State basketball star and a central figure in our tale. With a degree in social work, Katz presumably relied on his connections to win a plush job as director of the Wayne County Airport Authority from 1998 to 2000.