Coleman Young's testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee

[Meddle]

His only failing in my eyes is that of being a thieving, lying crook.

His one goal was filling his own pockets, just like Kwame.

[Detroitnerd]

Alright then, Meddle. You'll be perfectly within your rights to list all his heinous crimes right here, right now.

Or STFU.

[EastsideAl]

And yet he didn't die a particularly wealthy man.

[Motor City Sam]

Regarding City Airport, City Council was not the only entity standing in the way of the planned expansion. IIRC, there was actually some support for the plan on the Council. Much of the protests came from suburban politicians and residents in Oakland and Macomb county. The mayor of Warren, for example, was quite outspoken against the idea of increased air traffic over his city. Politicians in Oakland County were against the expansion of City Airport, while at the same time proposing expansion and more utilization of the airport in Oakland County.

There was also some protest by some residents in the area of City Airport, as well as some people who had relatives buried in the nearby cemetary. Whatever the case, a great opportunity was missed, as an expanded airport would have been a huge boost for the City, in my opinion. In the past I have flown in and out of City on both Southwest and Pro Air, and it was always so much more convenient. A mini version of Midway airport on the East side would actually be a benefit for the whole region.

[Motor City Sam]

I am amazed that anyone could say that Coleman Young was dirtier than Kwame Kilpatrick.

[Detroitej72]

Yeah, it's probably not fair to Manson. Even he wasn't as evil as Young.

When you post ignorant statements like this, you loose all credibility with your argument, or lack thereof.

Like others have said, the man wasn't perfect, but to ignore his accomplishments is to bury your head in the sand. And the difference between Coleman and Kwame was that Coleman actually cared about Detroit, while Kwame's goal was to line his pockets.

[Thames]

I am amazed that anyone could say that Coleman Young was dirtier than Kwame Kilpatrick.

Maybe not dirtier. How about just as dirty? Two peas in a pod?

Coleman Young: Vista Disposal, Magnum Oil, Gold Krugerrands...

[Don K]

You might be right about Northwest having had plans for flight operations from City Airport, but I don't recall that. They may have had plans for limited operations from DET [[like to the hubs at Minneapolis-St Paul and Memphis and selected cities on the East Cost and in Florida), but that would not have made building the McNamara terminal unnecessary. Metro already was a major hub for NW, and that hub wasn't going anyplace. The old terminal at Metro, while adequate in the 60's, was completely inadequate and an embarrassment for the region by the 90's. Having said that, it would have been good for the region had the plan to extend the main runway at DET gone through. Having that as an option would make travel way easier for the east side and Macomb.

I do recall the outcry over paving over parts of the cemeteries, and the objections from the mayor of Warren. This one I'd class as a nice try on CAY's part.

[Motor City Sam]

Maybe not dirtier. How about just as dirty? Two peas in a pod?

Coleman Young: Vista Disposal, Magnum Oil, Gold Krugerrands...

You're comparing a man who was never so much as charged with a crime while Mayor, despite the feds running an investigation on him since before he was a state rep, with a guy who was is currently sitting in state prison after being convicted of two felonies, along with parole violation, and is facing two separate federal indictments totaling over 30 counts. That's not "just as dirty" or "two peas in a pod".

You wanna say Young did some dirt I won't call you crazy for it, but saying he was as bad as Kwame just isn't being objective.

[65memories]

Thanks to Kraig for articulating some of Mayor Young's accomplishments. Those of us who have been around and know Detroit history know that there have been far worse Mayors...corrupt Mayors...before Coleman Young, and those names have been mentioned in these threads before. I do know this: whenever I contacted the Mayor by letter, I always received a response back...and not a formatted response either.

[Thames]

You wanna say Young did some dirt I won't call you crazy for it, but saying he was as bad as Kwame just isn't being objective.

Not as sophisticated as Kwame [[that was a different time), but his heart was in the same place.

[kraig]

Regarding City Airport, City Council was not the only entity standing in the way of the planned expansion. IIRC, there was actually some support for the plan on the Council. Much of the protests came from suburban politicians and residents in Oakland and Macomb county. The mayor of Warren, for example, was quite outspoken against the idea of increased air traffic over his city. Politicians in Oakland County were against the expansion of City Airport, while at the same time proposing expansion and more utilization of the airport in Oakland County.

There was also some protest by some residents in the area of City Airport, as well as some people who had relatives buried in the nearby cemetary. Whatever the case, a great opportunity was missed, as an expanded airport would have been a huge boost for the City, in my opinion. In the past I have flown in and out of City on both Southwest and Pro Air, and it was always so much more convenient. A mini version of Midway airport on the East side would actually be a benefit for the whole region.

I remember the protests from Warren at that time. However, the only entity that actually had a vote was the Detroit City Council, and as a body, they voted no. Since then, no one has ever really taken city airport seriously.

[kraig]

You might be right about Northwest having had plans for flight operations from City Airport, but I don't recall that. They may have had plans for limited operations from DET [[like to the hubs at Minneapolis-St Paul and Memphis and selected cities on the East Cost and in Florida), but that would not have made building the McNamara terminal unnecessary. Metro already was a major hub for NW, and that hub wasn't going anyplace. The old terminal at Metro, while adequate in the 60's, was completely inadequate and an embarrassment for the region by the 90's. Having said that, it would have been good for the region had the plan to extend the main runway at DET gone through. Having that as an option would make travel way easier for the east side and Macomb.

I do recall the outcry over paving over parts of the cemeteries, and the objections from the mayor of Warren. This one I'd class as a nice try on CAY's part.

They didn't plan to move operatiosn from Metro, Northwest just wouldn't have had to spend as much as they did expanding at Metro if they had been in a position to do some expanding of their midwest operations at city airport. The cost of doing business at city airport is far less expensive than at metro. Thereby, lowering that 450+ million to around 300+ million. Beleive me, I'm with you regarding the former Northwest Airlines not giving up their largest hub which is Metro.

[MikeM]

Stumbled across this today: http://www.archive.org/stream/commun...search/Coleman

[softailrider]

I remember what the City of Detroit was like during CAY's first term. It was a wonderful place to live, filled with fantastic neighborhoods. It was the equal of any of the great cold weather big cities. Everything you needed was located within the city limits.

By the end of CAY's final term, the city looked pretty much as it does now.

How that man kept getting re elected has always been a mystery to me.

[Gistok]

I remember what the City of Detroit was like during CAY's first term. It was a wonderful place to live, filled with fantastic neighborhoods. It was the equal of any of the great cold weather big cities. Everything you needed was located within the city limits.

By the end of CAY's final term, the city looked pretty much as it does now.

How that man kept getting re elected has always been a mystery to me.

Ummm no it doesn't.... the outlying neighborhoods are in much worse condition than they were in 1993 when Young left office. 48224 was still a copper canyon of middle class well tended homes. Now much of that zip code is rental property with empty lots strewn about.... property values only about 25% of what they once were...

[Patrick]

Intergrated the Police and Fire departments along with other city departments. The Renaissance Center, Millender Center, Detroit One Center, the Madden Building, Joe Louis Arena, Police Mini Stations, revamped the civic center, brought in Southwest Airlines and actually got some use out of City Airport. Led the charge that integrated Wayne County Municipal Government. The People Mover [[ironically enough, his original plans, that were fought tooth and nail, called for the people mover to stretch all over the metro area). The Riverfront apartments, Virginia Park, Victoria Park. The Poletown Plant. Managed to have real Ethnic Festivals that ran every week for 5-6 months a year. And managed to have some of the most entertaining quotes that you'll ever hear.

Sure he had his failings, but he did manage to get some things accomplished. And they shouldn't be overlooked.

The RencCen was all Henry Ford II really.

[dtowncitylover]

The RencCen was all Henry Ford II really.

And the project began preparation under Roman Gribbs, CAY was just the mayor when it was finished.

[corktownyuppie]

His only failing in my eyes is that of being a thieving, lying crook.

His one goal was filling his own pockets, just like Kwame.

Wow. Some of those accomplishments were huge in a time where racism wasn't just the norm -- but actual policy -- in Detroit. I think he overstayed when the problems of the city were more complicated than overtly offensive civil rights issues.

But if it weren't for what he did, the racist bullshit I put up with as a kid in the 1980s would probably have extended well into the 90s and on.

I'm not a CAY fanboy at all and have more far more criticisms than compliments. Hell, my dad worked for the city and he couldn't stand CAY and his antagonistic rhetoric toward our suburban neighbors. But let's not forget that some of the stuff he accomplished was necessary and took courage and conviction.

[softailrider]

Ummm no it doesn't.... the outlying neighborhoods are in much worse condition than they were in 1993 when Young left office. 48224 was still a copper canyon of middle class well tended homes. Now much of that zip code is rental property with empty lots strewn about.... property values only about 25% of what they once were...

Yeah, there's a lot of neighborhoods that are much worse then in 1993. The zip code 48224 means nothing to me, not even sure where it is. That's not the point I was trying to make, in 1993, when CAY left office, the city was a fucked up mess. It went downhill
at a steady and very noticable rate during his terms in office. I've been living and / or working in the city for 50 years, I saw it happen right in front of my eyes.

[Hamtragedy]

Thanks, MikeM. That fiery brand is definitely lacked by our current public officials.

[Dexlin]

I guess actual proven corruption and criminality are all right so long as the mayor doing it did it while the city was seemingly on the up-and-up, and so long as he was one of "us."

Miriani [['57 to '62) was convincted of federal tax invasion, though he only got caught after leaving office. One can only imagine the sh%t he was doing while in office. This is not even to mention that while city council president, he was involved in a drive to reverse his own council's plan to integrate a housing development in the city. He wasn't able to pull it over on them, but he got his way from the mayor.

Albert Cobo [[50' to 57'), the mayor during the time, did everything in his power to appease city racists, tolerating in his city the intolerable, and he was rightfully and eventually rewarded with defeat for his lack of leadership of dealing with the issues of all of the citizens of Detroit.

Before these two, you had Richard Reading [[38' to 40') who was actually convicted and incarcerated after he left office of accepting bribes and for his involvement in protecting city gambling rackets during his tenure as mayor.

At the end of the day, Young's major failure was that he just happened to be the mayor left holding the bag when urban areas the country over were going to hell because some people didn't want to live among other people. Detroit's decline started long before Young ever set his foot in the City-Council Building as mayor.

He stayed far too long, and at least in my opinion, his greatest failure was not finding a way to head off the crack epidemic in the 80's, which in my opinion was probably the tipping point towards the point of no return. But, this dislike, nay, personal loathing of the mans peaks more about the people who harbor this personal hatred of him than it does about Young. Detroit was a politically dirty, tough city before Coleman. What changed more than anything else is the structural change in the global economy.

[DetroitPlanner]

Ummm no it doesn't.... the outlying neighborhoods are in much worse condition than they were in 1993 when Young left office. 48224 was still a copper canyon of middle class well tended homes. Now much of that zip code is rental property with empty lots strewn about.... property values only about 25% of what they once were...

I agree I grew up in the periphy on the west side. 48228 is much worse now than it was then. There is no comparison.

My biggest complaint was almost all development under CAY was centered around downtown. Other things that were not brought up yet include the Cobo expansion, Joe Louis, the malls along Woodward and Washington [[disasters), reconstruction of the belle isle bridge, the beginning of the riverwalk with Chene, St. Aubin, and Mt Elliot parks, Harbortown, Stroh's Riverplace, and the integration of city departments so a person of color had a chance to be something other than a garbageman.

[Detroitej72]

Ummm no it doesn't.... the outlying neighborhoods are in much worse condition than they were in 1993 when Young left office. 48224 was still a copper canyon of middle class well tended homes. Now much of that zip code is rental property with empty lots strewn about.... property values only about 25% of what they once were...

Your absolutely correct about that and I think Coleman would have fought harder against Engler's campaign to end the residency requirement which helped keep copper canyon.

Also, I'll add that the far east portion of the now infamous 48205 was pretty well kept, especially around Kelly Road.

[aoife]

Stumbled across this today: http://www.archive.org/stream/commun...search/Coleman

Thanks for the link, MikeM. That is just awesome.