"We need to stop BS-ing ourselves" - Mayor Bing, on opposing action to appeal EM

[Honky Tonk]

very melodramatic. This idea that the council and mayor will only able to 'cut ribbons and kiss babies'.

The truth is they are sorely needed. they need to work with the efm to get this city fixed. its a huge job. And if they fight instead of work together, it'll be that much harder, and that much less likely to work, and take that much longer.

Leaders are needed. I hope they choose to be leaders, and not idiots.

Hey everybody! Look out the window! A flying pig!!!!!!

[Danny]

Look how this flying pig fly!

[Danny]

Most Detroiters has already declared a civil war against the State of Michigan. I'm just waiting for Detroit to succeed from Michigan and start an independent city.

Next battle ground the Battle of Detroit Athletic Club where Gov. Snyder, the Nerd will give out his no-nonsense political speech about Detroit's fate.

[Honky Tonk]

Most Detroiters has already declared a civil war against the State of Michigan. I'm just waiting for Detroit to succeed from Michigan and start an independent city.

Next battle ground the Battle of Detroit Athletic Club where Gov. Snyder, the Nerd will give out his no-nonsense political speech about Detroit's fate.

Detroit will have a hard time succeeding with or without the help of the State of MI.

[Detroitnerd]

The political subdivisions of a state are not sovereign. The counties, cities, townships, and villages are instrumentalities of the state. The state may charter them or de-charter them. The state may combine them. The state is the ultimate authority when it comes to its various political subdivisions. The state is governed by the people of the state through their elected governor and legislature.

So the state can combine Detroit with Oakland County. Nice.

[mwilbert]

So the state can combine Detroit with Oakland County. Nice.

As noted above, not without the consent of the entities being combined, or, alternatively, changing the state constitution.

[corktownyuppie]

So the state can combine Detroit with Oakland County. Nice.

It's not an opinion poll, it's the law. But for what it's worth, I've always wished that Detroit was an upper income high net worth Black mecca that drew people in from all over the world.

But it's not....

[313WX]

But for what it's worth, I've always wished that Detroit was an upper income high net worth Black mecca that drew people in from all over the world.

But it's not....

Yeah, Atlanta has that claim.

Quiet as it's keep, despite it being framed as a black/white issue, most blacks are ashamed of Detroit as well. You can bet well-to-do blacks would never raise their kids in Detroit. Detroitand Michigan is truly stuck in a 1970 time warp.

[Detroitnerd]

As noted above, not without the consent of the entities being combined, or, alternatively, changing the state constitution.

Home rule. Love it or hate it, it has been the law of the state. It hemmed in Detroit and is responsible for the crazy quilt of 140-some little "cities" all vying for dwindling resources.

Home rule fucked Detroit but good for 80 years. There's no way a Lansing-appointed dictator would want to remove that.

[mwilbert]

Home rule fucked Detroit but good for 80 years. There's no way a Lansing-appointed dictator would want to remove that.

'Of course, there is little evidence the people of Detroit want to remove it either. While I personally think it would be a great idea, until you could plausibly imagine merging Pleasant Ridge and Huntington Woods, I can't see anything larger-scale happening.

[mam2009]

I am very confused as to how this hasn't worked anywhere else. Examples;

Pontiac: Police response times have gone from 76 minute average to just over 9 minutes. Fire services now partner with Waterford. Downtown has seen a dramatic increase in redevelopment. Leased out excess space at water facility to erase long term debt obligations, freeing city taxes to pay for services not debt.

Flint: Balanced city budget while adding to police and fire department thanks to a 6 mill ballot proposal. Privatized management of previously closed and abandoned golf courses. Privatized trash collection to save city $1 million annually and add recycling. Created OPRA redevelopment district for a dozen downtown properties. Removed Genesee Towers [[major liability) from the city's books and gave it to a redevelopment firm. Rewrote 2 union contracts and negotiated 3 more to achieve cost reducations. Balanced the city's lighting and trash funds with fee changes. Moved pension liability from the city to the state.

Any one of these things would be seen as major, yet EMs have done them all in about 2 years. I will never understand this idea that EMs are an utter failure.

What is your source for this information? Could you please provide a link or cite your source?

[corktownyuppie]

What is your source for this information? Could you please provide a link or cite your source?

I don't know where they got their info, but I've heard similar things about Pontiac. Less familiar with Flint.

Police response time down in Pontiac from an hour to six minutes since Oakland County Sheriff takeover

The group’s chairman, Pastor Douglas Jones of Welcome Missionary Baptist Church, where the Committee of 50 meets, said people in Pontiac “are feeling safer in their position.”

[DTFellow]

Hermod, you are only partially right. Cities are not sovereign as you say, but the Michigan Constitution and legislative acts give them considerable autonomy and power apart from the state. Yes, the state is the supreme sovereign as it is, but without constitutional change, cities retain a good deal of power. Non-charter counties and townships on the other hand. . .

[Hermod]

So the state can combine Detroit with Oakland County. Nice.

Read the history of some of the counties in the state. When the state was founded, there were fewer counties and the state split off portions of a county to create a new counties. The state is only limited by its own constitution and legislated laws [[both of which the voters can change) in what the state does with its own instrumentalities [[counties, cities, villages, and townships). While the boundaries of townships are fixed by the Northwest Survey, the state has combined townships politically and financially where a township might not be viable as a standalone government unit.

[maverick1]

It's not an opinion poll, it's the law. But for what it's worth, I've always wished that Detroit was an upper income high net worth Black mecca that drew people in from all over the world.

But it's not....

I thought Detroit could be that too. I wonder why that never happened considering Black Detroiters were light-years ahead of other Black Americans economically.

[Danny]

Yeah, Atlanta has that claim.

Quiet as it's keep, despite it being framed as a black/white issue, most blacks are ashamed of Detroit as well. You can bet well-to-do blacks would never raise their kids in Detroit. Detroitand Michigan is truly stuck in a 1970 time warp.

Hah! the political situation in Detroit is stuck in a mixture of 1960s black power struggle,Coleman A. Young Kleptocracy and Kwame Kilpatrick's hip hop culture. Now add some plantation politics and race cards and you have Detroit's mayhem.


I wish the ghost of Cadillac just come into their minds and cure them out their slave mentality.

[corktownyuppie]

Hah! the political situation in Detroit is stuck in a mixture of 1960s black power struggle,Coleman A. Young Kleptocracy and Kwame Kilpatrick's hip hop culture. Now add some plantation politics and race cards and you have Detroit's mayhem.


I wish the ghost of Cadillac just come into their minds and cure them out their slave mentality.

A political strategy exists only until it no longer works. All of the above were effective strategies for a very long time. But you are witnessing the end of their shelf lives.

For example, look at Lon Johnson, newly elected chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. Who ever thought that the Michigan Dems and the UAW would ever pick someone leading a private equity firm to run their party?

[Zacha341]

It was.... Detroit indeed was one of the northern cities blacks migrated to 40s' - onward heavily thru the late 50's+. My parents, and their siblings did. Now we see people leaving Detroit and well Michigan too...

It's not an opinion poll, it's the law. But for what it's worth, I've always wished that Detroit was an upper income high net worth Black mecca that drew people in from all over the world.

But it's not....

[Zacha341]

Well stated D.

Hah! the political situation in Detroit is stuck in a mixture of 1960s black power struggle,Coleman A. Young Kleptocracy and Kwame Kilpatrick's hip hop culture. Now add some plantation politics and race cards and you have Detroit's mayhem.

[coracle]

I think Mayor Bing has quietly done a good job. No elected official can come into Office and slash and cut all the departments hurting a lot of entrenched long time workers that are probably no longer needed to get the job done. It might result in civil unrest. He's highlighted the problem and made a start by hurting everybody a little bit by reducing their hours, and prepared the City for the next step which will be tackled by an outsider selected by a willing "ogre" who will take the blame for the pain [[even if it has a successful conclusion) He's cut the power from under the Council by making them show their inadequacies and not supporting their objections to the FM. Another sensible decision he made this week is to decline the chance to compete to be an Olympic City. Under the circumstances he has eased Detroit in the right position to start a recovery and I think the vast majority in the city are ready to accept it.

[Hermod]

I think Mayor Bing has quietly done a good job. No elected official can come into Office and slash and cut all the departments hurting a lot of entrenched long time workers that are probably no longer needed to get the job done. It might result in civil unrest. He's highlighted the problem and made a start by hurting everybody a little bit by reducing their hours, and prepared the City for the next step which will be tackled by an outsider selected by a willing "ogre" who will take the blame for the pain [[even if it has a successful conclusion) He's cut the power from under the Council by making them show their inadequacies and not supporting their objections to the FM. Another sensible decision he made this week is to decline the chance to compete to be an Olympic City. Under the circumstances he has eased Detroit in the right position to start a recovery and I think the vast majority in the city are ready to accept it.

Lordy, lordy, someone on DetroitYes finally gets it.

[313WX]

I think Mayor Bing has quietly done a good job. No elected official can come into Office and slash and cut all the departments hurting a lot of entrenched long time workers that are probably no longer needed to get the job done. It might result in civil unrest. He's highlighted the problem and made a start by hurting everybody a little bit by reducing their hours, and prepared the City for the next step which will be tackled by an outsider selected by a willing "ogre" who will take the blame for the pain [[even if it has a successful conclusion) He's cut the power from under the Council by making them show their inadequacies and not supporting their objections to the FM. Another sensible decision he made this week is to decline the chance to compete to be an Olympic City. Under the circumstances he has eased Detroit in the right position to start a recovery and I think the vast majority in the city are ready to accept it.

He only made these changes with Snyder holding his hands through the Consent Agreement.

Keep in mind how ineffective he was prior to April 2012.

Even then, I would say much of the city is worse off since April 2012. In an futile attempt to cut Detroit to prosperity, Bing and Snyder have further jeoparized the public safety of Detroiters, in case you haven't been reading the news.

To name a few instances...

1. A senior citizen'swomen's home burned down to the ground because of the lack of fire trucks.

2. A woman was shot in the head and killed because she couldn't even access police station [[supposedly a safe haven from criminals) since they no longer operate 24 hours.

[Honky Tonk]

He only made these changes with Snyder holding his hands through the Consent Agreement.

Keep in mind how ineffective he was prior to April 2012.

Even then, I would say much of the city is worse off since April 2012. In an futile attempt to cut Detroit to prosperity, Bing and Snyder have further jeoparized the public safety of Detroiters, in case you haven't been reading the news.

To name a few instances...

1. A senior citizen'swomen's home burned down to the ground because of the lack of fire trucks.

2. A woman was shot in the head and killed because she couldn't even access police station [[supposedly a safe haven from criminals) since they no longer operate 24 hours.

Are you absolutely sure this was Bing & Snyder's fault? Kilpatrick and company emptying the till wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it? Also WTF sinks $65 mil into revamping a "Police & Fire Station", when there are no policemen, firemen, or working equiptment? Maybe we could show both victims an artists rendering?

[313WX]

Are you absolutely sure this was Bing & Snyder's fault? Kilpatrick and company emptying the till wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it? Also WTF sinks $65 mil into revamping a "Police & Fire Station", when there are no policemen, firemen, or working equiptment? Maybe we could show both victims an artists rendering?

They're not entirely at fault, but to say things haven't gotten worse under tehir watch would also be a lie.

[Honky Tonk]

They're not entirely at fault, but to say things haven't gotten worse under tehir watch would also be a lie.

Yes, They HAVE gotten worse, but I feel Detroit was on a slippery slope when both were elected. There is NO money in either Detroit or in MI. There first order of the day should have been to assess where the money was going and to cap off or reroute NEEDLESS expenditure. I feel there's plenty there to be found. Instead, and I'll post it again, Detroit, and MI both want to do grandiose projects that are not generating revenue, and end up costing both City and State more money in the end. I'll give you that much for failed leadership. However it's a daunting task, and when being met with resistance @ every step, how can anything get done? Snyder's BIG screw-up was ending tax credits for the movie industry. So far he hasn't replaced what little was there, by "drawing more sustainable businesses" like he anticipated. Currently, with it's system of checks and balances, running Detroit is like taking 20 school kids to Cedar Point and asking "who wants to do what?"