Good Ol' Brooksie Never Disappoints

[313WX]

I'm just dying to see who will come to his defense and with what defenses.

The New Yorker Profiles L. Brooks Patterson: The Detroit-Bashing Never Stops


http://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/...g#.Ut0q0bQo7IV

[stasu1213]

Too bad Detroit doesn't have a cheerleader to defend it.

[brizee]

He's 75 and half crippled.

He's also already announced he's running again. Doesn't he have grandchildren he wants to spend time with.

He's one of the reasons this place looks just like it does. Like it was designed for a bunch of shortsighed angry old white men.

And his face resembles an over-masturbated penis.

[motz]

Brizee brings up my usual points [[with the addition of the looking like a penis part, which is hilarious), but leaves out my one point I like to make...

Brooksie hates urban and urban-like developments. He has always been biased against Ferndale-esque communities, while praising Clarkston for being so safe and wonderful and whatever. He's completely and utterly neglected Royal Oak Township, much to the detriment of its residents. Everyone, whether on a local, state or national scale, seems to willfully ignore that there are more than one areas of Oakland County which are not exactly the standard of living you'd expect for a "platinum" community. Brooskie refuses to look at the big picture, neglecting the fact that a strong urban core with supporting suburban communities is quintessential to our region's success. Instead we're left with another "EFF YOU GOT MINE" old white guy. My generation will be paying for his short-sightedness for years to come.

[Dan Wesson]

He's 75 and half crippled.

He's also already announced he's running again. Doesn't he have grandchildren he wants to spend time with.

He's one of the reasons this place looks just like it does. Like it was designed for a bunch of shortsighed angry old white men.

And his face resembles an over-masturbated penis.

This place?

[Scottathew]

And his face resembles an over-masturbated penis.

That made me chuckle quite a bit! Patterson is quite hated, and his hate speech and overt racism doesn't help.

Many people blame Patterson for some of Detroit's woes, but I see it the other way around, Detroit's woes are to blame for Oakland County's success.

People don't want to live in a place filled with so much crime, terrible schools, and poor city services.

If you fix Detroit's problems, it will repopulate. Oakland and Macomb County are what they are because Detroit isn't what it ain't.

Detroit has an opportunity to fix its problems and rebuild as an urban city with larger lots and new homes.

Now if Detroit would stop resisting help and labeling it as a "takeover", it could move forward. The fact is, Detroit needs to be taken over because more of the same action will get you more of the same results.

Also, keep in mind that these pensioners that so many people are trying to protect live out in the sprawlburgs, not Detroit.

[313WX]

Also, keep in mind that these pensioners that so many people are trying to protect live out in the sprawlburgs, not Detroit.

Oh yes, most of us are definitely well aware of that...

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

He's 75 and half crippled.

He's also already announced he's running again. Doesn't he have grandchildren he wants to spend time with.

He's one of the reasons this place looks just like it does. Like it was designed for a bunch of shortsighed angry old white men.

And his face resembles an over-masturbated penis.

Wouldn't he rather spend time with his booze than any grandkids?

[poobert]

* Patterson told me, “I used to say to my kids, ‘First of all, there’s no reason for you to go to Detroit. We’ve got restaurants out here.’ They don’t even have movie theatres in Detroit—not one.” He went on, “I can’t imagine finding something in Detroit that we don’t have in spades here. Except for live sports. We don’t have baseball, football. For that, fine—get in and get out. But park right next to the venue—spend the extra twenty or thirty bucks. And, before you go to Detroit, you get your gas out here. You do not, do not, under any circumstances, stop in Detroit at a gas station! That’s just a call for a carjacking.” . .

Oakland County is an overrated dump. It embodies what was fashionable 30 years ago - cheap, nouveau-riche suburbia. Feeble, geriatric incapacitated, and likely going mad, Brooks is unable to see the writing on the wall. He is Michigan's own George Wallace, and hurrying the state on to being the next Alabama. Now that a national trend has turned to urban living as an alternative to bland, milquetoast places such as Oakland County, Michigan has nothing to offer someone who desires that lifestyle. As a result, and for a myriad of other human mistakes, Michigan's population has flatlined and even dropped for decades. College-educated, urban-oriented professionals continue to earn their educations at illustrious Michigan institutions and take the next plane out of the state. The kind of short-sighted neighbor-hatred that Brooks has dedicated his life to has hurried the mutually-assured destruction of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties.

Detroit, for all its problems, offers incredible architecture, a vibrant arts scene and venerable cultural institutions, and some of the only pockets of urban living in the state. Even movie theatres. I, for one, would never live in Oakland County. It is simply not a desirable place for someone of my upbringing and education.

[Jason]

cheap, nouveau-riche suburbia.

Great way of describing it!


But something I have to give Oakland County is Cranbrook. Even though it's been generations since Cranbrook has been important, a big chunk of America's art and design heritage is connected to Cranbrook in some way or another in the 1940s and 50s.

But I wonder what it's like to be a student there today. When you're on campus I'm sure it's like any art school, but what do they think when they leave the compound and find themselves in the middle of Oakland County? When they drive down Woodward or Big Beaver or the neighborhoods and you're surrounded by the complete opposite [[both in terms of the physical environment and the people)? I'd bet that most people at Cranbrook wish it was in Detroit. I also wonder what out of state and international students think when they learn about Cranbrook, see photos of it, hear that it's in Detroit, and then what they think when they get there and see where it actually is.


I'd also love for the people who Patterson talks to to actually see Oakland County. For after he tells them how great and amazing it is, for them to actually go there and see what he's talking about. For them to see the moderately landscaped boulevard and the unremarkable office parks of Big Beaver after him telling them so much about it.

[EastsideAl]

He is Michigan's own George Wallace

One of the things that's only briefly mentioned in the article, but certainly well-remembered by many Detroiters of my age, is the repulsive Wallace-like crusade that first brought "showman" Patterson to wider public attention around here.

[jt1]

His spokesperson is already starting the damage control: http://www.freep.com/article/20140120/NEWS05/301200109/

I'd really like to hear his explanations how some of the quotes were taken out of context or part of a larger attempt to portray good ole Brooksie in a poor light.

At least they don't have to worry about the local media taking him to task. They just kiss his drunk ass and laugh it off as him just being himself [[which should be no reason for a pass)

[Honky Tonk]

One of the things that's only briefly mentioned in the article, but certainly well-remembered by many Detroiters of my age, is the repulsive Wallace-like crusade that first brought "showman" Patterson to wider public attention around here.

You're going to put Detroitnerd out of business.

[Detroitnerd]

You're going to put Detroitnerd out of business.

Ha! Thanks for paying attention, Honky Tonk.

Thing is, though, when I use that kind of inflammatory imagery, it's usually an over-the-top gag. Oddly, those are actual photos from that period ...

[aj3647]

I never understood why people get so red in the face about the things that he says. He's a glorified salesman. He says what he needs to say to make his product sound like best thing in the world and to make every competing product sound like utter crap. He's the political equivalent of Leonardo DiCaprio's character from Wolf of Wall Street.

But right on cue, L Brooks trolls Detroit and everyone gets butt-hurt about it. Why do you even care? All the negative attention showered upon him from Detroit's direction is still just that...attention. All you're doing is feeding the troll.

[poobert]

I never understood why people get so red in the face about the things that he says. He's a glorified salesman. He says what he needs to say to make his product sound like best thing in the world and to make every competing product sound like utter crap. He's the political equivalent of Leonardo DiCaprio's character from Wolf of Wall Street.

But right on cue, L Brooks trolls Detroit and everyone gets butt-hurt about it. Why do you even care? All the negative attention showered upon him from Detroit's direction is still just that...attention. All you're doing is feeding the troll.

Because if this giant dumpster fire of a region constitutes "Detroit" then he is a national embarrassment. So what do the fine readers of the New Yorker think of the Metro Detroit area? A bunch of jerks like Brooks in glorified trailer park called Oakland County, hmm, they might be right.

What kind of salesmanship is that? He isn't a salesman, he's a politician. He's playing to his audience already living in Oakland County. What about him would ever make anyone say "Wow, this Oakland County place sounds like a really forward-thinking, desirable place, I mean, they're not Detroit and they even have movie theatres." Basically he just keeps hitting home the fact that they're not Detroit, which everyone knows, and doesn't say much.

I never understood why everyone gets butthurt when Kwame does something Kwame-like and it's okay to flip out [[rightfully so) yet when Brooks goes on one of his alcohol and Alzheimers-induced tirades the reaction is "nothing to see here, just Brooks being Brooks." Hypocrisy at its finest. It's good for decent people to get outraged at thugs like Kwame and Brooks.

[aj3647]

I never understood why everyone gets butthurt when Kwame does something Kwame-like and it's okay to flip out [[rightfully so) yet when Brooks goes on one of his alcohol and Alzheimers-induced tirades the reaction is "nothing to see here, just Brooks being Brooks." Hypocrisy at its finest. It's good for decent people to get outraged at thugs like Kwame and Brooks.

It's not hypocrisy, because you're comparing apples to oranges. Kwame committed FELONIES, whereas L Brooks is a blowhard but I'm not aware of him engaging in criminal corruption and felony offenses. Do you understand the difference between being a loudmouthed asshole and being an unrepentant criminal who steals from the taxpayer?

And yes, he is a salesman. All politicians are salesmen. THEY are the product. They have to sell themselves to the public in order to get elected and then get re-elected. L Brooks' "us versus them" trash talk and race-baiting is just playing to the bigotries of the nouveau riche white trash of Oakland County in the same way that black Detroit politicians engage in race-baiting and "us versus them" politics to pander to a black electorate. Same shit, different color, that's all it is.

Hey, I'm all for criticizing L Brooks Patterson, I just think it's a little bit ridiculous that every time the guy cuts a fart, there's a DYES thread with 300 replies about it. And there's a person in this thread actively wishing death upon him. You don't think that's a bit extreme about a guy who says unkind things about Detroit, to want him to die? Take him to task when he says stupid stuff, but it seems a tad bit ridiculous to see posters here popping blood vessels over the guy. He's really not worth the amount of hate that some people here feel the need to pour into him.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Aj3647, you are spot on.

[Dan Wesson]

There are times when there is no such thing as bad publicity.

He's playing to his constituency and loving every bit of it.

He don't care if your talkin' good or bad about him, just as long as your talkin' about him.

[jt1]

At least he will be dead soon. When his death is announced, I will celebrate one more small step towards healing this region.

Kwame is gone, LBP will soon be gone and hopefully Ficano will be swept out of the office in the next election.

The question above about him wanting to retire to spend time with his family. My gut tells me his family doesn't care to spend that much time with him.

Now, let's hope is death is something exceptionally ironic like him getting killed during a car jacking in Oakland County or killed by crumbling infrastructure in Oakland County.

And to be clear: yes, I truly want him to die. It will help this region heal. Perhaps he and Manny Maroun can drive head on into each other and we can be without both of them [[Perhaps Cushingberry can be involved somehow as well)

[Johnnny5]

At least he will be dead soon. When his death is announced, I will celebrate one more small step towards healing this region.

Kwame is gone, LBP will soon be gone and hopefully Ficano will be swept out of the office in the next election.

The question above about him wanting to retire to spend time with his family. My gut tells me his family doesn't care to spend that much time with him.

Now, let's hope is death is something exceptionally ironic like him getting killed during a car jacking in Oakland County or killed by crumbling infrastructure in Oakland County.

And to be clear: yes, I truly want him to die. It will help this region heal. Perhaps he and Manny Maroun can drive head on into each other and we can be without both of them [[Perhaps Cushingberry can be involved somehow as well)

You have issues.

[John]

At least he will be dead soon. When his death is announced, I will celebrate one more small step towards healing this region.

Now, let's hope is death is something exceptionally ironic like him getting killed during a car jacking in Oakland County or killed by crumbling infrastructure in Oakland County.

This is one of the most disturbing comments I have read on this board in a long time. Seriously. Perhaps you should look into some professional help.

BTW, Detroit's mayor is white.

[txlady]

This forum needs a 'like' button so I could hit it now.

[aj3647]

There are times when there is no such thing as bad publicity.

He's playing to his constituency and loving every bit of it.

He don't care if your talkin' good or bad about him, just as long as your talkin' about him.

Some people wonder why Dennis Rodman went to North Korea and said all those crazy things he said. Well, nobody was talking about Dennis Rodman BEFORE he did those things, and now lots of people are talking about Dennis Rodman.

If L Brooks wasn't the caricature of person that he was, nobody would even know his name. Seriously, who would know the name of the Oakland County Commissioner if not for the fact that it's L Brooks Patterson and he says/does outlandish and controversial things?

There's method to his madness, and one of the big reasons why his schtick is so successful is because of the magnitude of the response he gets from thin-skinned people like many who post here in this forum.

[iheartthed]

Some people wonder why Dennis Rodman went to North Korea and said all those crazy things he said. Well, nobody was talking about Dennis Rodman BEFORE he did those things, and now lots of people are talking about Dennis Rodman.

If L Brooks wasn't the caricature of person that he was, nobody would even know his name. Seriously, who would know the name of the Oakland County Commissioner if not for the fact that it's L Brooks Patterson and he says/does outlandish and controversial things?

There's method to his madness, and one of the big reasons why his schtick is so successful is because of the magnitude of the response he gets from thin-skinned people like many who post here in this forum.

On one hand, I agree with you about him being a troll. OTOH, I just don't understand how this is tolerated by the media or his constituents. The local Detroit media made more fuss when Bloomberg made unflattering comparisons of New York against Detroit than it does about Paterson opening his big fat mouth.

I live in New York and I just can't imagine any elected official making such a comment about any place in this region. I don't think it would have been cool for a suburban official to talk about New York 20 years ago when the city was registering 2,500 murders a year. It's not cool today for New York officials to talk about it's neighbor Newark, which also has a disturbingly high murder rate. But in Oakland County trashing Detroit essentially encouraged.

Then again, it's obviously just the lady protesting too much. If Oakland County were really that attractive in its own right then it would speak for itself.