Good Ol' Brooksie Never Disappoints

**nain rouge** · January-22-14, 01:27 AM

Patterson has done a lot of good in Oakland County, but he really messed up with Pontiac. To locate all of those county buildings just outside of the borders of your county capital was stupid. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Now Oakland County has a mini-Detroit in the middle of all its glorified affluence, and the blight is spreading.

At least Macomb County officials had the intelligence to locate all of the major county buildings in downtown Mt. Clemens. As a result, Mt. Clemens is still at least passable as a city, which is more than I can say for most of Pontiac.

Not that Patterson was alone in his desire to kill of Pontiac. It amazes me how little Oakland University cares about Pontiac. Can't they see the value in having a good-sized urban community in their backyard? Royal Oak and Birmingham are OK, but don't really have large enough urban district to feel like a city as opposed to a suburb. And all this money is spent in improving Rochester when they had a better city down the road. I'd say I don't understand, but I do - Pontiac has black people, and we know how people like Patterson feel about that.

That Great Guy · January-22-14, 06:22 AM

Brooks Patterson knows about the

The abolition of state revenue sharing for mass transit in Michigan
Cut and paste into Google and let him know that he should indeed be much more supportive of Detroit by backing up his talk with actions.

I'm very openly and publicly opposed to the I-75 expansion in it's present form. I think all of Oakland County should opt into the County Transit Authority and leverage both government and industry support for the Cities of Detroit and Pontiac. I'm sure Mr. Patterson is SMART enough to do that.

I'm sure he must know expanding I-75 should include everyone, poor and rich and black and white. So, if y'all don't stand up to protest the tax shifting to expand freeways, then shame on Brooks? No, shame on you.

**Honky Tonk** · January-22-14, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by That Great Guy

Brooks Patterson knows about the

The abolition of state revenue sharing for mass transit in Michigan
Cut and paste into Google and let him know that he should indeed be much more supportive of Detroit by backing up his talk with actions.

I'm very openly and publicly opposed to the I-75 expansion in it's present form. I think all of Oakland County should opt into the County Transit Authority and leverage both government and industry support for the Cities of Detroit and Pontiac. I'm sure Mr. Patterson is SMART enough to do that.

I'm sure he must know expanding I-75 should include everyone, poor and rich and black and white. So, if y'all don't stand up to protest the tax shifting to expand freeways, then shame on Brooks? No, shame on you.

I agree. I think all the manufacturers should put their wares in donkey carts, and take them up Gratiot Avenue.

That Great Guy · January-22-14, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I agree. I think all the manufacturers should put their wares in donkey carts, and take them up Gratiot Avenue.

Thanks to Kwame and Brooks, this is the future of Detroit. Unless people learn how to vote

**Hermod** · January-22-14, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by nain rouge

Not that Patterson was alone in his desire to kill of Pontiac. It amazes me how little Oakland University cares about Pontiac. Can't they see the value in having a good-sized urban community in their backyard? Royal Oak and Birmingham are OK, but don't really have large enough urban district to feel like a city as opposed to a suburb. And all this money is spent in improving Rochester when they had a better city down the road. I'd say I don't understand, but I do - Pontiac has black people, and we know how people like Patterson feel about that.

Oakland University predates Patterson by quite a bit [[1957). The university was built on donated land and was always oriented towards Rochester. When the university was being built, Rochester renamed 5th Street/Walton Blvd as University Drive.

**Kevgoblue** · January-22-14, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by nain rouge

Patterson has done a lot of good in Oakland County, but he really messed up with Pontiac. To locate all of those county buildings just outside of the borders of your county capital was stupid. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Now Oakland County has a mini-Detroit in the middle of all its glorified affluence, and the blight is spreading.

Not that Patterson was alone in his desire to kill of Pontiac. It amazes me how little Oakland University cares about Pontiac. Can't they see the value in having a good-sized urban community in their backyard? Royal Oak and Birmingham are OK, but don't really have large enough urban district to feel like a city as opposed to a suburb. And all this money is spent in improving Rochester when they had a better city down the road. I'd say I don't understand, but I do - Pontiac has black people, and we know how people like Patterson feel about that.

I think you might be giving LBP too much credit. You are giving him accountability for the fall of Pontiac?
Sounds much like LBP blaming CAY for the decline in Detroit. True, both are over the top men with similar personalities that makes people either love or hate them. But the fall of Detroit was much more linked to the implosion of the auto industry and the movement of people and jobs to the suburbs. I would argue similarly that GM pulling out of Pontiac had way more influence in the city's decline than LBP ever could.

**Johnnny5** · January-22-14, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by nain rouge

Patterson has done a lot of good in Oakland County, but he really messed up with Pontiac. To locate all of those county buildings just outside of the borders of your county capital was stupid. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Now Oakland County has a mini-Detroit in the middle of all its glorified affluence, and the blight is spreading.

At least Macomb County officials had the intelligence to locate all of the major county buildings in downtown Mt. Clemens. As a result, Mt. Clemens is still at least passable as a city, which is more than I can say for most of Pontiac.

Not that Patterson was alone in his desire to kill of Pontiac. It amazes me how little Oakland University cares about Pontiac. Can't they see the value in having a good-sized urban community in their backyard? Royal Oak and Birmingham are OK, but don't really have large enough urban district to feel like a city as opposed to a suburb. And all this money is spent in improving Rochester when they had a better city down the road. I'd say I don't understand, but I do - Pontiac has black people, and we know how people like Patterson feel about that.

The Oakland County Courthouse and most of the other structures were moved from Pontiac to their current location in the 1960's. L. Brooks Patterson was still in his 20's and in college [[In Detroit) at the time. I understand that some of you don't like the guy, but blaming him for something that happened 50 years ago makes no sense at all.

**Hypestyles** · January-22-14, 09:22 AM

So has Patterson even bothered to hint at a successor, or does he really thinks this role is his for life [[and beyond)?

**ghettopalmetto** · January-22-14, 04:09 PM

This was my favorite part:

A promotional infographic currently used to recruit multinational companies situates Oakland County relative only to Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto and New York.

In 49 states, people know where FOUR of these places are. It really hurts the Southeastern Michigan region to use the same marketing strategy as a rural hamlet.

Brooks is no mastermind--he got lucky. You go into any major city in America, round-up the white collar workers, and herd them into their own county while keeping The Poors out, and you're going to appear "successful".

**canuck** · January-23-14, 02:08 AM

[QUOTE=ghettopalmetto;419194]This was my favorite part:

In 49 states, people know where FOUR of these places are. It really hurts the Southeastern Michigan region to use the same marketing strategy as a rural hamlet.

Brooks is no mastermind--he got lucky. You go into any major city in America, round-up the white collar workers, and herd them into their own county while keeping The Poors out, and you're going to appear "successful".

[/QUOTE
In that sense, doesnt this O.C.bear an odd resemblance to another one in southern California; Orange County, maybe?

**motz** · January-22-14, 04:26 PM

I hope that LBP and others recognize that the way they sprawled the ever living hell out of Oakland County means it may not always be sustainable. If you go to some of the less-well-off areas, you will see tons of abandoned storefronts and just a general dumpiness. Its much easier to live in Hazel Park/Ferndale/etc close to all the freeways than it is to live out in Commerce. I had the delightful adventure of spending a big chunk of yesterday out there and man, I am so glad I chose to live in Detroit... Everything I could ever need is a quick buzz away, where as out there... can be miles from the nearest thing that isn't mediocre.

**poobert** · January-22-14, 06:51 PM

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...s#.UuBY39Io7Gh

"Why, when Patterson had the chance to expound at length about the region to the elite audience of one of the nation’s most prestigious magazines, did he choose to come across like a mean-spirited boor? What does that say to the New Yorker’s readers about Patterson, and what does it say about Oakland County?"

Classless and classless, that's what.

**313WX** · January-22-14, 07:37 PM

An interesting observation is that there's no mention of L. Brooks PAtterson even being born and raised in Detroit on his Wikipedia page [[besides his high school and college credentials).

Just considering that, there's absolutely no reason for me to doubt any of the quotes in that article.

It's amazing that one's hatred can be that pure and deep seeded.

**Wesley Mouch** · January-23-14, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

An interesting observation is that there's no mention of L. Brooks PAtterson even being born and raised in Detroit on his Wikipedia page [[besides his high school and college credentials). ...

Wikipedia content is by its readers. If you know this to be true and relevant, then please do add it to the page. I do think its relevant, since Brooks often has taken an antagonistic attitude towards Detroit. [[I'd edit the page, but I don't know it to be true.)

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-23-14, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Wikipedia content is by its readers. If you know this to be true and relevant, then please do add it to the page. I do think its relevant, since Brooks often has taken an antagonistic attitude towards Detroit. [[I'd edit the page, but I don't know it to be true.)

I'm pretty sure it's true. A lot of local politicians were born and raised in Detroit. But, that's still not a excuse to be a _ _swipe.

**Wesley Mouch** · February-08-14, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

I'm pretty sure it's true. A lot of local politicians were born and raised in Detroit. But, that's still not a excuse to be a _ _swipe.

Brooks was Detroit-born.

No need to name-call. Spend that energy fixing something, or writing a real comment.

Regardless of what you think of him, his county is considered well-managed. And sure its easier when you're growing, but that hasn't been true for OC in a few years now. And his county remains well-run.

I said it before, but I know some who voluntarily switched from OC defined-benefit plan into defined-contribution. And they have done BETTER than the fixed pension. They are happy.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · February-09-14, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Brooks was Detroit-born.

No need to name-call. Spend that energy fixing something, or writing a real comment.

Regardless of what you think of him, his county is considered well-managed. And sure its easier when you're growing, but that hasn't been true for OC in a few years now. And his county remains well-run.

I said it before, but I know some who voluntarily switched from OC defined-benefit plan into defined-contribution. And they have done BETTER than the fixed pension. They are happy.

What I wrote is REAL. He is what he is, a divisive politician whose only concerns are fanning the flames of drama going on in Southeast Michigan. He's part of the problem, not the solution. Regardless of his sterling track record. You can defend him until you're blue in the face. I'm not.