Belle Isle State Park

**Vic01** · March-16-14, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

...the reality is Detroit isn't a part of Michigan when its time to collect income tax...

Are you saying that Detroit residents don't pay State of Michigan income taxes?

**Schoolcraft** · March-17-14, 06:59 AM

I'm saying that in the consent agreement between the State and City, the State was supposed to help the city collect it's income tax and to my knowledge it hasn't happened yet.

**corktownyuppie** · March-17-14, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

I'm saying that in the consent agreement between the State and City, the State was supposed to help the city collect it's income tax and to my knowledge it hasn't happened yet.

I agree with Schoolcraft that state action is sometimes at the expense of the City. For example, the refusal to withhold city income tax from non-residents is just, IMHO, stupid. They're already withholding.

I also think the state politics clogging up the scrapper bills are just stupid, too.

But I prefer to evaluate all entities on a issue by issue basis. There are times when I've agreed with Joann Watson, even though I generally disagree with her. There are times when I think the state is screwing it up though I generally agree with what they are doing.

Duggan disagreed with the state lease. I agreed with it. Let's not combine issues and personalize them. If you are against the state lease, fine. But let's be against it because of what we think will happen, not because of what the state has done on other issues.

If your position is that Belle Isle is somehow going to be used to subsidize other state parks, the you have taken a clear stance. Oddly enough, most out-state representatives believe the exact opposite. They think that Belle Isle will be draining resources [[especially in capital expenses) from other parks.

There's just no way of knowing because we don't know how many new DNR passes will be gained from Detroit residents. Though my stance is that if the state is fronting up-front capital to renovate and clean up the island, it's going to be quite awhile before there's any return on that investment. And then if you are taking the position that the investment will be funneled out of the city, then it'll be a simple test. Let's wait til it happens and then we'll know for sure.

I have a client who told me 2 months ago that his experts believe that the dollar will collapse within 90 days and we will enter a period of hyper-inflation. I disagreed with him, but he's still taking a strong stance on it. Good news is that in 30 days we will know one way or the other.

So far, if we're keeping score on Belle Isle, I think it's pretty clear that they've spent far more money out of the state coffers than they've brought it in from city sales of annual passes. Let's see what happens going forward.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-17-14, 12:39 PM

A little more on Belle Isle improvements. Will this Welcome Center be to welcome the evil out of city visitors?

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...-shop.php#more

**Gistok** · March-17-14, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

A little more on Belle Isle improvements. Will this Welcome Center be to welcome the evil out of city visitors?

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...-shop.php#more

I don't like the sound of all this planned improvement DOTWC.... if they fix all that is planned... it will make the improvement naysayers and those that think the park is perfectly OK the way it is...

LOOK DOWNRIGHT FOOLISH!!

**corktownyuppie** · March-17-14, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I don't like the sound of all this planned improvement DOTWC.... if they fix all that is planned... it will make the improvement naysayers and those that think the park is perfectly OK the way it is...

LOOK DOWNRIGHT FOOLISH!!

But will it be ok for me to 420 in the new welcome center? THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!!!

**Gistok** · March-17-14, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

But will it be ok for me to 420 in the new welcome center? THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!!!

Now now!! You know the state law on "burning one" in public buildings!!

**ABetterDetroit** · March-17-14, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

My argument has been that the State can and will make money off of Belle Isle for their State park system, while Detroit's park system is suffering. Many people here disagree with that. We will see.

Damn the jig is up... Park systems make money... Now it's prolly to late to scoop up every overgrown broken down park in the state now that their money making potential has been realized.