Saving detroit starts with us

[CFABDETROIT]

I'm glad that people like professorscott are on here, thank You very much for you support. Are as far as misspelling goes, I get excited when I’m typing about stuff I am amped up about. So yes, I have a few typos. Big deal

[CFABDETROIT]

And when I get the bugs ironed out of my plan [[remember, this is new. few weeks old) I plan to invite every origination to join hand in hand to make Detroit a better place.

[CFABDETROIT]

BTW, I took some advice and now the CFABD website has a new look.

[Servite76]

Dang, I just looked at it. CFAB, it looks pretty good.

[E hemingway]

CFABDETROIT,

I respect your enthusiasm and desire to bring change to Detroit. The city needs more young people like you. However, I think you could channel your energy more effectively. I suggest you start off a little slower by working with a few organizations that have similar objectives, learn from them and your experiences so you can really start to effectively shape and build on your plans. A few suggestions:

Volunteer for a political campaign. There are three more mayoral elections this year and some 300 plus people expected to run for City Council this summer/fall. Find a candidate you like and do some volunteer work for them. This can be a very rewarding experience for not only yourself but your community. A few candidates you might be interested in:
Mayor Cockrel: www.cockrelfordetroit.com/
Dave Bing: www.bingformayor.com
John Bennett: www.bennettfordetroit.com

Volunteer for a few non-profits. Do a few things for a few of them to see what you like and where you would like to focus your efforts. Working with a variety of them will give you a better idea of just how many problems the city grapples with everyday. Plus, working with them will let you network with like-minded people who can help you with your ideas. A few well-established organizations worth touching base with:
Detroit Synergy: www.detroitsynergy.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbsdetroit.org
Greening of Detroit: www.greeningofdetroit.com

Best of luck with your efforts. The city needs more young people with your energy and idealism.

[CFABDETROIT]

Thank You for Your advice E hemingway

[DenbyTar64]

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing him/her self - Tolstoy

This is how the citizens need to think before change can come to the big D

[lilpup]

oh is that so? i wasn't aware that an over-abundance of volunteer organizations was the parasite slowly sucking detroit dry

The problem is that there is limited funding for this type of work and donation dollars end up being spread too thinly for all the organizations to be effective. That's why, especially with today's economy, organizations are trying to find ways to work together and use funding as efficiently as possible.

[izzyindetroit]

A couple things you may want to change if you want to be taken seriously.

1. Change your myspace location to Detroit. If you do still live in Westland, then don't even try to help us out here because the last I checked we know what is right for our city.

2. Learn how to use spell check.

3. Take many of the other peoples advice on the thread and collaborate rather than start a new.

[CFABDETROIT]

To izzyindetroit
It's my city too and clearly you don’t know what is right for Detroit, if everyone knows what right Detroit would not be in the mess that it is in.
And for your other two points read what I’ve already wrote and stop being ignorant

[izzyindetroit]

Maybe I should rephrase myself.

Get a clue.

[Retroit]

Now that you've had a taste of the response you're likely to receive from like-minded pro-Detroiters, imagine what the opposition will be like.

Good Luck! You'll need it!

[gnome]

Does anyone know how the ignore function works?

[Lonyo exit]

Those are some of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard.

This must be a prank. Nobody can be this ridiculous.

[6nois]

Okay whoa there, hold your horses for a second. First off try some respect for your fellow forum members here. Okay now that we done that.

Take a serious look at working for other organizations first before starting your own. I too have big ideas for the future and I want Detroit to be apart of them, but I am doing this by working for and with already established groups to create face to face name recognition and contacts which will be priceless. Approach all work with caution any attempt even the best meaning attempt will be viewed in a negative light until you prove results. Also don't over promise, everyone in Detroit is use to being lied to and promised more than they ever get. So if you are going to do one thing, explain exactly what you are going to do, how, why, and why they should help you. Even that won't deflect skepticism and prevent you from criticism.

Second take the time to academically read up on Detroit, there are so many plans for the city that have been cycled over and over. So find out about them first and use them as a base point to further improve your ideas. You don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Third don't try to fight the nature of a place, Detroit always has and always will be gritty it doesn't need to be cleaned up and turned into the suburbs. It will always have things that may not be considered beautiful under normal circumstances. Graffiti is as old as humans and you won't stop it, so encourage it in a positive way. Creative thinking will provide simple solutions to complex problems.

Your plan is a lot of duplication. Did you know there are over 500 block clubs in the city of Detroit. Many neighborhoods have crime watches, and all DPD districts have public meetings to discuss safety. Neighborhood watch programs never went away.

There are far more than 12,000 abandoned structures in Detroit. Once again creative solutions. Why do they need to be demolished completely. Can you use them as other things. Can an industry of architecture salvage and construction materials be developed to prevent demolition from have a negative environmental impact?

Homes that need repair are owned by people from inside and outside of the city. There are many slum lords but Detroit is a city with a large poor population that can't afford some repairs, and conditions may have outside factors, such as a neighborhood with a high water table that can cause massive wood rot in a timber home.

There is not and will not likely be a high demand for new "housing projects" in Detroit for a long time. Note the "12,000" abandoned homes.

You cannot force people into drug tests to live in a city. It would be unconstitutional. And in all reality drug abuse as a problem is not likely to ever be solved. A much better approach would be rehab and detox options for addicts.

Ladies of the night are also as old as graffiti. You will not eradicate prostitution. Make it legal and provide resources to improve the safety for those who choose to work in trade.

I think if you really want to work on making a visible change join the movement to create a city council by districts. Also if this a passion of your look into getting a degree in Community Development which can help you build contacts and respect.

[LodgeDodger]

Michael, I applaud your energy. Now take some friendly advice from an old lady:

Don't try to re-invent the wheel. Check out the various organizations and join one or two of them. Find out which of the organizations are closest to your heart and stay with them. Later, after you've had a chance to learn the ropes, find your niche and give it your all.

*hugs*

[digitalvision]

It's my city too and clearly you don’t know what is right for Detroit, if everyone knows what right Detroit would not be in the mess that it is in.

I don't feel so bad for being a slight dick to you now. You ARE one of those people who come in and try to fix everything, when frankly, some of us have invested a lot of time and money and have worked with our neighbors [[city dwelling and suburban) to make things better.

It's not like one organization or one person is going to right this ship, which I would argue, has been slowly getting back on keel for awhile now. Even in neighborhoods I see marked progress. And it's all about progress in a situation like this.

It took a long time to fuck things up, and it's going to take a long time to fix them. Try picking up a place, or starting a business, and paying taxes and making some friends before you come tell us what to do. I love how so many think this city is some kind of science experiment, all knowing everything that we need for us. This city is people, not some urban planning textbook case study. We are men, we are women, we are children, we are families, we are people; not some goddamn theory or something that needs to be "saved."

Detroit will never be what it was. Detroit will never be Chicago or New York and nor should it. Stop living in the past, which you actually know nothing about.

It is what it is; it's future does look bright; but we cannot turn back the hands of time; 1 million people will not move back into the city any time soon. Those of us who are here every day, either working or living or playing or both, we know this and we're trying to make the best of what we can.

[Sludgedaddy]

....well at least CFAB doesn't mention beginning his plans for Detroit by starting out with a Beer Hall Putsch.

[E hemingway]

Two other things CFABDETROIT.

Do a lot more listening than telling. Nobody likes a newbie coming in and ordering them around no matter how effed up the situation is at the time. This is a pretty good rule for just about everything when you're in your teens and 20s. The closer you follow it the more grief you will save yourself.

Grow a thick skin. You'll need it around here.

[GOAT]

One of the biggest problems of Detroit...eating it's young. Just keep knocking down those with a drive to do better. No wonder the city isin the shape it is in. Detroiters either kill each other or kill the drive to succeed.. Either way it has promoted it's failure to the fullest...go figure.

[oneway]

CFAB,

Have you considered an enrollment in City Year? Although it's not the most entirely comprehensive program, it's great exposure and offers a unique insight in non profit work.


Hear hear, GOAT.

[Maxine1958]

Dear CFAB,

If you can't take the heat, by all means, stay out of the kitchen.

Echoing the 'advice' already given by many on this forum, don't be rude to those with more experience than you.

If you want to be taken seriously, you must not belittle the people who can help you the most.

Now let's all try to play nice, shall we?

[Danny]

If we want to save Detroit, we need to put away the segregation ,corruption and the race cards between our leaders and the suburbanites. Start cleaning up your ghettohoods, tear down abandon homes and buildings and fix up vacant houses buildings. Come up with some proposals to lure regionalization and corporate businesses to Downtown Detroit. Teach our Detroit children not to exploit themselves to gangs, crime and drugs and get them to school so that they could graduate, go to college and get a REAL fulfilling career. If we Detroiters and suburbanites can fix these everyday urban and ethic problems, then Detroit will be saved.


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET!

It's a simple concept. Wake up and smell reality!

[oneway]

And once you wake up and smell reality, you'll know what it's cookin'... son.

[ghein]

If you do still live in Westland, then don't even try to help us out here because the last I checked we know what is right for our city.

It's good to know this kid doesn't meet your standards for somebody who is allowed to care about the city.

Bravo to the more mature posters on this forum who chose to give this guy some direction.