I see where you're coming from...and it points to an even more fundamental question than the viability of Detroit Works: Whose responsibility is it to take care of our poor, powerless, and disadvantaged.

Unfortunately, society's answer at the current moment is: themselves.

Now if you can convince the political needle to move in the opposite direction, then great. But under the current political realities -- which, admittedly, are created by the institutions and the powerful people who run those institutions -- there aren't lot of better answers.

Is antiestablishmentarianism going to further our mutual aims? To better Detroit? To take care of the powerless? I personally don't believe so. But I'm still listening, and I'd like to hear your take on how that -- or any other real alternatives -- might work.

In other words, it might be true that the longer term health of Oakland County depends on Detroit. But if they don't believe it's true, then we either need to convince them or find another avenue. But til then, they're happy as a clam with things the way they are.