Bing closing 50 parks

**Detroitkid** · February-01-13, 12:26 PM

City, not state... How on Earth did they let it get to this. Bring in the EFM!!

Fifty city parks will close in the spring as a result of the Detroit City Council's inaction on a state lease of Belle Isle earlier this week, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing announced in a news conference today.
The lease agreement would have saved the city $6.2 million, Bing said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...NEWS/130209988

**jcole** · February-01-13, 12:37 PM

Yeah for the rapists and muggers who will have more cover to lurk about in.

**Zacha341** · February-01-13, 01:09 PM

Hah! Incredible but not surprising at all! What a victory for the city! A "jewel" is saved while the rest is left in rubble to further decay - including the jewel! Just great!

Can't get better decision making than this!

I thank goodness to have a passport to get away over the bridge or tunnel for an hour or two when it all just gets to be too much.

**Detroitkid** · February-01-13, 01:13 PM

Seems like the city govt. would rather rule over a slum than be a part of the rebirth.

**getmoore** · February-01-13, 01:15 PM

So is there a list of these 19 parks that are supposed to get "top notch" or improved services through the Detroit Future City plan?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2598938.html

**Crumbled_pavement** · February-01-13, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitkid

Seems like the city govt. would rather rule over a slum than be a part of the rebirth.

Easier to stay in power ruling over a slum than just sharing part of a rebirth. Sad, but true.

**Lowell** · February-01-13, 01:59 PM

Sad but telling commentary by Bill McGraw on DeadlineDetroit.

Closing a park means halting maintenance. By early summer, the weedy grass in those parks will be waist high. Litter will gather. Playground equipment will get scrapped, and ruins will remain.

Full commentary

Shollin · February-01-13, 02:28 PM

City council didn't vote down the Belle Isle proposal. I don't undertsand why the state had to pull the proposal? It's like Snyder said I'm going to take my ball and go home.

**TexasT** · February-01-13, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

City council didn't vote down the Belle Isle proposal. I don't undertsand why the state had to pull the proposal? It's like Snyder said I'm going to take my ball and go home.

DNR needed to put its budget together. City Council had months to look over the lease. Voting to put off the vote was essentially voting it down, given that they were well aware of the end-of-January timeline.

**Honky Tonk** · February-01-13, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

City council didn't vote down the Belle Isle proposal. I don't undertsand why the state had to pull the proposal? It's like Snyder said I'm going to take my ball and go home.

Let's be a little more realistic here. Snyder shows up with a softball and says "Hey, you guy's wanna play some baseball?" The Council says "Hell no, we're either playing basketball, or you can take your, [[insert racial slur here) and GTFO!" "C'mon, I've got the bats, gloves, bases, everything we need." "What part of we're playing basketball or nothing doesn't your [[insert racial slur here) understand?" "Are you sure? Tell you what, how about we play baseball for just a couple of hours, then we'll switch to basketball?" "We're not playing anything with your [[insert racial slur here), get it?". Then Snyder takes his ball and goes home.

**TexasT** · February-01-13, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by getmoore

So is there a list of these 19 parks that are supposed to get "top notch" or improved services through the Detroit Future City plan?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2598938.html

Farwell, Heilmann, Zussman, Fargo-Fenton, Peterson, Palmer, Balduck, Belle Isle, Clark, Patton, Hart Plaza, Lafayette Plaissance, Lafayette Central, Lafayette Entry, Roosevelt, Voigt, Joe Prance [[Rouge), Littlefield

It's in your link!

**getmoore** · February-01-13, 03:16 PM

^^^^^Lol! I think they updated the link with that info. Thanks

**cla1945** · February-01-13, 03:36 PM

Round up all those racists who were in the peanut gallery during clowncil meetings about Belle Isle, get Watson and Kenyatta, give them all rakes, shovels, and garbage bags and have them clean up the parks when they start to stink. Clowncil was intimidated by these people, let them run the show, now they face the consequences of giving the City of Detroit no parks at all!

What a bunch of unintelligent people.

**coracle** · February-01-13, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

City council didn't vote down the Belle Isle proposal. I don't undertsand why the state had to pull the proposal? It's like Snyder said I'm going to take my ball and go home.

If it's left on the table with no withdrawal date it merely becomes a bargaining chip that can be used in all the future begging requirements that will crop up. Council had at least 10 months to say Yes/No and they didn't say anything so a reasonable person would assume they don't need or want it. They can always ask for it to be re-instated. Snyder isn't taking his ball home he's simply making sensible decisions with our money.

**Zacha341** · February-01-13, 04:42 PM

That would be vision! To even have them initiate or promote such a community event would be shocking!

Originally Posted by cla1945

...Watson and Kenyatta, give them all rakes, shovels, and garbage bags and have them clean up the parks when they start to stink.

**313WX** · February-01-13, 05:08 PM

Can Bing do a budget amendment without the City Council's approval?

**stasu1213** · February-01-13, 06:46 PM

Bing actions are rather "childlike" in nature. He is showing his true colors. This is why he was a failure running Bing Steel. He is going to do major damage to the residents of this city before he leaves office next January. His master had told him to close the parks and the puppet just obliged

**Zacha341** · February-01-13, 07:22 PM

And more places to dump bodies in the worst case scenario...

Originally Posted by jcole

Yeah for the rapists and muggers who will have more cover to lurk about in.

**Kevgoblue** · February-01-13, 07:28 PM

The State of Michigan has never financially supported the maintenance of Belle Isle. How did these state dollars become part of any city of Detroit budget? How can not doing what has never been done cause Bing to need to close 50 unrelated city parks?

**Honky Tonk** · February-01-13, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Kevgoblue

The State of Michigan has never financially supported the maintenance of Belle Isle. How did these state dollars become part of any city of Detroit budget? How can not doing what has never been done cause Bing to need to close 50 unrelated city parks?

Probably, [[in Bing's mind), a tactful political move.

**313WX** · February-01-13, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Kevgoblue

The State of Michigan has never financially supported the maintenance of Belle Isle. How did these state dollars become part of any city of Detroit budget? How can not doing what has never been done cause Bing to need to close 50 unrelated city parks?

This is exactly why nthe old senile dingbat needs to go back to Franklin yesterday.

First off, the money for Belle Isle has already been budgeted out, along with the money for the other parks. All the fool's doing now is giving the people he already harbors contempt for even more reason to hate him.

Second, while he's making these grandiose announcements to the media, I'm not even sure he can do this without approval from the city council.

GUSHI · February-01-13, 07:56 PM

just close the hole city most of it is a dump anyways ,

**Wheels** · February-01-13, 08:03 PM

Why hasn't Bing asked for more lemonade stands?

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...nancial-crisis

**mikeg19** · February-01-13, 08:13 PM

City council is intent on the 0 steps forward, 10 steps backward plan. Save a rotting park on an island because it was a jewel 50 years ago, and sacrifice 50 parks in Detroit. But hey, they still own all that land AND Belle Isle. Clearly a win for the city

**DetroitHabitater** · February-02-13, 11:05 AM

I don't think this will be that big of a deal. By "maintaining" and having the parks "open" all they really mean is that they get the grass cut every once in a while with zero other maintenance on equipment/structures/litter blah blah blah. Most parks in my area are maintained by the local residents. With the exception of large scale lawn mowing equipment I don't foresee anything different then things are now. They certainly won't be able to fence off parks if they don't have money. So keep calm and carry on.