Mike Duggan for Detroit Mayor

[brizee]

I don't land on either side for Duggan.

I don't think black voters siding with a white candidate is NEARLY as big an issue as some like to think it is.

What makes me suspicious is why has the Detroit News been beating this guy's drum so hard for nearly three months? Who does he know or owe/owed favors to on the staff? It was nearly an article a day some weeks back.

[mam2009]

...What makes me suspicious is why has the Detroit News been beating this guy's drum so hard for nearly three months? Who does he know or owe/owed favors to on the staff? It was nearly an article a day some weeks back.

I've ”heard” that Mike Duggan went to school with both the Governor & the Treasurer and that they have all been friends for some time. I would be very interested to know if there is any truth to that. If true it could provide some context for Duggan's interest in being Detroit's next mayor. For the life of me I can't understand why any credible candidate would want to be the next mayor with the cloud of the State hovering over every decision. But if they were hand-picked by the Governor that would make more sense.

[corktownyuppie]

I've ”heard” that Mike Duggan went to school with both the Governor & the Treasurer and that they have all been friends for some time. I would be very interested to know if there is any truth to that. If true it could provide some context for Duggan's interest in being Detroit's next mayor. For the life of me I can't understand why any credible candidate would want to be the next mayor with the cloud of the State hovering over every decision. But if they were hand-picked by the Governor that would make more sense.

That would sure make for an interesting conspiracy theory, but I don't think it's true.

Rick Snyder from Battle Creek, then went to University of Michigan.
Andy Dillon went to Detroit Catholic Central [[now in Novi) before going to Detroit College of Law and then University of Notre Dame.

So they definitely did not all go to school together.

Rick Snyder and Mike Duggan were both at the University of Michigan at the same time. But that would be like saying that me and Tom Brady were at school at the same time.

Are they all friends? That's much more believable. It actually makes sense to me that someone qualified would want the jointly appointed board overseeing all the decisions. If I were Mayor I'd finally feel like I have some political cover to do what everyone knows need to have been done for decades.

[Richard]

That would sure make for an interesting conspiracy theory, but I don't think it's true.

Rick Snyder from Battle Creek, then went to University of Michigan.
Andy Dillon went to Detroit Catholic Central [[now in Novi) before going to Detroit College of Law and then University of Notre Dame.

So they definitely did not all go to school together.

Rick Snyder and Mike Duggan were both at the University of Michigan at the same time. But that would be like saying that me and Tom Brady were at school at the same time.

Are they all friends? That's much more believable. It actually makes sense to me that someone qualified would want the jointly appointed board overseeing all the decisions. If I were Mayor I'd finally feel like I have some political cover to do what everyone knows need to have been done for decades.

The common is Spark , elimate MEDC diverting those funds into VC to pick the winners ,almost everybody is in place.

[mam2009]

The common is Spark , elimate MEDC diverting those funds into VC to pick the winners ,almost everybody is in place.

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

[corktownyuppie]

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

Ann Arbor Spark is an entity which has received much credit for help accelerate Ann Arbor's relevancy into an incubator for start-ups, a hub for advancing new technologies into economic engines, and into attracting the talented in knowledge-based industries to Ann Arbor.

from http://www.annarbor.com/business-rev...onomic-health/

As Krutko looks ahead to 2012, he said SPARK plans to develop a more aggressive program to assist second-stage companies — or already-established companies with 10 to 100 employees.“How can we unlock their growth and accelerate their growth?” he said. “We think we’re good at early-stage startup and at mature companies…but there’s this place in between of what we call driving industries.”He said members of SPARK are meeting with leading technology companies in other states, many of which are based in California, and he believes there’s opportunity in the Ann Arbor area to attract some of that talent.“My sense is we have a real competitive advantage, from a cost perspective, quality of life; I think we have a lot to offer.”Among the "success" stories SPARK cited in its 2011 report: University of Michigan spin-offArbor Networks, which has invested millions to upgrade its Ann Arbor-based research-and-development operation; ex-Borders employee David Altheon who landed an executive position with Ann Arbor-based Forest Health Services thanks to SPARK's Joint Adjustment Committee; and DeNovo Sciences, whose CEO and founders went through SPARK'sEntrepreneuer Boot Camp and then won the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest Business Plan Competition.

They've done a great job of that. And one thing that Snyder, Dillon, and Duggan have is experience or association with Spark. I don't know to what extent; I will leave that to someone more informed.

Skeptics believe that Spark unfairly uses its influence to help "pick winners and losers", which it does. But if that's the worst thing it does, I don't care. They help guide investment toward those ideas which have the potential to be money makers, and they do a good job of it. The really cynical claim they funnel taxpayer money to private accounts in some conspiracy corruption scheme.

Some compare them to the MEGC, but the comparison is not truly apples to apples. MEGC works more toward attracting big-splash investment. Spark works more toward mentoring startups that will become big-splash investments later.

http://www.annarbor.com/business-rev...onomic-health/

http://www.annarborusa.org/about-us

=====

IMHO, we need to continue shifting away from a labor-based economic engine to an entrepreneurial and knowledge-based engine. This, of course, is not taken too well by those who advocate toward a labor-based economic engine.

So that's where Snyder, Dillon, and Duggan all are cut from the same cloth.

[Richard]

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

Could you or someone else interpret that post for me?

Mr. Snyder was the ceo of Spark,Mr. Dillion was a Spark ceo Mr Duggin was originally put in place by Mr. Snyder not applied for , appointed.

Everybody being put in place by the state has either been in charge of a VC fund or connected with.

So basically what is happening is Mr Snyder has said we do not want outside investment we want to invest in companies within the state.

Those companies need funding so underfund MEDC divert those funds in the VC companies which is easier to do if you are in control of the bank.

But is it working ,well you just had a large solar panel company go under in Detroit when it was well known that Japan was going to restart incentives. Which has happened and now solar stocks are trading back on top. But not the US owned Detroit solar company but the companies that are now owned by the Chinese,if they wanted to keep those jobs in Detroit they would have done what any other city would have done and said hey what does it take?

Look at all of the companies that have left the state in the last 6 month's ,they were established companies that employed residents but unfortunately they were owned by out of state enterprises,they could not have been retained? It is touted that the state now has the lowest tax rate of any other state if that is the case why the sudden exodus?

Why would you give GE 40 million in Ann Arbor to employ 200 making solar panels when there is no way they have the production capability to pay?

This all goes back to the whole bridge thing and AREO ,
Look at anything tech,manufacturing,transportation,shipping and trucking related in Detroit and picture it gone.

All those warehouses and old factories will become obsolete as there will be no funds available and no support from the state to make employment centers out of them.

Why would anybody want to purchase say for instance Fisher when they can have a greenfield brand new building with funding already in place with the VC?

Detroit as in the city in essence becomes a bedroom community reliant on service sector jobs.

So it is all well and good that VC are going to fund all of this but look at what VC companies do , They fund short term and bail to the highest bidder leaving hedge funds etc. to piece everything out and work by the numbers.They do not build communities they profit from them at their expense and move on.

What has this have to do with Detroit as a city? Well if you can control the city you can control Areo because of the mounds of paperwork required and free rein to do what you wish to do.With no accountability.

Friends and family ,if your going to go that route why mess with the millions when you can control billions.

Good for the state yes,good for the city no.

It is not what is happening but the way it is happening.

Personally I feel it is wrong to hold public office for personal gain and to further personal agendas at the cost of a city.

Free Enterprise needs a level playing field but if you control the field and say you need to play by my rules is that free enterprise.

If you look at the big picture you can kinda see why everything is going down as it is there is a reason and as usual it is about money .But like I said it is all not bad if your concern is not the city itself .

The reason I asked about pushing for the wolverine run at MCS is because they already have a design for the station to terminate in AREO if you live downtown Detroit you will then have to figure out how to get to the other side of the airport to catch the train to Chicago.Now would be the time to move on the Fed level to countermeasure that.

I guess it all boils down to what you want as a city,service related or diversified you can kinda picture AREO as a casino it will pump funds tax wise into the city and jobs which are good but what is a city with no identity?

[corktownyuppie]

Mr. Snyder was the ceo of Spark,Mr. Dillion was a Spark ceo Mr Duggin was originally put in place by Mr. Snyder not applied for , appointed.

Everybody being put in place by the state has either been in charge of a VC fund or connected with.

So basically what is happening is Mr Snyder has said we do not want outside investment we want to invest in companies within the state.

Those companies need funding so underfund MEDC divert those funds in the VC companies which is easier to do if you are in control of the bank.

But is it working ,well you just had a large solar panel company go under in Detroit when it was well known that Japan was going to restart incentives. Which has happened and now solar stocks are trading back on top. But not the US owned Detroit solar company but the companies that are now owned by the Chinese,if they wanted to keep those jobs in Detroit they would have done what any other city would have done and said hey what does it take?

Look at all of the companies that have left the state in the last 6 month's ,they were established companies that employed residents but unfortunately they were owned by out of state enterprises,they could not have been retained? It is touted that the state now has the lowest tax rate of any other state if that is the case why the sudden exodus?

Why would you give GE 40 million in Ann Arbor to employ 200 making solar panels when there is no way they have the production capability to pay?

This all goes back to the whole bridge thing and AREO ,
Look at anything tech,manufacturing,transportation,shipping and trucking related in Detroit and picture it gone.

All those warehouses and old factories will become obsolete as there will be no funds available and no support from the state to make employment centers out of them.

Why would anybody want to purchase say for instance Fisher when they can have a greenfield brand new building with funding already in place with the VC?

Detroit as in the city in essence becomes a bedroom community reliant on service sector jobs.

So it is all well and good that VC are going to fund all of this but look at what VC companies do , They fund short term and bail to the highest bidder leaving hedge funds etc. to piece everything out and work by the numbers.They do not build communities they profit from them at their expense and move on.

What has this have to do with Detroit as a city? Well if you can control the city you can control Areo because of the mounds of paperwork required and free rein to do what you wish to do.With no accountability.

Friends and family ,if your going to go that route why mess with the millions when you can control billions.

Good for the state yes,good for the city no.

It is not what is happening but the way it is happening.

Personally I feel it is wrong to hold public office for personal gain and to further personal agendas at the cost of a city.

Free Enterprise needs a level playing field but if you control the field and say you need to play by my rules is that free enterprise.

If you look at the big picture you can kinda see why everything is going down as it is there is a reason and as usual it is about money .But like I said it is all not bad if your concern is not the city itself .

The reason I asked about pushing for the wolverine run at MCS is because they already have a design for the station to terminate in AREO if you live downtown Detroit you will then have to figure out how to get to the other side of the airport to catch the train to Chicago.Now would be the time to move on the Fed level to countermeasure that.

I guess it all boils down to what you want as a city,service related or diversified you can kinda picture AREO as a casino it will pump funds tax wise into the city and jobs which are good but what is a city with no identity?

Hm. Some of the stuff you say has me concerned but others I have a hard time getting on board with.

First, for some reason, people around here equate "service sector" jobs to pushing fries at McDonalds. And I take issue with that. If that's not what you mean, then I'm sorry in advance for setting up a straw man argument.

The service sector is the primary engine of the USA GDP. It makes up over 2/3 of our production. While some people think of Burger King when they hear "service sector", I hear information technology, consultancy services, retail, technical, and professional services. This is the heart of the modern day economy. This is why cities with highly educated workforces have so much money...the people high levels of education do this stuff. You add financial and insurance services, you get New York and Chicago.

If this is the future of Detroit, that's the future I wanna sign up for.

Warehouses and factories will eventually become more obsolete. They won't [[and shouldn't) disappear completely, but the future of this country's economy is not going to be based on making and shipping stuff. Other [[lesser paid) countries are going to make the things. Higher paid countries are going to invent and improve the things.

So when I hear about warehouses disappearing, I don't think about "losing our soul", I think about "shedding the past". When I think about NYC or Chicago or San Francisco or Dallas, I don't imagine shipyards and factories and giant plants. I imagine centers of finance, creativity, innovation, invention.

By the way, this is how Detroit became one of the wealthiest cities in the world in 1950. We were the hub and center for innovations in engineering and finance. If we want to escape the identity of one of the poorest American cities, we need to embrace that creative spirit again.