Even dead bodies come to the surface eventually unless they are tied down.
The future is so bright , we'll have to wear shades.:cool:
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Even dead bodies come to the surface eventually unless they are tied down.
The future is so bright , we'll have to wear shades.:cool:
Detroit is headed up when the slum clearance of poor black communities happens.
Detroit is headed down when the slums re-appears.
I grew up in the Cass Corridor 80-2000, went off to college and Farmington Hills for a year, then moved back into the corridor for a few years. Last year I moved to West Village [[just outside Indian Village), although the foreclosure market has affected Indian Village, I still think it is one of the best neighborhoods in Michigan. The houses are nothing short of amazing and so rich in historical significance.
When I visit Cass Corridor I see it trending way up. Wayne State and DMC expanding with new buildings, Woodward looking way less abandond downtown. It was just in the last decade or so that half of the things to do downtown were added [[campus martius, stadiums, casinos, many new restaurants, riverwalk etc.)
I can't believe how great my neighborhood in West Village is, and as Detroiters we share a common bond in the suffering we share through our horribly run city. I was over at my neighbors house a few days ago for dinner with several other families from the block, we had fantastic evening sharing our concerns and hopes for the future of this city. IT was great to gain perspectives from people who have been here for 40 years, and the young couple who moved in this year.
I for one think the city will continue to dtruggle for a long time to come, but that struggle will create great people with stories over overcoming adversity. I for one am frustrated with our lack of options for leadership. I will be voting in this election, but am far from passionate about any of the candidates. I have and will continue to attempt to make Detroit better on my block, my street, my neighborhood, and as far out as I can go. I can just hope more people do the same. I have always and will always love this city [[not her leadership).
Sorry for the rant, just thought this thread could use some positivity. Reading Detroit Yes has gotten very depressing lately. Seems more and more like Detroit No.
Sometimes, when I'm up late and all that's on is that infomercial for the book about the secret of "The Law of Attraction," which is basically the theory that if you think and act like good things are going to happen, they cosmos will provide you such things. Conversely, if you envision the worst, that's what you'll get.
Detroit makes me wonder if there isn't some merit to this. 40 years of everyone pondering how bad it is. If Detroit were a case study, it would definitely reinforce these quacks' crazy philosophies. However, I won't be buying the book. :rolleyes:
No, mayoral control is not a magic bullet but whenever there is talk of change there is always one common denominator: money
You're right DPS has been falling downward for decades and the blame is on everyone. The board, the parents, the teachers, the students, everyone. One of the reason there is a call for mayoral control is because if Detroit don't make the first move then the next governor will surely do an Engler and the mayor will get control by default. Another reason for control is that Dept of Ed. has turned off the faucet for money coming to Detroit. Something has to change.
Yeah, pouring federal money onto the DPS problem won't change anything. The problems with DPS are so systemic, that only a total overhaul seems to be a solution. I hate to say it, but it appears as though there is as much adversity to changing the way DPS operates as there are people fighting for improvements. There really has to be a strong City/State mandate force-fixing the problem, otherwise, the old ineffective DPS guard will struggle for power and stall any progress. A no holds barred approach by a qualified person with virtually omnipotent decision-making authority will have to take charge using tactics not unlike Sherman's march to the sea.
Aha! the Kresge Foundation agrees with those of us that believe Detroit is recovering and experiencing a renewal:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...nce-in-Detroit
I think that considering the bad economy, the developments in Midtown and Downtown, the riverfront, and midtown east of Woodward are even more impressive. Hopefully the resurgence will gather even more momentum in the event that the US economy gets through the Great Recession.
Anyone thinks Detroit is bad, read about Pontiac....http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...402/1408/local
I'd say Detroit is going in both directions, Detroit's too much of a big city to measure it. All the downtown Developments that attract hipsters to move from the suburbs are doing alright, that's good. Increasing numbers of shops and restaurants, and a larger presence of foot traffic, good. Riverfront additions, like the new state park and Marina, good.
Then there's the whole thing with the city council and corruption in it. Slumlords like Matty 'Moron' Maroun and Illitch with Tiger stadium, that list is endless.
To steal and repurpose the best line from "The Last Picture Show," be it offered that "Nothing has been right since Slumpy died."
If I owned the Ambassador Bridge, I would augment the present structure with one of the wildest steel rollercoasters ever constructed. Taking coaster cars to the top of one of the suspension towers would provide huge drops and barrel rolls over the roadway and its traffic. Riders would get big G-forces while they go out over the water and back, way high up. So fast it's scary. And it sets you back on the Detroit side so there's no hassles from crossing over. Can you visualize this? Fun fantasy.
I was born in Detroit. It is my ancestral home. I love it, yet I despise much of what it has become. There are pockets of hope, but I don't believe that the city has even started to bottom out.
You'll see the worst in the next decade. I feel that the '20s will be marginally better. After that, who knows? You might notice a sustained upswing in 20 to 25 years, IF the local economy becomes more diversified and the city can attract a significant number of immigrants.
It's nice that Lowell allows 5th graders to post here, too.
The CBD amounts to 0.03% of Detroit's land mass. Add in Brush Park, Midtown, and so on and it's still less than 10% of Detroit.
No city in the world can succeed by writing off 90%+ of its landmass, especially if it wants the people in those areas to continue paying taxes.
As for a company moving 2,000 employees downtown, that' nice but it's worthless when we have 10,000+ residents leaving every year. For starters, those residents pay a lot more in taxes than any of the non-resident downtown workers.
Why do people think receivership is a bad thing?
5th grade? Try doctorate.
Now, with that cleared up, perhaps you would consider the fact that Detroit is not going to win at providing the best neighborhoods in the region. People will only stay in Detroit if the city has something to offer. That something is jobs and city services. So yeah, maybe 2k employees coming downtown is not going to revitalize each of the burned-out, blighted neighborhoods, but it provides the opportunity for the city to add 2k highly paid workers to its residential tax roll. Maybe then the city's coffers will be flush enough to pay for police and fire. Change comes from the inside out, not the other way around. Detroit needs a healthy core- a viable central business district- else the neighborhoods [[the 90%) might as well be razed tomorrow. So yes, play to Detroit's strong suits, which is about 10% of the city, or watch another 10k leave next year because without that 10%, Detroit is merely a decaying suburb with astronomically high taxes and lousy city services.
How much per year are taxes in Detroit? Can't be that bad can it?
I have to agree with BrushStart here.
The serious problems with most Detroit neighborhoods are crime and schools. Those are not being fixed, and no one relevant has proposed anything that is going to fix them.
On the other hand, while crime and schools are problems for midtown and downtown as well, they are less salient--there is a higher level of police presence in those areas, and they have attractions for the childless. They also have the capability of attracting visitors in a way that is unlike any normal neighborhood. To my way of thinking it makes sense to concentrate on making those areas more viable.
BrushStart:
You make wonderful arguments, for a world where money doesn't matter.
Unfortunately, in this world, money does matter. The simple fact of the matter is that non-resident office workers do not bring in anywhere near enough tax revenue to support a city. They couldn't even support the CBD itself.
This is why, after 40+ years of doing things the way you advocate, downtown is in worse shape now than it was 40 years ago.
Property taxes range from $2,000 - $3,000 per year - depending on the assessed value of one's home. In addition, there is $300 solid waste fee that is added onto residential property taxes.
The average for all homeowners in the U.S. is $1,183, according to the January 2010 issue of FORBES, to put that in perspective.
Residents pay a 2.5% income tax. Non-residents pay a 1.25% version of it.
There is also a utility tax of 1.25% that gets tacked onto all utility bills.