Lessons From a Front-Row Seat for Detroit's Dysfunction

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Since Detroit declared bankruptcy on July 18, the city's crippling problems with corruption, unfunded benefits and pension liabilities have gotten the bulk of airtime. But equally at fault for its fiscal demise are the city's management structure and union and civil-service rules that hamstring efforts to make municipal services more efficient. I would know: I had a front-row seat for this dysfunction.


Last year, I served as chief operating officer of the Detroit Department of Transportation. I was hired as a contractor for the position, and in my eight months on the job I got a vivid sense of the city's dysfunction. Almost every day, a problem would arise, a solution would be found—but implementing the fix would prove impossible.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...748612116.html

A microcosm of nearly everything that's wrong with our city government.

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Originally Posted by TexasT

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...748612116.html

A microcosm of nearly everything that's wrong with our city government.

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Having worked for the City, I would say the article is pretty much on the money. There's the real world, then there's the City world.

Wasn't Bill Nojay that racist, right-wing radio host who was contracted to come in with DDOT? Methinks he comes with a bit of an ax to grind, which casts doubt upon anything he says. Unless you like this flavor of Kool-Aid ...

Excellent read.

I find the timing quite odd, but then again the article ends with:

"Mr. Nojay, a Republican, is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 133rd District in upstate New York."

Political posturing?

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Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I find the timing quite odd, but then again the article ends with:

"Mr. Nojay, a Republican, is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 133rd District in upstate New York."

Political posturing?

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You're right, it's all just right-wing Detroit slurring nonsense. I never worked there or experienced the same. Like Howze says, there's no financial crisis, someone just forgot to move the decimal point, that's all.

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Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

You're right, it's all just right-wing Detroit slurring nonsense. I never worked there or experienced the same. Like Howze says, there's no financial crisis, someone just forgot to move the decimal point, that's all.

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You can quote a source that says "the sky is blue" and, if the source doesn't have the political slant that a poster likes, it is dismissed out of hand.

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Originally Posted by TexasT

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...748612116.html

A microcosm of nearly everything that's wrong with our city government.

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This is what I don't understand:

- Detroit has arguably one of the more successful businessmen of the 21st century operating within its borders. He's building an economic machine of epic proportions.

- Detroit also has two of the top three management consultancies in the world, BCG and McKinsey, within the region. Add in Accenture, Deloitte, E&Y, PWC, Plante Moran, and AT Kearney, and you have a powerhouse of problem-solvers.

And yet, you have a total clusterfuck of activity taking place, as described in the article.

The disparity between what resources are available, and what's being utilized, is simply maddening, and I've often wondered whether I should be frustrated with Gilbert for not providing some pro bono resources to right the ship in city government.

Then again, the likelihood the City would accept the help is slim to none at best. After all, look with they did with the McKinsey report.

I see that Gilbert is donating heavily to Mike Duggan for Mayor - perhaps he wants to get a good captain at the helm before he sinks a lot of money into righting dysfunction.

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Originally Posted by michimoby

The disparity between what resources are available, and what's being utilized, is simply maddening, and I've often wondered whether I should be frustrated with Gilbert for not providing some pro bono resources to right the ship in city government.

Then again, the likelihood the City would accept the help is slim to none at best. After all, look with they did with the McKinsey report.

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It doesn't matter what resources are available if you aren't interested in using them. Detroit has had a string of administrations with no visible interest in management. That is why there is so much low-hanging fruit for Orr to pick.

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Originally Posted by mwilbert

It doesn't matter what resources are available if you aren't interested in using them. Detroit has had a string of administrations with no visible interest in management. That is why there is so much low-hanging fruit for Orr to pick.

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Yup.. as the saying goes, you can lead the horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Very interesting article, and sounds quite possible that this is the same train wreck that plagues most of Detroit's city departments

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Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

You're right, it's all just right-wing Detroit slurring nonsense. I never worked there or experienced the same. Like Howze says, there's no financial crisis, someone just forgot to move the decimal point, that's all.

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There is nothing in my post that disagrees with what he was saying. The question I have is why is he waiting until now to say it?

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Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Wasn't Bill Nojay that racist, right-wing radio host who was contracted to come in with DDOT? Methinks he comes with a bit of an ax to grind, which casts doubt upon anything he says. Unless you like this flavor of Kool-Aid ...

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He may be GOP and racist, that doesn't mean what he says isn't true. I am neither but I've enough reason to believe everything he says based on dealings with the city departments.

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Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

There is nothing in my post that disagrees with what he was saying. The question I have is why is he waiting until now to say it?

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Maybe because now that Detroit's laundry is hanging for everyone to see, people are actually perking up and giving half a fuck about what is/was plaguing the city from moving onward and upward. Before Dankruptcy took flight, nobody really cared to listen - or fix a god damn thing. Even if he does have an axe to grind, it does not make his account any less plausible or downright dismissive. Personally, if I were him and went through the same dysfunctional shit-storm while trying to be part of something; I would have a well scripted rant to provide as well.

It must be extremely demeaning and embarrassing to have a job of such accountability and responsibility be made into a mockery.

His timing and his account are both valid imo.

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Originally Posted by michimoby

Detroit also has two of the top three management consultancies in the world, BCG and McKinsey, within the region. Add in Accenture, Deloitte, E&Y, PWC, Plante Moran, and AT Kearney, and you have a powerhouse of problem-solvers.

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This reminds me of an article I read recently, where Toyota donated efficiency rather than money to a New York food bank, and their efficiency experts were able to streamline and greatly improve how the food bank functions, including reducing the wait time for dinner from 90 minutes to 18.

Here is that article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3671054.html

Maybe some of the local problem-solvers could follow suit and donate their efficiency expertise?

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Originally Posted by michimoby

Then again, the likelihood the City would accept the help is slim to none at best. After all, look with they did with the McKinsey report.

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I didn't hear anything about this -- what happened?

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Originally Posted by bailey

Yup.. as the saying goes, you can lead the horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

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I actually like Dorthy Parker's quote, "You can lead a whore to culture but you can make her think" Seems strangely applicable.

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Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Wasn't Bill Nojay that racist, right-wing radio host who was contracted to come in with DDOT? Methinks he comes with a bit of an ax to grind, which casts doubt upon anything he says. Unless you like this flavor of Kool-Aid ...

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It may not be perfect Kool-Aid, but neither has the Detroit City Hall Kool-Aid been so delicious.

I'm quite amazed that anyone is willing to defend Detroit City Hall right now. Nojay may be biased. But if you don't think he has some valid points -- you've never dealt with the City.