Detroit Council eyes deep cuts to Cultural Institutions

[DetroitPole]

Detroit City Clowncil might also have a problem "giving away" their Detroit-located "jewels" with a regional millage, and hence the decision to do nothing/let them rot.

Look, I'm going to stop you right now and clear something up: I know from experience that the Detroit City Council has been nothing but supportive of these institutions and done everything to keep this funding in tact. They have not done nothing: they have some really difficult decisions to make. I'm not their biggest fan but they really do wring their hands over these places. Nothing is being left to rot.

[DetroitPole]

I'd be all for a regional millage to support cultural institutions, as long as it was distributed equitably throughout the *region* It would go into a pool to support the Zoo, the DIA, the science center, the Henry Ford, Cranbrook, the Detroit History Museum, Fairlane, etc... If it would encourage a "Citypass" style ticket that would give access to all the area attractions, so much the better.

Sign me up as well, sir. And the Citypass is long overdue.

[socks_mahoney]

I like JBMcB's idea too. This is really tragic and unnecessary. There is enough money in Bloomfield Hills and Grosse Pointe to fund these through a simple millage. Of course, this is Michigan, and we are allergic to simplicity.

[BrushStart]

Sign me up as well, sir. And the Citypass is long overdue.

CityPass is an awesome idea. I'd buy one.

[BrushStart]

Once upon a time, cities could afford the massive expenditures related to arts and culture. Nowdays, not so much. Detroit probably should take a hard look at what it is doing regarding all the cultural institutions in the city. I would think that an across the board cut in all would be the best thing for the city to do, not at the expense of a few to spare the one.

You do realize that we are talking about a trivial amount of money. The City of Detroit's budget is nearly 3 billion dollars. Funding for these institutions is in the hundreds of thousands. I can't imagine that there is no waste to be cut in that large sum of money to fund the DIA and Detroit Historical Museum.

I think that this whole thing stinks of political gamesmanship.

[English]

We are members of the Henry Ford, Zoo and of the DIA and hence already pay much more than a millage. I'm a huge fan of these institutions and gladly support them. A regional millage wouldn't help me justify the hundreds of dollars that I already give to them, but I'm also unlikely to stop my personal support of these institutions. I'm lucky to be able to give to institutions that I believe in, and believe me, we take good advantage of them all with our frequent visits. The DIA especially is an amazing, world-class museum.

I feel the same way. I am a member of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. I am proud that even as a poor grad student, I kept up at least those two memberships -- truly, I would have liked to have gotten a manicure or bought a new shirt, but my meager pennies do more this way. Also planning to become a member of the Detroit Historical Society and a Friend of the Detroit Public Library this year... I wish that I could purchase memberships to the Zoo, the Henry Ford, and the Science Center, but until I pay off my student loans, it's all I can do to keep up the few that I have.

Some have mentioned the disproportionate amount given to the CHWMAAH. I can understand those sentiments, but if I could only support one, of course my museum donations would go to Charles H. Wright, simply because my donation is chicken change to the DIA, but has more impact at the MAAH, which has fewer members.

[rjk]

That's why when there was a ballot proposal a few years ago to create a regional tax to support the area's cultural gems, it was voted down by the suburbs. At the same time, the city residents passed it by a 2 to 1 margin, with no screaming, pissing or moaning heard or felt.

Are you referencing proposal k in 2002? Regional tax, but was it regional control? I'm not saying it was or wasn't, I just can't remember. Also it was a regional tax that one county [[MaComb) didn't even have on the ballot.

[DetroitPlanner]

What is being lost in this discussion is that these institutions help provide stability to the cultural center. Dollars are brought into the City from folks outside of it who not only spend time in the museums but also go to nearby stores and get bites to eat. Do you think Good Girls go to Paris or the Inn on Ferry Street would do better if these museums were open fewer days? These businesses do employ people and create tax revenue for the City.

The arguement is that well its either this or essential services is questionable. First of all these cuts are a drop in the bucket when compared to the police and fire budgets. Secondly, the City is actually safer because there are these institutions in it. There are more folks on the streets, less empty storefronts in the Cultural Center.

The Council should look at the economic benefits of having these instititions before making these cuts.

[Detroitej72]

Are you referencing proposal k in 2002? Regional tax, but was it regional control? I'm not saying it was or wasn't, I just can't remember. Also it was a regional tax that one county [[MaComb) didn't even have on the ballot.

I don't remember the control part, but I do remember a vocal protest from folks in Oakland Co. saying they would never vote themselves a tax increase.

I also think it was pretty stupid that Macomb Co. didn't want to be included in the proposal.

[Danny]

What do 80% of poor/low-come black Detroiters go the DIA, Detroit Historical Musuem, Detroit Zoo to see? MOST OF THEM DON'T! Because they don't have the income to see the arts, history and animals. But white folks and the surburbanites do and so does busloads of suburban kids from various school districts from a cities and villages far far away. Not to meantioned some private folks go those institutions.

Years ago when I was in Cody High School. I petitioned the teachers and Detroit School Board of Detroit Public Schools to have a selected class with the lowest underprivilege background and grades to tour the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Science Center and Detroit Historical Museum. These petitions worked and I went along with those students to see the arts, science and history their eyes. When they came out of those instutions their minds started to change.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET.

I would like to have some of you all forumers to take a underprivilege kid that you have known to one of these institutions for Neda's sake. Because education starts from open enviroment not just inside a school building.

[Bham1982]

DIA is free on Fridays for city residents, so that insitution does give back.

And I have noticed that much of their Friday evening programming appears oriented to attract a diverse attendance. Lots of African American-oriented musical groups and the like [[jazz, blues, zydeco), so there is some attempt at outreach.

[casscorridor]

There are plenty of cultural venues in the suburbs, but obviously the biggest venues are mostly downtown.

Within about 2 miles from my house, there's Village Players Theatre, Birmingham Historical Museum, Community House, Detroit Ballet, St. Dunstan's Playhouse, and all the Cranbrook institutions.

LOL, I get the feeling Bham assumes all the suburbs are just like Birmingham or that Birmingham is the only suburb. Have you ever been to Warren? What about Livonia. Real cultual bastions I must say, lol.

[Lowell]

I am for making the museums regional owned or operated. They would stay open and probably could afford more exhibits.

I agree with that concept and related solutions. The DIA's status as a non-profit corporation is keeping it alive and involving the whole region in its mission.

As for the DIA, while support from the city has been cut, it is a relatively small hit as a total of its budget. With the others it will hurt a lot more.

Cultural institutions are a bit like public transit. Their costs have to be balanced against what business activity they generate, and taxes gained from those, and the losses they run.

It is sad that our metro suffers from finger-pointing rather than hand-shaking on this issue. The destruction of great historical and cultural institutions [and architecture] is the outcome. Some, like Fort Wayne, are in dire conditions.

If all members of our family of communities offered up contributions equivalent to those of the cash-strapped City of Detroit, in proportion to population, these institutions would be doing quite well. They belong to all of us and the state. Future generations will remember us for how we cared for them or allowed them to vanish.

But, when it comes to a contest of pubic safety vs. art and history, the latter always will get the back seat because you can't have the second without the first. Them's the realities.

[rjk]

I don't remember the control part, but I do remember a vocal protest from folks in Oakland Co. saying they would never vote themselves a tax increase.

I also think it was pretty stupid that Macomb Co. didn't want to be included in the proposal.

I think their was to be a 9 member council that would handle handing out the money, but I don't believe that there was any true regional control.

No regional control and the county on the other side of Dequindre opting out, proposal K didn't stand a chance.

[the rock]

Bing's plan, delivered last month to the council,"called for no layoffs of the city's approximately 13,000 workers" [[ per the Det News). 13,000 workers? 13,000? For a city the current size of Detroit?
Now some of you folks who play around with statistics, [[and I recognize there are lies, damn lies and statistics), please tell me. Isn't that a tad excessive? 13,000. Wow!

[stromberg2]

It's waaaayyy over the top. Cuts to fire and police, but don't cut the assistant to the assistant clerk!

Stromberg2

[GOAT]

Public safety? Whats the point in MORE cops if they can't get a successful conviction rate? That is like pouring money down the drain.
Detroit has one of the worst conviction rates in the USA [[I think somewhere between 30-42% if I remember) so you can have all the cops in the US and it won't make a difference because of the "no snitch" street rule.
Detroit does need to take a page out of NY's play book in how they turned things around there.

I honestly believe the army should come in and patrol [[no no the National Guard) for a year or so. If it can be done in other countries then why not here? Detroit is in that bad of a state.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, and the 'assistant' to the assistant of the assistant clerk. TO PRESERVE 'this' yet reduce fire and policing does not bode well for citizens to remain in Detroit!

Yet even worse when you go downtown or call for some service or something you get perpetual phone ringing, voice mall maze, AND or the standard nonchalant 'I can't be bothered' style response far too often. Indeed it is a bit redundant... but no one wants their specific job eliminated.

It's waaaayyy over the top. Cuts to fire and police, but don't cut the assistant to the assistant clerk!

Stromberg2

[erikd]

You do realize that we are talking about a trivial amount of money. The City of Detroit's budget is nearly 3 billion dollars. Funding for these institutions is in the hundreds of thousands. I can't imagine that there is no waste to be cut in that large sum of money to fund the DIA and Detroit Historical Museum.

I think that this whole thing stinks of political gamesmanship.

Brushstart makes a great point. The amounts of money being discussed are trivial in the grand scheme of things.

I think that there should be no sacred cows or in the budget/restructuring discussions, but why are we proposing deep cuts for cultural funding just to save a few million bucks a year before we deal with real issues that are at the core of the city's structural deficit?

The city needs massive budget cuts to remain solvent. The amount spent on cultural support is a drop in the bucket. We need to look at elimination, consolidation, and/or privatization of city departments and functions that will result in maximum savings with minimal impact on amenities and service delivery.

The city of Detroit has 70 departments and agencies, many of which are redundant and ripe for elimination or consolidation. Jeff Wattrick addressed this issue in a recent mlive post:
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in....html#comments

I have been saying this stuff for years. Why does the city of Detroit still have a health department with the same functions as the Wayne County health department? What is the point of having two conflicting bus systems?

I have experienced the waste, inefficiency, and poor service of these redundant systems first hand. It is maddening to wait for a packed DDOT bus on Woodward and watch an empty SMART bus pass by because SMART busses are not allowed to pick up passengers at certain stops and certain times. I have been on inbound SMART busses that are not allowed to cross city limits after a certain time. It seems unthinkable until you experience it first hand, but I have been on the inbound 610/615 SMART bus when it was required to stop at the city limit by Jefferson and Alter, throw all the passengers off the bus, and drive away empty. After standing on the sidewalk with a literal busload of people, an empty DDOT bus pulled up and took us the rest of the way down Jefferson into the city. I am not making this up. This is the standard operating procedure of SMART and DDOT.

It seems to me that we could save millions by eliminating wasteful practices and redundancies, and even improve some services at the same time.

[erikd]

Public safety? Whats the point in MORE cops if they can't get a successful conviction rate? That is like pouring money down the drain.
Detroit has one of the worst conviction rates in the USA [[I think somewhere between 30-42% if I remember) so you can have all the cops in the US and it won't make a difference because of the "no snitch" street rule.
Detroit does need to take a page out of NY's play book in how they turned things around there.

I honestly believe the army should come in and patrol [[no no the National Guard) for a year or so. If it can be done in other countries then why not here? Detroit is in that bad of a state.

I don't mean to split hairs or make excuses, but the city of Detroit doesn't prosecute felonies. Prosecution is handled by the county, state, or federal government, not the city government. Therefore, Detroit can't have a good or bad conviction rate.

Having said that, I agree that Wayne County, the State of Michigan, and the Federal government have a very poor record of convicting defendants for crimes committed in the city of Detroit, but I think it is misleading and disingenuous to place all of the blame on the city for the failures of the county, state, and federal prosecutors.

[Coaccession]

It is sad that our metro suffers from finger-pointing rather than hand-shaking on this issue. The destruction of great historical and cultural institutions [and architecture] is the outcome. Some, like Fort Wayne, are in dire conditions.

If all members of our family of communities offered up contributions equivalent to those of the cash-strapped City of Detroit, in proportion to population, these institutions would be doing quite well. They belong to all of us and the state. Future generations will remember us for how we cared for them or allowed them to vanish.

But, when it comes to a contest of pubic safety vs. art and history, the latter always will get the back seat because you can't have the second without the first. Them's the realities.

The City of Detroit has enough wealth to pay for the first thanks to its early investments in the second, Lowell. Detroit just has to mobilize that wealth that's sitting financially idle now in its art, science, history, document, etc. collections and it can take care of public safety while substantially increasing investments in art and history.

Coaccession is one option for that mobilization -- the best, I would argue, because it does the most to secure cultural access -- but there are several options that raise money without an outright sale. Detroit needs cash now to ward off an EFM or bankruptcy that would make outright sales, and the cash it needs is in the City's collections. Thanks to Detroit's DIA collection, it has more than enough assets to properly care for all its cultural assets, including those in dire condition -- like Fort Wayne -- and those at risk of liquidation now -- like the Detroit Science Center -- and later -- like everything an EFM or bankruptcy judge might sell off.

Here's hoping Detroit can do some hand-shaking on mobilizing its assets. Sure I'd like Detroit to use Coaccession -- not just for the work it would give me, but for the cultural protection it would offer the assets -- but I'd like Detroit to use any mobilization tool rather than lose more cultural assets.

Let's hope the City Council steps up to the plate and holds hearings about how to use Detroit's assets to preserve Detroit's assets.

[Coaccession]

]What is being lost in this discussion is that these institutions help provide stability to the cultural center. Dollars are brought into the City from folks outside of it who not only spend time in the museums but also go to nearby stores and get bites to eat. Do you think Good Girls go to Paris or the Inn on Ferry Street would do better if these museums were open fewer days? These businesses do employ people and create tax revenue for the City.

The argument is that well it's either this or essential services is questionable. First of all these cuts are a drop in the bucket when compared to the police and fire budgets. Secondly, the City is actually safer because there are these institutions in it. There are more folks on the streets, less empty storefronts in the Cultural Center.

The Council should look at the economic benefits of having these instititions before making these cuts[/I].

If these institutions provided the full economic benefits that their financially and culturally valuable collections could underwrite -- generating interest and dividends with the financial value of the objects in their collections as well as cultural benefits from public access to those same objects -- then they'd not only cover their own expenses and provide support for the arts, sciences and humanities, but would also help pay for public safety throughout Detroit.

[coracle]

The pecieived Management of Detroit over the last 30 years makes me think I would not like my Dollars being spent by elected Detroit Councils on projects of their choosing.They have proved over the years they can't manage Detroit's money in the people's best interest why should they suddenly be able to manage mine? Any payment made to the City ostensibly to subsidize the Cultural Centers would be the thin end of the wedge and open the door to ever increasing subsidies that will be wanted in the future as the city population continues to shrink. Rather than cutting the grants to each Cultural Center ensuring they all slowly wither, I think they should close one or two and maintain the others in first class order.with the savings. My end game would be never let the DIA fail

[Hypestyles]

I hope they aren't just sold off.. hopefully they can let go of some of their animosity to Snyder and try to get the governor's help to pitch in whether direct state support or soliciting the business and philanthropic communities..