[Merging Metropolitan Services] Why don't other places have to play these games?

**brizee** · June-13-11, 05:29 PM

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politic...ave-money.html

http://www.suntimes.com/news/5920382...e-streets.html

Why do we have "leadership" who either plays games and try to act tough or put on their best eunuch impression and try to pawn off any responsibility. Oh yeah and there's the ones that act like their neighbors are their sworn enemy.

The impossible has happened. I'm beginning to want an EFM to be appointed. Immediately before Snyder's ass is recalled.

**BrushStart** · June-13-11, 05:40 PM

The city council's new budget is about cause shit to hit the fan:

- Debilitating cuts to bus service
- No more People Mover
- Less police coverage
- Less firefighters
- No more sponsored events at Hart Plaza
- No more maintenance of any city parks
- Anorexic allocations to important cultural institutions

What a joke. Even with all of the positive development going on, the city is once again pushing itself off the cliff.

**Detroitnerd** · June-13-11, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

The city council's new budget is about cause shit to hit the fan:

- Debilitating cuts to bus service
- No more People Mover
- Less police coverage
- Less firefighters
- No more sponsored events at Hart Plaza
- No more maintenance of any city parks
- Anorexic allocations to important cultural institutions

What a fucking joke. Even with all of the positive development going on, the city is once again pushing itself off the cliff.

Don't you feel that this budget is so bad that it's just brinksmanship? Seriously, who could propose straight-facedly turning the People Mover into a piece of conceptual art snaking through downtown?

**kraig** · June-13-11, 05:59 PM

Wayne County has actually been lucky that it hasn't had to really provide services to for more than half its residents. With the exception of providing police services to Highland Park for a time, the County really hasn't provided any services that don't have some type of direct fee attached to it that customers pay upon delivery of that service.

In this economy we need to squeeze every drop out of all the resources we have.

**brizee** · June-13-11, 06:01 PM

You know what this reminds me of?

I come from a fucked up dysfunctional family. I thought the way we were living was normal. I eventually got out and saw different perspectives. And it pissed me off.

I still love my family, my parents did better for us than theirs did for them, but it's just frustrating to see some of the deeply ingrained issues reverberating to this day.

**BrushStart** · June-13-11, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Don't you feel that this budget is so bad that it's just brinksmanship? Seriously, who could propose straight-facedly turning the People Mover into a piece of conceptual art snaking through downtown?

Great choice of words, Detroitnerd. It sure seems like it. I mean, why not just cut all services completely? No more buses, or police, or firefighters. That will give the city a surplus at least for the current tax year... That is until every single person, including the hopelessly poor have moved out.

You're right on, though. Cutting the People Mover is just stupid. That thing actually has ridership, which has increased year-after-year. I suppose international business execs should just walk through unplowed snow drifts to get to their meetings downtown. That will really improve the city's tourism and convention business.

**iheartthed** · June-13-11, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by kraig

Wayne County has actually been lucky that it hasn't had to really provide services to for more than half its residents. With the exception of providing police services to Highland Park for a time, the County really hasn't provided any services that don't have some type of direct fee attached to it that customers pay upon delivery of that service.

In this economy we need to squeeze every drop out of all the resources we have.

I'm still not sure what unique service Detroit gets from being part of Wayne County. Can anyone speak on that? It seems that just about every service provided by the county is also provided by the city.

**Wesley Mouch** · June-13-11, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

The city council's new budget is about cause shit to hit the fan:

- Debilitating cuts to bus service
- No more People Mover
- Less police coverage
- Less firefighters
- No more sponsored events at Hart Plaza
- No more maintenance of any city parks
- Anorexic allocations to important cultural institutions
...

Can anyone provide some context here? The wonderful media we have reports the 'threats', but doesn't explain why on earth city council and mayor aren't agreeing. We all know then need to cut things, but what's the disagreement really about?

**Novine** · June-13-11, 10:21 PM

Bing's pushing back against the Council cuts by implementing them in as painful a way as possible. I don't think he has to do any of the things listed but he thinks that by picking the most visible targets, he can push Council to back off on their cuts.

**313WX** · June-13-11, 10:27 PM

We're all missing the elephant in the room.

The REAL reason council is pushing for these draconian cuts is to prevent a EFM from coming in, because they know more likely than not they'll be out of a job if/when the EFM arrives.

**professorscott** · June-13-11, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

Bing's pushing back against the Council cuts by implementing them in as painful a way as possible. I don't think he has to do any of the things listed but he thinks that by picking the most visible targets, he can push Council to back off on their cuts.

Exactly. The council's extra $50 million represents a 1.6% cut from the Mayor's budget. So the council is giving Bing 98.4% of the amount he proposed, and he's trying to pass off that it's armageddon.

I bet I could cut 1.6% from the bus system, People Mover, police, fire, and you'd barely even notice. The Woodward bus during the day would run every 8 minutes and 10 seconds instead of every 8 minutes even. Just for example.

**Richard** · June-13-11, 10:31 PM

Its a game of tug-a-war being played by the mayor and the CC although pretty much as the same concept as the congress and president games it has no business being played at the city level as the direct impact on lives is more personally felt.

**BrushStart** · June-13-11, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by professorscott

Exactly. The council's extra $50 million represents a 1.6% cut from the Mayor's budget. So the council is giving Bing 98.4% of the amount he proposed, and he's trying to pass off that it's armageddon.

I bet I could cut 1.6% from the bus system, People Mover, police, fire, and you'd barely even notice. The Woodward bus during the day would run every 8 minutes and 10 seconds instead of every 8 minutes even. Just for example.

If that were true, why would Bing go to such lengths over $50mm? I truly think Bing's back is against the wall here. As of right now, it looks like all these things will be cut in two weeks time. It will be a strange day the People Mover stops running and Hart Plaza is forever quiet.

**begingri** · June-13-11, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Can anyone provide some context here? The wonderful media we have reports the 'threats', but doesn't explain why on earth city council and mayor aren't agreeing. We all know then need to cut things, but what's the disagreement really about?

Bing: Detroit People Mover could close, Hart Plaza events stop if budget cuts stand

http://www.freep.com/article/2011061...get-cuts-stand

**Wesley Mouch** · June-13-11, 11:10 PM

The EFM argument holds the most water to me. Except that it suggests that the council can think beyond the immediate greed in hand to the future greed in the bush. That's pretty fancy thinkin'

**Wesley Mouch** · June-13-11, 11:12 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/2011061...get-cuts-stand[/QUOTE]

Article does not explain WHY council is doing this. Just that they are.

**Richard** · June-13-11, 11:45 PM

[QUOTE=Wesley Article does not explain WHY council is doing this. Just that they are.[/QUOTE]

They do not have to explain why ,the citizens have decided that they are their representatives and have in-trusted them to do the right thing in the best interests of all no questions asked. [[Insert rolling eyes emotion here)

What kinda baffles me is some can get together to tear down a fence ,rightly so because of an injustice served, but yet very few are showing up at the doorstep of the biggest injustice that is the root cause and has the biggest impact on everybody's quality of life. Make sense ?

**Novine** · June-14-11, 05:44 AM

The majority of the current Council has shown that they are willing to push Bing to cut more and do more reforms. They don't trust Bing numbers and I would be skeptical of Bing's numbers. Bing hasn't shown the ability to deliver on the budget projections he's made. Anyone who hasn't seen this coming hasn't been paying attention.

**professorscott** · June-14-11, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

The majority of the current Council has shown that they are willing to push Bing to cut more and do more reforms. They don't trust Bing numbers and I would be skeptical of Bing's numbers. Bing hasn't shown the ability to deliver on the budget projections he's made. Anyone who hasn't seen this coming hasn't been paying attention.

Yep. Bing's numbers are based on sources of revenue that are not certain and in my opinion not even likely. He is grandstanding to make the choice appear to be between a functioning city and one which is not, which is IMVHO irresponsible. I think you could cut another $50 million from the city budget in ways most people would never even notice.

Note that Council did not demand: cut Sunday bus service, halt the People Mover, etc. and Pugh has gone as far as to say, well, the Mayor can move around money between departments as he sees fit. The Council is interested in the bottom line, and the Mayor is trying to make it look very harsh and drastic, which it is not.

**maxx** · June-14-11, 10:49 AM

Has anyone talked about cutting City Council members' budgets?

**BrushStart** · June-14-11, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by professorscott

Yep. Bing's numbers are based on sources of revenue that are not certain and in my opinion not even likely. He is grandstanding to make the choice appear to be between a functioning city and one which is not, which is IMVHO irresponsible. I think you could cut another $50 million from the city budget in ways most people would never even notice.

Note that Council did not demand: cut Sunday bus service, halt the People Mover, etc. and Pugh has gone as far as to say, well, the Mayor can move around money between departments as he sees fit. The Council is interested in the bottom line, and the Mayor is trying to make it look very harsh and drastic, which it is not.

I really try to give Bing the benefit of the doubt, but you may be right; he may be bluffing. BUT, suppose you're wrong, and there really is no room to eliminate the extra $50 million, what then? Are we seriously at the point of slashing Hart Plaza, the People Mover, bus services, and Belle Isle facilities? Is there any precedence for such an extreme loss of public services? I'd be upset if just one of the aforementioned cuts was taking place by itself, but eliminating all of these services at once would send the region into shock.

**English** · June-14-11, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by maxx

Has anyone talked about cutting City Council members' budgets?

I did, on the thread last month about the Charter Commission potentially reducing the number of councillors to 7.

**Detroitnerd** · June-14-11, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by English

I did, on the thread last month about the Charter Commission potentially reducing the number of councillors to 7.

But they may just have larger budgets, since they'll be representing more people. I'd rather have 9 so that more council members have smaller constituencies and are more responsive ... at least in theory.

**Gistok** · June-14-11, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I'm still not sure what unique service Detroit gets from being part of Wayne County. Can anyone speak on that? It seem that just about every service provided by the county is also provided by the city.

Title, Land, Deed, and Probate are just a few...

**brizee** · June-28-11, 11:56 AM

http://http://www.freep.com/article/...text|FRONTPAGE

Getting really tired of the games.
We're on track for the most murders since the 70's.
We may be on the hook for 100 million if the people mover is shuttered[[supposedly).

Pugh and Brown...They really had me fooled.

Pugh is just unproffesional and condescending.
Brown was all gung ho about funding police. Except when he's not. And a consent agreement where the people's voice is taken away but he doesn't feel it.

I'm headin elsewhere and part of me wants all their bluffs to be called. But then the people that live here didn't ask to be abused like they're being.