Jackson and DEGC don't respect Detroit or Detroit history

**Corktown Mark** · June-25-11, 01:13 PM

nope not talking about tiger stadium

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/28352280/index.html

DetroitPole · June-25-11, 02:00 PM

Like most disgusting bureaucrats of his ilk, George Jackson seems to spend most of his time in pointless meetings, smirking and shaking hands, while he and his cohort all congratulate themselves on how great they are, instead of actually tackling any problems. That is the story of our city and our state.

The orange barrel has been there for a while now. Years, maybe?

This is an absolute disgrace. And this is not some old monument tucked away in some obscure park in some corner of the city. If DEGC cannot manage even this, what is their raison d'etre?

I'm going to e-mail him contact@degc.org
and you should too. The only way to get anything done in this city is to be so annoying that doing work becomes the less unpleasant alternative to the powers that be than having to listen to you. Otherwise, nothing will get done.

**iheartthed** · June-26-11, 05:55 AM

Sounds like Kim SImmons should be the one running the DEGC. She's clearly got a better grasp of Detroit's competitive advantages than does George Jackson...

**skyl4rk** · June-26-11, 07:05 AM

They are lucky that there is an endowment for that monument. Most monuments are donated then neglected. Rather than bitch about it, it would be more effective to find someone who can make the repairs and then go to the DEGC with a proposal, asking for funding from the endowment.

**oldredfordette** · June-26-11, 07:45 AM

The Labor Legacy monument is privately maintained, and after the skateboarders nearly ruined it, money was raised and it was fixed but it's a constant struggle. There is no respect for public places in this city. Good for Kim Simmons, getting the problem publicized.

**leland_palmer** · June-26-11, 08:23 AM

It's been that way at least since last summer. That's when I noticed it.

DetroitPole · June-26-11, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by leland_palmer

It's been that way at least since last summer. That's when I noticed it.

Boy, it really is taking them a long time to find a "qualified person" to fix that. I'm no fancy statue maker, but you think you could find some temporary, tasteful fix that doesn't involve an orange barrel in pretty short order.

In the meantime, I've seen Jackson's fat, simpering ass at meetings around the city, doing nothing.

**rjk** · June-26-11, 12:39 PM

That's inexscusable.
At the very least someone could spend $20 at Home Depot and get some plywood and paint it up to match the statue. No, it wouldn't look great, but it would look a lot better than that orange barrel masquerading as a trash can.

**JBMcB** · June-26-11, 02:28 PM

So the memorial should absolutely be restored. But, if people are going to keep trying to rip chunks off it off, maybe it should be moved or situated where you can't just walk up to it and tear it apart?

It's also kind of odd that there is more anger directed at the people in charge of maintaining the memorial, as opposed to the people defacing it. Almost like it's accepted that nice things are going to be ruined in the city. Depressing.

**Detroitnerd** · June-27-11, 10:42 AM

I have seen George Jackson. I saw him dining at the Rattlesnake Club one day. He and his co-diner were perhaps the only people there on that day. His car was probably waiting for him, his folders filled with information the developers and "stakeholders" want him to know. He is clearly hooked in with the biggest movers and shakers in town.

But ... who cares? How does this qualify him to make any decisions?

I have never seen him put on a hardhat and hire engineers to tour buildings.

But neither have I seen George Jackson leafing through Detroit history at the Burton Collection.

I have never seen George Jackson sketching the skyline of Detroit from a chair on the riverfront.

I have never seen George Jackson ride a city bus or walk anywhere.

Also, I have never seen George Jackson talking with ordinary people on the street.

Why does one person have this much power when he's clearly divorced from its people and its history?

**Gsgeorge** · June-27-11, 11:27 AM

I'm not defending George Jackson here, but you stated in your own words that you've only seen him once, dining at a restaurant.... so really you don't know for sure if he has or has not done the things you've listed.

It's easy to blame one person but the problem is obviously more about the bureaucracy, priorities, and structure of the DEGC, and not necessarily because George Jackson doesn't care about a monument to slaves.

I saw George Jackson once too. And I actually talked to and met him. Guess what -- it was at the opening ceremony for the Broderick Tower renovation. And guess what else -- he was wearing a hardhat. And guess what else -- when I told him I was a photographer and that would be displaying images of the city at an exhibition in Turin, Italy, he showed a genuine interest and asked if I could email him some photos from the event. Yes, it was at a public event and he was probably projecting a good image as any smart politician/business man would. But I did not get the feeling that he did not care about the city. The guy has a lot on his plate. He has made some devastatingly bad decisions, in my opinion, in regards to the Lafayette and TS demo's, but this does not mean he is not a mover-and-shaker type person who is working his ass off for this city. Of course if someone is working their ass off for the wrong reason, or making bad decisions, that is another thing, and we could argue about his development decisions all day and we probably would agree. But he wouldn't be here, in Detroit, if he didn't really want to see this city succeed. And it is just here-say to list things that he "probably hasn't done" as examples of why he is a bad leader. I would rather list things that he HAS done as examples of his poor leadership, rather than make outrageous GUESSES about things he hasn't done.

**Detroitnerd** · June-27-11, 11:38 AM

I do think he doesn't care, based on his actions. And I think he has no sense of history, or if he does have one, it's very well concealed.

No, gsgeorge, these are not guesses. These are well-formed opinions after years of watching him at work. As for my post about what I haven't seen him do, that is intended to be a little comedy. We all know that George Jackson will never be seen at the Burton Collection looking through historic documents. Because he doesn't give a shit. His actions ably prove that, in my humble opinion.

**Detroitnerd** · June-27-11, 12:02 PM

Anyway, if you'd noticed the SUBSTANCE of the joke-post, it wasn't just wearing a hardhat. Soft-handed mayors and politicos have worn hard hats for photo ops for generations. It was that he hasn't been seen actually examining buildings with engineers. He never does that. He simply declares them unsafe, then gives the contract to his wrecker buddies.

Of course, you met him. He wore a hardhat. You were so impressed. Whatever...

**Hypestyles** · June-27-11, 01:13 PM

"ideally": what would it take to dissolve the DEGC, what should replace it? does the city charter mandate that such an organization has to exist?

**HazenPingree** · June-27-11, 04:33 PM

There is also something wrong with someone wielding so much power and not living within city limits. If I'm not mistaken, he's a Southfield resident, no? I don't have a problem with Southfield or Southfieldians, but if you're going to run the DEGC, it's pretty uncouth to not live within city limits.

**HazenPingree** · June-27-11, 04:38 PM

I don't believe the DEGC is mandated by the charter. It is a public-private agency that was established in the 1970s to allow the city to leverage private funds and make use of traditionally private funding sources. In theory, it's a great institution and is modeled after dozens of other very successful development corporations in other cities. However, in my opinion, the DEGC has fumbled pretty terribly - most notably the Tiger Stadium disaster.