Henderson smacks Bing over budget blow-up

**Novine** · June-28-11, 10:06 PM

Stephen Henderson at the Freep is finally seeing the light that Dave Bing's performance as Mayor has been less than stellar.

Dave Bing's rash act raises more questions

"If Mayor Dave Bing can’t find $50 million in cuts to a $1.3 billion budget without gutting essential services, then Detroiters really have to begin asking whether he’s the right person to turn the city around."

**Locke09** · June-28-11, 10:41 PM

For once I agree with Henderson. Bing could have restored the funding to DPD, Fire and DDOT with the 20 million Council said they were willing to restore to the budget. He can also reallocate funds from low priority to higher priority services.

Bing can take a page from Roberts and cancel some unnecessary and/or low priority contracts. He can rebid some contracts too. He can cancel some projects that are of dubious value. Rebid the contracts for those projects to get better pricing if you don't want to cancel the projects.

**firstandten** · June-28-11, 11:28 PM

When Mayor Bing ran for office he made a big deal out of doing what was necessary for Detroit to survive. He said he would do these things even if it made him a one term mayor. He didn't mind doing the hard things, that require political will. He could do these things because he was a businessman not a politican.

That attitude more than anything made me vote for him. I knew that it was likely that in order to do what is needed for the city there would be short to medium term pain, but eventually long term gain.

A politican in order to survive must show incremental gain.However, Detroit needs drastic change and now. The kind of change Bing ran on would most likely not get him re-elected but could put the city on the path for recovery. When Bing's businesses went under and word got out that he was looking at maybe an additional term of office I knew we were in trouble. Bing is now trying to be something he is not, a politican, rather than the businessman/ problem solver that he ran on.

As a politican he is in over his head. He has to cut too many deals and make more compromises than he is accustomed to. At this point he can't even get a consistant inner circle of people who can advise him. At this point in his administration my confidence level in him being able to make progress in the city without a EFM to guide him is very low.

**gnome** · June-29-11, 05:03 AM

Bing is coming off as a petulant child. And that is in contrast to that litterbox of petulantism: City Council.

**R8RBOB** · June-29-11, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by firstandten

When Mayor Bing ran for office he made a big deal out of doing what was necessary for Detroit to survive. He said he would do these things even if it made him a one term mayor. He didn't mind doing the hard things, that require political will. He could do these things because he was a businessman not a politican.

That attitude more than anything made me vote for him. I knew that it was likely that in order to do what is needed for the city there would be short to medium term pain, but eventually long term gain.

A politican in order to survive must show incremental gain.However, Detroit needs drastic change and now. The kind of change Bing ran on would most likely not get him re-elected but could put the city on the path for recovery. When Bing's businesses went under and word got out that he was looking at maybe an additional term of office I knew we were in trouble. Bing is now trying to be something he is not, a politician, rather than the businessman/ problem solver that he ran on.

As a politician he is in over his head. He has to cut too many deals and make more compromises than he is accustomed to. At this point he can't even get a consistant inner circle of people who can advise him. At this point in his administration my confidence level in him being able to make progress in the city without a EFM to guide him is very low.

I remember the same thing when Bing ran to finish the term of Kwame Kilpatrick. He said Detroit needed someone to make the tough choices. Someone who was not a career politician looking to get reelected. Someone who would not make the same bad choices as Kilpatrick. Dave Bing preached that he was that man and if he was elected, he would get Detroit back on its feet.

Since being elected, Mayor Bing has discovered that being in power through elections can be seductive. Like Kilpatrick before him, he discovered that he like the power, no he has been corrupted by the power and now he is willing to do anything to stay in power. Remember when he claimed that he would not move in the Manoogian? He stated that he could live in a rented condo yet somehow the wife came to town and he did a 180 and wanted to be big pimpin' in the big house.

Mr. Henderson is reporting that the budget for COD is $1.3 billion but I think Freep need to reverse the 1 and the 3. If a mayor cannot scrape $50 million off a budget of $3.1 billion dollars then he is unfit to lead. Look like someone needs to be educated on the concept of nickel and dime.

**R8RBOB** · June-29-11, 07:53 AM

Popular gatherings at Hart Plaza -- the Downtown Hoedown, African World Festival, Ribs 'n' Soul and the techno bash Movement -- would end. The city would lose homicide investigators and police patrolling the streets; swimming pools wouldn't open, and park grass would stay uncut, Bing said.

You know what is sad about this? That a mayor of a broke-ass city would be so concerned about events not continuing because of the budget yet we have nearly 30% of our population unemployed and can't find a job in this city. I haven't been to a festival in Hart Plaza in years so if they were sacrificed so that money could be used to stimulate job creation in Detroit, I would be all for it. But we don't hear that. Instead, we hear how poor souls are going to lose out because Hart Plaza is closed or the People Mover will be out of service. What can I say?

**Danny** · June-29-11, 07:54 AM

So what's next for this $50 Million dollar budget deficit after July 1st?

1. Cut more police, fire fighters and EMS workers.

2. Force city unions to pay more for their health care and give concessions to the city work force.

3. Cut more entertianment venues in Downtown Detroit.

4. Shut down the Poeple Mover.

5. Cut all D-DOT Sunday bus services.

KING BING doesn't like that and neither as Detroiters. KING BING wants $20 million on the budget. This is sure sign of failed Black Detroit leaders forced to make deeper sacrifices after more middle class folks move to lands far far away.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET!

The end of Detroit comes when the Emergency Financial Manager shuts city government down. Just like Benton Harbor.

Neda, I miss you so.

**Danny** · June-29-11, 07:57 AM

Bing is probably cussing at the city council right now!

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Technical foul! Bing is ejected from the game by the NBA official.

Dan Gilbert for Mayor of Detroit 2013

Neda, I miss you so.

bartock · June-29-11, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by R8RBOB

I remember the same thing when Bing ran to finish the term of Kwame Kilpatrick. He said Detroit needed someone to make the tough choices. Someone who was not a career politician looking to get reelected. Someone who would not make the same bad choices as Kilpatrick. Dave Bing preached that he was that man and if he was elected, he would get Detroit back on its feet.

Since being elected, Mayor Bing has discovered that being in power through elections can be seductive. Like Kilpatrick before him, he discovered that he like the power, no he has been corrupted by the power and now he is willing to do anything to stay in power. Remember when he claimed that he would not move in the Manoogian? He stated that he could live in a rented condo yet somehow the wife came to town and he did a 180 and wanted to be big pimpin' in the big house.

Mr. Henderson is reporting that the budget for COD is $1.3 billion but I think Freep need to reverse the 1 and the 3. If a mayor cannot scrape $50 million off a budget of $3.1 billion dollars then he is unfit to lead. Look like someone needs to be educated on the concept of nickel and dime.

The general fund budget is $1.3 billion. I do not know if those cuts could come from anywhere other than the general fund budget.

**Danny** · June-29-11, 08:53 AM

You all want to look what the glory days of Detroit look like before the mess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6xmbEmyOM

If I can show this to the city council. It would either keep their hopes up or crush their spirits.

**Rocko** · June-29-11, 09:12 AM

Once again, why are small fare increases not being considered to help balance the budget for both DDOT and the People Mover? Even 25 cents more per ride would make a significant impact over the course of a year......

**Fnemecek** · June-29-11, 09:31 AM

And just think, if Mayor Bing had actually implemented his turnaround plan from two years ago then none of this would've been necessary.

**Tig3rzhark** · June-29-11, 10:01 AM

I'd say if any needs to be cut, it's City Airport.

No one really uses that airport, yet it's there. I'm sure that plenty of money could be put back into essential services.

And the Detroit Zoo, since that's all the way out into the suburbs, I'd say, that's a "jewel" that we can sell.

**Novine** · June-29-11, 10:52 AM

"And the Detroit Zoo, since that's all the way out into the suburbs, I'd say, that's a "jewel" that we can sell."

Does the Zoo really cost the city anything? With the regional tax and the Zoological Society running operations, what's the actual cost to the city?

**sehender1** · June-30-11, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

"And the Detroit Zoo, since that's all the way out into the suburbs, I'd say, that's a "jewel" that we can sell."

Does the Zoo really cost the city anything? With the regional tax and the Zoological Society running operations, what's the actual cost to the city?

The city gives the Zoo about $750,000 each year.. not a ton...

**Hypestyles** · June-30-11, 11:32 AM

...i'd like to see the city airport spun off to a private developer [[alternately, the city can own the property like the DIA and Zoo but full management can be by the developer) who is willing to expand it to a fully commercial airport.

... or maybe the grounds can be totally converted to a light rail hub on the eastern part of town.