Detroit loses out on $9.2M to help poor people--failure of Bing Administration

[Woodward's Cousin]

After being in office for two and a half years can anyone dispute that Mayor Bing has not come close to assembling a team of public executives and managers capable of competently governing the City of Detroit. If he runs for re-election, which I doubt, Mayor Bing's most powerful campaign slogan will be: "At least he's not a crook".

Detroit loses out on $9.2M to help poor people

http://www.freep.com/article/2011110...xt|FRONTPAGE|p

[Scottathew]

Dang, that stinks. It would have brought jobs, fixed up homes, and helped folks in need.


I don't know if I would be for passing legislation for this, but in this case it was already passed, we had the money, it's use it or lose it, and we lost it.

[Novine]

He's a businessman! Let a businessman run the government and make everything right! Another sign that Bing's woefully in over his head and it's the people of Detroit who are suffering.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

He's a businessman! Let a businessman run the government and make everything right! Another sign that Bing's woefully in over his head and it's the people of Detroit who are suffering.

Right, just like your newly elected Governor. He's supposedly a businessman too. Watch him continue to run this state further in the ground.


Snyder actually cares about the city. Sure he does. Snyder could care less, all he wants is that damn bridge.

[Detroitnerd]

More and more, I just think Bing was a minority figurehead, then a political Trojan horse with all the old Kilpatrick-niks inside him.

[Zacha341]

Well stated!!!!!!

[Bing] a political Trojan horse with all the old Kilpatrick-niks inside him.

[Blueidone]

In the meantime, contractors [[like the company I work for) are waiting...and waiting...and waiting to get paid for weatherization work that WAS done. It is been at least 90 days for most invoices that are overdue. And our subcontractors are waiting for us to get paid so they can get paid. It's just ridiculous!

[downtownguy]

If he runs for re-election, which I doubt, Mayor Bing's most powerful campaign slogan will be: "At least he's not a crook".

Hasn't he already announced he's going to run for re-election? And wasn't that contrary to what he promised when he ran for his first term?

[Wesley Mouch]

I'll take that lie over Kwame's lies anyday. [[Besides, who really believed that anyway. Kinda like saying that a voter's baby is the prettiest baby...)

[downtownguy]

I'll take that lie over Kwame's lies anyday. [[Besides, who really believed that anyway. Kinda like saying that a voter's baby is the prettiest baby...)

Maybe some people fall for the pretty baby line. But when a candidate says s/he is running for one term only, and you believe this will make them more independent, less prone to favors, and dedicating themselves to four, full years of service without the distractions of putting together and funding a re-election campaign, then yes, I think it matters.

[firstandten]

Maybe some people fall for the pretty baby line. But when a candidate says s/he is running for one term only, and you believe this will make them more independent, less prone to favors, and dedicating themselves to four, full years of service without the distractions of putting together and funding a re-election campaign, then yes, I think it matters.

Agreed !

That was one of [[actually the most of all) the key factors in supporting him. I felt he would be able to make the tough decisions without worrying about getting re-elected. When he stated he would be running for re-election I knew we were cooked.

I am of the belief that because radical changes are needed in Detroit on so many different levels the man to do this work would most likely be a one-term mayor since he would be committing political suicide almost every day. One Bing revealed to me that he isn't really that kind of risk taker my best hope is that the city doesn't get worst, but to get better ? I don't see that happening under his administration.

[stasu1213]

Maybe some people fall for the pretty baby line. But when a candidate says s/he is running for one term only, and you believe this will make them more independent, less prone to favors, and dedicating themselves to four, full years of service without the distractions of putting together and funding a re-election campaign, then yes, I think it matters.

He also is less prone to meeting the needs of the residents of Detroit. Increasing the wait time for busses. Not hiring police/EMS/firefighters and purchasing new equipment for them to do theri tasks, allegedly sitting on govt money for head start and winterization programs for the poor; Yea, he is independent alright. I always wonder who agenda is the Mayor going by. What fiddler music is he dancing to? I haven't seen any administration make decisions to hurt the majority of residents in this city such as this administration had made. A candidate may say that he/she will only accept $1.00 to do the job being mayor but who else is paying him.

[R8RBOB]

He also is less prone to meeting the needs of the residents of Detroit. Increasing the wait time for busses. Not hiring police/EMS/firefighters and purchasing new equipment for them to do theri tasks, allegedly sitting on govt money for head start and winterization programs for the poor; Yea, he is independent alright. I always wonder who agenda is the Mayor going by. What fiddler music is he dancing to? I haven't seen any administration make decisions to hurt the majority of residents in this city such as this administration had made. A candidate may say that he/she will only accept $1.00 to do the job being mayor but who else is paying him.

I remember when Dave Bing was running in the special election. I remember how he said he was going to run for a single term as mayor because as he put it, "Detroit needs someone to make the tough decisions and not be trying to get reelected." Dave Bing as mayor is a disaster and I hoped he could right the wrongs Detroit have suffered under the Kilpatrick administration but he discovered just like Rick Snyder is discovering that you cannot run a city or state like a business.

WXYZ's story on the buses is a reminder why some people wanted Bing recalled because he let the bus system go to shit but not all this is his fault. The bus story should have reminded everyone why a bus-only transportation system has always been a loser. Buses should always be a supplement to a transit system with light-rail leading the way like they have in Santa Clara County, California. Fifty plus years of using buses turned people off from using public transportation and the ones who are forced to use it have substandard services awaiting them. Welcome to Metro Detroit.

[oladub]

Why does the federal government even have such programs? It isn't like federal government housing programs have a history of being efficient or without corruption either. Now that the federal government has allowed, even encouraged, manufacturing to leave the country, people healthier than Ms. Dunlap, who is on over her head being disabled, can't find a job to pay for such things. Ms, Dunlap, for her part, would probably be better off in a small apartment where there would be fewer things needing her attention given her inability or disablity.

[jtf1972]

Why does the federal government even have such programs? It isn't like federal government housing programs have a history of being efficient or without corruption either. Now that the federal government has allowed, even encouraged, manufacturing to leave the country, people healthier than Ms. Dunlap, who is on over her head being disabled, can't find a job to pay for such things. Ms, Dunlap, for her part, would probably be better off in a small apartment where there would be fewer things needing her attention given her inability or disablity.

Glad I'm not the only one who thought of this.

One of the problems in Detroit is the idea that everybody needs their own house. That 9.2 million could be better spent funding the construction of housing that would put multiple dwellings under the same roof for persons that need the assistance. Each individual house needing its own repairs is simply inefficient. If you don't have the ability to keep your house up, perhaps you should be in a different living situation instead of needing the taxpayers to take care of it for you in addition to what we are already doing.

[GoGrixdale]

That 9.2 million could be better spent funding the construction of housing that would put multiple dwellings under the same roof for persons that need the assistance. Each individual house needing its own repairs is simply inefficient.

Government assisted housing developments [Read 'Projects'] were so politically incorrect that we removed all of them en masse.

The projects were not the best places to live in the 80's and 90's from my recollection. The crime was high and the conditions less than what the average middle class person could stand.

Sounds strangely familiar in 2011.

[majohnson]

The State of Michigan should have been charged with administering the program.
Or even the counties.

[Gannon]

I wouldn't give the state control of monies targeted to poor people in Detroit. It seems the current governor would rather we all starve and just otherwise go away!

H-m-m-n-n, I'm sure Ficano can be trusted with a cool nine-mil...oops, nope.

Nah, I'd keep it local, but when this money...OUR public trust...is on the line, it should be VERY publicly noted every step of the way. There is no valid reason why this deadline was missed...but I'd rather the delivery mechanism be as close to the focus as possible.


I really started calling him Mayor Bong in earnest with this news. <sigh> A few more mis-steps, and he's Bung to me.


No cheers at all...

[antongast]

I really started calling him Mayor Bong in earnest with this news.

Coming from you, I would think that would be a compliment. Or do you prefer to roll your own?

[Wesley Mouch]

I wouldn't give the state control of monies targeted to poor people in Detroit. It seems the current governor would rather we all starve and just otherwise go away!
<snip>
Nah, I'd keep it local, but when this money...OUR public trust...is on the line, it should be VERY publicly noted every step of the way. There is no valid reason why this deadline was missed...but I'd rather the delivery mechanism be as close to the focus as possible.
.....

Ha! Your hate of Engler, I mean Snyder is so strong that you can ignore that you're being screwed much more seriously, deeply and with feeling by your local friends.

Snyder actually cares about the city -- but you can't see it because he just doesn't do it your way.

[Scottathew]

I wouldn't give the state control of monies targeted to poor people in Detroit. It seems the current governor would rather we all starve and just otherwise go away!

Either that or he wants to put limits on rewarding failure at the expense of those that at working.

[Gannon]

It was originally scorn after that huge waste of a grower bust at Mack and Chene. He was dazed and confused and clearly lusting after that crop during his very public tour of the scene.

I began playing with ridicule...thinking he was Bang when he played basketball in college and the NBA...couldn't find a funny for the letter E...we know him using I in Bing...but he was steadily heading towards the pungent Bung smell of our previous mayor, whose organized crime family I've been suspicious Bong was a front for all along.


For the record, though, you're right. I am much more fond of bongs than any other type of cannabis consumption aid...except the ever-trusty vaporizers, like the Volcano. You get more medicine without the extras. Who has the time to bake, especially when you're baked?!

[Jimaz]

Ironic that the money was lost because Detroit couldn't spend it fast enough.

[R8RBOB]

After being in office for two and a half years can anyone dispute that Mayor Bing has not come close to assembling a team of public executives and managers capable of competently governing the City of Detroit. If he runs for re-election, which I doubt, Mayor Bing's most powerful campaign slogan will be: "At least he's not a crook".

Detroit loses out on $9.2M to help poor people


http://www.freep.com/article/20111101/NEWS01/111010375/Detroit-loses-9-2M-help-poor?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Detroit returned $9.2 million in federal funds intended to help lower-income homeowners cut their energy bills this year because the city couldn't spend the money in time, the Free Press has learned.

The Bing administration should be embarrassed. You can't spend money in a timely matter. I have to ask if this is why Bing is out of business? He couldn't spend the money in time.

[rjk]

"Mayor Dave Bing's office declined to explain why the department couldn't keep pace with its goal, but pledged to improve the city's handling of grants."

That's reassuring.
He needs to be out in front of a camera answering questions about this massive screw up.
Does anyone even remember what Bing looks like?