Quote Originally Posted by corktownyuppie View Post
Owning a system [[being entitled to its profits) and Controlling a system [[being entitled to determine how it spends and receives money) are two very different things. Detroiters should be entitled to every penny of profits generated by the system into which it invested its capital.

But a system that works to the greater public good, and frankly, has a virtual monopoly, should have joint and cooperative control over how its resources are used. The devils in the details of course, and as a Detroiter, I want to make sure my voice carries power.

If Red Oaks served 4.2 million people per year and $100 million dollars to construct without any realistically feasible source of competition, then yes, I'd agree with you.
Great post!

I look at it like this...

What's the sensible thing here?

This is a regional system. It needs to be well-run for the region's health -- literally. I agree with him on the 'profit' returning to the 'owners', but since cities are only collections of residents that changes from time-to-time, it could easily be argued that the money came from people who now live in the suburbs. Why are they being disenfranchised? Just because they no longer live in the City? It was in great part their money.