Bing wants to privatize City Lighting

**rid0617** · June-11-09, 02:29 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitHabitater

Do any other major cities have privatized lighting?

In my state all street lights are owned & maintained by the electric company [[Duke Power, Laurens Electric, etc). The company then bills the city so much per month per light.

MIRepublic · June-11-09, 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by rondinjp

This was from a book from 1999 so I am sure it has increased since. If you want to read more about the ups/downs of privatization the book is titled "Encyclopedia of public administration and public policy."

The author of the book even nailed this article on the head by stating the biggest fight for privatization will come from public unions. The only downside I see with Detroit privatizing is more accountability. If you can call that a downside

That chart you posted shows that the privatization of city lighting doesn't even crack into the top most privatized services, right?

BTW, I think it's very important to remember, as some others have said, that it makes more sense to privatize some services, and more sense to keep others publically ran and administered. Where city lights fall, I'm still not 100% sure, myself, but Lorax does offer a theory up at post #11 that I'd like to see someone address directly.

**redvetred** · June-11-09, 03:30 AM

This issue has been studied many times over the past two decades and each time it was found uneconomical for any business to assume management of the lighting system. It is in such poor, unreliable condition that you would have to pay someone to take it over. Plus, with Detroit's reputation, who is going to pay for the energy used and when? The bottom line is: it's a losing proposition.

MIRepublic · June-11-09, 04:04 AM

So, then, what is the solution? Shouldn't this have been something worthy of stimulus attention if it's that bad? It would, after all, but a public works project if undertaken just to get it to the point of where it could be sold.

detmich · June-11-09, 06:13 AM

Bing is taking a step in the right direction.

**Sstashmoo** · June-11-09, 09:00 AM

Privatization just opens the door for shady deals, no bid contracts, kickbacks and whole host of misappropriations and embezzlement. How about people doing their jobs, and if they can't, how about leaders with the authority to do so, fire these lazy folks. Simple as that. With unemployment in the 15 percentile, competent people would not be hard to find. This is what pisses me off about "business" people running for public office. First you wonder why they want the job, they get it and answer that question real quick.

**rondinjp** · June-11-09, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

Privatization just opens the door for shady deals, no bid contracts, kickbacks and whole host of misappropriations and embezzlement. How about people doing their jobs, and if they can't, how about leaders with the authority to do so, fire these lazy folks. Simple as that. With unemployment in the 15 percentile, competent people would not be hard to find. This is what pisses me off about "business" people running for public office. First you wonder why they want the job, they get it and answer that question real quick.

So instead of having a private company handle and be responsible for the lighting we should just stay on the current path which doesn't work?

**rondinjp** · June-11-09, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by MIRepublic

That chart you posted shows that the privatization of city lighting doesn't even crack into the top most privatized services, right?

BTW, I think it's very important to remember, as some others have said, that it makes more sense to privatize some services, and more sense to keep others publically ran and administered. Where city lights fall, I'm still not 100% sure, myself, but Lorax does offer a theory up at post #11 that I'd like to see someone address directly.

That chart was from 10 years ago and just to represent a point that cities, except Detroit, have overwhelmingly moved toward privatization of services. No one can argue that Detroit is incapable of handling city lighting. If it was capable, this would not be an issue. Also, this is not a recent development, the city lighting has been third world quality for at least 10-15 years [[maybe longer). The system is definitely broken and something new must be tried.

I also agree that the parks should be privatized, considering that every Detroit park looks absolutely horrible.

In response to corruption, running the city lighting wouldn't be done by some small company. The only companies that would be capable of handling such a job would be companies such as Detroit Edison. So I wouldn't be that concerned [[although it is possible) about corruption.

**rondinjp** · June-11-09, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

Privatization just opens the door for shady deals, no bid contracts, kickbacks and whole host of misappropriations and embezzlement. How about people doing their jobs, and if they can't, how about leaders with the authority to do so, fire these lazy folks. Simple as that. With unemployment in the 15 percentile, competent people would not be hard to find. This is what pisses me off about "business" people running for public office. First you wonder why they want the job, they get it and answer that question real quick.

I agree that people should do their jobs, however, with unions running the city lighting firing an employee is nearly impossible. The only way new employees would come would be due to death or retirement.

**Novine** · June-11-09, 09:35 AM

"No one can argue that Detroit is incapable of handling city lighting. If it was capable, this would not be an issue. "

That's true of almost everything Detroit does. There are well-run municipal lighting departments and there are poorly run private electrical lighting operations. Sstashmoo's point is that there's nothing about Detroit's operation that couldn't be improved greatly by having competent people running the system. Detroit's system is so poorly run that any change will probably be an improvement. But let's not kid ourselves into thinking that bringing in Detroit Edison is going to result in lower costs. I've dealt with Detroit Edison and you still have to wait days to get a light fixed. Still, at this point, anything is going to be an improvement.

detmich · June-11-09, 12:41 PM

Whether or not Bing privatizes lighting, he has given himself leverage to use against the unions and the people engaged in "shady deals, no bid contracts, kickbacks and whole host of misappropriations and embezzlement", as Sstashmoo put it. Anyone with more than half a brain will applaud the new mayor's efforts to improve city services. That leaves about four posters on here, and about a dozen folks in the city to applaud him.

**kraig** · June-11-09, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

Whether or not Bing privatizes lighting, he has given himself leverage to use against the unions and the people engaged in "shady deals, no bid contracts, kickbacks and whole host of misappropriations and embezzlement", as Sstashmoo put it. Anyone with more than half a brain will applaud the new mayor's efforts to improve city services. That leaves about four posters on here, and about a dozen folks in the city to applaud him.

Before you pat him on the back, wouldn't you like to wait and see who he gives the contracts to and what they do?

I can remember when everyone was happy when Kwame said that the City was getting new water meters installed. Everyone was happy until contracts went to companies that were connected to Kwame's daddy and Art Blackwell, and the meters still haven't been installed right, and those that are are tripling the water bills of most of its customers. Proceed with caution. We have to stop getting happy over a fresh face or semi-new idea. That's what a con man relies on.

**Funaho** · June-11-09, 12:51 PM

Considering how poor DTE is at maintenance [[my area has had significant power outages half a dozen times in the past 9 months) I doubt it will get much better. Hell, I was without power for half a day a few weeks ago because a pole down the street actually broke and fell over. A few months before that it was because the transformer down the street exploded.

I think "preventative maintenance" is a forbidden word for DTE.

**Sstashmoo** · June-11-09, 01:13 PM

Quote "Anyone with more than half a brain will applaud the new mayor's efforts That leaves about four posters on here"

That's because you and the three others geniuses don't know anything about business. I know about business and I know the BS that goes on when contracts are awarded. If you think it's all "Mayberry", you have much to learn.

You'd think after the Kwame era and all the embezzlement and outright theft that went on and is still coming to light, that more than a few of you would be questioning "privatizing" anything regarding the city. This isn't a poke at Mayor Bing. It's being realistic of the skulduggery that takes place when large sums of money are in question and interjected into an equation. And men are left to decide. City services should be a function of the government.

Sorry, I don't understand the reasoning behind hiring a private entity to do a job, you're already paying a city division to do. Failed system you can't spend your way out of.

**Maxine1958** · June-11-09, 01:19 PM

Let's put Robert Bobb in charge of the city lighting agency!

**kraig** · June-11-09, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Maxine1958

Let's put Robert Bobb in charge of the city lighting agency!

Why, cutting the lighting budget won't necessarily turn the broken lights on. Just as cutting the school budget isn't making the kids any smarter. Remember, Robert Bobb has a specific task, and that's to cut the budget down to a manageable size. Why is everyone so desperate for a hero?

**Hypestyles** · June-11-09, 01:49 PM

Belle Isle can start charging a modest fee for entrance, to help with the annual maintenance costs.. daily passes.. monthly passes..

**Maxine1958** · June-11-09, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by kraig

Why, cutting the lighting budget won't necessarily turn the broken lights on. Just as cutting the school budget isn't making the kids any smarter. Remember, Robert Bobb has a specific task, and that's to cut the budget down to a manageable size. Why is everyone so desperate for a hero?

Not necessarily to cut the budget, but to sort out and get to to bottom of the misappropriated funds and other shady dealings. Wonder what would happen if the personnel from the lighting agency had to stand in line to get their pay checks.

**kraig** · June-11-09, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by Maxine1958

Not necessarily to cut the budget, but to sort out and get to to bottom of the misappropriated funds and other shady dealings. Wonder what would happen if the personnel from the lighting agency had to stand in line to get their pay checks.

Apparently you aren't familiar with one of Ken Cockrel's big snafus the Friday before he lost the election.

detmich · June-11-09, 02:02 PM

Wow Sstashmoo, you never seem, to age! Between you, Penske, Illitch, and Maroun Detroit should be a-okay! Next time you have dinner at the Yondotega bring this up to them, please.
You're the Bill Gates of Detroit!

**Maxine1958** · June-11-09, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by kraig

Apparently you aren't familiar with one of Ken Cockrel's big snafus the Friday before he lost the election.

I must have missed that press release. Please share your information.

**kraig** · June-11-09, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Maxine1958

I must have missed that press release. Please share your information.

The Friday before the election, a lot of payroll checks bounced. It was said to be a computer glitch and was worked out later on that day. But it was too late for a lot of people to go to the bank that day and there are still a lot of banks and credit unions in the city that are not open on the weekends. Between that, the mishandling of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, getting his butt kicked by Monica Conyers twice and Cinco de mayo being on election day he watched a 15 point lead turn into a 4 point loss.

**Hypestyles** · June-11-09, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by kraig

The Friday before the election, a lot of payroll checks bounced. It was said to be a computer glitch and was worked out later on that day. But it was too late for a lot of people to go to the bank that day and there are still a lot of banks and credit unions in the city that are not open on the weekends. Between that, the mishandling of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, getting his butt kicked by Monica Conyers twice and Cinco de mayo being on election day he watched a 15 point lead turn into a 4 point loss.

what happened at the Freedom Fund banquet.. I couldn't stomach the $150 price tag..

**kraig** · June-11-09, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

what happened at the Freedom Fund banquet.. I couldn't stomach the $150 price tag..

He had the Director of Cobo ,remember the previous two directors have both plead guilty to taking bribes from Kado, the guy that does catering at cobo, tell City Council that unless they approved the contract for the company that was taking over the catering, which was Kado's wife, that there would not be a Freedom Fund Dinner and that they were prepared to give the deposit back to the NAACP. Council not only called his bluff, but, the NAACP dinner was made up of 8,000 people, about 6,500-7,000 of which are registered active voters in the City of Detroit who weren't to pleased with Cockrel. Come on, hasn't anyone wondered how Cockrel lost that sure lead?

**Maxine1958** · June-11-09, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by kraig

The Friday before the election, a lot of payroll checks bounced. It was said to be a computer glitch and was worked out later on that day. But it was too late for a lot of people to go to the bank that day and there are still a lot of banks and credit unions in the city that are not open on the weekends. Between that, the mishandling of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, getting his butt kicked by Monica Conyers twice and Cinco de mayo being on election day he watched a 15 point lead turn into a 4 point loss.

I do remember hearing about the payroll checks bouncing. I didn't put that together with him loosing the election though. Thanks for the information.