State to Give Council Consent Agreement

**rex** · March-17-12, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

"The only way to not have Detroit problems is to not live in Detroit."

That's the delusions of some suburbanites. Detroit's failings cost all of us directly and indirectly even if we don't live in the city.

Im in a suburb now. Wont pretend not to be. Took an armed home invasion, dogs dumped in the alley behind my house, a stolen car, a break in, expensive insurance, and being mugged for me to leave. I dont have Detroit problems. I leave my screen door open well into the night. Don't worry much about getting shot at the gas station or carjacked either.
I almost feel like I was delusional to give it a shot in the first place.

**mam2009** · March-17-12, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by rex

Im in a suburb now. Wont pretend not to be. Took an armed home invasion, dogs dumped in the alley behind my house, a stolen car, a break in, expensive insurance, and being mugged for me to leave. I dont have Detroit problems. I leave my screen door open well into the night. Don't worry much about getting shot at the gas station or carjacked either.
I almost feel like I was delusional to give it a shot in the first place.

Outside of the four years I was away at college, I've lived in Detroit all my life. I HAVE had my car broken into, but I have never been mugged, had my house broken into [[nor an armed home invasion), gotten shot at a gas station, etc. That is NOT a dig at you Mr. or Ms. Rex, I just don't want those who don't live here to get the impression that that is the general experience of those who live here.

That is not to say that my experience here is one that I'm content with. I would just hate for the opposite experience from yours to not be recognized as well. No one in my immediate family, with the exception of my retired Police Officer dad, has experienced any violent crime either.

**rex** · March-17-12, 02:30 PM

That was just MY experience in 3 years in the Dominican neighborhood. I dont blame Detroit. I blame myself. I knew better. The dogs was the last straw and the fact they kept showing up back there. The cumulative effect the rest of it multiplied by that smell. Whenever I'm driving and I pass a dead animal I think about it. Still messes with me.

I reserve hope for Downtown/Midtown. Its the other 100 square miles I dont know about.

**313WX** · March-17-12, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by rex

That was just MY experience in 3 years in the Dominican neighborhood. I dont blame Detroit. I blame myself. I knew better. The dogs was the last straw and the fact they kept showing up back there. The cumulative effect the rest of it multiplied by that smell. Whenever I'm driving and I pass a dead animal I think about it. Still messes with me.

I reserve hope for Downtown/Midtown. Its the other 100 square miles I dont know about.

Downtown and Midtown is only around 5 sq. mi. wide, and Detroit is 143 sq. mi. wide.

**Wheels** · March-17-12, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Downtown and Midtown is only around 5 sq. mi. wide, and Detroit is 143 sq. mi. wide.

Don't forget 4.3sq. miles is water.

**313WX** · March-17-12, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Don't forget 4.3sq. miles is water.

That's correct.

**rex** · March-17-12, 06:32 PM

ok. I have hope for the 5 miles that encompass mid/downtown and the 4.3 miles of water
Its the other 133.7 miles im not so sure about

**313WX** · March-17-12, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Don't forget 4.3sq. miles is water.

BTW, much of that water is likely the Detroit River.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · March-17-12, 07:24 PM

For all of our myriad problems, I have a lot of hope for Detroit. I think we're arguing and bickering about governmental irresposibility: this was not a conversation even being had 10, 20, 40 years ago. For all the people that hate Detroit [[including a destructive minority of our residents), it seems like everyone is rooting for the D. People come downtown now for fun. Not as much as we like, but more so than in years. Many old neighborhoods have disintegrated, but new ones are growing, too. To paraphrase Elaine Stritch, "Sometimes you have to go through what you have to go through to get through what you have to get through." We'll survive, the city will survive, and Detroit 2022 will be stronger, cleaner, safer, and more prosperous than now. And damn it, even more fun. And unlike the olden days when Detroit was still well off, I don't see race being an issue in everyday life. Bad schools wreck kids. But when they grow up, black kids and white kids can compete for the same jobs, go to the same bar, and play on the same softball team.

Being tempered under such heat as we've had will make the city as an entity a much stronger metal in the long run. I look forward to saying with a chuckle, "Shit, remember when nobody worked Downtown? Remember when the city was broke. Can't beleive that happened!"

Hate away, anyone who wants to. I wake up in the morning looking forward to the day, and living and working in Detroit. And I will keep the smile on my fat gay Irish face no matter what. If my great grandparents can raise 11 kids in this city during the depression, I think we'll be alright.