Oakland Cty Commissioner: High Gas Prices Better for Economy

**rex** · March-22-12, 04:23 PM

leave it to a birmingham republican to come up with some isht like that.

**downtownguy** · March-22-12, 06:08 PM

I wonder what he thinks about Gingrich's promise to bring gas to $2.50/gallon if elected?

**Scottathew** · March-22-12, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

I wonder what he thinks about Gingrich's promise to bring gas to $2.50/gallon if elected?

LOL. I love the republican fuzzy math that tries to pretend that rising gas prices only happened on Obama's watch.

**ghettopalmetto** · March-22-12, 10:46 PM

To put the thread title in context, Commissioner Potts is arguing that high gas prices will force Southeastern Michigan to invest more in transit, and thus focus development in existing areas vis-a-vis continuing to sprawl ever-outward. That is the "improvement in the economy" of which he spoke.

County Commissioner Potts says things that would get him thrown out of office at any level higher than county government. He welcomes high gas prices. He believes that over time, they could make Michigan richer. They will force us to change our priorities.
“We don’t have European style $15 dollar gas. But we’re headed there,” Potts said. And then he argued that public investment in automobiles has made people poorer. Mass transit is a wiser investment.
“For a long time the mantra in Oakland County was we are the richest county in the country. What is it now? 61^st. The wealth has left us. It left with the children. It left with people moving to Florida. These magnet issues become pocketbook issues.”

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-23-12, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by 48091

LOL. I love the republican fuzzy math that tries to pretend that rising gas prices only happened on Obama's watch.

Right. Blame everything on Obama. The Repubs can stick it up the gazoo.

**Bham1982** · March-23-12, 06:59 AM

Looks like no one bothered to actually read the link.

Mayor Nikita is totally out-of-touch, BTW. Won't be around long, because he has no clue that residents are outraged about property taxes and education, and don't care much about public transit.

**corktownyuppie** · March-23-12, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Mayor Nikita is totally out-of-touch, BTW. Won't be around long, because he has no clue that residents are outraged about property taxes and education, and don't care much about public transit.

I read the link. Interesting position from an Oakland Country Republican. Don't usually see them so concerned about transit needs...then you see that he sees transit as a necessary component to attract corporate citizens, which I generally agree with

I'm curious about what you state about the attitudes in Birmingham. How did you arrive at the conclusion that Birmingham residents outraged about taxes and apathetic about public transit? It's not that I don't believe you, I had just never heard it put in those terms before.

**Bham1982** · March-23-12, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

I'm curious about what you state about the attitudes in Birmingham. How did you arrive at the conclusion that Birmingham residents outraged about taxes and apathetic about public transit? It's not that I don't believe you, I had just never heard it put in those terms before.

Taxes in Birmingham are really, really high compared to "peer cities", and residents believe Birmingham schools and services are the same or worse. I hear this constantly from neighbors, and you see a similar theme from the online comments in Birmingham Eccentric [[newspaper).

Birmingham Schools generally trail Bloomfield Schools, yet we're being taxed a lot more than in Bloomfield Schools. Services are the same as in neighboring communities, yet we're paying a lot more. Assessments are way up, and I don't see the rise in sales comps.

This is relevant because it's why folks move to Birmingham in the first place. The whole appeal is schools and community, in a walkable format. They aren't moving here for the same reasons someone moves to Corktown, or Midtown, or even Royal Oak.

Birmingham thinks of itself as more of a walkable Bloomfield Hills than a snobby Royal Oak. I don't know if that makes sense, but I think it speaks to a disconnect between traditional snobbytown values "schools+community" and revitalizating inner suburb values "sustainable+diverse". Birmimgham is the former, but some folks in city govt. think it's the latter.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-23-12, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Looks like no one bothered to actually read the link.

Mayor Nikita is totally out-of-touch, BTW. Won't be around long, because he has no clue that residents are outraged about property taxes and education, and don't care much about public transit.

Isn't this the same guy who owns a Downtown Detroit architecture firm and Pure Detroit?