What has Bing done so far?

[Fnemecek]

Deficit spending only means one thing. You are spending more than you are taking in. Which, of course, means that your 2.9 million is not there to work with. Not a workable premise in my book.

A budget deficit is the difference between what we intend to spend and what we actually have. If we didn't really have $2.9 billion, then we would have a deficit of $3.2 billion instead of $0.3 billion.

We have $2.9 billion in the general fund for FY 2009.

[Stosh]

A budget deficit is the difference between what we intend to spend and what we actually have. If we didn't really have $2.9 billion, then we would have a deficit of $3.2 billion instead of $0.3 billion.

We have $2.9 billion in the general fund for FY 2009.

I think you are using the wrong verbiage. I'd think had should be the correct word. That money's been spent. Salaries, etc. 2010 budget's coming up. State's cutting revenue sharing. What programs do you propose to cut besides the obvious City Council salaries and administration ?

[Novine]

Demolition Dave is looking to demolition Geo. Jackson to provide signs of "progress" in the city. Finish the demolition of Tiger Stadium. Blow up the Lafayette Building. What else? Bing still have 5 months until the election.

[MIRepublic]

Demolition Dave is looking to demolition Geo. Jackson to provide signs of "progress" in the city. Finish the demolition of Tiger Stadium. Blow up the Lafayette Building. What else? Bing still have 5 months until the election.

You are forgetting his non-stance on MCS [[which probably means he'd not care if Matty brought it down), and the support for Matty's second bridge 'enhancement'. Don't you worry, he'll continue to scrapping, and spinning off, of Detroit earnest; perhaps, even faster than any of the mayoral candidates in the race. Don't expect him, either, to fight for Riverside Park.

[Fnemecek]

I think you are using the wrong verbiage. I'd think had should be the correct word. That money's been spent. Salaries, etc. 2010 budget's coming up. State's cutting revenue sharing. What programs do you propose to cut besides the obvious City Council salaries and administration ?

I've posted this several times before, as well as included it in letters to then Mayor Cockrel and Mayor Bing. However, I occasionally work in television so I'm not above repeats.

1. Almost 2/3 of our property taxes go toward debt service of one variety or another [[CoD + DPS + Wayne County). With interest rates at historic lows, we should refinance and restructure our debts. This would free up capital for both tax relief and improvements in core services.
2. The amount of money that Detroit spends settling lawsuits is way out of line by any objective measure. [[It's more than $75 million for FY 09, if I recall correctly.) I'm not an attorney so I can't offered a detailed plan as what we need to do to bring things in line with other communities, but we need to do it.
3. We have 5 agencies that do economic development work [[DDA, DEGC, Office of Targeted Business Development, Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization and Dept. of Employment & Training). None of them are doing a very good job at it. We should consolidate those agencies.

These, of course, are only a few ideas. If one put some significant effort into it - like the folks whose job it is to do so - I'm sure we could find even more areas to improve services in the neighborhoods.

[Stosh]

I've posted this several times before, as well as included it in letters to then Mayor Cockrel and Mayor Bing. However, I occasionally work in television so I'm not above repeats.

1. Almost 2/3 of our property taxes go toward debt service of one variety or another [[CoD + DPS + Wayne County). With interest rates at historic lows, we should refinance and restructure our debts. This would free up capital for both tax relief and improvements in core services.

Absolutely correct. Of course, you would have to find a bank that would actually be stupid enough to do that. Seems to me that lending isn't really big these days.

The amount of money that Detroit spends settling lawsuits is way out of line by any objective measure. [[It's more than $75 million for FY 09, if I recall correctly.) I'm not an attorney so I can't offered a detailed plan as what we need to do to bring things in line with other communities, but we need to do it..

It's a problem all over. The city doesn't have a prayer in that respect, except perhaps not settling obvious dubious claims as they have been.

We have 5 agencies that do economic development work [[DDA, DEGC, Office of Targeted Business Development, Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization and Dept. of Employment & Training). None of them are doing a very good job at it. We should consolidate those agencies.
These, of course, are only a few ideas. If one put some significant effort into it - like the folks whose job it is to do so - I'm sure we could find even more areas to improve services in the neighborhoods.

You might have something there, but consolidation won't save that much in costs. Elimination will.