Matty Moroun Donates 120 Million to Detroit

**gnome** · November-03-12, 08:10 PM

Yep, a Matty is finally stepping up and putting part of his fortune to be used by the People.

but there is a catch. He requires we have to build a bronze statue of him before those millions are released. The statue has to be 3 times life size and must be erected in Campus Martius.

so, do we take up his offer?

impossible you say? This modest proposal was proffered a 100 years ago by noted rapscallion, James Scott. You may know Scott only by the fountain that bears his name on Belle Isle.

So, the question here, while theoretical, was faced by previous Detroiters. If it was up to you, would you take the dough, or not?

**Gannon** · November-04-12, 06:19 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

Yep, a Matty is finally stepping up and putting part of his fortune to be used by the People.

but there is a catch. He requires we have to build a bronze statue of him before those millions are released. The statue has to be 3 times life size and must be erected in Campus Martius.

so, do we take up his offer?

impossible you say? This modest proposal was proffered a 100 years ago by noted rapscallion, James Scott. You may know Scott only by the fountain that bears his name on Belle Isle.

So, the question here, while theoretical, was faced by previous Detroiters. If it was up to you, would you take the dough, or not?

I don't know about anyone else, but I sure would like a new paintball target downtown. I'd take his money. But he gets the view from Riverside Park downriver, looking at the OTHER bridge. We can even pose him chasing it.

Hell, then we can make it FIVE times life. Matty isn't a tall man, he needs the amplification. Then the Merchant Marines'll be able to see him and can giggle as they pass.

What do you think?! Riverside Park is a much better place for Matty than Campus Martius.

Cheers

**gnome** · November-04-12, 08:46 AM

No, the deal is a statue of honor in Campus Martius. Would you take his dough, and bend your knee, or not.

i like the paintball twist. There is nothing in his bequest that sez anything about paintballs.

**Johnnny5** · November-04-12, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

Yep, a Matty is finally stepping up and putting part of his fortune to be used by the People.

but there is a catch. He requires we have to build a bronze statue of him before those millions are released. The statue has to be 3 times life size and must be erected in Campus Martius.

so, do we take up his offer?

As long as the Robo Cop statue can be recast and made large enough to totally encase the "Moron" statue I would be all for it.

**gnome** · November-04-12, 09:09 AM

No deal.

this is the same situation that we faced a 100 years ago. A disreputable man donated his fortune to the City with the statue provision.

You have spent time at the Scott Fountain, might have had your wedding or graduation pix taken there. You've marveled at the thing and more than likely don't give a hoot that James Scott was an SOB.

**Wheels** · November-04-12, 11:30 AM

I would take his money and build a very specific likeness. It would be very easy to relate the Statue to Mr. Magoo no matter what name was on the base.

Attachment 16440

**Gannon** · November-04-12, 12:31 PM

Can it be a functional sculpture, like a fountain, so a future mayor's best friends can scrap the copper in the dead of night?

I'm still leaning for it, as long as history treats Matty like it did Scott. I never really heard of the guy, and never cared to know the persona behind the fountain.

**Blueidone** · November-04-12, 09:59 PM

Is there a specific provision of who is going to get the money? If it goes to the General Fund or anything administered by the City Council, I say no, because it will probably never get to the people of the City. If it goes to say Focus Hope or some other worthy charity that actually HELPS the resident of the city, I say yes.

**DZanke** · December-04-12, 03:04 PM

I say if the city of Detroit gets a dime from maroun, they'll have to pry it from his cold dead hands[[ the preferable method of payment for a scoundrel like that).

**Vic01** · December-05-12, 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by DZanke

I say if the city of Detroit gets a dime from maroun, they'll have to pry it from his cold dead hands[[ the preferable method of payment for a scoundrel like that).

I'm not sure if this is a true story [[I doubt it)... or just a hypothetical "what if..." conversation starter. If true, take the money and put up a nice X times life size bronze statue. The scrappers will steal it and have it melted down in no time... lots of helpers to carry that one to the pickup truck.

**Honky Tonk** · December-05-12, 07:57 AM

Hmmmmm..... statue needs a location, eh?

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/12/83404/

“I do worry more about the birds,” said Ian Neubauer, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student"

**9606 Prest** · December-05-12, 08:28 AM

I think the Moron Statute should be in the basement of the Train Station or in the backyard of an abandoned House!

**renf** · December-05-12, 08:39 AM

I have heard that James Scott's will insisted that a statue be erected in his
honor if the City of Detroit accepted his donation but he did not specify a
size. Apparently, some members of Common Council back about 1912 proposed
erecting a statue of Scott two inches tall. The actual statue at his fountain on Belle Isle is very attractive. Back in the time when the fountain worked, you would often see brides posed near the James Scott fountain on summer
Saturdays.

**313WX** · December-05-12, 08:44 AM

Was this a joke?

**rb336** · December-05-12, 09:16 AM

Can we build it at the bottom of a pit, build a box around it, have him looking up with his mouth open and use it as a urinal?

**Gistok** · December-05-12, 10:54 AM

No, I don't believe Gnome was joking. But he does make one very valid point... in the late 19th century James Scott was the "Matty Maroun" of Detroit... and people would rather not spend his "blood money"... so it took a couple of decades for his reputation to "heal" via people forgetting what a jerk he was. So in the 1920s the accumulated interest on that statue idea had garnered enough money so that an entire fountain complex with tidal basin and all its' trimmings were put on the "newly added" part of Belle Isle [[river dredgings) that didn't exist at the turn of the century.

Time is very corrosive... it will even make us forget about scoundrels eventually. How many of you are upset about the presidential scoundrel Warren G. Harding? Not many I would imagine... so "Time does heal all wounds".....

**Chinman** · December-05-12, 01:46 PM

here is a better image for his statue.

**Detroitdave** · December-05-12, 05:00 PM

NO ! 120 million is nothing to him ! it's a insult !
He can't buy his way out of all the crappy things he's done to the city!
I'd rather have the second publicly own bridge , keep your crappy 120 million
that won't help Detroit in the least I'd rather go broke since we will anyhow !
If you can't guess I find this VERY insulting !