LeDuff asks Kevyn Orr about 'dumb, lazy, happy and rich' remark

**Zacha341** · August-08-13, 06:45 AM

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/23...nd-rich-remark

**brizee** · August-08-13, 08:29 AM

He clearly stuck his foot in his mouth.

Him and Bill Nowling can walk it back as much as they want, words are words. Death of the author and all that.

It's also becoming increasingly obvious Orr isn't nearly as "brilliant" as his cheerleaders keep trying to jedi mind trick people into believing.

**Wesley Mouch** · August-08-13, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by brizee

He clearly stuck his foot in his mouth.

Him and Bill Nowling can walk it back as much as they want, words are words. Death of the author and all that.

It's also becoming increasingly obvious Orr isn't nearly as "brilliant" as his cheerleaders keep trying to jedi mind trick people into believing.

Foot: Not at all. He spoke the truth. He's quite right. The white power structure of Detroit back in the 30s-50s was dumb, lazy, happy, and rich. That's why we had riots and financial collapse.

But it does make a good sound bite to attack him when you take it out of context. Enjoy.

Brilliant: Doesn't matter. He's the boss now. Seems to be doing OK walking through a minefield. You'll probably think he's much less brillliant when he gets around to your ox.

**p69rrh51** · August-08-13, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Foot: Not at all. He spoke the truth. He's quite right. The white power structure of Detroit back in the 30s-50s was dumb, lazy, happy, and rich. That's why we had riots and financial collapse.

But it does make a good sound bite to attack him when you take it out of context. Enjoy.

Brilliant: Doesn't matter. He's the boss now. Seems to be doing OK walking through a minefield. You'll probably think he's much less brillliant when he gets around to your ox.

Exactly how was the "white" power structure dumb, lazy, happy and rich. That is very broad statement. Just like Orr you through it out and expect everyone to accept it without any real proof.
Also policies of the 60's through now did not contribute to the problem? You must be joking!

**Baselinepunk** · August-08-13, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

Exactly how was the "white" power structure dumb, lazy, happy and rich. That is very broad statement. Just like Orr you through it out and expect everyone to accept it without any real proof.
Also policies of the 60's through now did not contribute to the problem? You must be joking!

^^^ +1

Thank you so much for this post. It really captures the essence of Orr supporters. It has always amazed me just how far Orr supporters will go to justify his poor actions and misguided solutions.

If Orr does it; it's awesome and everyone else is a pansy.

It's sick, really. They just blindly follow this guy without questioning a thing.

These Orr supporter folks come across as so desperate that they will support this jerk who they didn't even directly elect.

Thomas Hobbs would have a field day with this people.

PS -- I really think that this whole "we did this to ourselves" BS is misguided and is a red herring. The Socrates bit is a little old, too.

**michimoby** · August-08-13, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

If Gilbert does it; it's awesome and everyone else is a pansy.

Edited for effect.

**noise** · August-09-13, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

PS -- I really think that this whole "we did this to ourselves" BS is misguided and is a red herring. The Socrates bit is a little old, too.

Well, it's certainly easier to blame somebody else than it is to accept some personal accountability.

**Wesley Mouch** · August-08-13, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

Exactly how was the "white" power structure dumb, lazy, happy and rich. That is very broad statement. Just like Orr you through it out and expect everyone to accept it without any real proof.
Also policies of the 60's through now did not contribute to the problem? You must be joking!

No. I'm not joking. Well, labelling it as the 'white' power structure was for dramatic effect, but mostly true.

Like most northern industrial cities, Detroit has been hit by globalization, deindustrialization, racial tension, economic forces, and much more. What was unique about Detroit.

We were a real boom town. Much like typical mining towns on a huge scale. We were fairly modest, then then very quickly grew to enormous scale. Cleveland and Pittsburgh were old money and diversified. Detroit new money and a company town. Dramatized, but true.

When the auto industry was in full bloom, there was nothing Detroit couldn't do. $5.00 day. Employer funded health care. Union wages. 30 and out. We led the charge in so many ways. We knew how to make the world conform to us. We were dumb, lazy, happy, and rich -- and lucky.

By the 60s, Detroit's advantages were becoming its liabilities. We didn't know what to do but double down. We didn't innovate. We mass marketed our cheap, unsafe cars to the world -- while Demming and Company got Japan building quality. We were blindsided. We fought against Nader. Safety. No. We're happy and rich. We don't need safety. That's work. Were were dumb and lazy. Our unions couldn't see that work was changing. We're rich! We're not changing. No new work rules for us. The south will never build cars as good as we do. Japan -- they're a joke. This same attitude I think blossomed in government. Cavanaugh. Progressive. And he gets a riot. He was dump, lazy, happy, rich -- and didn't see the real race problems underneath. He could have truly reorganized the police department, but didn't.

Actually, the ascent to power by black politicians ended the DLHR period. They weren't dump. Coleman was brilliant. He was wrong about a lot -- but right about so much. He wasn't lazy. Just wrong. But so were most urban policies. No worse than Model Cities.

Orr's comment has little to do with those who think he's talking about them. Orr is mostly right. Let's run him out of town. We're not dumb, lazy, happy and rich.

While we're at it, let's chase anyone out of town who thinks they know how to help us. We can do it ourselves. Just look at the results.

Go away Orr, and take Snyder with you.

**Zacha341** · August-08-13, 09:22 PM

Umm, I think the early 20's-30's date Orr rolled out when questioned by Leduff was an artifact date cited to damage control his statements.

Who'd resonate or thether his negative comments to that time frame? The commentary comes off like he was talking about Detroit circa the last 20 years up thru his arrival.

Not 80 years ago.....

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Foot: Not at all. He spoke the truth. He's quite right. The white power structure of Detroit back in the 30s-50s was dumb, lazy, happy, and rich. That's why we had riots and financial collapse.

**Baselinepunk** · August-08-13, 11:36 PM

"Our expectation that every sentence ever uttered can be the end of someone's career just gets us sound-bites with no substance."

Ummm, I'm really interested in this group of people you seem to try and represent.

You really put your individual opinions about everything in this "we context"; like you're speaking for more than one person -- yourself. Is this BS act you put on supposed to be some sort of "self - reflection" exercises?

Unless you got a frog in one of yer pockets; you should probably stick to the first person from now, k?

BTW -- just what part of Detroit do you live in 24/7 and how long have you been there?

**Wesley Mouch** · August-09-13, 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

...BTW -- just what part of Detroit do you live in 24/7 and how long have you been there?

Hamtramck last few years, Detroit lifelong before that. Do 'we' still count?

**Eber Brock Ward** · August-09-13, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

BTW -- just what part of Detroit do you live in 24/7 and how long have you been there?

I love the way you write this as if it's of any relevance.

P.S. - I was born here, live here now, and spent more time here than anywhere else. If someone's got a good idea or a bad idea, it's a good or bad idea on its merits and I don't care if they've never stepped foot in the city.

**Danny** · August-09-13, 05:52 AM

For once I agree with Kevyn Orr. Detroit has been dumb, lazy, happy and rich since Hazen S. Pingree years.

Detroiters, too had been dumb with their resources. Lazy when it comes to taking care of their own hoods, Happy with their black leaders in its city government and worshiping their images. And rich when it comes to borrowing money and not paying it back in full. Let's knock it off with this trend and put this city forward in order to catch up in the new age.

**Zacha341** · August-09-13, 09:17 AM

No. I don't agree with you on this. My parents, many uncles and aunts came to Detroit in the 50's and they were anything but lazy or dumb, and while they did not quite make it to rich status but they worked hard, purchased homes and raised their families well.

We all know Detroit was involved with corruption over the years including the days of prohibition, organized crime, etc. but that is not the the issue here.

As I said before Orr rolled out that old-timey 20's-30's dating for 'damage control' purposes. He didn't even look comfortable saying it, and only a few read it as a Pingree time reference. Not many Detroiters. Nor the audience he made the statements to.

Originally Posted by Danny

For once I agree with Kevyn Orr. Detroit has been dumb, lazy, happy and rich since Hazen S. Pingree years.

**Lily** · August-09-13, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Foot: Not at all. He spoke the truth. He's quite right. The white power structure of Detroit back in the 30s-50s was dumb, lazy, happy, and rich. That's why we had riots and financial collapse.

But it does make a good sound bite to attack him when you take it out of context. Enjoy.

Brilliant: Doesn't matter. He's the boss now. Seems to be doing OK walking through a minefield. You'll probably think he's much less brillliant when he gets around to your ox.

As my son
would say............."just sayin". Why does everything have to be about race?

**Honky Tonk** · August-09-13, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by Lily

As my son
would say............."just sayin". Why does everything have to be about race?

"But we've ALWAYS done it that way!"

**Eber Brock Ward** · August-08-13, 08:54 AM

I liked it. He spoke the truth, and he can do that because he doesn't have to get elected.

**artds** · August-08-13, 08:55 AM

Detroiters sure are an easily-offended bunch. Kudos to Orr for not getting pulled into this nonsense. Also, LeDuff is a tool who should be working for a tabloid or something, not a legitimate news network.

**Honky Tonk** · August-08-13, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by artds

Detroiters sure are an easily-offended bunch. Kudos to Orr for not getting pulled into this nonsense. Also, LeDuff is a tool who should be working for a tabloid or something, not a legitimate news network.

Since when has Faux 2 become a "legitimate Noose Network'?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · August-08-13, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by artds

Detroiters sure are an easily-offended bunch. Kudos to Orr for not getting pulled into this nonsense. Also, LeDuff is a tool who should be working for a tabloid or something, not a legitimate news network.

Since when did Fox 2 Detroit become a legitimate news network?

**coracle** · August-08-13, 08:56 AM

Give the guy some slack. He didn't mean dumb, lazy etc; he only said dumb, lazy etc. How many times does he have to apologize for getting it wrong and right? I'm sure he's aware the vast majority are brilliant, energetic, sad and poor and he was only referring to the dumb, lazy, happy, rich that oppose him [[on the Council).

**firstandten** · August-08-13, 09:18 AM

Detroiters are mad and Orr is not a politician. That is the only reason I can come up with for the media and residents taking what is essentially a true statement and not putting it into its true context within the long article in which it was contained. Orr didn't nor should he apologize for what he said. Orr is not going to get the benefit of doubt among the people. Orr can do many things right and he has already but as soon as there is a misstep how ever small, that will be held up as the reason why Orr is the bad guy. Orr's batting average for getting things done is already higher than Detroit's elected officials. That's an indictment on our political leadership and that's what people should really be mad about.

**p69rrh51** · August-08-13, 10:47 AM

CAY was brilliant but wrong a lot? Brilliant and wrong are usually not in the same statement. Please tell us how did the accent of black politicians end the DLHR? From what we have now I do not see how their policies helped us in a "Global Economy". Also please refrain from your usual generalities and give us concrete proof.

**Wesley Mouch** · August-08-13, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

CAY was brilliant but wrong a lot? Brilliant and wrong are usually not in the same statement. Please tell us how did the accent of black politicians end the DLHR? From what we have now I do not see how their policies helped us in a "Global Economy". Also please refrain from your usual generalities and give us concrete proof.

Proof? There's little proof in opinions about history. But while I chew on that....

Many people are brilliant and wrong. I think we should get a military historian to tell us how a few brilliant people were wrong and got the asses handed to them. Brilliance is often wrong. Think about the Third Reich. Smart guys all. They were wrong.

I can accept that some of the black leaders meet the criteria. But recently they certainly haven't been [[civicly) rich.

**p69rrh51** · August-08-13, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Proof? There's little proof in opinions about history. But while I chew on that....

Many people are brilliant and wrong. I think we should get a military historian to tell us how a few brilliant people were wrong and got the asses handed to them. Brilliance is often wrong. Think about the Third Reich. Smart guys all. They were wrong.

I can accept that some of the black leaders meet the criteria. But recently they certainly haven't been [[civicly) rich.

You certainly missed the boat on that one! How did the non DLHR policies of the black power structure help the city in the new global economy?