Dave Bing REALLY never met with any state legislators.

**brizee** · March-10-14, 07:54 AM

http://www.freep.com/article/2014030...ebuild-Detroit

It's just a basic fluff article on Duggan. But even though it doesn't mention Bing's name there's some pretty damning facts in there.

Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger took the elevator to the 11th floor of Detroit’s city hall last week. But instead of turning into emergency manager Kevyn Orr’s office, as he’d done before, he walked into the mayor’s office — for the first time ever.

That is just mind boggling to me.

If he really is able coax the scrap bill, and maybe money for the RTA/premature births that would make him a more persuasive leader at the state level than the governor.

*Title was supposed to be a question.

**maverick1** · March-10-14, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by brizee

http://www.freep.com/article/2014030...ebuild-Detroit

It's just a basic fluff article on Duggan. But even though it doesn't mention Bing's name there's some pretty damning facts in there.

That is just mind boggling to me.

If he really is able coax the scrap bill, and maybe money for the RTA/premature births that would make him a more persuasive leader at the state level than the governor.

I can't believe Bing never met with any state legislators. I mean... He couldn't have been that inept.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-10-14, 08:55 AM

Dave's biggest issue was that he was a businessman/CEO trying to run the City that way. Now I agree 100% that there is a lot that govt can learn from business, but you can't run govt as a business as your customers are your shareholders [[voters). You can't please both so you end up pleasing nobody.

Duggan is a politician first and a businessman second. That will serve the City much better.

**Honky Tonk** · March-10-14, 09:19 AM

Good deal. Next, go after taggers.

**Wesley Mouch** · March-10-14, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Dave's biggest issue was that he was a businessman/CEO trying to run the City that way. Now I agree 100% that there is a lot that govt can learn from business, but you can't run govt as a business as your customers are your shareholders [[voters). You can't please both so you end up pleasing nobody.

Duggan is a politician first and a businessman second. That will serve the City much better.

Was Bing a businessman?

Also I suggest that there's not much difference between a good politician and good businessman. I've seen Penske, Kughn, Ilitch in action.

There may be a difference between businessmen and politicians, but much less difference between good businesspeople and good politicians.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-10-14, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Was Bing a businessman?

Also I suggest that there's not much difference between a good politician and good businessman. I've seen Penske, Kughn, Ilitch in action.

There may be a difference between businessmen and politicians, but much less difference between good businesspeople and good politicians.

Are you saying that because he got much of his business through supply minority contracts with GM that he was not?? When his business went down, there were lots of other well qualified and much larger suppliers that were going down as well. Kughn bankrupted Lionel trains, sold the Whitney and closed Carrail around the same time, what is the diff? He wasn't selling $5 pizzas. Supply/Demand hurt him as well.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · March-10-14, 10:39 AM

It astounds me that any Detroit mayor wouldn't regularly schmooze legislative leaders. Not just for money, but so much policy affects the city. I know Coleman Young did. In fact, he got along better with State Senator John Engler than he did with Governor Blanchard in Blanchard's second term [[sort of an enemy-of-my-enemy is my friend kind of thing).

**rjlj** · March-10-14, 10:44 AM

Where in the article does it state that Bing never met with any State legislators? Are you making assumptions? if so, your title of the thread is misleading and false.

Originally Posted by brizee

http://www.freep.com/article/2014030...ebuild-Detroit

It's just a basic fluff article on Duggan. But even though it doesn't mention Bing's name there's some pretty damning facts in there.

That is just mind boggling to me.

If he really is able coax the scrap bill, and maybe money for the RTA/premature births that would make him a more persuasive leader at the state level than the governor.

**poobert** · March-10-14, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by maverick1

I can't believe Bing never met with any state legislators. I mean... He couldn't have been that inept.

Sure he could. As far as I can tell he shuffled around for 4 years, smelling of vitamins and catheters, making the occasional dementia-induced noises about City of Champions Day or Project 14.

Gentle OP may have exaggerated, but, in fact, Dave Bing never met with the Speaker of the House in the span of over two years, at the very least.

The guy is a waste of space, aside from playing basketball before I was born, I guess. His company went bankrupt and he has zero accomplishments he can list during his time in office. The proof is in the pudding, very simply.

**motz** · March-10-14, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

Sure he could. As far as I can tell he shuffled around for 4 years, smelling of vitamins and catheters, making the occasional dementia-induced noises about City of Champions Day or Project 14.

Gentle OP may have exaggerated, but, in fact, Dave Bing never met with the Speaker of the House in the span of over two years, at the very least.

The guy is a waste of space, aside from playing basketball before I was born, I guess. His company went bankrupt and he has zero accomplishments he can list during his time in office. The proof is in the pudding, very simply.

I was going to say, if whoever controls the little robot servos inside Mayor in Corpse Bing decided to take the journey up to Lansing, but I highly doubt it. Bing was an absolutely ineffectual leader during a time that required what so few, politician or not, possess. Duggan seems to be better, albeit not perfect. But I will take "pretty good" over "grovel grovel did anyone boil my goose for my 4pm dinner!!"

**Wesley Mouch** · March-10-14, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Are you saying that because he got much of his business through supply minority contracts with GM that he was not?? When his business went down, there were lots of other well qualified and much larger suppliers that were going down as well. Kughn bankrupted Lionel trains, sold the Whitney and closed Carrail around the same time, what is the diff? He wasn't selling $5 pizzas. Supply/Demand hurt him as well.

No. I really did not mean to infer anything you said in your post. I just don't really know how much Bing was an active, engaged, driven, successful businessman. Sure, he was in business. Was he good? I don't know.

I for one think he did fine as mayor. He was more 'behind-the-scenes' than I think we needed. But overall, I'm a supporter of him for his efforts to do well for the City. I think he was better for us than a lot of the alternatives.

You have to remember that he slaved under Democratic governors who did zip for Detroit except fighting for politically profitable pork. Duggan [[D) has the benefit of an engaged state governor in Snyder [[R). Addressing real issues in Detroit wasn't fashionable until Snyder. Now with Duggan [[D), Orr [[D) we have a bi-partisan team delivering tough love to Detroit.