Q Line "Constructive Criticism"

[emu steve]

I'm a light rail fan having lived in Portland and believe it to be the way to be but the politics around here suck and nothing will gain momentum in our [[GenZ/Mill) lifetimes...

Absolutely agree that S.E. Michigan politics is one reason the area is SO FAR behind the rest of the nation.

Companies like Amazon and Apple looking for new campuses know which areas have their s*it together and which do not.

Inter-governmental light or heavy rail shows that local governments can work together on something very expensive and very difficult.

If Amazon had a 'regional government score' S.E. MI's would have a minus sign in front of it.

Note: Apple is also in the market for kind of another really big campus. A very much under-reported story.

[Bigdd]

If Amazon had a 'regional government score' S.E. MI's would have a minus sign in front of it.

The available work-force in Detroit may have a lot to do with it too.

Some 65% of Detroiters are illiterate. I can't find 1-2 employees able to do simple things like mow lawn or operate a vacuum cleaner. How would Amazon find a thousand people able to operate computers?

Import them all from the burbs I suppose [[like what Quicken, the hospitals etc all do now), then perhaps some of the younger ones that don't have children will rent apartments or lofts downtown.

Or the companies could just put their new location in a place with better hiring prospects.

Detroit also has the illegal city income tax to overcome,.. and lack of grocery stores, movie theaters, etc, etc, etc

If I had to guess,... I'd say spending a billion or two on light rail would only move a company like Amazon's "Detroit viability needle" a few percent. And at HUGE cost to us.