Anyone just catch the "investigation" on mcs on WXYZ?

[kraig]

We've been over this issue not too long ago. Summer in the City may be a worthwhile group, but I draw the line at exploiting their volunteers for the service of a billionaire.

There's plenty of work to be done in Detroit without doing it for someone who can pay for it.

They volunteered. They also appeared to enjoy themselves doing it. As far as other areas, do you have any suggestions?

Also, I failed to mention that Summer In The City does a very good job of making the volunteers aware of what it is they will be doing. There is too much foretelling of what you'll be doing to claim exploitation. Again, I say do your research on them.

[Lonyo exit]

While I understand [[and agree with) your opinion in this matter, I do take offense to calling these kids 'not terribly bright'. When any of us were those kids' ages, would we have given hazmat protection a thought? It was up to the adults in charge to make sure those kids were adequately protected. Dirty bastards.

Agreed. I must've been thinking of davewindsor when I called them that. They, unlike him, have shown on this board that they can string a coherent thought or two together and express them clearly.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

wow......can't believe we've reduced ourselves to sounding like children.

I wish gsgeorge would hop in on this as he was there for about an hour and saw what was going on. But then again so was I, but people tend to feel I'm "tainted" by 'those bastards'

Everyone who came in was ready and willing to go, yeah those in charge definitely should have made an effort to better protect the summer in the city kids, i definitely raised a stink about kids wearing shorts but was told by a summer in the city rep "we can't enforce that" 'then they shouldn't be in there' "nothing I can do"

Look at the facts, leave matty out of it, he had nothing to do with it, he was never there, his wife was, but all she did was supervise planting of flowers [[and apparently is a super nazi about it - i wasn't there that day), and came in to see how it looked on the last day.

[elganned]

How is it that NOBODY thought about asbestos or lead abatement when this project was proposed? Has Stamper and/or the administrators of Summer In The City been living under a rock for the last 20 years?

ANY time you tear into a building that's over 30 years old, that should be your first thought, not an afterthought. I love working on old buildings, but I always get the place tested first for lead and asbestos; it's the only responsible thing to do before exposing workers/friends/relatives/volunteers to potential hazards.

The volunteers were trying to do something to save/enhance/help a city landmark; they are to be commended.

Stamper and Summer In The City, however, should have taken the minimal precautions any responsible adult needs to take when volunteer kids are engaged. I wonder how many other of their clean-up efforts were as cavalierly vetted as this one, and what the potential consequences may be--as I said, any building more than 30 years old is suspect, and proper precautions should be taken. I give them an A for enthusiasm and effort, but an F for common sense.

And if anyone walks on my jobsite without long sleeves, long pants, and proper footwear, they're off the site. No ifs, ands, or buts. Come back when you're dressed properly.

[davewindsor]

To quote from FlyByDon's link:

"Workers involved in demolition and removal of the debris from these disasters, should wear respiratory protection [[a NIOSH-approved respirator such as an N-95 or more protective respirator). It is essential that when these respirators are used, they are properly fit on the worker. Workers should wear the respirator while working inside established work zones."

But forget that, when simpletons like davewindsor insist on fellating Moroun rather than stand up for well-meaning kids who were taken advantage of. Carry on, puckerface. Don't choke on the old man. Nah, you're used to doing that so you probably won't.

When he's finishes up and you wipe off, maybe you can explain how cleaning an empty building but leaving it abandoned with no renovation plans whatsoever on the horizon makes Detroit a better place.

I never said I was a fan of Moroun. He's one of many useless land speculators playing monopoly with a lot of unused boarded up buildings, which I hate. But, I am a fan of the MCS and it's a package deal. The alternative to volunteers helping out was to sit idly by while the city railroaded through with it's demolition order and it would have been a parking lot by now.

I guess with your simple dinosaur pea brain you still can't understand that historic buildings won't and haven't been getting rehabbed by the private sector in Detroit without public assistance of some kind.. Whether it be NEZ, SEV, grants, lease commitments, public volunteering from Summer in the City, or other public assistance, the private sector is not going to save old buildings on their own like the MCS just like any other historic building in Detroit because there's no business case to do such a thing.

PS--you give a great description of sucking old men off. I guess you've learned all that from all your past experiences with sucking old men off. You probably had a boner while describing it.

[Alley]

wow......can't believe we've reduced ourselves to sounding like children.

I wish gsgeorge would hop in on this as he was there for about an hour and saw what was going on. But then again so was I, but people tend to feel I'm "tainted" by 'those bastards'

Everyone who came in was ready and willing to go, yeah those in charge definitely should have made an effort to better protect the summer in the city kids, i definitely raised a stink about kids wearing shorts but was told by a summer in the city rep "we can't enforce that" 'then they shouldn't be in there' "nothing I can do"

Look at the facts, leave matty out of it, he had nothing to do with it, he was never there, his wife was, but all she did was supervise planting of flowers [[and apparently is a super nazi about it - i wasn't there that day), and came in to see how it looked on the last day.

OF COURSE HE WASN'T THERE! You think he doesn't know the risks of breaking and shaking loose, and then breathing, all that toxic crap?
See if your defending Matty Moron changes when you come down with a nagging case of the Mesotheliomas!

[Blarf]

I'm sure those who volunteered to clean the place for free signed a waver. As dumb as it is to clean up all that shit without protective gear, they will probably be fine.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

i know i never signed a waiver

[reddog289]

While getting a semi annual refresher course on asbestos. I still don't like the fact that kids were in the building when the clean up was being done, Many of them not wearing the proper PPE's. That would be the thing that bugs me the most.
I myself have been taught to wear them, and have learned my lesson by not wearing them.

[agirlintheD]

Just a question, as I haven't had much time to read/view everything on this story, but if WXYZ knew they were going in [[they ran the story, they had to have "some" prior knowledge) and knew of the potential dangers....why didn't SOMEONE make an effort to postpone/cancel/delay the clean up?

[elganned]

I'm sure those who volunteered to clean the place for free signed a waver. As dumb as it is to clean up all that shit without protective gear, they will probably be fine.

Waivers are not the point.

I could have all the kids in the elementary school sign waivers for crossing the street and get rid of the crossing guard. That may relieve me of the legal liability [[though that is questionable under certain conditions), but it doesn't relieve me of the moral responsibility of knowingly sending kids into an unsafe environment.

As for the, "We didn't know," excuse, I don't buy it. It should be assumed that a building that old has lead and asbestos present. An inspection would be the minimum step to take to ensure the safety of the volunteers. In this case the inspection came after the work, which is shutting the barn after the horse is gone.

[elganned]

Just a question, as I haven't had much time to read/view everything on this story, but if WXYZ knew they were going in [[they ran the story, they had to have "some" prior knowledge) and knew of the potential dangers....why didn't SOMEONE make an effort to postpone/cancel/delay the clean up?

I don't know all the facts, but my assumption is that everybody involved--at least everyone who was supposed to act responsibly: Stamper, Mouran, and the directors of Summer In The City--shrugged and said, "Hey, that's not my job."