Bing says rebuilding Detroit is 20-year task

[sg9018]

The Free Press has a editorial with mayor Bing on his goals for the city.
http://www.freep.com/article/2009112...s-20-year-task

Bing says rebuilding Detroit is 20-year task
No. 21, the jersey he wore to NBA stardom, hangs in Mayor Dave Bing's office on the 11th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. Even as Detroit's CEO, Bing remains a team player, understanding that any leader's success depends largely on those around him. His controversial pick of Warren Evans last summer for police chief, for example, has already paid dividends, with fewer reported homicides, more case closures and better police-community relations.

[Fnemecek]

I saw that article this morning, too.

According to Mayor Bing, avoiding bankruptcy and rebuilding Detroit will take up to 20 years. It will also require a tremendous sacrifice on the part of all residents and we'll likely have to give up some of the services that we're paying for.

Of course, I also read Fritz Henderson's remarks about what it's like for GM now since they went into bankruptcy 5 months ago; a bankruptcy that was one thought unthinkable. They are no longer focusing on simply surviving. Instead, their focus is on changing a corporate culture, building better cars and winning over new customers.

The juxtaposition of those two articles has me wondering one question: why is avoiding a municipal bankruptcy such a high priority?

[MotownSpartan]

I saw that article this morning, too.

According to Mayor Bing, avoiding bankruptcy and rebuilding Detroit will take up to 20 years. It will also require a tremendous sacrifice on the part of all residents and we'll likely have to give up some of the services that we're paying for.

Of course, I also read Fritz Henderson's remarks about what it's like for GM now since they went into bankruptcy 5 months ago; a bankruptcy that was one thought unthinkable. They are no longer focusing on simply surviving. Instead, their focus is on changing a corporate culture, building better cars and winning over new customers.

The juxtaposition of those two articles has me wondering one question: why is avoiding a municipal bankruptcy such a high priority?

Excellent question! In hindsight, GM tried so hard to avoid bankruptcy but having the bankruptcy forced on them may be one of the best things to have happened to them in a long time.

[DetroitDad]

I was riding down 12th Street for several miles the other day for work, and it was strange, the MP3 player was on shuffle, and started playing "Where is the Love?", followed by What's Going On? It brought me back to what Buy American said in the "Lifting Detroit up Today... and Everyday" thread.

Sudden crisis precipitate change.

Slow crisis precipitate adaptation in what is acceptable.

We need to quit procrastinating [[me too) and work on the boring job of rooting out corruption in our city, state, and suburbs, and I don't think we have to drag our politicians out to Campus Martius for some vigilante justice to do it, but we do need to figure out what we want done, and hound [[and I mean HOUND relentlessly) our business and government leaders about why they aren't getting things fixed. We also need to watch these guys like hawks, and keep the news organizations on speed dial, along with the FBI, board of education, Lansing, and the local police departments.

Most of our projects are becoming failures because the reality is, to many of us are focusing on immediate problems [[restoring a build, building something, city beautification, opening a business, etc.), but this is not where the fight is, the fight is in city halls across the state.

Why aren't all of us at every school board meeting and council session? Why aren't suburbanites pounding on their leader's door and asking what they are doing to move toward regionalism, and vice verse. And when one side is approached by the other, we need to be clear that we want to work together with the other side, and except nothing else.

Detroiters alone, on the other hand, can not do this themselves, as much as some think we need to take responsibility, and I agree, we can't do as much as you think. The middle and upper class essentially abandoned Detroit and it was received by default to the bottoms of society, and the lower income, in many cases. These people have kids and ride the bus for several hours round trip, a couple hours every day to work at Great Lakes Crossing, Detroit Diesel, or twelve hour swing shifts at Guardian Glass.

A typical day for me, for example [[after all that positivity and trouble to get here), has me living in a old building, with a old car, and working nine to twelve hour shifts six days a week, paying more taxes and higher insurance sots. I like my work, but then, I have to come home and face the reality of not having a dishwasher, washing machines that I am not always sure will work, and cooking dinner. DetroitMom, so far has generally tended to the new baby, but does some things, like grocery shop and run errands, not to mention run a small e-shop, so I take care of all the basic chores.

I can't do a damn thing to help Detroit other than live here, and I know that my life is relatively easy compared to some of the things that other families are going through. I want to help the people around me, but I can't figure out how to help myself. I just can't seem to get it right.

Meanwhile, the Detroit government knows what it is doing. There are road blocks set up here for anything that you do. Why, for example, do they have their meetings during the day when all of the struggling residents are at work? Our suburbanites have their meetings at night, in many places. I'm not going to get to much more into this [[too long as is), but anything you do here will meet bizarre corruption that really prevents things from getting done.

What is going on indeed.

[Hamtragedy]

20 years? Ouch! The turn-around many of our parents waited for in the 70's & 80's finally happened about 8 years ago, to all of our enjoyment and optimism, and then vanished. Now I know better, and sorry, do not plan on waiting 20 more for the next turn around.

[MichMatters]

The juxtaposition of those two articles has me wondering one question: why is avoiding a municipal bankruptcy such a high priority?

Something we agree on. I've been asking myself this question probably just since GM's bankruptcy. Sometimes it takes something like that to show that it's not the end of the world, and maybe the only way forward for other institutions. I think many people, many Detroiters, even, have long since come to the conclusion that a municipal bankrupcty would be beneficial in the long run.

There was a column by Henderson in the Freep, today, about this. And, he pretty much lays out what everyone else has known, and that Detroit is effectively broke, and it'll be broke until some outside force steps in to declare the city as such. I think many people believed [[opponents and supporters, alike) that Bing was a trojan horse sent to turn the city over to its creditors. That doesn't seem to be the case, to say the least.

You really have to ask yourself how much longer will this show be allowed to go on. Kilpatrick was a master as fudging numbers and not just making it look like Detroit could hang on, fiscally, but that it was prospering, fiscally. Bing doesn't have those talents [[thank god), so hopefully, real change comes whether he likes it or not. You'd think that after what just happened to GM and his very own business, he'd see the writing on the wall...

[Jimaz]

And President Obama has only 4 or 8 years to rebuild the entire nation.

Maybe they can challenge each other to a race.

Egads, we are so screwed.

[MichMatters]

BTW, here is Stephen Henderson's take on this from today:

Detroit's compounding debt points to disaster

[jtf1972]

Maybe the worry about bankruptcy is that it would harm Detroit's reputation, thus scaring off business and people alike.

Yup. That's got to be it.

[Danny]

Bing's 20 year plan to reconstruct Detroit:

1. Fix the 300 million dollar budget shortfall by laying off more city workers, cut Detroit Police Officers and Fire Depts and lay-off 15% of the city work force.

2. Propose more D-DOT city bus cuts by laying off 120 bus drivers. Increase wait time for ALL bus routes by every hour during 10:00am. to 3:00pm. and from 6:00pm. to 4:00am. on weekdays. Have all Saturday routes to run at a Sunday schedule. Increase bus fare from $1.50 full fare to $2.00 and transfers from $0.25 to $0.30. Have those who use SMART value cards and passes to pay $0.30 per ride. Those who had ADA passes will have to pay $1.00 per ride and $0.25 for transfer.

3. Reduce the pay the ALL city workers by 20% and accept the new contract terms.

4. Increase public parking rates from $0.50 to $0.75. Elimate parking amnesties. Have cars towed or booted if ticket not paid the next time the patron park in city streets.

5. Elimate housing and building foreclosures amnesties. Detroit owners must pay ALL taxes and arrangements before due date or face possible liens.

6. Increase fines or possible liens for landlords, homeowners who didn't clean up their toxic eyesores.

7. Increase lease laws for Detroit dog owners. Especially with those who had dangerous dogs. If owner's dog is loose in city streets it would be pick up by Animal Control [[MHS) and have the owner pay the fine or lose the dog.

8. Offer tax breaks up to 60% in the neighbohood empowerment zones for new businesses owners and property developers coming to Detroit.

9. After new tax grants and revenues have been established, Have abandon buildings to be demolished.

[andybsg]

At least he has a plan, that is good.

[Ray1936]

If those plans are implemented, Detroit's population will drop well under 400,000. Only those who absolutely cannot afford to move will remain.

[ghettopalmetto]

If those plans are implemented, Detroit's population will drop well under 400,000. Only those who absolutely cannot afford to move will remain.

And how is that different from continuing the status quo? The plan at least gives Detroit a fighting chance of fiscal survival.

[Detroitnerd]

Ah, yes. Shock therapy. I nominate Bing to head the IMF or World Bank next.

[Bearinabox]

Bing has got to get over the whole cutting bus service thing. It's a dumb idea any way you slice it.

[Fnemecek]

And how is that different from continuing the status quo? The plan at least gives Detroit a fighting chance of fiscal survival.

Giving people less and less of a reason to live and invest here has been the status quo for decades. Calling the Bing Administration's plans a break from the status quo is like calling McDonald's a break from fast food.

[rooms222]

>>>>The juxtaposition of those two articles has me wondering one question: why is avoiding a municipal bankruptcy such a high priority?

There are some substantial differences to municipal bankruptcy that are different than Chapter 11 [[especially a Chapter 11 where the Federal Government and the Judges involved were able to bend the rules a little for the greater good)......

1) In Michigan, the state must give permission for a municipality to file Chapter 9, the bankruptcy for municipalities- normally other things such a receiver must be tried first [[or the legislature would have to change the law for Detroit)
2) Chapter 9 bankruptcy is uncommon and not well defined in case law. Vallejo California [[which filed chapter 9 last year is yielding some interesting appeals and judgments, but these would not be binding in the 6th circuit generally and could both delay the process [[increasing costs) and be of high risk [[neither side knows what the outcome of many unsettled issues would be)
3) Also, the interplay between the Michigan Constitution [[and other law) and the power of chapter 9 to tear up contracts would become a huge battle. Pensions [[but not benefits) of governmental employees are protected fully under the Michigan Constitution. The intial rulings in Vallejo [[being appealed in Vallejo and, again not binding in Michigan and likely to be relitigated) gave public sector employees less protection than the private sector in certain aspects of contractual protection. Fighting this out would be a battle royale. I am not sure the state and federal governments are ready to give "backup" to Mayor Bing on this at this point.......

[Fnemecek]

>>>>The juxtaposition of those two articles has me wondering one question: why is avoiding a municipal bankruptcy such a high priority?

There are some substantial differences to municipal bankruptcy that are different than Chapter 11 [[especially a Chapter 11 where the Federal Government and the Judges involved were able to bend the rules a little for the greater good)......

1) In Michigan, the state must give permission for a municipality to file Chapter 9, the bankruptcy for municipalities- normally other things such a receiver must be tried first [[or the legislature would have to change the law for Detroit)

If that's the case then I believe it would be appropriate for the City of Detroit to go into receivership today. The sooner we get this process started, the sooner we get it over.

2) Chapter 9 bankruptcy is uncommon and not well defined in case law. Vallejo California [[which filed chapter 9 last year is yielding some interesting appeals and judgments, but these would not be binding in the 6th circuit generally and could both delay the process [[increasing costs) and be of high risk [[neither side knows what the outcome of many unsettled issues would be).

The fact that we would be entering unchartered waters should give us pause. However, the fact that not doing it would condemn 912,062 men, women and children to choose between abandoning their homes or resigning themselves to a lifetime of more of the same should compel us to action in spite of that uncertainty.

3) Also, the interplay between the Michigan Constitution [[and other law) and the power of chapter 9 to tear up contracts would become a huge battle. Pensions [[but not benefits) of governmental employees are protected fully under the Michigan Constitution. The intial rulings in Vallejo [[being appealed in Vallejo and, again not binding in Michigan and likely to be relitigated) gave public sector employees less protection than the private sector in certain aspects of contractual protection. Fighting this out would be a battle royale. I am not sure the state and federal governments are ready to give "backup" to Mayor Bing on this at this point.......

My response to point 2 applies here as well.

[Funaho]

If the decision was made solely on what's good for the City and its residents then receivership is most likely the best course of action.

Of course, for the people actually in charge, it would mean losing their power, and probably a LOT of skeletons would fall out of the closet once outsiders start poking around and opening closet doors. A lot of people would probably end up in jail for fraud. THAT is the why the decision has not been made; it's a bad decision for the folks running the City right now.

It's going to take an outside force to push the City into receivership, but from what I understand this is not an easy process and so far there doesn't seem to be the political will to do so.

[artds]

And President Obama has only 4 or 8 years to rebuild the entire nation.

Maybe they can challenge each other to a race.

.

now why’d you have to go and inject the issue of “race" into it

[1KielsonDrive]

Bing is an optimist.

[ghettopalmetto]

Did Bing mean to say that building something on the Hudson's site is a 20 year task, or did he really mean the entire city?

[tallboy66]

20 years? Ouch! The turn-around many of our parents waited for in the 70's & 80's finally happened about 8 years ago, to all of our enjoyment and optimism, and then vanished. Now I know better, and sorry, do not plan on waiting 20 more for the next turn around.

I waited my 20 already too. Did my best to support the local scene,how many nights I spent at the Cass cafe I couldn't tell you. Bought GM vehicles all but once, and it was a Ford.
If they'd gotten behind Archer and been more supportive instead of bashing him for pandering to suburbanites we'd be at our 20 now.

Good luck.

[1KielsonDrive]

I waited my 20 already too. Did my best to support the local scene,how many nights I spent at the Cass cafe I couldn't tell you. Bought GM vehicles all but once, and it was a Ford.
If they'd gotten behind Archer and been more supportive instead of bashing him for pandering to suburbanites we'd be at our 20 now.

Good luck.

Thanks tallboy. It's been about 45 - 50 years for me. I just stopped buying into all the hype and nonsense about 20 years ago. I live by Skipper's Rule #1 and a new rule Skipper developed in more recent years which says : Enjoy Detroit for what it is today - here and now.

[DetroitDad]

Thanks tallboy. It's been about 45 - 50 years for me. I just stopped buying into all the hype and nonsense about 20 years ago. I live by Skipper's Rule #1 and a new rule Skipper developed in more recent years which says : Enjoy Detroit for what it is today - here and now.

The problem with the here and now is that basic needs are not being taken care of for many of the people in Metro Detroit.