the most futile and thankless job in America: mayor of Detroit

[Meddle]

From The Wall Street Journal;

* OPINION: THE WEEKEND INTERVIEW
* DECEMBER 19, 2009

Can Detroit Be Saved?

'Sports gives you a sense of what it's like to win, and how you handle losing and setbacks, which life is full of.'

Dave Bing has just signed on to four years of maybe the most futile and thankless job in America: mayor of Detroit. What in the world was he thinking?

"I wouldn't have taken this job if this wasn't doable," he tells me. "I finished basketball in 1978, then went into my own business in 1980 and did it for 29 years. . . . Now I get to the end of that career and probably should have retired. But there was a calling greater than anything that I ever envisioned, and that was to help bring this city back."

In November, 57% of the Detroit voters bought into his tough-love reform agenda. Mr. Bing replaced the disgraced Kwame Kilpatrick, who went to jail earlier this year for spending city funds on his girlfriends—just the publicity boost the city already flat on its back didn't need.

The mayor's office is in the heart of downtown Detroit, which has shrunk to about an eight-block radius of high rise office towers, upscale restaurants and stores. Yet everything in Mr. Bing's office, including the furniture, is, in the words of his press secretary, "spartan." There's no money to be wasted on redecorating, the mayor tells me. He's not taking a salary. At 66, with his horn-rimmed glasses, graying hair and tailored business suits, Dave Bing looks ready for business.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...s_Most_Popular

[MichMatters]

With the way his former business is going, perhaps he should rethink taking that salary. lol

Most of the article is a retread, having been written months ago by the Freep and News, but I understand this is the WSJ, so they are just now hearing about him. That said, their title is about as spot on as one can get. These days, it really is like steering the Titantic after it hit the iceberg, and god only knows how many lifeboats the thing has.

[lilpup]

From the article -

Could Detroit be the first major city in America to actually declare bankruptcy

is rather disingenuous given that, since 1970, New York got a major bailout amd Cleveland has been through receivership.

[Fnemecek]

Don't forget that Miami went through a bankruptcy, too.

[Lorax]

Don't forget that Miami went through a bankruptcy, too.

And it could happen in Miami again, I know- I live here!

The current economic collapse has devastated the only industry Miami has, which is tourism. Couple that with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the world, and the lack of tax base as a result could be disasterous.

Some of our largest malls are in bankruptcy thus far- Bayside, Merrick Park, etc.

At least Detroit has talented, skilled labor and a better work ethic. Best of luck!

[Lowell]

That is a good profile of Bing. I am very hopeful that the keys of City of Detroit are in the hands of a thoughtful and competent person. As can be expected from the WSJ, the author front-loaded 'union as the problem' jab but fails to mention the huge private capital-incurred disadvantage facing the City of Detroit -- ridiculously over-charged
red-line insurance rates. Why not a pay cut demand on them too?

[1KielsonDrive]

Futile and thankless? Why would someone take the job, then? Bing seems to be devoted and commited enough. He's has great personal wealth, enabling him to take the postion. But, I'd be leary of attributing any outsize humanitarian and philanthropic goals to his efforts. Especially considering he's a member of the failed, auto industry, elite. The same corporate culture that ignored America's need for efficient transportation and energy policies and quality products, while shipping our middle class jobs over our borders. It's easy to say, 'we're here now, we have to do this', but much more difficult, nearly impossible politically, to ask "what got us here?" Bing is a long way from his roots. And having been a sports hero, he's had advantages bestowed upon him that most of us never had. That's not to say he didn't work hard to achieve what he has. I hope he has a great vision of where to go from here. Or, at the very least, enough humility to ask for help and sincere ideas from all shareholders, class, race, and culture.