Brooks, Meisner differ on land bank

MichMatters · January-16-10, 06:09 PM

Brooks, Meisner differ on land bank

By CHARLES CRUMM - Oakland Press

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner are pretty far apart politically.

Patterson, in his fifth fouryear term as county executive, is a Republican.

Meisner, who recently completed his first six months in office, is a Democrat.

And, when it comes to the issue of creating a local government land bank to deal with a glut of foreclosed and abandoned properties in the county, the two are equally far apart.

...

"The stubborn refusal to adopt this best practice and collaborate with our neighbors cost Oakland County $20 million,” Meisner said Friday, noting the money could rehab or demolish hundreds of abandoned structures.

“We can start an Oakland County land bank without using one penny of Oakland County taxpayer dollars because the federal government has seen it as such a problem that they’re giving us this money,” Meisner said.

Meisner said the need is there, pointing to more than 8,000 mortgage foreclosures in 2009 and another 6,800 properties in some stage of the tax foreclosure process.

...

Patterson said Oakland County already performs land bank functions with neighborhood stabilization money through the county’s Community and Home Improvement Division, using the money to demolish or rehabilitate structures and place low-income people into homes.

“We don’t need a land bank, and we can’t afford Andy’s little toy called a land bank,” said Patterson, arguing that a Genesee County land bank costs $750,000 a year, not including staff salaries.

...

Patterson said Meisner has only been in office six months and needs to better understand the county system.

“He really doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’s really pretty uninformed,” Patterson said.

Meisner, for his part, takes a more conciliatory posture.

“We do our best work when we work together,” said Meisner. “That is what the people of Oakland County want us to do.

“Let’s huddle up again, and let’s talk about what the facts are, and let’s get this done and do it in a bipartisan way,” Meisner said.

You know, I don't fault Patterson for being ideologically opposed to this, though, to be honest, I think he's in total denial about the amount of abandoned and vacant properties his county has grown in the past decade or two. He's within some kind of legitimate argument to oppose this to keep county government small.

What I don't understand is his completely rude and dismissive tone towards Meisner, someone he probably barely even knows. It's not like they are bitter rivals with a history, or anything. While he never puts anything lightly, this seems unnecessarily condescending even for him, doesn't it?

Again, I do think Patterson is delusional when it comes to his thinking that Oakland County is essentially too good for a land bank. Land banks are never something you want to have to admit to needing, but has this guy been south of 14 Mile, lately? The writing has been on the walls for some years now. If he thinks his Community and Home Improvement Division is enough to tackle the problem, or has been tackling it adequately, he's sadly mistaken.

Stosh · January-16-10, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by MichMatters

You know, I don't fault Patterson for being ideologically opposed to this, though, to be honest, I think he's in total denial about the amount of abandoned and vacant properties his county has grown in the past decade or two. He's within some kind of legitimate argument to oppose this to keep county government small.

What I don't understand is his completely rude and dismissive tone towards Meisner, someone he probably barely even knows. It's not like they are bitter rivals with a history, or anything. While he never puts anything lightly, this seems unnecessarily condescending even for him, doesn't it?

Again, I do think Patterson is delusional when it comes to his thinking that Oakland County is essentially too good for a land bank. Land banks are never something you want to have to admit to needing, but has this guy been south of 14 Mile, lately? The writing has been on the walls for some years now. If he thinks his Community and Home Improvement Division is enough to tackle the problem, or has been tackling it adequately, he's sadly mistaken.

Brooks may know how to balance a budget, but in terms of embracing new ideas he's the biggest pinhead in the county. Land banks may cost a few dollars, but in the end they are a far better proposition than doing fucking nothing like Brooks wants.

**Baselinepunk** · January-16-10, 07:30 PM

LBP is just a straight up ass. His behind still burning over loosing Donaghy [[sp?), who is another level one bungholio.

Andy is everything that's good about the Democrat party here in the great State of Michigan. He did a great job in his former position and if it weren't for terms limits, he'd still be positively punching the clock for my district. I look forward to seeing the fair Mr. Meisner in the drivers seat of this great State one day.

**ghettopalmetto** · January-17-10, 02:23 AM

What a great executive, criticizing and mocking his colleagues in the press!

**DetroitPlanner** · January-17-10, 10:52 AM

He has no need to go S of 14 Mile Rd. The area around the County Executive Office on the Pontiac Waterford border is literally awash with vacant and derilict properties. He has to see the area around Summit Place/Pontiac Mall or some of the neighborhoods in Pontiac, or all of the empty GM or suppliers facilities.

**R8RBOB** · January-17-10, 04:56 PM

Just reading that story tells me this:

Because Meisner suggested that they should have a land bank on paper not just a shadow that would mean another entity in the Oakland Country government structure. A no-no for a fat cat Republican like L. Brooks. Brooks want to maintain the appearance of a small government which is fine but when the overhead grows out of control, what do you do? You have to expand.

http://r8rbob.wordpress.com

Stosh · January-17-10, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

He has no need to go S of 14 Mile Rd. The area around the County Executive Office on the Pontiac Waterford border is literally awash with vacant and derilict properties. He has to see the area around Summit Place/Pontiac Mall or some of the neighborhoods in Pontiac, or all of the empty GM or suppliers facilities.

That's right. What a wasteland that is.

To be quite honest, I'd love to split the county in 2 parts if it could be done politically. Let brooksie have north Oakland. South Oakland could work quite well without him. After all there's not much in contributions from county government in the South tier of cities from what I see anyway.

**Baselinepunk** · January-17-10, 05:44 PM

I sent LBP $274.78 [[4.1 mils) this past summer; I'd like to get some of that money back and put it to better use. It's more than double what I'm paying on two library bonds; the second one was passed to renovate, expand and install green technology in the public library. I'm sure that if my $278.78 was invested locally my city would kick additional forms of ass.