Detroit Public Lighting Vs DTE

**CLAUDE G** · July-13-10, 12:30 AM

I was at the Hydroplane races on Saturday and couldn't help but notice half the traffic lights where out downtown. I go to the Detroit news today and heres is an article about the city contracting with DTE for public lighting...

http://detnews.com/article/20100713/...-city-lighting

I guess the question here is the city able to produce their own electricity cheaper than they can buy it wholesale from DTE?

**detroitbob** · July-13-10, 03:22 AM

Thhis quote from the DetNews article sums it up and answers Claude's question...

"Critics have blasted the department as inefficient. A 2002 Mackinac Center for Public Policy report said the city spends $57 to produce one megawatt-hour of electricity compared to $22 by DTE. "

DetroitPole · July-13-10, 10:51 AM

Will Bing actually follow through this time? He hasn't minimized or privatized anything - and abandoned his stupid talking points about shrinking the city.

These make-work city jobs need to go. I am convinced this is the number one problem in the city. Eliminate these friends-and-family jobs and put the money into public safety. Yet all these politicians are afraid of these city workers and the union turning against them come election time. This is besides the fact that they need places for their hoodlum, uncivilized relatives to work since they're too goddamn rude and anti-social to get jobs in the real world.

The City-County Building typifies this. Hundreds of people sitting in their fat asses yet the city provides NO reliable, dependable services to its residents. Not to mention they are the rudest people you will ever encounter. Give them trash picks or pink slips.

It's not like the stupid union matters anymore. They came out in full force against Bing and he still got handily elected.

**3rdDegreeBurns** · July-13-10, 06:56 PM

Wow. Way to over-simplify the problems of the City of Detroit. I would LOVE it if we could make a big change just by shifting jobs from city departments to public safety. Unfortunately, the city has a multitude of big issues that are all interconnected making it very difficult to even identify the roots of the problems, let alone viable solutions.

Certainly there are city employees who do a very poor job of servicing members of the general public. However, most of them are fulfilling their job descriptions and providing the very basic level of services that are left in the city. My professional experience has been that almost all city workers are committed to their jobs, are usually extremely knowledgeable and very qualified. Are there poor performers. Yep. Are there poor performers working in every office building in the country? Yep. I'm sure Detroit city government has more than its fair share, but to say that is the root of the whole problem is so simplistic, it's laughable.

Even if it were true, are you suggesting that the city of Detroit fire hundreds of city employees in violation of their collective bargaining agreement? Pretty sure that ensuing torrent of lawsuits would quickly bankrupt the city and put us into receivership. I have absolutely no faith that the State of Michigan can do a better job running the City than Dave Bing's administration. Anyway, doesn't the new budget cut at least 100 jobs from the payroll? Hasn't the city reduced staff that last five years in a row? I'm sure that laying off hundreds more will result in the reliable city services you're looking for...

**pkbroch** · July-13-10, 07:31 PM

Lets get back to the basics. The origin of DPL goes back before Bing, Archer, and 30 other Detroit mayors. Like NYC and Chicago, Detroit established there electrical system when there were several companies besides Detroit Edison.

We have an old antiquated system, but one that many cities constructed for public streets like the high light towers seen in many photos on this site. Below is a link to some history of DPL.

http://www.iesna-mi.org/DOCUMENTS/pdf_history.pdf

However we have so many knowable people who can give us historical background on the Lighting system.

**CLAUDE G** · July-13-10, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by detroitbob

Thhis quote from the DetNews article sums it up and answers Claude's question...

"Critics have blasted the department as inefficient. A 2002 Mackinac Center for Public Policy report said the city spends $57 to produce one megawatt-hour of electricity compared to $22 by DTE. "

The choice is clear that Detroit should switch over to DTE, the question is why didn't they do it already?

**1KielsonDrive** · July-13-10, 09:04 PM

I would generally say that anything is better than DTE. But this might be a toss up. Throw Comcast into the mix and see what kind of six headed monster you come up with.

**kraig** · July-14-10, 09:48 AM

DTE is going to be Bing's version of Ferguson [[Bobby Ferguson) Enterprises.

**Detroit Signal** · July-14-10, 10:19 AM

All of the city's traffic signals and streetlamps used to be on the PLD grid. MDOT is now in charge of new signal installations and contracting the work for those installations. PLD is no longer allowed to install or maintain the electricity for these new installs on their grid. All new signal installs such as Cass/Michigan and others, are on the DTE grid.

Is PLD the better option?? No. The indicator is how they have maintained [[or not) their lighting over the years. Countless access covers and parts missing form ligthpoles. Multiple cable splicing or overhead stringing where originally uinderground was used. Signals that have missing visors, burned out lamps or LEDs. Damaged or dangling signals that have been tied up with wire to keep them up instead of replacing the hangers or parts that are damaged. Signals left in flash mode with STOP signs for over 12 to 13 years now. Streetlamp poles that are so rusted out you can see through the bottom where they meet the ground. You get the picture. It is very sad for a lighting enthusiast such as myself to see this neglect because Detroit truly does have a vast array of beautiful lighting fixtures and old signals.

**Detroit Signal** · July-14-10, 10:32 AM

**Detroit Signal** · July-14-10, 10:33 AM

**casscorridor** · July-14-10, 02:26 PM

Public utilities should be owned by the public. Not just street lights, but also electricity in general, water, heat, internet, etc. No matter what we have a monopoly, so the choice is between an unaccountable, private monopoly with a profit motive, or an accountable public monopoly with a mandate to serve the people. [[Of course our city and region and state is corrupt and accountability depends on eliminating corruption and ensuring democracy, but at least there is some shred of democratic control, where with DTE there is none).

DTE might be able to do things more efficiently, but they still run for a profit, so no matter what that margin of profit will be taken. If the public utility did things just as efficient, it would cost less than the private utility because there is no profit margin.

You might be thinking, Detroit can never efficiently run a utility... well I don't neccesarily think the City of Detroit should own/run the utilities. I think this function could be done regionally. Water could be done this way too. The system we have now is inefficient, but it would be far worse in private hands, because when greed comes into the picture the public good takes a step back.

Say no to privatization of PUBLIC utilities.