Detroit Works Project / Citizens Forum - Take 2

[GoGrixdale]

So tonight I took my son with me to the Detroit Works / Citizens Forum #2. I didn’t shuffle him off to the provided child care room because I think at 12 he has opinions that count too [[plus I’m not that crazy). He brought his composition book and pencils and I told him to write down anything that sounded like a good idea to him. As the adults spoke he listened, thought and wrote.



This is his list [[minus the doodles):



1. Homes that are bank owned are the bank's responsibility. If they can’t sell them they should keep them fixed up.

2. Someone has to care about the food served in school. Serving sausages that contain no meat is bad for kids. Kids that eat garbage think garbage.

3. Put the kids to work, they can do stuff. Schools should be kept clean as an example of our city. High school students can work cleaning parks and streets. Kids can clean the schools.

4. Police, fire and EMS response time should be better so we can feel safer.

5. “We have to get it right this time, we might not have another chance” ~ Mayor Dave Bing


… I love this kid!


My take is that everyone should attend one or more of these sessions [this was my second]. Yes, there are the silly moments and the anger is frustrating but the fellowship is comforting. We all may not agree on downsizing, rightsizing or upsizing but the exchange is healthy. It just goes to show what I already suspected. There are more people here who care than those gremlins that roam the streets.

We’ve grown accustomed to staying to ourselves or in our small groups because that is what we think has kept us safe this far. We can’t continue to do that. We have to engage or these zombies and laughable wanna-be thugins will think they run shit. They don’t... It’s gonna be work, hard work but if we don’t at least start it, who will ever finish it? We can’t just jaw jerk forever.



We’ve have to 'Go in', 'Go hard' or just go on.

[spiritofdetroit]

From the reports, this one went much better than the first. I'll be attending the one in Midtown next week - looking forward to it. Good to see high turnout at both.