Bing doesn't want to be emergency financial manager, too

[begingri]

BY TOM WALSH
DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has no desire to be named emergency financial manager of his city, even if a new bill now being debated in Lansing could give him broad power over everything from union contracts to public schools.

In an interview Wednesday, Bing said he and his top staff are already stretched so thin that he's worried about burnout in the ranks -- and so he's not eager to suddenly also be responsible for Detroit Public Schools and its $300 million in accumulated deficits.

"You know, I think I'm pretty decent at what I do," he said, "but I'm not Houdini."
Bing said he believes Gov. Rick Snyder will name another emergency financial manager for Detroit schools to succeed Robert Bobb in June. But he doesn't want an EFM for the city.

"I've got to do everything that I can while I'm here not to allow that to happen," he said.

Meanwhile, Bing said he hopes to finalize a unique deal soon with the Obama administration to bring a group of high-level federal experts to Detroit to help implement major initiatives for job creation and a light-rail system.

Mayor Dave Bing knows it's a crucial time for Detroit -- and lets others know it, too

Detroit has a moment of opportunity now that it cannot afford to squander, Mayor Dave Bing knows.

"Everybody understands that this is a crucial time for the city of Detroit," Bing told me Wednesday, "and if we don't take full advantage of the support and opportunities that are out there, they may not come again."

President Barack Obama knows that, Bing said, and that's why the mayor and the White House are discussing a unique plan to deploy a group of high-level federal experts -- from the departments of Transportation, Education, Housing and Urban Development -- to Detroit this year to help implement a number of ambitious development efforts.

Bing didn't offer details on which projects, because the plan hasn't been finalized.

Snyder knows it, too


Continued at: http://www.freep.com/article/2011030...30614/1081/col

[canuck]

Wow, this is great news about the feds getting in on redevelopment. Happy to hear that.

[Danny]

Good for Bing! He's the Mayor of Detroit to fulfill is mission. Doing his TCB Taking Care of Business [[Like a Buisiness Man). He know how to play ball in the court and out on the court without giving personal fouls at the last minutes in the game. He is destined not to leave as Mayor of Detroit until his job of contructing Detroit's renaissance is complete. Even to his death.


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

The party's over! It's time to clean up the urban mess for Neda's sake.

[R8RBOB]

I think the bill of creating emergency financial managers is too much of an overreach. That said, I can't blame Bing for not wanting to be the EFM of DPS. It is a disaster and that is the reason why Snyder extended Bobb's contract until June. No one wants the job. Who in their right mind would want a school district that will probably have about 70 schools remaining in Detroit come August? A district badly in debt and bleeding students. The person who takes that job better be Superman.