NYC Mayor Bloomberg: Move Immigrants to Detroit

**eno** · May-01-11, 11:42 AM

NYC Mayor Bloomberg suggested a solution to the immigration problem in this country by moving all new immigrants to Detroit to make up for the population decline of the last 60 years.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politi...o_Detroit.html

**p1acebo** · May-01-11, 12:07 PM

Sounds like a jack ass to me.

**BrushStart** · May-01-11, 12:16 PM

On Meet The Press this morning with David Gregory, Bloomberg suggested the same thing, i.e. allow immigration to Detroit where newcomers would be required to live for 5-10 years. I don't think immigration is a "silver bullet" to repopulating Detroit, but it should definitely be one of many ingredients. Other cities have kept pace by maintaining a healthy flow of immigration since the early 1900s.

**Bishop** · May-01-11, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

Sounds like a jack ass to me.

Not so sure what you mean by your response. This sounds like a good area to focus amongst others to re-populate this city. Detroit has to aggressively target Midtown and Corktown as those are the growing areas.

Take this idea along with having a "tax free" zone in certain parts of the city. Start out with Midtown and possibly Corktown with no income tax rate and no propety taxes for minimum of 10 years on residents only. However, you have to get city clownsil on board but I think Gary Brown has been talking about this too.

Vox · May-01-11, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Bishop

Not so sure what you mean by your response. This sounds like a good area to focus amongst others to re-populate this city. Detroit has to aggressively target Midtown and Corktown as those are the growing areas.

Take this idea along with having a "tax free" zone in certain parts of the city. Start out with Midtown and possibly Corktown with no income tax rate and no propety taxes for minimum of 10 years on residents only. However, you have to get city clownsil on board but I think Gary Brown has been talking about this too.

I think immigration would do wonders for Detroit, but the no-tax idea is dumb as dirt.

**p1acebo** · May-01-11, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Bishop

Not so sure what you mean by your response. This sounds like a good area to focus amongst others to re-populate this city. Detroit has to aggressively target Midtown and Corktown as those are the growing areas.

Take this idea along with having a "tax free" zone in certain parts of the city. Start out with Midtown and possibly Corktown with no income tax rate and no propety taxes for minimum of 10 years on residents only. However, you have to get city clownsil on board but I think Gary Brown has been talking about this too.

What I mean by it is you can't simply throw whatever immigrants come to America in Detroit and think it will just fix itself. Sure, I am all for immigrants coming to the city, I love the diversity... however, they need to be coming with a purpose and proper work either. If you propose no income tax and no property tax where does that get us if they can't even find any jobs around here? Simply more bodies, more people not doing work, we need the RIGHT type of immigrants coming here... not any. I was calling him a jack ass for over simplifying a huge problem we have here... that's all.

**Wesley Mouch** · May-01-11, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

What I mean by it is you can't simply throw whatever immigrants come to America in Detroit and think it will just fix itself. Sure, I am all for immigrants coming to the city, I love the diversity... however, they need to be coming with a purpose and proper work either. If you propose no income tax and no property tax where does that get us if they can't even find any jobs around here? Simply more bodies, more people not doing work, we need the RIGHT type of immigrants coming here... not any. I was calling him a jack ass for over simplifying a huge problem we have here... that's all.

My grandparents had to have $30 [[$663 in 2011 dollars) in their pockets and an address of a sponsor. Sounds like a fine plan for Detroit today. They made their own jobs, thank you. Detroit USA, land of opportunity 2011. DetroitYes.

**iheartthed** · May-01-11, 12:59 PM

He's right. Large scale foreign immigration is what has stabilized the populations in other former industrial cities. If Detroit had attracted foreign immigrants at the rate that Chicago or NYC did then it wouldn't be nearly in the situation its in now. But the question is why doesn't Detroit, as large as it is, attract immigrants at the rates that they go to New York, Boston, Philly, Chicago?

**michigansheik** · May-01-11, 01:02 PM

i woke up too early today and saw mayor bloomberg make that comment...it makes a lot of sense to me and isn't as out there as it first seemed. he also gave praise to mayor bing. i'm no expert on our immigration policy but in recent times we seem to be having a hard time deciding on our future policy...
i'm 1st generation so i'm a bit biased but detroit could be the new ellis island if you will....we have low cost housing and lots of space. sure the immigrants will have to meet some minimums but what a great way to get a hundred thousand people living in the limits quickly. think about it...vacant homes will be rented or sold to the new immigrants, they will patronize businesses and hopefully open their own.

**English** · May-01-11, 01:07 PM

Some of us have been saying this for years...

**Bishop** · May-01-11, 01:29 PM

"you can't simply throw whatever immigrants come to America in Detroit and think it will just fix itself".

Bloomberg wasn't talking about just allowing anyone in to set up shop. He specifically, suggested it would need to be under certain parameters, i.e. those that want to start their own business etc. Immigrants coming to Americi is certainly nothing new, but in Detroit it could be real catalyst with
a directed effort.

**Bishop** · May-01-11, 01:38 PM

"no-tax idea is dumb as dirt"....really?

So you probably like this idea that Bing is talking about: "Legislation is also needed to allow the city to raise its personal income tax back to 3% from 2.5%"

Taxes in the city are a real impediment. If the city did follow-up on what the "Live Midtown" program is doing, with a Pilot Program of no taxes in certain areas, that would just upspeed everything that's going on over there and get small business to come there as the residents would have much more disposable income.

The city is already doing "Pilot Programs" with the Project 14, the target areas for other neighborhoods but none are as agressive and drastic as this would be. The city is in dire straighs and they need to cease the moment now! It's losing and has lost some many residents, it has to really get creative.

**Fnemecek** · May-01-11, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Bishop

Take this idea along with having a "tax free" zone in certain parts of the city. Start out with Midtown and possibly Corktown with no income tax rate and no propety taxes for minimum of 10 years on residents only. However, you have to get city clownsil on board but I think Gary Brown has been talking about this too.

City Clownsil already did that. They were called "renaissance zones" and "neighborhood enterprise zones".

The problem is that you still have crappy public services and you still have the knowledge that your taxes are going to skyrocket at some point in the future, which hurts a property's resale value. Since most Americans move every few years for one reason or another, and thus are always concerned about resale value, the results of this strategy were minimal.

Vox · May-01-11, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by Bishop

"no-tax idea is dumb as dirt"....really?

So you probably like this idea that Bing is talking about: "Legislation is also needed to allow the city to raise its personal income tax back to 3% from 2.5%"

Taxes in the city are a real impediment. If the city did follow-up on what the "Live Midtown" program is doing, with a Pilot Program of no taxes in certain areas, that would just upspeed everything that's going on over there and get small business to come there as the residents would have much more disposable income.

The city is already doing "Pilot Programs" with the Project 14, the target areas for other neighborhoods but none are as agressive and drastic as this would be. The city is in dire straighs and they need to cease the moment now! It's losing and has lost some many residents, it has to really get creative.

Well, duh. Think about this for a second. Why just immigrants? Why not everyone?

The reasoning is simple, Detroit needs taxation to survive. Not free rides.

**Fnemecek** · May-01-11, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

He's right. Large scale foreign immigration is what has stabilized the populations in other former industrial cities. If Detroit had attracted foreign immigrants at the rate that Chicago or NYC did then it wouldn't be nearly in the situation its in now. But the question is why doesn't Detroit, as large as it is, attract immigrants at the rates that they go to New York, Boston, Philly, Chicago?

Could it possibly be that immigrants don't like high taxes and almost non-existent services anymore than most Americans do?

I know it's a radical concept. I'm just throwing it out there for discussion.

**Fnemecek** · May-01-11, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Vox

Well, duh. Think about this for a second. Why just immigrants? Why not everyone?

The reasoning is simple, Detroit needs taxation to survive. Not free rides.

I concur that Detroit needs taxation to survive. However, with a property taxes that are almost double national averages plus an income and utility tax that few other places have, Detroit currently has lots of taxation.

What's missing is a mayor and city council that are willing to use those tax dollars to their utmost effectiveness; to deal with the financial realities of Detroit instead of dealing in the dreams of what they wish Detroit was like.

**michigansheik** · May-01-11, 02:00 PM

what non-existent services are people always complaining about? police/ems?
my trash gets picked up every week. bulk pickup happens on the date its supposed to. the last couple winters the effort to get rid of the snow was ok...in fact better than canton or farmington hills on some days. most streets are in decent shape and drivable. bus stops are well marked with route signage for once. water is supplied whenever i turn on the faucet. i have electricity 100% of the time short of a mother nature issue. true the police are slow to respond but that seems to be improving slowly albeit...are the ems crews well managed not yet but thats fixable with good mgt/leadership...
who knows maybe some of the immigrant's home countries may not even offer these services to the regular folk at all...detroit might be an improvement.

edit: i live in lafayette park

**Bishop** · May-01-11, 02:18 PM

That's exactly righ! The counci continues to be in denial and not understanding the stark reality of the current environment.

No one has suggested remove all taxes, obviously they are needed to run the city.The property taxes even with the NEZ in certain selected areas are still too high vs. services delivered.

Taxes and insurance stymie the city. Lansing should reject the notion of pushing back the income tax rate to 3%. It was scheduled to reduce by .05% every year after the casions came but I think Kwame slowed it after he came in office and the economic picture became much more doom & gloom.

The residential income tax of the residents in Midtown probably wouldn't make a dent in the total city collection if you apportioned it out?

**Bishop** · May-01-11, 02:33 PM

They were called "renaissance zones" and "neighborhood enterprise zones".

Femeneck, weren't the "renaissance zones" more of an incentive to the builders and developers? Did they offset the resident taxes?

Did the NEZ just cap the property taxes or reduce them no more than 18%-20%?

**Whitehouse** · May-01-11, 02:39 PM

How about moving some jobs to Detroit?....

**Bishop** · May-01-11, 02:39 PM

what non-existent services are people always complaining about? police/ems?

Let me help you:

-what about residential streets that are in horrible shape
-poor lighting on residential streets - takes months to to replace a burned out lamp
-barely passable thoroughfares in the winter months
-unkept grass along the Lodge Fwy
-slow response by police dept.

edit: I did see a police officer on a horse about two weeks ago going through the neighborhood - but haven't seen one since

**Fnemecek** · May-01-11, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Bishop

Fnemecek, weren't the "renaissance zones" more of an incentive to the builders and developers? Did they offset the resident taxes?

Did the NEZ just cap the property taxes or reduce them no more than 18%-20%?

Renaissance zones did contain a financing incentive for the developers. However, they also meant an exemption from almost all other taxes as well.

http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/Departme...anceZones.aspx

NEZ, in contrast, only give a break on property taxes, but it starts out at greater than 50%. The homeowner still pays income and other taxes.

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/nez14.aspx

**Jason** · May-01-11, 04:35 PM

Send 'em over.

**BagAJellyDonuts** · May-01-11, 04:39 PM

Heck, go over to Japan and recruit over there. Pass out plane tickets to anybody who's house got swamped or glows in the dark. Chances are they won't come here to steal copper or strip grave markers to sell as scrap.

**BagAJellyDonuts** · May-01-11, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

How about moving some jobs to Detroit?....

I love it. People rattle out that remark but so many will also rattle out nonsense like "protectionism doesn't work". [[btw that's a lie) or lowest prices matter.

What's more important to you? Jobs for the people you live with or getting the most crap at the cheapest price? You can't have both.