Quote Originally Posted by iheartthed View Post


Does anyone besides residents of East Coast metropolises see fault with all of Detroit's most prime real estate being held in the hands of just a couple of people?
I do, absolutely. How anyone could think otherwise is the question.

For a good example of why this power concentration is bad, you can look at the complete bungling of the M1 rail project by this oligarchy. M1 will fail without a regional system because they would rather have a slow, dangerous curbside employee shuttle than true center running light rail [[ya'know, like the original streetcars!) . The feds literally had to beg M1 to allow it to be extendable past grand blvd.

You could also point to the poor development practices of Ilitch, who, perhaps in a city with stronger gov't and more downtown investors, would not have been allowed to stockpile parking lots behind the Fox or put street parking fronting Woodward at Comerica Park.

Also, the utter amount of Dan Gilbert-fellating that goes on in our region is hilarious. He's making money. He's buying properties because they are so cheap he'd be dumb not to. Just because he got Moosejaw to open doesn't mean he wants a working bus system, or a healthy East Side, or a functioning regional lighting authority. In fact, he probably really wants the rest of the city to continue its decline so he can get more cheap office space and trendy lofs downtown. Downtown can be a glistening beacon of tourism and suburban style shopping and the city would have to do nothing. This would NOT be a net gain for MOST Detroit residents.


There are many citizens in Detroit who do have a problem with the oligarchy- many of them live in the area where Hantz farms will be. Many more of them are sick of their tax dollars buying stadiums and office space when the streetlights are out.


I'm out, I can't really stand this site anymore but it was nice to be back for a day.