I've about had it with Oakland County, and especially with old George-Wallace-by-the-schoolhouse-[[or-streetcar)-door L. Brooksie [[yeah, some of us remember where you came from). He's now the main force standing in the way of regionalism in this area, and his continued obstructionist presence on the scene creates an understandable visceral protective reaction among many of us here in the city.

It really may be time to finally just say 'screw you' and make an end run around his old reactionary ass in moving this area forward. A light rail line out Michigan through Dearborn to the airport makes at least as much sense as one out to the gotbucks shopping grounds in Birmingnham. Build it up Woodward to the New Center, where it's most needed inside the city, then out to the west. Leave provisions for expansion north to 8 Mile or Oakland Cty [[and west to Ypsi and AA) and then just run with it. Then, after the ol' race baiter dies or something, and our northern neighbors come to their senses and decide to join the 21st century, we can expand the system. This is exactly what has been done elsewhere [[example from above: BART and the once-recalcitrant San Mateo County), and this area really can no longer afford to let one monkey stop the whole show.