Offering a Do-Over on Cobo?

What was that about "Fool me once...."

Testimony: Senate deal is Cobo's last chance to keep auto show

A Senate proposal that would make it possible for the North American International Auto Show to move to Oakland County if Detroit City Council doesn't accept a Cobo Center deal by July 1 may be Michigan's last hope to keep the show in the state, according to testimony this morning -- but an ultimatum is unlikely to move the council to accept the deal, Senate Democrats said.
. . .
The Detroit City Council would have until July 1 to agree to turn Cobo Center over to a regional authority or possibly lose the North American International Auto Show to an Oakland County site, under rules laid out in bills introduced by Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

The bills offer Detroit a plan identical to one rejected by the City Council in February: Detroit would get $20 million for turning Cobo over to a regional board.

This quite generous do-over attempt after the Detroit City Councils memorable and racist previous refusal was responded to rather quickly - Detroit council is quick to reject ultimatum on Cobo

State Senate Republicans set forth an ultimatum Tuesday on Cobo Center to the Detroit City Council: agree to a regional authority to own and operate the aging facility or risk losing the North American International Auto Show to Novi.

But the response from council members -- even some who supported the ill-fated first Cobo proposal -- was swift.

No deal.

Ok, Detroit City Council rejected the original best deal to save Cobo, now they're rejecting it a second time (under time pressure as the North American International Auto Show has indicated they need to know immediately so they can plan appropriately for the 2011 show.)

Enough dancing with Detroit, time to move the show to Novi where it will be appreciated, kept in Michigan and in a nicer facility in a better area with nicer parking to boot.

The state can ill afford the loss of the show and its associated economic benefits and the longer Detroit Coity Council keeps trying to cut a better deal at the expense of the rest of the state, the more likely the risk becomes. (All of this depends of course on assuming there will be any auto manufactureres left to put on the show).

Hopefully the State Government, as well as Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, will not let themselves continue to be made the fools (and the check writers) by and for Detroit City Council.