Wednesday, July 25, 2012

A Dying Detroit Refuses To be "Imposed" Upon

Detroit continues to try and reject the life ring thrown to it, insisting they’ll do it themselves because they can’t stand the though of a life ring being imposed on them even as they’re drowning in red ink. However, they’ll still gladly accept the state’s money as long as it is sent without conditions.

The Detroit News: Bing blasts state for imposing its plans on Detroit

Speaking before the NAACP, Bing blasted a State Plan for the State to lease Belle Isle and make it become part of the state parks system, not to mention levy an entry fee on visitors to pay for its upkeep and improve it.

Saying he doesn't want help "imposed" by Lansing, Mayor Dave Bing on Tuesday said he cannot support the state's proposal to lease Belle Isle for 99 years, and that he will seek a plan to improve the iconic park that's more favorable to the city.

Speaking at a packed Detroit NAACP headquarters in Midtown, Bing said he received a letter from the state two weeks ago asking for those terms "without telling me what they're going to invest and upgrade in Belle Isle."

Bing then went on to state:

"I have never in my 46 years in this city seen a governor of the state of Michigan involved in city politics like this one," Bing said. "I'm not opposed to getting help. But it's the kind of help that we need, not the kind of help that's going to be imposed on us."

The rest of us in the state haven’t seen a City quite as messed up as Detroit, nor as much silly politics and grandstanding as the city crumbles since the Emperor Nero allegedly worked on his musical talents as Rome was engulfed in flames.

"My position as of yesterday in a meeting is no, you're not (coming in to do demolitions), because this is our city," Bing told the audience about conversations with Snyder's staff. "You can't come in here and think you can do any damn thing that you want.

"There's a process that's already in place. You've got to use city departments for permits, for licensing, moving and equipment."

The mayor cited the state's offer of funding to tear down abandoned buildings: "I want your $10 million, but you're not going to take the lead on this."

And that’s the crux of the matter right there.

Send Detroit money, get some palms greased as portions of the funding get siphoned off through the city departments for processing and don’t expect any accountability or action in return. In other words, Detroit (lack of) business as usual.

Bing then ended his presentation by channeling Obama:

"I'm not here to lay blame and point fingers at anybody, but the reality is this: I inherited a mess," he said.

True Mayor Bing, you did inherit a mess, one that is indeed comparatively worse than the one Obama “inherited”. However the Mayor, just like Obama, is busy being obstructive, playing to his base, and making it worse rather than better.

Snyder has to be kicking himself for having gotten suckered into a consent agreement that will continue this ridiculous obstructionism and political posturing and bluffing. Instead he should have appointed an EFM to prevent just this kind of standard graft, delay and racial politics from preventing anything from being done. Either that, or he should have stood back and, because its their city and they reject having the state impose anything on them, let them suffer the consequences of their mismanagement and watch them file bankruptcy.

1 comment:

Scott said...

The racial politics would have been there no matter what the Gov did. However, an EM would have been able to shrug his shoulders, say "oh well" and then do what needed to be done.

I need to move somewhere where Detroit isn't in the news every day, unless it's the Tigers.