De Rot Of Detroit

Detroit City Council and the denizens of Detroit never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

The City Council decided to reject the state's offer to lease Belle Isle, an offer saving the City over $6 million per year and preserving and upgrading the island. Of course the Council did so without overtly rejecting it by tabling any discussion on the matter, which amounts to the same result.

The Detroit Free Press: Detroit City Council has more hurdles for Belle Isle lease deal

The city is trying to con the state into: reducing the amount of years of the lease; allow the city to cancel the lease early (once the state makes the repairs and investments in the park naturally;) and to get out of having to pay back any funds the State invests if Detroit unilaterally pulls out early.

In short, the Detroit City Council is trying to bluff and make the state the sucker in the game even as the State holds all the cards.

The Freep also has some of the rather typical inane comments that were made at the meeting that we've come to expect from Detroiters. The race card was played so many times its got creases, folds, and torn edges.

The State has said the deal needs to be made by the end of January, so the City Council is killing the deal by tabling it for two weeks.

Gov. Snyder and the State should call Detroit's bluff and walk away from the deal. Enough already.

Have Detroit either declare bankruptcy or rot, but it is well past time for the State to walk away from the Detroit Mayor and City Council's game of three-card monte.