Detroit faces state takeover - Polidicks

[quote]Saying it was a "sad day," Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency in the city of Detroit. He said that while it would not be appropriate to appoint an emergency manager, now, he would think about doing so after March 12. That's the day set aside for a hearing, if the city appeals his decision.[/quote] [url]http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/01/173245383/michigan-governor-declares-financial-emergency-for-detroit[/url] [quote]There have been many good people that have had many plans, many attempts to turn this around. They haven't worked. The way I view it, today is a day to call all hands on deck, to say there's been too much fighting, too much blame, not enough resources, not enough people working together, to say, let's resolve these issues... ...What the emergency financial manager is going to be able to do in the state is, they have a wide range of powers where they don't have to have a lot of agreement. They don't have to have agreement from the city council. They don't have to have agreement with the mayor. They can come in and start to take a look at some city contracts. They can come in and start to take a look at some city departments that have to be reformed.[/quote] [url]http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/north_america/jan-june13/detroit_03-01.html[/url] so now people in detroit may face a lack of political representation as an appointed manager is allowed to unilaterally make many decisions regarding the city's finances.

As bad as Detroit is, this is worse.

Same as social services. They've proven they cannot take care of themselves, so the government must step in and do it for them.

what caused Detroit to be the way it is? There are so many cities in America, both red and blue, that have recovered from their problems. I say this because American society does not like to acknowledge Detroit's existence, it's basically taboo.

[QUOTE=The Baconator;39803638]what caused Detroit to be the way it is? There are so many cities in America, both red and blue, that have recovered from their problems. I say this because American society does not like to acknowledge Detroit's existence, it's basically taboo.[/QUOTE] i think a massive population drop following the auto industry in detroit getting fucked up is greatly responsible for the financial struggles.

[QUOTE=The Baconator;39803638]what caused Detroit to be the way it is? There are so many cities in America, both red and blue, that have recovered from their problems. I say this because American society does not like to acknowledge Detroit's existence, it's basically taboo.[/QUOTE] It saw urban decay really badly after people could leave. After WWII, most people living in the city wanted to move out. Interstates and suburbs made it possible (also thanks to the cars that made Detroit famous) for people to work in the city, but not live there, so the city got less tax revenue, so it couldn't keep up the same services, so more people left, which led to a bit of a downward spiral, which was only exacerbated by racial tensions and the riots.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39803653]i think a massive population drop following the auto industry in detroit getting fucked up is greatly responsible for the financial struggles.[/QUOTE] what caused the auto industry to get messed up?

Producing shit cars and rising gas prices, plus inflation. (bad loans as well)

[QUOTE=The Baconator;39803682]what caused the auto industry to get messed up?[/QUOTE] The Oil Crisis, Japan overtaking Detroit in sales, focusing on enormous SUVs while almost totally ignoring their passenger cars, the 2008 financial crisis.

[QUOTE=The Baconator;39803682]what caused the auto industry to get messed up?[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_crisis_of_2008%E2%80%932010[/url] it's a complex issue. the main thing to know is that the auto-industry collapse hit detroit incredibly hard because detroit's economy was dependent on the auto-industry.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39803653]i think a massive population drop following the auto industry in detroit getting fucked up is greatly responsible for the financial struggles.[/QUOTE] Detroit's problems started when the auto industry was doing its best. If the city had kept its population and its wealth, it would've attracted new industries. At the same time, the auto industry (when it was doing great) helped kill the city. Besides helping workers leave the city (with their money), they also did things like killing the city's original mass transit trolley system, which would probably have made the city a lot more livable.

I read this on Fox Nation (it's like a zoo but with nationalists and neocons). It's funny because they are so strongly anti-government / pro-independence over there, but this time it's okay because Detroit has a Democratic Mayor and the Governor is Republican. They were cheering this on as a victory (well, except for some who just wanted to raze the city, wingnuts eh?)

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;39803842]I read this on Fox Nation (it's like a zoo but with nationalists and neocons). It's funny because they are so strongly anti-government / pro-independence over there, but this time it's okay because Detroit has a Democratic Mayor and the Governor is Republican. They were cheering this on as a victory (well, except for some who just wanted to raze the city, wingnuts eh?)[/QUOTE] "i don't support the government taking shit over unless it's done by MY party!"

I know that Detroit is the place to do this if it's ever going to happen- it is the worst case scenario. But I just can not support the Emergency Manager law. I simply can not. It removes democracy, it is a literal unaccountable dictatorship. I can't support that. The people of Detroit are a proud people, and I don't think they deserve to have their city taken from them because of the failures of the economic elite and the political leaders (who they continue to vote in, even knowing their corruption. The former mayor of 6 years, just very recently was sentenced under federal corruption charges...after serving for "perjury, misconduct in office, and obstruction of justice". It's a huge issue around this area- you can't speak about Kilpatrick without there being a debate). Detroit has had a tough time. The Big 3 crashed, the race riots and the segregation of the 60s and 70s, the white flight, the poverty, the financial crisis, the corruption, the decay, the crime...

[QUOTE='[Seed Eater];39804169'] The people of Detroit are a proud people, and I don't think they deserve to have their city taken from them because of the failures of the economic elite and the political leaders (who they continue to vote in, even knowing their corruption. The former mayor of 6 years, just very recently was sentenced under federal corruption charges...after serving for "perjury, misconduct in office, and obstruction of justice". It's a huge issue around this area- you can't speak about Kilpatrick without there being a debate).[/QUOTE] The fact that there are still people living in Detroit who think Kilpatrick was a great mayor and would honestly vote for him if he somehow ran again is really sad. Fortunately, the mayors since him have been a huge improvement.

it's literally illegal for the state government to do this because they owe the city like $200 million [editline]5th March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Ridge;39803508]Same as social services. They've proven they cannot take care of themselves, so the government must step in and do it for them.[/QUOTE] the government isn't going to "take care of them". the EM is just going to sell off a lot of shit which doesn't address the problem of urban sprawl at all.

[QUOTE=Neo Kabuto;39804213]The fact that there are still people living in Detroit who think Kilpatrick was a great mayor and would honestly vote for him if he somehow ran again is really sad. Fortunately, the mayors since him have been a huge improvement.[/QUOTE] He spoke at my campus last year. The public debate that caused...it was a nightmare. Every class was about it. You couldn't get away from it. Very hot topic. And lil ol me from mid-Michigan, who barely knew a thing about Detroit, let alone about Kilpatrick, was mostly lost through much of it. We're all isolated, up there. It's a different place entirely.

This really isn't a big deal -- look up "council-manager government" -- many cities already bring in completely apolitical professional urban planners after elections happen. "Political" isn't really a thing in municipal government, beyond zoning: Detroit is in so much trouble, I don't think its citizens care what style this new city manager has, as long as it is better than their current mayor/council's course of action.