Detroit appeals to UN for humanitarian assistance

[jerry]

Coming to a town near you or maybe YOU TOOzeF5VTaYQXY

[GuyFox]

I was born there.

Left years ago - since I saw the city was headed in the wrong direction.
(Cough. Now I feel the same about the US as a whole.)

[Tyy1907]

Also noteworthy Detroit is 83% African american. Sad situation

[spiritguide]

They passed the law for the Governor and his appointed administrator to take over cities , towns, schools and counties that are not solvent and they are not any better than the original corrupt bureaucrats who stole all the tax dollars. Start throwing the crooks (law makers / reps.) in Lansing (state capital) in jail. No water for the needy but a bailout for crooked GM, makes sense to me. Thats what happens when corporations run states with there bought and paid for corrupt politicians. IMHO

Peace!

[jerry]

I understand the Chinese have bought about half of the whole city now . They will revitalize it and we will be there slave labor , also just bought a building housing Americas largest gold vault in NYC(formerly owned by JPM) that has an underground tunnel that connects it to the FED Reserve.

[rgray222]

Detroit’s problem were self-inflicted by a half-century of government excess. It is clear that for many years now Detroit has been in the habit of increasing taxes, harassing businesses, and pandering to unions. Corrupt politicians gambled with tax breaks for their pet companies and projects. They put on place subsidies, used extensive eminent domain—on stadiums, casinos, office towers, factories, and a downtown monorail. They quickly found out that these didn't produce nearly the anticipated benefits. Meanwhile it has squelched small businesses, which are generally better at creating jobs

Of course many would argue that Detroit’s post-World War II racial conflicts were the real reasons for decline. More plausible is that these conflicts were inflamed by that era’s top-down government policies, which became all the worse when enforced by seemingly prejudiced officials.

If you take the time to study the political leadership and political history of Detroit it's impossible to miss the reasons for it imminent demise. One political party has virtually owned Detroit for decades with very few exceptions.

[Kelly Anne]

So many thoughts to contribute to this coming from being in this area all my life.

To try and sum it up right now is racking my brain.

My mom tells me a story now and then about how when we lived on Colton behind the Renegades. She would take me and my brother for walks in the stroller. The Renegades would just coo at us and know us by name. Once when their club was pipe bombed, they checked on us to make sure we were all ok....this was about 40 years ago...

Became a suburbanite due to divorce...grew up at 8 mile/John R in Hazel Park.

My friends and I frequently walked to the State Fair. We would go to Greek Town..to Joe Louis for concerts..Belle Isle for the day...

Dating a guy about 15 yrs ago...We would walk around downtown and other areas of Detroit to get coney's taking the streets and not the freeway...

Around the same time..give a few yrs. I worked at Detroit Edison as a receptionist. When there were power outages involving downed lines everyone was sent out in groups of 2 to sit at those to watch that no one was injured until crews could come to fix them.

It was common then that there would be streets with very nice homes and streets with abandoned homes mixed close together....

My aunt lived in the Coronado Apts. near Wayne State up until about 3 yrs. ago. Her health was ailing and me and her daughter would go on weekends to take her on errands as she did not drive. We never had any problems with harassment or crime.

Last year a Whole Foods opened up downtown...

I still frequently visit the Museum area...Went to the Filmore about a month ago...

Comparing my experiences from long ago to present time...The changes in the city.....Phew...

I cannot even find the words.

I want to see the city improve...to help the people who are there and to be able to keep what still shines there (The DIA, DSO, River Walk, Belle Isle, Jazz Fest...etc..)

I Love Detroit!

People harp about Kwame Kilpatrick, how he ruined the city...but ya know...no difference really in him and those who ran it before him. He just got caught is all...just the way I see it.

The local news here...there is at least one shooting reported on there daily...who knows how much more that doesn't get reported on?

There are many organizations who help in the city...but are they fighting a losing battle I wonder all the time...

Apologies for the scattered post...

Just my current thoughts.

[Tyy1907]

Detroit’s problem were self-inflicted by a half-century of government excess. It is clear that for many years now Detroit has been in the habit of increasing taxes, harassing businesses, and pandering to unions. Corrupt politicians gambled with tax breaks for their pet companies and projects. They put on place subsidies, used extensive eminent domain—on stadiums, casinos, office towers, factories, and a downtown monorail. They quickly found out that these didn't produce nearly the anticipated benefits. Meanwhile it has squelched small businesses, which are generally better at creating jobs

Of course many would argue that Detroit’s post-World War II racial conflicts were the real reasons for decline. More plausible is that these conflicts were inflamed by that era’s top-down government policies, which became all the worse when enforced by seemingly prejudiced officials.

If you take the time to study the political leadership and political history of Detroit it's impossible to miss the reasons for it imminent demise. One political party has virtually owned Detroit for decades with very few exceptions.

To me this no drinking water bullchit transcends any alleged political mistakes. We all need water, like what is this world coming to?

[cursichella1]

Coming to a town near you or maybe YOU TOO

I don't think this has anything to do with Detroit's obvious problems. It reeks of a setup, right out of the U.N., C.F.R., Agenda 21, One World Govt playbook. For God's sake, Michigan is a peninsula, Detroit is lakeside. If the residents have no access to water because of rotting pipes, the City's bankruptcy and citizen's poverty, imagine the eventual panic in cities that are landlocked should this problem "spread". And, this resource we take for granted now suddenly has a higher perceived value. Price increases, anyone? Calling for U.N. assistance? Ridiculous!

[Kelly Anne]

Coming to a town near you or maybe YOU TOO

I don't think this has anything to do with Detroit's obvious problems. It reeks of a setup, right out of the U.N., C.F.R., Agenda 21, One World Govt playbook. For God's sake, Michigan is a peninsula, Detroit is lakeside. If the residents have no access to water because of rotting pipes, the City's bankruptcy and citizen's poverty, imagine the eventual panic in cities that are landlocked should this problem "spread". And, this resource we take for granted now suddenly has a higher perceived value. Price increases, anyone? Calling for U.N. assistance? Ridiculous!

It is tough for me to sort out what problems are related to what around here... :/ I see hidden agendas in all of it to a certain extent...I can get cynical with things sometimes.

As for the water issues...This spring alone I can recall 3 stories in the local news where there were unfixed water main breaks, breaks in abandoned homes...that had gone unfixed for who knows how long...and that is only ones I can recall or were reported on.

The suburbs are also in the Detroit city water supply line. Some cities are on a 30 day billing cycle. Some are on a 90 day billing cycle with more transitioning to the 30 day lately. Both with the same stipulations as have been imposed on Detroit now.

I do not know what the shut-off rate for the suburbs is in comparison to the Detroit rates.

There has always been controversy with the water supply and Detroit vs. Suburbs. Always...with different issues on the table at times...Most recently with Detroit raising rates in certain suburbs...

[cursichella1]

It is tough for me to sort out what problems are related to what around here... :/ I see hidden agendas in all of it to a certain extent...I can get cynical with things sometimes.

As for the water issues...This spring alone I can recall 3 stories in the local news where there were unfixed water main breaks, breaks in abandoned homes...that had gone unfixed for who knows how long...and that is only ones I can recall or were reported on.

The suburbs are also in the Detroit city water supply line. Some cities are on a 30 day billing cycle. Some are on a 90 day billing cycle with more transitioning to the 30 day lately. Both with the same stipulations as have been imposed on Detroit now.

I do not know what the shut-off rate for the suburbs is in comparison to the Detroit rates.

There has always been controversy with the water supply and Detroit vs. Suburbs. Always...with different issues on the table at times...Most recently with Detroit raising rates in certain suburbs...

Thanks for the local perspective. So may be an engineered issue, to an extent. Delivering, measuring and billing for water is a lot less complex than that for electricity or natural gas. Maybe a couple of evolutions beyond the Roman Aquaducts...

Fixing ancient pipes is something that is done everywhere, all the time. Ignored broken water mains, price disparities when subsidized rates are available to the poor...years of evolving complexity, corruption and players...no PUC ultimatums...none of this makes sense at all and you're right to be cynical.

The U.N.??! I know some Irish plumbers in L.A. who would have this remedied...last year.