Detroit councilwoman to Obama: We voted for you, now bail us out

[noonwitch]

My level of disgust with that city has sky rocketted over the last few months.

Snyder mentioned recently that the state was considering the option of just dissolving the City of Detroit. I say we give two weeks notice, and do it with napalm.

I've heard that plan-to let Wayne County absorb Detroit's government. If the county had strong leadership and stable finances, I'd support that plan. It seems to work for Miami/Dade county in Florida.


I feel bad for Snyder and Bing in all this, who are committed to working together across party lines to find something that will work.

In other Detroit news:
Illitch is supposed to announce any day now that the Wings are getting a new arena. I wonder who is paying for it? Illitch himself? Quicken Loans? Compuware? The downtown Potemkin Village gets larger.

[Odysseus]

Can you explain why it's bad?

Yes.

First, from a separation of powers point of view, it's irresponsible for municipalities that have exceeded their revenues to go to the federal government for a bailout. It's not the federal government's job to deal with local issues, including spending. If the feds bail them out, then federal oversight will follow, and Detroit will have become a federal vassal state, with no effective local governance (not that it has any now, but at least the taxpayers from the rest of the country aren't footing the bill for it).

Second, it incourages profligate spending at the local level and redistributes tax dollars from parts of the country that have their house in order to those that don't, punishing prudent fiscal policies and rewarding bad ones. It's always a bad idea to subsidize incompetence.

Third, voters should not expect a quid quo pro for their votes. The US Government may have devolved into a machine in which an elite class trades favors for the votes required to keep them in power, but that's not how the Constitution works. Obama is president of the entire United States, and those who didn't vote for him have the right to expect equal treatment under the law.

Any other questions?

[LukeEDay]

I think instead of bailing out Detroit, they should level it and turn it into one big parking lot. That city is beyond repair. Way beyond repair. Way way beyond repair.

They can also do the same with Cleveland ...

[noonwitch]

I think instead of bailing out Detroit, they should leanvel it and turn it into one big parking lot. That city is beyond repair. Way beyond repair. Way way beyond repair.

They can also do the same with Cleveland ...

The state will probably take over Detroit's finances-not because of the current mayor, because he actually has a pretty good plan to get the city on track, but because the city council will not agree to any of Mayor Bing's proposed budget cuts.


The council got all upset when the Mayor and Governor came up with a plan to save Belle Isle, a city park. The city was going to "lease" the park to the state park system for 30 years, the state was going to make a lot of improvements, and people driving into the park would have to either pay for a state park pass or pay a one day entry fee. People taking the bus, walking or riding a bicycle would still have free admission.

The council played it as "white folk taking over our city", which is going to happen in a big way if they don't get their acts together.

[NJCardFan]

Can you explain why it's bad?

Congratulations. 71 posts and you have moved ahead of Wee Wee, TNO, Hazlnut, CITM, and any other mindless moonbat stooge who's ever been a member of these boards. Yukon is a logical, well thought out thinker compared to you.

[Unreconstructed Reb]

The state will probably take over Detroit's finances-not because of the current mayor, because he actually has a pretty good plan to get the city on track, but because the city council will not agree to any of Mayor Bing's proposed budget cuts.


The council got all upset when the Mayor and Governor came up with a plan to save Belle Isle, a city park. The city was going to "lease" the park to the state park system for 30 years, the state was going to make a lot of improvements, and people driving into the park would have to either pay for a state park pass or pay a one day entry fee. People taking the bus, walking or riding a bicycle would still have free admission.

The council played it as "white folk taking over our city", which is going to happen in a big way if they don't get their acts together.

So they bristle at the thought of 'white folk' taking over their city but they have no problem with 'white folk' bailing them out. Shameless. Absolutely shameless.

[PeterS]

Yes.

First, from a separation of powers point of view, it's irresponsible for municipalities that have exceeded their revenues to go to the federal government for a bailout. It's not the federal government's job to deal with local issues, including spending. If the feds bail them out, then federal oversight will follow, and Detroit will have become a federal vassal state, with no effective local governance (not that it has any now, but at least the taxpayers from the rest of the country aren't footing the bill for it).

Second, it incourages profligate spending at the local level and redistributes tax dollars from parts of the country that have their house in order to those that don't, punishing prudent fiscal policies and rewarding bad ones. It's always a bad idea to subsidize incompetence.

Third, voters should not expect a quid quo pro for their votes. The US Government may have devolved into a machine in which an elite class trades favors for the votes required to keep them in power, but that's not how the Constitution works. Obama is president of the entire United States, and those who didn't vote for him have the right to expect equal treatment under the law.

Any other questions?

No questions but two comments. First, I was responding to SR's statement on slavery reparations not the OP and voters, especially conservative, do expect quid quo pro otherwise there is a conserted effort to vote their representatives out. This is an unfortunate but very true nature of our political system...

[noonwitch]

So they bristle at the thought of 'white folk' taking over their city but they have no problem with 'white folk' bailing them out. Shameless. Absolutely shameless.

It's a political game that hasn't worked on anyone outside of the city since Coleman Young was mayor. He was the master of that game-don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning it, but he did have this way of being a crook, but presenting himself as Robin Hood, stealing to protect the city of Detroit from the white devils (although the man had lots of rich, white friends from both parties).


It still works on enough voters to get some crazies onto city council. I don't suspect it will be getting much better, judging from the black middle class flight from Detroit to the suburbs that is currently going on. If Bing steps down after one term (and I can see that happening, due to stress and age), the city will probably end up electing one of the bozos currently on city council to the mayor's office. Either that, or the rumor I hear about the one white man who 1. probably could get elected in a city that is 80% black and 2. has probably made more money suing the city than anyone else in the area. He's scarier than anyone currently holding public office, and his name is Geoffrey Fieger.

[djones520]

Fieger is still in the public eye? That man had more stink then John Edwards 15 years ago.

[Odysseus]

No questions but two comments. First, I was responding to SR's statement on slavery reparations not the OP and voters, especially conservative, do expect quid quo pro otherwise there is a conserted effort to vote their representatives out. This is an unfortunate but very true nature of our political system...

First, it's an open forum. If you don't want anyone else to comment, send a PM.

Second, I do not recall any conservatives demanding that a Republican president bail them out when they have failed. Most conservatives get upset when a Republican president backs off from a position that was adopted in order to gain support from conservatives, but I don't recall seeing anyone demand a quid pro quo, certainly not as blatantly as this. Perhaps you can cite an example?