New study demands sweeping cuts, privatization for Detroit

[Hannah Bell]

A corporate-controlled group, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, has released a study demanding the city of Detroit enact sweeping cuts to social services and the jobs, wages, and benefits of municipal employees. These measures may have to be implemented, the report argues, through an emergency financial situation such as bankruptcy...The study also quantifies some of the devastating social conditions that prevail in Detroit, including data related to unemployment and housing...

The purpose of the report is not to call for increased funding to confront the social crisis in America’s 11th largest city. Just the opposite. The study demands savage reductions to social spending, cuts to the jobs and pensions of city workers, the forced relocation of residents, and a new round of privatization of city assets.

The Citizens Research Council is hardly a disinterested party—nor does it comprise mere “citizens.” Populating its 90-plus-member Board of Directors and Board of Trustees are representatives of Michigan corporate interests, among them all the major banks that operate in the state.

The group’s treasurer is Nick A. Khouri, who is also the treasurer and vice president for regional energy giant DTE (formerly Detroit Edison): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DTE_Energy
Khouri is described as “responsible for all banking and investment banking relationships, cash management, corporate finance, enterprise risk management, pension investments, and corporate planning and development.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/apr2010/detr-a09.shtml


"Their recommendations, should they be carried out, would reduce Detroit to the status of an internal colony in all but name."

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Delta City coming your way?

[tmyers09]

2. Sickening.

Absolutely sickening.

[protest_dude]

3. WSWS

Do you support the SEP who runs WSWS, Hannah Bell?

I've had some bad experiences with them. They seem to not like other Socialists very much. When I was in D.C. one of them was handing out leaflets. He saw I was in another party. I got a leaflet from him and I wanted to talk.

He screams: DO I LOOK LIKE I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!!!!!

I was kind of blown away.

To much infighting among socialists, already. Enough about left sectarianism though.

[Hannah Bell]

4. the article is about detroit privatization, not a discussion of sectarian politics.

why don't you respond to the content.

i'm not in sep, & not particularly interested in commingling that discussion with detroit's issues.

[Hannah Bell]

7. kick

[Chulanowa]

5. I have no idea what to say; there's too much wrong for me to handle.

Cutting jobs is supposed to help unemployment? Cutting wages will help poverty? War is peace, love is hate, freedom is slavery, what the fuck is WRONG with these people?!

[nebenaube]

6. there is nothing wrong with them...

they are simply showing their true nature. When someone screams for privatization of public service it means they want fascism.