News Flash: Detroit is not going away

[LuckyTheDog]

Here is the thing about pessimism: It doesn’t get you anywhere. Throwing up your hands and declaring the hopelessness of social problems and policy conundrums does not make them go away. It certainly cannot solve anything.

That’s why it is disheartening when folks like Nolan Finley, who ought to know better, imply that the state’s largest city is simply doomed and there is nothing that can be done about it. In a Nov. 20 column, Finley, editorial page editor of the Detroit News, invoked the notion of the “end times” to describe Detroit’s current financial situation. At this point, Finley wrote, “Detroit’s fate seems tragically sealed.”

That kind of primal scream might be satisfying to those who see Detroit mainly as problem to be disposed of, rather than a challenge to be embraced. But it’s not realistic or helpful. Detroit isn’t a fall maple leaf that will dry up and blow away. On the contrary, Detroit makes up the roots and the trunk of its metro region and state – and is not going anywhere.

Why do I say that? It’s not just because I happen to live there.

More: http://www.northstarwriters.com/2011/11/23/news-flash-detroit-is-not-going-away/#more-9383

Reaction from right-wing blogosphere: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=3624

[louis-t]

1. Nolan Finley is a disgrace.

And the reason I hated the Detroit News.

[LuckyTheDog]

8. Did you notice...

The blogger who "quoted" the column took a bunch of random sentences from various paragraphs, put them together in quotes one new paragraph -- and then implied that the column didn't make sense.

Typical RW tactic.

[Octafish]

2. Great article.

Great writer.
And a great town, too.

[Romulox]

3. I love Detroit, but get ready for the EFM. It's an inevitability, at this point. nt

[KamaAina]

7. EFM means a takeover by the RW state government

the very one that says it's OK to bully as long as you're doing it for god. :eyes:

At that point, all the Occupiers in the whole country need to converge on the D. "Whose city? OUR CITY!!!"

[Romulox]

10. I know what it means. It's a done deal. There is no new source of money for Detroit. nt

[KamaAina]

13. I posted that for the benefit of the many out there who don't follow MI politics

I have enough friends there that I make it my business to do so.

As for the source of money, well, I'll ask them if they have any brilliant ideas.

[Romulox]

14. Sorry, I misunderstood. You make an excellent point. "EFM" = "Emergency Financial Manager"

A sort of governor ordered pseudo-bankruptcy (NOT administered under the Federal bankruptcy code) process.

[KamaAina]

15. Believe it or not, Richard Ravitch is still out there

he's the guy who rescued NYC from a similar fate back in the '70s.

Think about it.

[FarCenter]

4. The city of Detroit is about 1/6th of the Detroit metro area's population

It provides slightly more than 1/6 of the employment in the metro area, but that is probably skewed by the large number of public sector jobs in the city.

The city is not an important driver of the Detroit metro area economy.

The downward spiral is likely to continue.

[KamaAina]

5. The irony is, the Detroit News is a FReeper rag, while the Freep (Free Press) is sane and reasonable

http://www.freep.com

[Romulox]

11. The two papers are run jointly. They share offices, and differ very little on most issues. nt

[blue_onyx]

18. The Free Press....

endorsed Gov. Snyder, the one behind the EFM law, last year in the general election.

[KamaAina]

6. "It’s not going to be annexed by Windsor."

Pity. :(

[backwoodsbob]

9. Detroit is MY love of a City

I will retire in Metro Detroit.

That said:

I used to work for a home Improvement company in Metro and dealing with the hassle of government in Detroit was such a frustration we finally quit giving estimates for jobs in Detroit.

The complete incompetence of the leaders there along with the nightmare of trying to get anything done with that city is a large part if the cities problem.

[Romulox]

12. Anyone not from here may not realize that the entire Wayne County (Detroit) gov't is under FBI

investigation for massive fraud. That weighs heavily on this situation, as well. :shrug:

[Odin2005]

16. Anyone else think the "Detroit is DOOMED" stuff has a stink of racism to it?

[RB TexLa]

17. Wow, we've come full circle to Dan Quayle and women needing men

and not having men in their houses as the cause of all problems. :rofl: