See some green shoots of recovery there?
Posted on 07/21/2014 9:48:56 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Detroit neighbourhoods are being relit, its vacant homes are being sold off or torn down, its public transportation is cleaner and more often on schedule and the city has renegotiated some burdensome union contracts.
In the little more than a year since the state-appointed emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, made Detroit the largest US city to seek bankruptcy protection, it has experienced a wide range of improvements that will factor into Judge Steven Rhodes's decisions during next month's bankruptcy trial. A major piece of the bankruptcy puzzle could fall into place on Monday, with the expected release of the results of a vote by creditors, including more than 30,000 retired and current city workers, on whether to accept millions of dollars in cuts.
When Orr filed for bankruptcy, Detroit's debt then was estimated at $18bn, and its revenue streams were too small to keep up with basic city services.
Since then, the city has installed at least 10,000 new streetlights. It's also going after absentee landlords — threatening to take and sell or demolish vacant houses that violate city codes. Eight houses awarded to the city's Land Bank are being put up for auction. Belle Isle, the city's most popular public park has been put under state control and received a much-needed cleaning.
"Things are being done now that weren't being done," said Detroit barber DeAngelo Smith. "I wouldn't say it would have been as fast if the bankruptcy hadn't been filed."
Some of the most dramatic changes were designed to save the city money and didn't need to wait for the August bankruptcy confirmation trial.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
“I guess the turning off of the delinquent water accounts was the sign of things getting better.”
Apparently the city has suspended the water turn-offs for at least the next 15 days. Looks like Detroit is once again headed back in the wrong direction, then.
See some green shoots of recovery there?
Sadly there seems to be a running competition at FR to see who can say the dumbest most ill informed thing possible.
At least Michigan is dealing with Detroit while nearly every other state in the country is just kicking the can down the road.
Traffic looks light
Now we know the only way to stop the Democrats — bankruptcy.
When every other City is going through what Detroit did, Detroit will be on the way to recovery, so they’ll be ahead of the pack eventually.
No, I just got back from the grocery store, it’s pretty heavy for a Monday afternoon. No potholes, either.
interesting blog posts sometimes, the person is a liberal too,
"That’s when she asked, “Do you photograph the good parts too, or just the bad parts?”
I really wanted to be able to say I photograph both. Over the years, I have photographed both the good and the bad, but the truth is, lately I primarily photograph the bad parts. Rarely do I focus on the good anymore. I know there are good things happening in the city, but I don’t show them. I suppose it’s easier to just drive downtown with my limited time, and photograph the things that I see along the way. Which is pretty much what I do. It’s partly convenience, but it’s also the reality of many people’s experiences with the city. It’s hard to enter the city from any direction, on any road or freeway, and not be blown away by the amount of abandonment and decay. After more than thirty years of living in the area, I know I am still shocked by what I see in the city.
I don’t live in the area anymore, and I find the same uniqueness, and grittiness that supposedly makes Detroit so great is everywhere. Grittiness isn’t Detroit’s secret ingredient, it’s simply a nice way of saying it’s a hard place to live. Who needs that? I’m happy for those who love the area, and truly feel they belong here, but life can be a challenge without having to fight dysfunction every step of the way."
While I’d like to kick Snyder in the nuts about half the time, I am glad that he ripped the cover off the mess so it had to be dealt with.
At the same time they got police Chief Craig in there and ever freer gun laws which are driving the crime rate down in a hurry.
> Actually the Muslim population is shrinking in comparison to middle eastern Christians in the Detroit are.
Muslims these days are largely settling in the south.
I guess the Muzzies leave an area once they conquer it, eh?...: )
The last time I visited Detroit was last summer. We drove through some blighted areas, but then there are areas which seem to be untouched by any sort of problem.
Detroit is not one vast war zone. The downtown area is rather nice and safe enough to walk around. The area surrounding Hitsville seems vibrant.
The problem is that mayor Coleman Young for 20 years set the stage for a funkified infrastructure where whites were unable to open businesses within the Detroit city limits. So, when they left they took their businesses to the burbs where their businesses are thriving.
What Detroit needs is a Jack Kemp-styled Republican mayor and posse for 20 years. Then, Detroit will have a chance to resemble Grand Rapids.
My photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23441454@N03/sets/72157627278854858/
A lot of the rebuilding is being done by private money and the nutroots were down there screaming eat the rich in places that wouldn’t exist today without the rich.
I had a good weekend trashing their fantasies.
Some idiot was bragging about the “free” bus service and how cool it was to ride old school buses with cool paint jobs. I took great joy in explaining that he was riding private Detroit bus company buses and they weren’t free, they were chartered.
People need reasons to move back which include a worthwhile infrastructure and jobs, not a brightly-colored buses and vegetable gardens.
July 10 and he’s right. Unless you’re talking about Gilbertville.
Well, I haven’t visited Detroit for a couple of hours.
very nice photos. But Detroit has a large area...
Did you take pictures of the (how to say ), nicer part of town?
These pictures were from several different neighborhoods. The only nicer parts we saw were the waterfront areas along the lake, but I didn't take photos there.
Don’t they have a central business district like Manhattan in NYC, or the Central and Northern part of Chicago...
I would guess that would be the better part of Detroit....
Anybody wondering what the streets and houses of Detroit look like (at least for the last five years) should visit Google Earth and take a street by street tour like I did. Some neighborhoods are still nice looking....some not so nice. Some streets look like you’re out in the country the houses are so separated from one another.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.