Too bad Dan Rostenkowski's gone to that post office in the sky. He could have taught them a thing or two about creative ways of raising money...
Benton Harbor for those that don't know, is a crime and corruption ridden mini-Detroit, on lake Michigan, that's 94% African-American. It's a city of 11,000, that has been Democrat-run for Decades. The town budget has a $4 million dollar deficit THIS YEAR, and they are over $17 million dollars in debt.
They are begging the state for cash to cover $100,000+ (!!!!!) in bank over-draft fees on bounced checks they wrote knowing they didn't have the money to cover, and to meet payroll.
This, and Detroit Schools are the first uses of Emergency Managers to take over finances, and getting them back in to order.
And the left is going absolutely INSANE over this, calling it RACIST, an end to Democracy, fascism, etc.etc.
Yes, all of that about Benton Harbor’s budget is true. But is the answer for a larger central government to send a bureaucrat, disband the elected local government that, for good or bad, represents the people of the area, and impose their will?
I thought we just had a party about the issue of large central governments telling smaller, regional ones how to conduct their business. Something about tea, I think it was...?
PS: Countdown until Washington catches on to this idea and decides that southern, mid-western and south-western states are “poorly managed” and in desperate need of someone to suspend their local governments and show them how they ought to be run.
I'd call it a sign of things to come.
Too bad Dan Rostenkowski's gone to that post office in the sky. He could have taught them a thing or two about creative ways of raising money...
I grew up in Berrien County. I saw a news crawl on CNN YEARS ago that stated EIGHTY-PERCENT of the total population of the Benton Harbor area was on some sort of “financial gov’t assistance”.
It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been back there, but it sounds like not a lot has changed with the demographics or the politics.
We would drive north, cross the river and eat in St. Joe, the community was "affluent", meaning you didn't get mugged going from the car to the pub.
“And the left is going absolutely INSANE over this, calling it RACIST, an end to Democracy, fascism, etc.etc. “
It does appear to be a version of fascism.
Anyway, why can’t these towns go bankrupt? Call it self purging. Once bankrupt, the city would no longer be able to borrow. It would have to learn restraint.
You should always encourage your friends to look at Detroit. It is what decades of progressive politics can bring to the country.
MIping
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Sounds pretty much like big MAC (Municipal Assistance Corp.) that was used in NY state for NYC and Troy during the 70’s.
I remember hearing a LONG time ago that the K-mart in Benton Harbor was closed because the total amount of theft exceeded their total sales.
“crime and corruption ridden mini-Detroit” is absolutely true
I found the comments revealing as well - people jumping all over the poor guy from Indiana, who sounded like he knew a lot more about the city than most of the libs posting. I’m sure they’d love me, living in Hawaii.
I grew up in Berrien Springs (10 miles from Benton Harlem) in the late 50s/60s. I remember going to some of the department stores downtown Christmas shopping with my mom when I was very small. By the time I was a teen though, the place was to be avoided at all costs. All the stores were boarded up, the downtown area seemingly more of a ghost town.
Benton Harlem has had every social program the libs can dream of showered upon it, and it sounds like it’s deteriorated even further than it had in the 70s, the last time I was through there.