Posted on 10/01/2004 5:56:38 AM PDT by OESY
Motor City Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is right to be distancing himself from a City Council proposal to create a racially exclusive business district in Detroit to help black entrepreneurs. Not only would the plan, dubbed African Town, heighten racial tensions unnecessarily. It could also exacerbate the very problem it aims to solve.
The insidious premise of this economic development plan, which was approved last week in a 7-to-2 vote overriding Mr. Kilpatrick's earlier veto, is that immigrants from Latin America, Asia and the Middle East are "stealing" jobs and resources from native blacks. But for the presence of these foreigners, goes the thinking, black businesses in these urban communities would be thriving. Hooey.
Scapegoating the immigrant merchant who came here barely speaking the language and succeeded where others have stagnated is an old story. What's new here is the effort by city officials to sanction such backward, zero-sum thinking. Race-based legal restrictions on a community's most economically productive members helps no one. More economic isolation is the last thing current and future black businessowners need....
If Council Members want to spur more economic activity, they might stop blaming foreigners and try lowering taxes and licensing fees. In 2000, Detroit residents had the 10th highest tax burden among U.S. cities. Property tax rates are twice as high as the national average. "If you tried to design a policy to drive jobs and capital out of Detroit," said Joseph Lehman of Michigan's Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "African Town would be it."
Mayor Kilpatrick can take some comfort in knowing that the Council's plan is probably unconstitutional. But there is a proactive way for him to help move the black underclass toward economic parity: Drop the city's opposition to charter schools.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Whatever happened to The Melting Pot?
"It could also exacerbate the very problem it aims to solve."
No kidding. Affirmative action = race-baiting.
Mayor Kwaeme Kilpatrick has worked hard to turn Detroit back into a thriving city. The Al Sharpton-Jesse Jackson ideologues on the City Council decided to play Da Hood politics. Which is bad for Detroit's black population. Mayor Kilpatrick understood ideology has never created a single new job or expanded a city's economic base. He can take comfort in having done the right thing.
Ping.
It became a chamber pot.
there isn't one in Detroit. Since the 1967 riots white flight went out of control.
Detroit went from a population of 2.2 million in 1952 to around 890,000 now, about 75% black.
Most suburbs had "closed covenants" keeping Blacks and Jews out until the open house laws but the great divide still exists.
Most small markets are owned by Iraqis who live above their stores.
If Council Members want to spur more economic activity, they might stop blaming foreigners and try lowering taxes and licensing fees.
Those council members had a good teacher---Mayor Coleman Young....Young throughout his mayoral tenure, kept blaming the city's problems on "those racist white suburbs".."the white controlled news media"....But when asked how did he feel about Max Fisher and other suburban folks contributing money in hopes of rebuilding the city, Young responded, "I don't care where they are from...as long as I get their money."
Detroit's already segregated.
This is wrong on so many levels.
Kwame is a complete failure as a mayor. They only advancement in Detroit has come from the white suburban business owners. Kwame has hindered progress every step of the way. He's hated in Detroit and is called the 'hip hop mayor' but when I speak to the citizens of Detroit they call him the 'Thug Mayor'.
Kwame is in huge trouble with his lack of leadership, personal lawsuits, and hookers.
Yeah, he is against city council having 'Afrikan Town'. It's not because he's doing the right thing, it's because it's such a losing idea because it's the whites who are investing in Detroit. Afrikan town would be a bunch of Afrikan Art Galleries and clothing stores. Look at the Afrikan American Museuem, it's a $300 million dollar disaster.
He'll get re-elected, though, I think, a la Marion Barry... "Shee-it, de Mayah's a playa!"
I have been wondering when the BIG fight between blacks and mexicans would get rolling. I predicted it ten years ago. They are taking over the jobs that blacks use to be able to depend on.
The commie media does not talk about this just like they dont talk about the very large sleeper cell of native born black americans who have converted to muslim and worship the moon god. Whose side will they be on when the shooting starts (which it will sooner or later). Muslims are waging a jihad against america and black muslims will have to pick a side.
Uh, excuse me, but doesn't this violate the 14th amendment?
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