Posted on 02/26/2009 6:12:07 AM PST by taildragger
DETROIT -- The Detroit City Council has rejected the Cobo deal.
The deal would have sold Cobo Center to a regional authority. Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed off on the plan back in December to create a panel to own and operate Cobo.
(Excerpt) Read more at clickondetroit.com ...
"I am very disappointed. It's a disappointment for the auto show and it's disappointing for a city that is attempting to maintain the auto industry," said Granholm.
Cobo Deal Rejected Tuesday By Council Councilwoman Cockrel Talks About Cobo Vote Council President Conyers Talks About Cobo Deal Inside Look Of Cobo Center
Some council members, including Council President Monica Conyers, did not want the plan because it would have given the authority to another entity, a five-member board made up of representatives of Detroit, the three surrounding counties and the governor's office, as opposed to the City Council.
"What is Detroit getting for a facility that we built?" Conyers asked the council.
The council did not have to approve the plan for it to take effect but had the option of nixing it by March 5.
Five votes were needed to nullify the deal.
Detroit City Council Members Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, Barbara Rose-Collins, Martha Reeves and Conyers voted to reject the Cobo Authority.
"The package of state legislation that created the authority, in my opinion, was unnecessarily rushed and therefore did not allow an opportunity for changes that would have justified my support," said Tinsley-Talabi in a news release.
Members Sheila Cockrel, Kwame Kenyatta and Brenda Jones voted to transfer the facility to an authority.
"This was a deal that has been many years in the offing. It was short-sited and the most narrow kind of local politics interfered," said Sheila Cockrel.
George Jackson, head of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., had said the transfer would have saved Detroit $12 million to $16 million in annual subsidies for Cobo.
Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel called a news conference and said he is also disappointed with the council's decision.
"They have chosen to put politics before the people -- in doing so they have jeopardized Cobo's expansion."
"This is not about Monica Conyers, or any pride as an editorial in one of the local dailies," said Council President Conyers. "This is about what is best for my constituents, the residents of Detroit," added the council president.
A previous vote resulted in a 4-4 deadlock.
"We pay for Cobo, it's our Cobo," Watson said. "You act like you're doing us a favor for $20 million; $20 million is nothing."
Watson said the riverfront access alone is worth $100 million.
"There are monies coming to Michigan as part as President Obama's cconomic stimulus package," Conyers said. "As an alternate plan, we should be able to use those funds to upgrade Cobo as well as purchase the Illitch's contract on the arena for an expansion of the facility."
Granholm said Conyers does not understand how the Michigan stimulus money will be spent.
"She's wrong: the federal stimulus money is very specific. It comes in very specific categories," said Granholm. "You can put it to use in roads, bridges and transit and only if they are already on the approved list that the local community has identified. You can't just use it for anything that comes down the pipe."
Sheila Cockrel agreed with the governor. " You don't approach stimulus money like Monopoly money."
Councilwoman Barbara Rose Collins made poignant suggestions that the stimulus money has already been decided by a partial Michigan Legislature.
"We want our stimulus package to come directly to the city of Detroit by passing the racist extortions of the state of the region," she said during the meeting.
"The Michigan Legislature is racist? That's absurd," said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
Before the meeting started Conyers and Cockrel sparred as to why members of the council were late for the meeting.
Sheila Cockrel told Local 4 the vote was an indication that some council members are not ready to operate in a collaborative manner with the region.
She also suggested the random scheduling of the meetings in the past few months has been used to achieve political agendas.
"I think we need to be careful that the council is not used to push individual agendas," said Sheila Cockrel.
Something like 18 separate union pension funds or bargaining entities. IS this the tip of the IceBerg? Why are they not just farming it out to BarClays, or Vanguard at a very lost cost basis? Why are they investing in these risky ventures?
What does John Conyers do when the FBI hauls his wife's @$$ off in handcuffs?
and this is why i will not go to detroit, do anything to help detroit, in any way shape or form...I am kinda happy for this, as my taxes would have gone up to pay for improvements in the mess that is detroit...let the racists, drug addicts, welfare moms and high school dropouts have it, I want nothing to do with it
And Granholm doesn't understand how a thugocracy works. They'll get the money.
Hopefully, he follows right along in her footsteps.
"We want our stimulus package to come directly to the city of Detroit by passing the racist extortions of the state of the region," she said during the meeting.
ILLEGAL USE OF THE RACE CARD!!!
the Detroit City Councel is just so racist.(SOS) Stuck on stupid. Monica Conyers=Sister Sludge hasn’t a clue as to how things work.
What is this “Cobo Center”? Is it near air conditioned Cobo Arena?
The entire complex where the SAE and NAIAS are held.
You gotta go to the dog show this weekend!
is that you, Dick the Bruiser?
not if it is in detroit
No, it’s Pampero Firpo.
That commie traitor john “Fat ass” conyers should see his life end the same as Mussolini and his mistress.
But the brainless welfare bums that vote him into office time after time would never understand such sentiment. These voters need to be shipped one-way to north Korea.
The deal would have sold Cobo Center to a regional authority. Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed off on the plan back in December to create a panel to own and operate Cobo... Granholm said the sale would have saved the city $15 million it loses every year, take a $20 million debt off its books and pay for $200 million worth of renovations... Some council members, including Council President Monica Conyers, did not want the plan because it would have given the authority to another entity, a five-member board made up of representatives of Detroit, the three surrounding counties and the governor's office, as opposed to the City Council... Five votes were needed to nullify the deal. Detroit City Council Members Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, Barbara Rose-Collins, Martha Reeves and Conyers voted to reject the Cobo Authority.Thanks grellis.
Daniel Howes on Paul W. Smith 760am WJR...
Paul W. noted going to other Intl Shows found out the NAIAS was more expensive for the auto manufacturers than any other show in the world.
Daniel noted the Detroit Dealers may do the best thing in their interest and shop the show to Chicago to try to get the Detroit Council off the dime, or the show just my collapse under its own weight.
BTW Daniels lates editorial on GM basically says they are on their death bed.....,
Over at the Detroit News they have an editorial and describe what a circus this meeting actually was.
Apparently it was an exercise in black nationalism, racism or both....
Go here to read it, it is frightening.....
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090301/OPINION03/903010308
Heard excerpts from that meeting on WJR. What a bunch of loons!
Totally disgraceful, it’s no wonder Detroit is in terrible shape.
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.