Boston Mayor: Sorry I Said I'd Blow Up Detroit

Newser ^ | 09-04-2013 | By John Johnson,

[Responsibility2nd]

Menino apologizes after Detroit mayor takes offense

(Newser) – Detroit's a little touchy these days, as Boston Mayor Tom Menino has found out. Menino apologized yesterday for his "poor choice of words" while offering a little constructive criticism about the bankrupt city, reports CBS News. The flap began when Menino told the New York Times magazine that he would "love to go" to Detroit. But then he added this:

• "I’d blow up the place and start all over. No, seriously, when it takes a police officer 90 minutes to answer a call, there’s something wrong with the system. Forty percent of the streetlights are out, most of the buildings are boarded up. Why? Inaction, that’s the problem—leadership."
• Detroit Mayor Dave Bing: "It is extremely regrettable that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino used such an unfortunate choice of words to describe what he would do if he came to Detroit. I would think the mayor of a city that recently experienced a deadly bombing attack would be more sensitive and not use the phrase 'blow up.'"
• Menino: "I made a mistake," he told CBS Boston yesterday. "I apologize." While he stood by the stats he cited, he said he used a "poor choice of words."

[trisham]

Was it Howie Carr who first began referring to Menino as “mumbles”?

[Hot Tabasco]

Mayor Bing speaks Ebonics.

Oh really? Cite me an example..............

[BitWielder1]

Mumbles Menino is hopeless, the one time he happens to be right about something, he apologizes.
Oh well. He has no credibility left to lose anyway.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

[cripplecreek]

Pretty much all of them are going under at some point. Perpetually growing debt is simply unsustainable and Detroit is a perfect example of that.

I hear people say that the debt of other cities is different because those cities have taxpayers but that’s pure Keynesian thinking. The debt continues to grow till the day the piper comes looking for his money and the only way to pay it is higher taxes which leads to taxpayers fleeing.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The MBTA is a state entity. Until recently, their personnel records were sealed. Half of their annual expense is pensions. Some of their retirees are in their forties. I believe that something like 75% of all their retirees were below 50 when they went out. Some of them were Democratic Party coat-holders, who spent only a year or so “on the T” and went out with fat pensions - including health care benefits.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I know of no other possibility.

[DeWalt]

One mayor of a nearly bankrupt city commenting about a completely bankrupt city. Instead of talking he probably should be listening.

[cripplecreek]

At least we're working on the problems of Detroit rather than living in denial and pointing fingers.

Just last week a full 10% of Detroit building inspectors were charged with soliciting and taking bribes. I'm sure others are guilty but that's what "decimation" is for. Kevyn Orr fired one of the pension fund managers last week too. The new police chief cut the mayor's security detail down from 20 officers to 6. The chief also ordered that only 2 to 4 officers will investigate break ins when they've been responding by the dozen.

Looks like we're getting some control of Detroit election fraud as well.

State elections director: Re-tabulation prevented disenfranchisement of over 24,000 Detroit voters

[PATRIOT1876]

First get the non-thug, non-gang residents out, THEN blow it up.

[trisham]

I did a search and found this:

mumbles menino
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41 up, 8 down
Term coined by Boston radio talk show host Howie Carr for Thomas Menino, mayor of Boston since 1993. His tounge is way to big for his mouth leading to such phrases (and their meanings):
pottah pot- porta potty
wollin walli- rolling rally
ar chieve- achieve
bee yahn- barn
youse- you (plural)
well...you get the picture
Mumbles Menino is wicked retahted...but his botched quotes ah pissah!

[kaehurowing]

Don’t need to blow it up, it’s doing quite fine on it’s own.

[trisham]

There’s talk of the possibility of a casino being built within the city limits which might do wonders for Boston’s bottom line.