Chaos erupts at Cobo as thousands jockey for federal aid (Obama "Stimulus" Giveaway)

newstin ^ | 8 Oct 09 | George Hunter, Charlie LeDuff

[SkyPilot]

Detroit -- The lure of federal cash assistance for needy Detroit families sparked pandemonium Wednesday at Cobo Center, as hundreds of city residents pushed, jostled and trampled others in a rush to apply for the aid.

In a scene that spoke volumes about the despair of one of the nation's poorest cities, about 50,000 Detroiters descended on downtown to pick up 5,000 applications in hopes of enrolling in a federal program that pays a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to low-income residents to help pay rent and utilities.

In fact, some 60,000 residents applied for the aid over two days, although the city will only be able to help about 3,400 families.

Wednesday's line stretched for blocks and before the process could be completed at least six people were taken away by ambulance, 150 police were called to the scene and the city stopped distributing applications before noon.

The mayhem seemed to reflect the desperation of a city in which one in three lives in poverty and 28.7 percent are unemployed. Others said it was exacerbated by rumors the government was literally handing out cash. It wasn't.

Karen Dumas, a spokeswoman for Mayor Dave Bing, acknowledged the rumors, calling them "totally untrue." Dumas added: "There is a process."

Walt Williams, 51, arrived at Cobo before sunrise to get a good spot for the 10 a.m. opening of the doors. "This morning, I seen the curtain pulled back on the misery," a bewildered Williams said.

"People fighting over a line; people threatening to shoot each other -- is this what we've come to?"

[Niuhuru]

Reminds me of the Oprah chicken give away thingie. All that chaos at the restaurants.

[classified]

Rush said that know one wants to be in Detroit the applicants come to realize that only 3,500 people out 60,000 people who applied for this stimulus will actually be awarded the money!

[SkyPilot]

Reminds me of the Oprah chicken give away thingie.

I found this part so funny.

Oprah car winners hit with hefty tax Like any prize, the value is counted as income; winners must pay up to $7,000 or forfeit the car.

[SkyPilot]

She got there two hours early and there was a huge traffic snarl. There were at least THREE THOUSAND people waiting for maybe 500 laptops, and let’s just say that a rather rough crowd had pushed their way to the front of the line at the gates. She kept right on driving and came back home, and we were glad for it. When they opened the gates, a stampede erupted. Old women were knocked over. Elderly on crutches, canes, and walkers were trampled. Wheelchairs were upended. All for laptops that had dead batteries, missing components, scratched screens, and busted keys. But they were FREE, dammit.

That is the attitude - and it can morph into a mob mentality very quickly.

15,000 people lined up for their "free money."

15,000!

So what happened what there was an "Anti-Homeless Program" - which turned into a rumor fed frenzy as someone shouted that "Obama was giving us $3,000 free checks!"

Check out this video:

Thousands mob Detroit center in hopes of free cash

Typical. Here is a news story from Detroit that is only 34 hours old:

Feds: Food stamps swapped for Viagra, booze, porn (AP) – 3 hours ago

[Springman]

Another one for Cobo. Just love the people living 1/2 mile south of me.

[Springman]

WJR 760 on the AM dial. Been listening to Ken Ro...goski for two days.

[Frank_2001]

“unless you want to bankrupt the nation and run it straight into communism.”

THAT, might just be Zero’s (and his handlers’) plan...

[himno hero]

That IS what he is planning

[Puddleglum]

Obama’s Hoovervilles. Except all of Detroit is a Hooverville.

[mvpel]

http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/Departments/Finance/IncomeTax/CityofDetroitIncomeTaxRates/tabid/1655/Default.aspx

Important Notice
City of Detroit 2005 Income Tax Rates

January 2005

The City of Detroit has suspended the individual tax rate
reduction that was scheduled for July 1, 2005.

Income tax rates for the calendar year 2005 and
subsequent years are as follows unless otherwise notified:

Resident Individuals 2.50%

Non-Resident Individuals 1.25%

Corporations 1.00%

This affects 2006 employer withholding account filings
and estimated income tax filers.

[crescen7]

"about 50,000 Detroiters descended on downtown to pick up 5,000 applications"

Ok, just curious, but doesn't it seem rather strange to only create 5,000 applications for a program that will make 3,400 awards?

Short on paper?

Not enough federal staff to review applications?

just gotta wonder. . .

[Madame Dufarge]

Looks like there's not going to be enough Danegeld to go around.

Wonder when the riots will break out.

[MaggieCarta]

"People fighting over a line; people threatening to shoot each other -- is this what we've come to?"

Pretty much.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, baby.

[Repub4bush]

You know someone said govt cheese earlier. I remember back in the late 70's i think it was, when the govt was giving out cheese. My grandmother, God bless her, was not a wealthy woman but not destitute either, kept getting the cheese and whatever else it was. I can't rmember.

Anyway, we were over at her house for a holiday and I opened the freezer! There was so much cheese in there, she had no room for anything else. I asked her why she had so much and she said she didn't know what to do with it!

I mean there were long logs of cheese! She even thought about selling it...LOL

I kept thinking, what is a person supposed to do with all that cheese? Wasn't there other things that were better to give out free than cheese? LOL