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Clinton Labor Sec.: ‘Mostly white’ suburban county to blame for Detroit’s woes
Michigan Capitol Confidential via EAG News ^ | September 21, 2014 | Tom Gantert

Posted on 09/21/2014 2:24:32 PM PDT by walford

DETROIT – In a recent Detroit Free Press op-ed, University of California-Berkeley Professor Robert Reich places the blame for the city of Detroit’s bankruptcy on the “mostly white” residents of Oakland County.

Detroit-in-ruins-15“But Detroit is really a model for how wealthier and whiter Americans escape the costs of public goods they would otherwise share with poorer and darker Americans,” Reich wrote. “ … But one thing is for certain: A very large and prosperous group close by won’t sacrifice a cent — the mostly white citizens of neighboring Oakland County.”

The reaction of one Oakland County official was that Reich, a former U.S. Secretary of Labor, didn’t know much about his chosen topic.

“That piece is clearly misinformed,” said Robert Daddow, Oakland County deputy county executive. “He doesn’t understand what he is talking about.”

By all accounts, the state and Oakland County are major stakeholders in Detroit. Here’s some things Reich overlooked about how county and state taxpayers help fund Detroit.

No. 1: People who work in the city but live elsewhere — such as Oakland County — pay a city income tax. That income tax for non-residents is 1.2 percent, compared to the 2.4 percent that residents of Detroit pay. The city income tax brings in $248 million and accounts for 19.2 percent of the city’s revenue.

No. 2: Detroit has a special deal with casino revenues. There are 22 other cities in Michigan that have casinos operating within their boundaries, but Detroit is the only city that can collect a “wagering tax” from casinos. That amounted to $181.4 million in 2012, or 13.5 percent of the city’s revenue. Many of those bets, undoubtedly, were placed by Oakland County residents.

No. 3: Detroit is budgeted to receive $140.5 million in money taken from sales tax revenue that is collected from residents all across the state — including Oakland County — in the form of revenue sharing, which will account for 14.1 percent of the city’s revenue in fiscal 2015.

No. 4: Oakland County and its residents financially support several things that help the region, including the city of Detroit. Oakland County taxpayers voted to support a three-county millage that goes to fund the Detroit Zoo, which is located within Oakland County in the city of Huntington Woods, as well as a millage for the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Oakland County has also given $500,000 a year to Automation Alley for the past 14 years. Automation Alley is a technology business association that supports that industry, including businesses and institutions located in the city of Detroit.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: bias; detroit; left; michigan; oaklandcounty; racism; robertreich; stupidity
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To: walford
The Democrat candidate has outpolled the Republican candidate in Oakland Co. the last five Presidential elections.

According to Wikipedia, the county was 77% white in 2010 and 13.6% black (about the same as the national averge).

I think the Democrats' long-term goal is to create metro-area governments that can take money from the suburbs to subsidize the central city. Then the only escape will be to live way out in the country.

41 posted on 09/21/2014 3:05:20 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: F15Eagle
Detroit's been corrupt for eons, on overdrive during prohibition, but a renaissance of corruption occurred in the 1960s.

The first black mayor deliberately drove out whites in order to make his voters the overwhelming majority. His primary adviser was a [black] card carrying communist.

42 posted on 09/21/2014 3:08:42 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: walford

a perfect trifecta!

an idiot, a racist, and a communist
all rolled into one little package!

(may the good Lord save America from this entire gang of bigots, liars, and thieves)


43 posted on 09/21/2014 3:10:12 PM PDT by faithhopecharity ((Brilliant, Profound Tag Line Goes Here, just as soon as I can think of one..))
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To: blam

Yup. One of the scams.

Its implicitly racist - they seem to be saying that Black people can’t succeed unless whites are nearby.

Imagine saying that outloud at an NFL game....


44 posted on 09/21/2014 3:12:35 PM PDT by Regulator
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To: walford

Those inconsiderate greedy, racist whites!

They wouldn’t stay around and let the Gibs-Me-Dats and other bums and moochers strip them of their wealth and resources.


45 posted on 09/21/2014 3:13:56 PM PDT by Iron Munro ("If you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln)
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Comment #46 Removed by Moderator

To: PGalt
Detroit’s problems were, “Made In Detroit”.

Actually, "Made in The USA by LBJ"

47 posted on 09/21/2014 3:15:59 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: griswold3
Kwame Kilpatrick and his fellow travelers are responsible for the condition of Detroit.

Kwame was merely a successor to Soulman Young who began the war against whitey....

48 posted on 09/21/2014 3:18:07 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Don't harsh my buzz homie......)
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To: walford
Mr. Reich, you are correct. When a society values hard work and obeying the law, we prosper. When we value the opposite society ends up with Detriot!

Now the problem is Libs keep punishing success and rewarding failure.

So now boys and girls how do we solve the problem of Detroit?

49 posted on 09/21/2014 3:27:03 PM PDT by Lockbox
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Comment #50 Removed by Moderator

To: ilovesarah2012

University of California-Berkeley leftist Professor Robert Reich also overlooked sentient thinking.


51 posted on 09/21/2014 3:36:48 PM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: walford
And if the people from Oakland County would move back into Detroit and civilize it one block at a time, the same people would be howling that gentrification is destroying the culture of Detroit.

Personally, I think it is Windsor's and Essex County's fault. Blame Canada!

52 posted on 09/21/2014 3:39:17 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (The IRS: either criminally irresponsible in backup procedures or criminally responsible of coverup.)
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To: walford
"escape the costs of public goods they would otherwise be forced to share at gun point with poorer and darker Americans,” Reich wrote. “
53 posted on 09/21/2014 3:39:36 PM PDT by dynachrome (Vertrou in God en die Mauser)
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To: walford
There's no such thing as personal responsibility within the black communities, is there? Its always someone else’s fault.
54 posted on 09/21/2014 3:50:07 PM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: walford

Find me a large American city run by liberals that is not a mess.

Democrats throw up large housing project just to warehouse their voters, never doing anything to help them get out of there. Pay them chump change, food stamps, crummy schools and tell them white America Republicans did this to them. And that’s just a fraction of the story of democrats.


55 posted on 09/21/2014 4:13:34 PM PDT by reefdiver (The fool says there is no God. And the bigger fools sees direct evidence and rages against it.)
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To: Lorianne

they don’t want to re-educate us...they want us dead.


56 posted on 09/21/2014 4:16:09 PM PDT by Ouderkirk (To the left, everything must evidence that this or that strand of leftist theory is true)
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To: walford

“wealthier and whiter Americans escape the costs of public goods they would otherwise share with poorer and darker Americans”

And these “public goods” would accomplish what, exactly?

Since whiter Americans started “sharing” with darker Americans in 1965, the condition of those darker Americans has worsened, radically.


57 posted on 09/21/2014 4:18:58 PM PDT by Jim Noble (When strong, avoid them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.)
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To: walford

DARKER????

He used the word “darker”.

Oooooooo...Now he’s in trouble!


58 posted on 09/21/2014 4:20:02 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: walford
surprised the little troll didn't accuse them not wanting to share the beating/mugging/rape/robbery and murder with them too... what a POS
59 posted on 09/21/2014 4:21:14 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -vvv- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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To: Lorianne

hell it’s a crime to be black and live in the suburbs.


60 posted on 09/21/2014 4:48:43 PM PDT by bravo whiskey (we shouldn't fear the government. the government should fear us.)
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