Detroit’s spring, anti-government rhetoric, and the importance of paying taxes
by Linda Beale
Detroit’s spring, anti-government rhetoric, and the importance of paying taxes
Dear Readers:
As you know, I’ve been offline for a few days. Spent a very nice holiday enjoying the outdoors. Spring has sprung in Michigan. Daffodils are blooming, bobbing their gay yellow heads in various corners of the yard where I tucked bulbs in last fall. Tulips have surged upwards like the subprime market before the crash–any day I’ll see that bright red, pink and purple that makes one sure that the world can’t be all that bad. I’ve planted quite a few fruit trees on my 3/4 acre in the “New Center” area of Detroit (Boston-Edison, to be exact). Cherries and ornamental pears will likely start opening blossoms today. Plums are in line close behind. Peaches appear set to be loaded again this year. Apples are slower–even the crabapple hasn’t yet shown its buds. Mulberries, grapes, kiwis, elderberries. This will be the third full year I’ve lived in Detroit, and the time when most of my earlier labor at planting will pay off.
Infrastructure is like that. You need to plan, and you need to do a lot of hard work. And eventually, the infrastructure supports the development you foresaw when you started. Short term thinking doesn’t get you very far. Oh sure, you can plant a gazillion annuals and you might get a raucous splash of color for the season. But it is lacking compared to the recurring beauty of perennials and trees that work together to provide food for humans, birds, squirrels while cleaning the air, beautifying the landscape, and just adding grace to human existence.
The US needs to do better at long-term planning, and one of the most encouraging things this year in Detroit is that we just might get our act together to do that. With some support from federal tax revenues, some creative thinking, and sheer determination, Detroit may be able to downsize and upgrade at the same time. It will require a lot–demolition of vacant and decayed properties that will cost money and not bring rewards til several years down the road; construction of public/private facilties like sports arenas, the riverwalk, bridges, and the Cobo Center; creation of a real public transportation system for the future (light rail); bicycle trails (we already have cyclists down our one-way street on Third every weekend); and new ideas like urban farming (if they can figure out what to do about the high lead level in the Detroit earth). Most important, though, is improvement of the schools. That means taxpayer dollars and volunteer hours. Encouragingly, Detroit Public Schools’ new volunteer program for a three-year commitment to two preschoolers has more than 5000 participants.
There is hope in Detroit, and hope in the country. But we have to achieve a balance between holding government officials accountable, which is terribly important, and helping government officials do their job by supporting government programs and understanding the importance of taxation as the necessary foundation for good government that does many things for its citizens that citizens cannot do for themselves.
Spring is a time of renewal. Let’s think of it as a time to cut out the ideological hate rhetoric, and get down to the business of governing ourselves in ways that help ordinary Americans lead better lives. That would be by far the best antidote to the growing problem of oligarchy and corporatism in this country!
Linda:
Phytoremediation removes pollutants from the ground. Planting particular crops (soy beans, sunflowers, etc.) will take toxic metals (lead) from the ground. See figure 1 here: http://www.aspb.org/publicaffairs/briefing/phytoremediation.cfm I was never sure why Ford planted Sunflowers at various sites near Executive Plaza Drive other than to collect crop subsididies. At the end of the year they would just let them die off and harvest the stalks. Maybe the ground was polluted there? I was never sure why thye planting.
Plants will remove heavy metals from the soil over time. Maybe Detroit can try that for a few years in certain spots. Unfortunately, no one can eat the crops.
For the first time in about 40 years criminals and thugs do not control most key elective offices in Detroit.
There is one growth industry — indicting and convicting former and current public officials.
There are a lot of decent people in Detroit who deserve better, maybe, just maybe, progress is at hand.
Linda,
Not to be blunt but Detroit is on a one way express train to default. From the Detroit news (linky)
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100406/METRO01/4060342/1409/Report–Detroit-bankruptcy-looms-without-drastic-change
Some choice excerts:
“
Mayor Dave Bing and the City Council must reduce the size of government and slash the city’s budget deficit to stave off bankruptcy or state receivership, according to a report released Monday.
Without draconian cuts and changes aimed at downsizing government, the city could end up with a “possible” general fund deficit between $446 million and $466 million to its $1.6 billion budget.
“Detroit city government must be restructured,” according to the report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonprofit that has studied Detroit finances for decades. “The new structure must reflect both the reduced tax base and the limited ability of state government to provide shared revenues.”
Also taking from one of the commenters:
“IF 70,000 homes need to “torn down” at $6,000 each (and that’s light by $2,000) $4.2 BILLION dollars will be required to do the job.”
So where does Detroit expect to get that $4.2 billion??? State? Feds?
This is a Dem and Union town and has been run into the crapper. Now they are at the end of the line and need a bailout or better yet bankruptcy (allows renogotiation of all existing contracts and would allow a rapid downsizing of the bloated city government.)
STR – Yea I would like to have hope for a better future, but until the rust belt decides to become a lot more gov efficient and business friendly its not going to happen. If your going to open a new factory would you rather build in Detroit or Atlanta (or Dallas or Houston of Oklahoma City etc)? And that’s why we haven’t had one new plant built in the rust belt since I left in 1980. Much better situation in many other states.
Heck, I can get the same quality workers in India for a tenth the cost and without all those business regualtions about safety, work hours, etc. And pick and choose the workers from thousands of applicants.
Thats what’s killing Detriot, the Dem Government corruption and union inefficientcy just makes the situation worse. Time for Detroit to go bankrupt and reset…
Islam will change
Another article based on the same Detroit news article above but with more detail on Detroits budgets problems. You will have to scroll down a little since I don’t knwo how to link into the middle of a blog article. This site is on Rdan’s approved link list (on the right).
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/
Islam will change
A striking data point from Mish’s data. Almost unbeleivable, but I’ve seen the same thing with Buffalo NY.
“The average price of a residential unit sold in the January through November, 2009 period was $12,439, down from $97,847 in 2003. Remaining businesses and individuals are challenging property tax assessments on parcels that have lost value and, in some cases, cannot be sold at any price.”
I think this speaks for itself.
Linda – “With some support from federal tax revenues, some creative thinking, and sheer determination, Detroit may be able to downsize and upgrade at the same time. It will require a lot–demolition of vacant and decayed properties that will cost money and not bring rewards til several years down the road; construction of public/private facilties like sports arenas, the riverwalk, bridges, and the Cobo Center; creation of a real public transportation system for the future (light rail); bicycle trails (we already have cyclists down our one-way street on Third every weekend); and new ideas like urban farming (if they can figure out what to do about the high lead level in the Detroit earth). Most important, though, is improvement of the schools.”
Perhaps Linda could provide a detailed breakdown of Federal funding provided to Detroit.
Detroit is being supported on a wide range of projects including the demolition of homes and buildings.
“The demolitions planned by Bing this year are federally funded by Neighborhood Stabilization Funds. …Bing plans to raze 10,000 buildings by the end of 2014.”
http://hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/neighborhoodspg/
http://www.freep.com/article/20100407/NEWS01/4070317/1320/Detroit-gets-go-ahead-to-resume-demolitions
.
Buff
you spoil your argument with excessive partisanship and rabid anti union-ism.
I’ll set my Democratic state (Oregon) up against any Repubican state in the country, but especially the South, for lack of corruption, efficiency, and well being of the people.
and while unions, like democrats, can be corrupt, the unionized north enjoyed a standard of living far in excess of the anti-union south fifty years before a democratic president found a way to introduce “industry” to the south, and deprive them of “cheap” labor at the same time. that cheap labor being the black slaves in all but name the pro business climate of the south had enjoyed since about 1620.
i’m not saying that detroit, or michigan is not, was not, corrupt and in a bad way. my family were Republicans in Chicago because in Chicago the Democrats were in power, and as we know, power corrupts. keep that in mind while you are promoting unexamined power for Republicans. I am happy to say my family all reformed after watching the effects of the Republican “Southern Strategy”
(should add that we were Republicans in the South before it was popular… for the same reason). Now that I have watched the new democrats in inaction, I don’t have much faith in them either, but am not so foolish as to rush back into the arms of a Party that sold its soul. “When you dance with the devil, the devil calls the tune.”
By some estimates the Detroit Public Schools have had waste and theft of up to $400M in the past decade or so(most recent indictments, theft of $57M).
Will the auto industry come back? Not like the good old days.
From the all knowing Buffpilot:
“Heck, I can get the same quality workers in India for a tenth the cost and without all those business regualtions about safety, work hours, etc. And pick and choose the workers from thousands of applicants.”
“Thats what’s killing Detriot, the Dem Government corruption and union inefficientcy just makes the situation worse. Time for Detroit to go bankrupt and reset…”
Do you not even recognize the inconsistency in your two statements, one following the other in such close proximity that neglecting the contradiction implies a myopic views of the world around you. Yes, capital follows cheap labor around the globe. That’s the truth of globalization. A living wage is determined by the lowest common denominator rather than the cost of living. Corruption killed Detroit? How about the auto industry not even trying over a twenty year period to make a decent piece of goods? Did that not hurt Detroit? How about the government cowtowing to the banks with buckets of cash rather than assisting inner cities to redevelop. Private money goes to opportunity. Government money goes to bailout incompetents. Nothing is left for placed like Detroit.
I live in Detriot’s sister city – Baltimore. However, in comparison to Detriot we are better off.
The #1 key for both cities is to get crime under control, becuase that is a huge barrier to attracting residents. Just 2 weeks ago a gang leader was executed behind my house, which is a stone’s throw from John’s Hopkins University. Our Mayopr was just convicted of a crime, and had to resign.
I was in Detriot last year for one day, when a junkie tried to pickpocket me in the GM buiding.
Here in Baltimore, the crime situation has improved, but still has a long way to go. I am living in the city to help it – kind of my preferred charity. But my patience is often tested, becuase i fear for my safety, and my wife’s. My good friends had to move the second they had tehir first baby, becuase the city is not very safe for kids – and the schools are very unsafe.
Until Detriot and Baltimore get a handle on crime, these cities will continue to suffer in every way. I would like to see large federal grants to increase police precece – mainly foot patrols. This would prevent much crime from occuring in the first place, thus lessening the need to lock people up.
So razing building and infrastructure are good things, but wiothout the public safety aspect could prove to be meaningless.
coberly,
I watched the union slowly destroy itself where I grew up – Ohio. Like str I’m from the rust belt. The union had their place and were necessary long ago, like you mentioned 50 YEARS ago, but they have become so corrupted that all they do is kill the very industries that employ them. Detroit is example #1. And the Dems have run Detroits Gov for decades. So whom to blame – yep, your right blame Bush.
Once Detroit, Akron, Cleveland, Buffalo, Flint, Pittsburg…were the heart of the US economic engine. Go watch those really old movies made in the 30s, 40s, 50, even early 60s and they will all describe those cities as vibrant, cutting edge cities. The place to be. Now? They are laughed at and described like something out of a post-apacolypse movie. Did you miss the part where they plan to bulldoze 10,000 homes?
coberly – how about a test. Go around to your progressive budies (or have your kids if your to old to be beleivable) and tell them you got a great offer for a job in Buffalo and see what kind of reaction you get. Or in Akron or in Flint.
And you wonder why no oone builds new factories in these towns?
But they are building them in Atlanta and Dallas and Houston, heck even in Mississippi!
Islam will change
Coberly,
I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at the corrupt governments and the anti-business climate that pervades the rustbelt states – paticularly Michigan and Ohio. And yes the R’s in Ohio were just as bad. But D or R they both fed a business climate that caused teh best a brightest to flee at their earliest ability. The unions just ratched this corruption and stupidity up a notch., practically feeding on each other.
Ending rant…
Islam will change
Buff
you miss my point. it’s too bad you got to watch unions and democrats be corrupt without noticing that business and republicans could be just as bad if not worse. the point is that it’s not “party” or even “union” but “power” and yes, “people.”
i’ll tell you about my “lib” friends someday when we are off camera.
jack
thanks for the rest of the story.
i get carried away trying to agree with Buff and forget to mention the role of corporate idiocrats and the insane right and the new lite democrats who are not too smart but they can see when the repubs have a good thing going.
Henry Ford, hardly a lover of labor, came to the realization that he could not be successful until the workers who built the cars could afford to buy the cars.
We can take down wages and reduce real incomes for U.S. workers, but then who shops and dines and buys?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its allies have been so sucessful as cramping wages they are killing much of their own customer base.
Coberly,
The R’s in Ohio were just as corrupt and all politics in both states are heavily anti-business. Not a plac for a start-up, even with the cost of land basically free.
Jack,
You missed the first and most important part of that sentance you quoted. So I will emphasize just that:
“I can get the same quality workers in India…”
That’s what the union brings to the table. Nothing. They can’t compete on price and can’t comepete on the intangibles (Government corruption, gov. environmental poicies, labor rules etc), but they have to compete on how effective they are. But they don’t. So given that the worker is the same and with only downsides to the rest, you surely don’t build in Detroit. You build in Dallas or Atlanta or New Dehli or Mexico City.
Right now those right-to-work states are leveraging their better business climate to grab the new businesses and at least try to compete vs overseas. Michigan and Ohio haven’t landed a new factory in 30+ years and arn’t even trying. GM should not even be in business anymore. Those two rust-belt states can’t even compete against Mississippi let alone Mexico or India.
How many of your hipster progressives are heading to the frontier of Detroit or Akron or Buffalo to make their fortunes? What large multiple of that number are heading for India or China?
As for the inner cities? You can land that right at the feet of your Dem politicians. Not many cities are being run by R’s these days (and the inner city schools are 100% controlled by the Dem teachers unions). How many of your progressive friends actually send their kids to their local inner city school? Obama sure opted out quick and even killed a program to let other inner-city kids get out also. My bet the second they have kids they sign them up for private or head for the burbs – seen it WAY to often. Even my “makes Obama look to the right of Rush” sister in law got her kids out of there. And got violent when I pointed it out to her once.
And yes the R’s can be just as stupid at times (see Virginia – Current Governor), but they don’t entrench disfunctional policies into government that are almost impossible to change. I don’t have to buy and iPad or even know what Apple is, but I sure as hell better pay attention to the Feds. I can always move away from Ohio or Detroit – as did many millions, but I can’t get away from the Fed.
Islam will change
STR,
I agree – but exactly how are you going to get that widget maker – US to compete against widget maker-china who can sell to the retell merchant for half what widget maker – US can. Ford never competed against Yugo or Toyota. Paying US workers more won’t do you any good if they then just buy the imported Toyota for half the price, and then you go bankrupt. How many TVs are made in the US these days? RCA was once a leader in its field. Kodaks demise took down Rochester NY. Heck how many of the iPads are made in the US (start to finish)?
Right now many common retail items cannot be found that are made in America. TVs come to mind right off the top. Toys? Basically if it can be massed produced and shipped via container it can be made easier and cheaper in India or China.
So are we back to a trade war? Or are we willing to call 10-15% unemployment the new norm (like Europe)? Or just see our standard of lving drop to say Greece? Or both.
How do you smart guys plan to compete with workers in India and China who thinks a clean 1000 sf apartment for his extended family (working 60 hours a week in less than OSHA standard conditions) and $6K/year income is living large???
I wish I had an answer but increasnig labor cost isn’t one of them…
Islam will change
“Will the auto industry come back?”
Not in Detroit….
Well, then we reduce the standard of living for at least 50% of Americans and risk a REAL populist uprising at the polls.
Buff,
I miassed nothing in your peon to corporate globe trotting. Mexico and the south are beginning to feel the sting of the cheaper labor in other parts of the world. India? How abouot China? Can you find a pair of athletic shoes not made there? Can you find leather goods not made there? Can you find anything made in the USA? Do you applaude the coming of our third world status, all in the name of a globalized, cheap labor economy. I don’t doubt that skill level in India is good. Maybe even so in China. How about living conditions? We’ve become capital partners with one of the most severely totalitarian regimes in the world, China! Living standards in India aren’t a heck of a lot better. What are our kids going to do for a living? Not everyone is going to run a financial institution. The economy is in the tank because there are no jobs for the many people who want them. Pretty soon you’ll be complaining of all the lazy buggers that aren’t even looking for the work that isn’t there.
STR,
The problem is I think that is were we are heading. Our huge wealth will slow and cushion the fall, but once Madrid and London ruled large chunks of the world…
You have any good ideas?
Islam will change
Ok Jack – I admit I don’t have a solution. Increasing socialism is not going to make us more competitive that’s for sure.
So what’s you solution? Where do you see the jobs coming from in the future?
BTW, your just reinforcing my points with the above….
Islam will change
Buff:
How disappointing. This is simply not true.
“They can’t compete on price and can’t compete on the intangibles”
The battle is not being fought over labor input to the product in which case we are far more efficent. And why would you want to build new when you can reclaim old?
MG:
How about getting a handle on society? In so much, you are treating a symptom rather than the cause by increasing a police presence. How about large federal grants to create jobs in inner cities, improve schools, create health clinics, etc. Much of the problem decreases with improvements as I mentioned.
McWop:
How about getting a handle on society? In so much, you are treating a symptom rather than the cause by increasing a police presence. How about large federal grants to create jobs in inner cities, improve schools, create health clinics, etc. Much of the problem decreases with improvements as I mentioned
You have to treat the symptom and the cause. Baltimore city government has proven pretty inept at treating the cause. Unfortunately, that treatment of the cause will take decades, if they can get it right. Where some increased police numbers will have a more immediate impact – this is the one area after decades Baltimore just started to get right. Police are the aspirin, time is the cure – assuming government gets it right. For example, high rise public housing here was a large part of the problem, luckily after decades government learned their lesson, and the last of those relics are gone, replaced with less cramped low rise apartments.
Buff
actually America did pretty well with a protective tariff. Smoot Hawley was a bad move at a bad time, but that doesn’t mean all tariffs are going to work out bad.
And toyota builds a better car than Detroit. Sorry about that.
And a “lower standard of living” might work out fine for all of us is ‘lower standard” means somehow getting by with cheaper cars and shorter commutes.
“We” don’t need to compete with Indian or Chinese labor. We have everything we need right here.
Give them time and they will move up to our standard of living. The only thing moving us down to theirs is American corporations looking for cheapest labor. We don’t have to go there.
Funny you mention Madrid and London. I think we are making their mistakes. Also, I am reading a book about France before the revolution. Parallels with us are striking. They have a lot to do with the upper classes refusing to tax themselves while still using government to make their lives richer.
mcwop
i wish i was optimistic. i think what we have is something like an infected wound. we know what caused it. and we know in theory how to cure it. but the patient might die anyway.
you don’t just go into an inner city and say, okay now, guys, show a little work ethic and everything is going to get better. ’cause they know better.
and we can’t just bring back the jobs, because we already killed off our own human capital (knowledge and experience running the factories).
and Buff is only half right… the Dems in Washington are part of the problem, but they are panting to keep up with the REpubs who invented it.
McWop:
In Michigan and in 6 years; I have watched prison numbers go from numbers 460000 to 700000+ or ~40,000 new numbers being added per year with little impact on the rise in crime. I also do voluntary work in the prison system. According to this Pew Report http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=49398 1 in 31 are either in prison, in jail, on probation, or on parole which equates to ~7.3 million. 25 years ago the number was 1 in 77. In 2009, 38 states didn’t have this many people. Prison population was 1 in every one hundred.
To house a prisoner, the cost ranges from $11,000 to $41,000 with an average cost of ~$22,000. 1 in 11 black males are in prison. Black males have experienced twice the rate of unemployment as their white counter parts, are more likely to remain poor if born poor, are less educated due to the environment born into, and more than likely will not benefit from SS as they will dies sooner of natural causes.
From my own personal knowledge of inmates, many go through GED schooling; but, their brains are so deficient from the use of drugs that such training is ineffective. We basically have a population of prisoners who may never be able to reason and be effective community members. This comes from an exposure in environments that allow such practices to occur. Obviously the environment requires changing to change the paradigm.
If we can spend $11,000 to $41,000 annually to house prisoners, why is there even a discussion over education, schools, and job creation when the outcome is so much more expensive in cost? The police are not the alka seltzer that will speed relief to the ailment and is more of the snake oil being hawked by those who believ in (and inaccurately so) an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth punishment.
run
i think you are on the right track. but as long as the R’s can get elected by being tough on crime and cutting taxes, things will only get worse.
Buff failed to note, I think, that while he was blaming the unions he was saying the unions could do nothing but accept Chinese wages.
the fact is that Unions never had much power. power is in the hands of the people with the money. and for some reason they have decided that civilization is not worth having. hard to believe they are just stupid. maybe they know something i don’t know.
Knock it all down, spend huges sums to build it back up, then I suppose knock it all down again….
***bicycle trails*** When I lived in Canton Township (Western burbs of Detroit) 15 years ago, there were plenty of bicycle trails. Just no bicyclists. And where there weren’t bicycle trails, you could always ride on the sidewalks since Detroiters never walk anywhere. Riding bicycles on the street in Detroit is not recommended as you folks have — with the possible exception of San Diego — the most inept and scariest urban drivers in the nation, bar none.
It’s a shame because Detroit, being flat as a billiard table, is a very good place for bicycles. I used to use mine daily for shopping and such. Not so much anymore. Vermont is not flat and I absolutely hate riding bicycles uphill.
It remains to be seen if you can get your folks out of their cars. Economics says that many of them should park the damn cars and use their bikes for routine errands. I’ll believe that when I see it.
(And yes, the Crocuses have croaked here in Vermont. Forsythia is blooming. A few daffodils are blooming as well and the tulips will be along in a week or two).
coberly,
What’s the name of the book? I’m just starting “Infidel” and then will need something new…
Islam will change
Buff
“Fatal Purity” about Robespierre. Not so much about the economics of the Ancien Regime as you might have thought from my comment. Just a few hints that made be say “but that’s what we’ve got now.”
Codger
a modest step up from a bicycle would be an electric powered “scooter” or small car to get you out of the rain. with something like those bike paths you wouldn’t have to compete with the big cars at the risk of your life, wouldn’t have to pedal up hill, and would save a hell of a lot of money on gas… if you can find a way to sell enough of them to make it economic to build them and provide the traffic lanes.
Run,
The point is with proper polcing you don’t send people to jail, you prevent the crime from occuring in the first place. Hard to commit crimes when the police are standing next to you. And the only crime I am concerned with are crimes of violence. If someone want to do drugs, then I could care less – in fact I am for drug decriminalization. Give people the option to get clean drugs, or treatement.
Coberly,
Your comment on Republicans and tough on crime stance is totally misplaced. There have been many successful initiatives against violent crime in NYC, Boston, and Richmond (by bothe dems and repupubs). Governmnet’s main job is public safety; I really do not like being held up at gun point, or attacked by 6 gangbangers out for their version of fun. Some poeple in this world are just bad. There are bad poor and rich people (Madoff anyone?), they just have access to different types of crimes. Baltimore is a very violent place (been the victim of or witnessed over two dozen crimes in my 15 years here), and one big reason is that there are no serious repercussions for beating people, or shooting them in Baltimore – but that is changing and there has been some success. You simply look at teh rap sheet of the violent ones, and they have been convicted of murder, armed robbery, assault dozens of times. These are not the majority of people, they are the minority, and they hurt other poor people mostly – not the rich. They have acces to health care (how do you think they get the bullets removed), they have access to public schools, they have access to housing programs etc…. For a small minorty they prefer violent gang-life and some really do actually enjoy it – just like some white collar criminals enjoy their crime.
I now try to commute to work twice a week by combination bike + subway (we only have one line in B-more). Ride bike to subway, take bike on subway, ride remaining way to work. The ride through the city is easy compared to the county. The county roads, despite being new, have narrow lanes. Luckily I found a way around it combining unused sidewalk, and cutting through some parking lots. Baltimore has a thriving bike culture. In fact going to buy a new light one for my commuting from an employee owned/operated bike store (another trend in baltimore).
While we can’t easily get people out of their cars, I wish we would raise the gas tax to subsidize public transaport, and a telecommuting bill that encourages its utilization – so people do not even need to take the car to work – reducing traffic.
http://www.baltimorebicycleworks.com/
Here is an example of dealing with crime smartly:
The Texas Legislature approved broad changes to the state’s corrections system, including expansions of drug treatment programs and drug courts and revisions to parole practices.
“Our violent offenders, we lock them up for a very long time – rapists, murderers, child molesters,” said John Whitmire, a Democratic state senator from Houston and the chairman of the Texas Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee. “The problem was that we weren’t smart about nonviolent offenders. The Legislature finally caught up with the public.”
mcwop
there is a difference between fighting crime and hyping crime to get votes. the repubs run on a get tough on crime platform that, together with their economic policies, increase crime.
and no, i am not a bleeding heart liberal.
yep,
wasn’t it Texas that just pardoned, posthumously, someone they convicted of a crime he didn’t commit?
mcwop
can’t help commenting on this
when i was a kid i got ticketed for riding on the sidewalk, and arrested for cutting through vacant lots, as part of LAPD’s tough on crime.
can’t say it did a lot for my attitude.
“Michigan and Ohio haven’t landed a new factory in 30+ years and arn’t even trying. GM should not even be in business anymore. Those two rust-belt states can’t even compete against Mississippi let alone Mexico or India.”
Sorry to ruin your tirade with facts, but take a peek and then I’ll accept your apology.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/flint_to_get_new_350million_ge.html
https://www.msu.edu/user/hillrr/321GM%20Lansing.htm
There’s (2) NEW plants in Michigan in “the past 30 years” – I’m certain there are others.
As to “competeing” I guess my response might be along the line of “why SHOULD we compete?”
The big three have had Mexican plants for decades and there wasn’t any difference in price for Mexican-assembled vehicles.
And the statement you made below is quite a whopper…
“And yes the R’s can be just as stupid at times (see Virginia – Current Governor), but they don’t entrench disfunctional policies into government that are almost impossible to change.”
I currently reside in a red state in the desert. The R’s in charge overspent to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars, and when the cows finally came home, they cancelled health insurance for 350,000 people, closed all the state parks (after looting the park’s savings accounts),
and sold all of our state’s buildings and rented them back at taxpayer expense.
What they’ve done is not in any way fiscally responsible, and by the way – we have terrible schools as well, which will make recovery much more difficult, since employers migh like low taxes, but they also need competent employees.
Pay peanuts – hire monkeys.
McWop:
The death penalty doesn’t defer murders as is show by the murder rates in each of the states that have a death penalty. Neither does having more police or prisons lower the rate of crime. Change the paradigm as all you are doing is treating the symtoms and not the causes.
As I said before, the prisons are full of young people whose brains are fried from drugs and will never pass a GED. There are issues with drugs.
Coberly,
You’re showing your age if you can recall vacant lots any where in LA. Like NY, I would guess that every open space has been long since built upon. The only vacant lots in NY are those made so, briefly, when an old house is torn down to make way for a McMansion.
Also, I had suspected that you had misspent your youth as a juvenile delinquent. Citation for bicycling on the side walk and cutting through lots. You were daring. I got a ticket for jaywalking in LA about 35 years ago. Will we end up on the no-fly list?