Detroit In 2033

-
The objective should be more than getting creditors off the cities back. The goal is to get the city on a trajectory where the municipality provides excellent services to its citizens and, with cooperation from the private sector, begins to grow and prosper.

This is why Detroit's citizens and its suburban neighbors should be in favor of selling assets and I believe the best assets are those stored at the DIA. They appreciate in value and they do very little to improving the life of the average citizen in the city. It will not be necessary to sell all of the artwork and it will not be required to pay down all of the debt.

In order for this to be accomplished the city must develop a vision of what is needed to bring about the future desired of Detroit. The plan must be specific with  the implementation of controls and discipline needed to carry out the objective.

In order for this daunting task to be implemented, Kevyn Orr should not work in a vacuum. He needs the help and expertise of people who know the city. Kevyn Orr will be out of Detroit in less than 2 years. The plan must cover a time span of 20 years. Further, he does not know Detroit as the local citizens know Detroit. Mr. Orr will be derelict in his duties if he develops it while only utilizing the talents of people in his inner circle, many of whom are from out of town.

The citizens in Detroit must demand that the Mayoral candidates develop their own vision of the city for the next twenty years, along with a road map of how they will lead the city to its prominence in the future. 

In the future, the city must do its best to lead events and not let events lead the city.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

China And The Five Baits

-
Image
If you are under the age of 50 you should be concerned about China from an economic and global power standpoint. Some believe China is seeking peace with the rest of the world. Based on their long history, I am not convinced. For China long term is hundreds of years and for the United States it is the next election cycle. China's focus is always on the long term. Much of this post is drawn from a book,  On China , written by Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State under President Nixon and a research paper of the National Intelligence Council titled  Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds . Whether the future will prove China's desire for peaceful co-existence depends on whether its middle class will sufficiently benefit from economic growth and not allow their leadership to throw it away by creating enemies with trading partners.  This requires the country becoming more democratic and less inclined to be a threat to the remainder of the world.  The jury is still looking
Read More

Keep Freedom on The Internet!

-
Image
Net neutrality under attack:   Don't let Verizon and Google dictate the future of the Internet. Contact the FCC! This post reflects a comment received from Common Cause. It is time to stand up with them and keep the internet free . As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers how to write the rules to protect freedom and openness on the Internet,   who should they turn to: consumers like you and me, or the oligopolistic telecommunications companies?   Verizon and Google announced this week that they have it all figured out when it comes to net neutrality.* They unveiled a policy framework that would give telecom companies the right to speed up or slow down certain kinds of content, and to block outright  applications or content on wireless networks.
Read More

Save Some Art or Save Detroit

-
Image
  This is something I wrote back in 2014 while Detroit was struggling with a bankruptcy. I profess not to know the value of all the art held at the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA). Further, I do not know how much of the art is owned by the city of Detroit. I think we should find out and use it in the best way possible to save Detroit and its citizens. I  commend all the foundations and the state of Michigan who have stepped up with hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed contributions to save the DIA and the art work that it holds. Is the plan presented to the creditors concerning these donations and the leveraging of the art the best way to save Detroit and its citizens? Is saving the artwork more important than saving the city and its citizens? Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press made a valid point with his editorial titled “ Detroit’s Rebirth Must Include More Than Downtown, Midtown “. Detroit will not succeed  if it does not cultivate a middle class and we cannot wait de
Read More