Detroit mayor plans to end services to one-third of city

[Joanne98]

In a recent press interview Mayor Dave Bing revealed his plans to downsize Detroit by depriving residents living in large swathes of the city of essential services. This effort to drive out the population from one-third of Detroit’s total land mass is being billed by the government and the media as a plan to “incentivize” people to relocate rather than “forcing” them.

The supposed incentive is that those who relocate to one of the neighborhoods slated for survival will actually have access to such things as public schools, transportation, fresh water, gas, electricity, and emergency services. Those who remain outside of these seven to nine neighborhoods will go without.

Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, Bing stated, “We’re going to be encouraging to move and put themselves in a better situation. They are much better moving into a more dense area so that we can provide them with the services they need: that would be water, sewer, lighting, public safety—all of that.”

In order to underscore his point, the mayor made clear that those who did not relocate “need to understand that they’re not going to get the kind of services they require.” He added, “I don’t want people to think that, if they hold out, there’s going to be a pot full of money somewhere, because there’s not.” In other words, the city will not provide any financial aid to residents being forced with the choice of losing their homes or living in pre-20th century conditions.

Karen Dumas, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, further emphasized this point to the Detroit Free Press, which reported that she “said the opportunity for a better life in a neighborhood that provided improved city services should encourage people to move and, by itself, provide an incentive.”

The fact that the press repeats this nonsense and produces headlines, without even a blush, about the city’s plans, is an indictment of the media and underscores the contempt the entire political establishment has towards the working population and poor residents of the city.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/dec2010/bing-d10.shtml

[rox63]

1. Don't they call this sort of thing "ethnic cleansing" when it happens in other countries?

:(

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. "speaks volumes about the social interests represented by the government

and the decay of American democracy."

Says the article.

Yep.

They did essentially the same thing in New Orleans after Katrina. Boarded up undamaged housing projects, with people's belongings still in them, refused to let anyone move back in, refused to clean up poor black neighborhoods or provide services, in the hopes the blacks would leave, then the city could sell the land for re-development.

[wpelb]

12. Here they call it "urban renewal"

Which some blacks (and probably others) say means "Negro removal."

Once the minorities move out of these service-deprived neighborhoods, what do you think will happen? Land developers will come in, buy the land almost literally dirt cheap, and presto! The city will be falling all over itself to restore not only basic but in fact enhanced services to neighborhoods that whites will now be invited to move into.

[Mojorabbit]

15. I thought they were going to turn it into farmland? nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Anyone know what "third" of the city they are abandoning?

Wouldn't happen to be the poorest of the minority area, by any chance?

And anyone wonder how long before some other city decides to do the same thing?

[Sherman A1]

6. And how long before the land is sold cheap to

be redeveloped with huge TIF's and the services magically are returned?

[alstephenson]

3. Is this from the Onion???

Unbelievable. This is just wrong on so many levels.

[louis-t]

5. I'm sure they'll all just get their checkbooks out and

buy a new house in a different neighborhood. x( Katrina redux.

[Sherman A1]

7. Does this mean that they will no longer need to pay

property tax to the city as they will receive no services?

Oh, the class action lawsuits that are going to come from this one......

[EmeraldCityGrl]

8. Here it is, the beginning of third world corporate zones

The downsizing of Detroit is closely related to plans to create a tax haven in the city, whereby big business, including auto manufacturing, will be able to take advantage of cheap land, poverty-level wages, and huge tax breaks. The Detroit Regional Chamber, a commercial lobbying organization whose board is made up of leading Michigan business figures, is heavily promoting this idea.
When asked by the Detroit Free Press whether he was “open to creating tax free zones in the city,” Bing, who is a vocal supporter of President Barack Obama’s extension of tax cuts for the wealthy, responded, “Absolutely.”

I'm without words.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. That IS a pretty big population drop.

I assume that those who could, moved, leaving the poor and defenseless behind.

It seems there is no longer ANY pretense of using OUR tax money to provide services for the populace.
The theft is becoming bolder and bolder.

There WILL be revolution, one form or another, it is really inevitable now.

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. Something very much like this...

...has been done in some of the cities of the former East Germany that suffered unemployment, and then large-scale population loss, after re-unification.
It's a legitimate solution to a real problem.

In order to underscore his point, the mayor made clear that those who did not relocate “need to understand that they’re not going to get the kind of services they require.” He added, “I don’t want people to think that, if they hold out, there’s going to be a pot full of money somewhere, because there’s not.” In other words, the city will not provide any financial aid to residents being forced with the choice of losing their homes or living in pre-20th century conditions.

Is their 'In other words....' actually what the mayor said?

[DCKit]

11. Sounds like a land grab. nt

[bluedigger]

13. The city has become unsustainable.

I'm sure a lot of unethical profiteering will result, but the fact is Detroit cannot survive on the scale that it once did. Unless there is a magic way to create a tax base to provide services at previous levels, this is a rational decision on the city governments part. It will be painful for many, but, like gangrene, it's better to lose a limb than the patient...:shrug:

[handmade34]

14. sad times in Detroit...

just left after working there 3 weeks... this is what many of the houses look like...