I watched “House Hunters” on TV last weekend, and saw a couple check out a grand Detroit home, with gorgeous fireplaces in practically every room. Price tag: $440,000.
I couldn’t help but think then that a similar house in California would have had a price tag of $5 million, because folks want to live in the West Coast state but not so much in Detroit. Even so, I thought “Detroit. Good deal.”
Today, I read this Los Angeles Times story: “De-industrialization, racism, stagnation– is the Motor City our future?”
Now I’m thinking (about U.S. cities, especially those, like ours in Rockford, with such industrial/car ties): “Help.”
Thanks Geo; “Help” is right. Welcome to the nightmare. Rockford’s growth industry is Social Services and that’s a ticket to a bad place for the community. Problem is, big money comes with it and so many agencies have their hand in it, with their leaders and boards benefiting financially, even discussing change is politcal suicide. The city and county are even fighting over who gets to manage the housing vouchers! They want the fees that come with it so we aren’t hearing any talk of reducing subsidized housing. Besides to seriously address it would brings cries of racism, wouldn’t it? Social Services also means the layers of para-government organizations like RAEDC, RACVBLMNOP, etc, etc, etc whose directors take more in salary than many entire small businesses bring in over a year. Perhaps we could handle it during the fat years but those are long gone.
Nope, we truly need “Help” but won’t see any because too many benefit mightily from the status quo.
Meanwhile, if a productive someone stays more than an hour or two downtown they get a fine in the form of a parking ticket. We should be paying people to go downtown, not looking for another way to get in their wallet.
Daniel: You bring up good points. I think many here are trying to address the many issues. Some things take (too much?!) time. I’m an impatient type.
I don’t have your vantage point and can’t see the trying you refer to. Perhaps some talk here and there in pointless meetings but nothing serious. I’m impatient too but I also think we’re almost out of time. There is a thing called a “Tipping Point” and once a community passes it you become Detroit. I don’t despise Social Services but we’ve turned it into an industry with hundreds of “jobs” and very incestuous boards.
Take RHA for example. They’re financially rewarded for having full occupancy and penalized for having empty places. It’s in their interest to keep the projects full and tenants are brought in from Chicago and Michigan if enough can’t be found here. We need to flip it upside down! How about the Rockford HOUSING Authority deals in helping people get their own home – something they own? How about the parking ticket teams stop that and serve to help people find parking? They still drive around but help instead of punish.
Daniel: Again, your ideas merit consideration. Have you directly proposed them to the powers that be?
That would be silly at best and probably painful for me in the end.
Thomas Sowell just wrote a piece and talks about Detroit. You might like it – you might not.
http://thenewamerican.com/index.php/opinion/thomas-sowell/6890-voting-with-their-feet
Daniel: I know battling bureaucracy is difficult at best. Interesting Sowell story. Thanks for posting.
You bet and thanks again. Keep your chin up, but not too high or your throat is exposed…
Good self-defense advice, I suppose.