Comments on: But does Wayne County really WANT Detroit?

By: jbird

jbird — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:25:09 +0000

Can we just give it to Canada?

By: Dissolve Detroit? « Public Secrets

Dissolve Detroit? « Public Secrets — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:00:51 +0000

[...] via Moe Lane [...]

By: DemosthenesVW

DemosthenesVW — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:04:12 +0000

You’ve inspired a thought in me, acat. For all the people looking to move to New Hampshire [Free State Project], or to start a new nation (or transnational business concern) on the open ocean [seasteaders], or other similar brands of libertarian activist/dreamers…here’s a new option. Move to Detroit. Take over (I mean “purchase,” not “occupy”) a few streets that the civic authorities have basically abandoned. Provide your own security, run your own businesses and services, and rebuild Detroit a block at a time. It’s like the Free State Project, only within a city, and with less initial resistance from the people. It’s like seasteading, only with all the benefits of being on land and having a ready-built infrastructure. And it’s like a post-zombie-apocalypse survival scenario, only…no, wait. It’s EXACTLY like that.

By: DemosthenesVW

DemosthenesVW — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:56:44 +0000

Indeed. Although if you subtle your plan up some, you could apply to the League of Shadows.

By: earlgrey

earlgrey — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:53:09 +0000

Breaking up of Detroit should then be used as a symbol by conservatives of liberalims gone awry. Somehow though libs will blame it on Bush or at least repubicans. Nothing they do is every wrong.

By: earlgrey

earlgrey — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:51:56 +0000

thanks acat. I was really angry when I wrote that comment. I just am so sick of people claiming they have some kind of moral highground and then do nasty things like use race to divide a community and deprive my kid of a decent education.

I am curious though, what it will take for suburbanites to get involved. Is that some kind of side-effect of living in the suburbs? You don’t get involved. Because the progressives are gunning for the suburbs.

I wonder what the turnout will be in suburbs in future elections. Or if people are content to sit back and let someone take over their lives.

It also makes me sick to go to planning meeting and having wealthy property owners arguing against the property rights of others because they like things to “look pretty”.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:36:42 +0000

Step 1: Sweet, cleansing fire.
Step 2: Fleet of bulldozers to crush any debris that looks at you funny.
Step 3: More sweet, cleansing fire.
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After the dust settles and the sky stops burning, make it clear that rebuilding the city has the condition that they have to act like a first world city. Those who don’t want to cooperate are given the option of relocating or being subjected to steps 1-3.
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Hm. I think I see why I have no future in politics.

By: Spegen

Spegen — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:29:17 +0000

Would not matter much. Wayne county is already corrupted and fraught with its own legal problems. Plus mixing Detroit with Dearbonistan could be dangerous for the entire SE MI region

By: DemosthenesVW

DemosthenesVW — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:09:38 +0000

Assume for the moment that there is the political will to dissolve Detroit back into Wayne County, both within and without the city. Wayne County wouldn’t have to absorb Detroit’s debts as part of the deal, since the city would no doubt have declared bankruptcy. And they’d still have the same tax base. It still wouldn’t matter, because the same people who helped cause and/or accelerate the death of Detroit would be there too. It seems to me as though we have only two choices — either 1) we can relocate Detroit’s entire political class to a place where they won’t be able to hurt their communities and states nearly as much [say, Manchester NH or Anchorage AL], or 2) we can change Detroit’s name to Gotham, and then watch the coming chaos with the knowledge that at least the name now suits the situation.

By: acat

acat — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:12:28 +0000

I’ll know Detroit is serious about fixing itself when they start using eminent domain to forcibly relocate the one or two people living in houses on an otherwise abandoned street, then bulldoze the whole street back to farmland.
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Until then, they’re just posturing to get more money out of the State to keep the rot going unchanged.
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Mew

By: acat

acat — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:08:07 +0000

Same thing’s going on in Alabama, earlgrey.
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Illinois has some far worse examples, including that State (and Fed) money flows into the Regional Transit Authority, and while the RTA is supposed to fund the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra (light rail), and Pace (suburban bus service) .. somehow, most of the money – tax dollars from Peoria farmers, mind – flows to the CTA while Metra fares are pegged to stay below the cost of driving, but not by much.
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Mew

By: UtahMan

UtahMan — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 04:20:21 +0000

Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. Sorry. Couldn't resist. (Cue accusations of racism in 3, 2, 1...)