A Take Over By Any Other Name, Is A Take Over!

A TAKE OVER BY ANY OTHER NAME,IS A TAKE OVER!

By Lacino Hamilton

I think it would be proactive for the citizens of Detroit, to publicly have a conversation that is already taking place privately—The business class that left Detroit in the late 1970’s and 80’s, are back. No one is fooled by the talk of financial crises and mismanagement. It is clear the way Public Act 436 was passed. It had the feel of an executive order. Even though other cities in the state have too been taken over by emergency financial managers, Detroit is the prize.

There are city assets, such as Belle Isle and the Water System that other communities have been trying to seize control of for many years. They will be sold or given control of by those other than the people of Detroit. Think about it, if EFM’s have sold city assets or privatized them everywhere else, what makes Detroit different.

As I watched the press conference where an uncomfortable looking Dave Bing, and an emotionless Governor Snyder, introduced emergency financial manager Kevin Orr, I was amazed of ‘the talk’ about state and local collaboration, partnership, team, and other commitments the state has failed to make to Detroit. Why now? Why not when the lights first went out? And why is that the first initiative? When do this collaboration, partnership, and team work begin?

Kevin Orr has not sat down with all the city officials, nor the struggling people of Detroit, to allow Detroit to share with him what are their most immediate needs. He and the state are obviously coming in with an agenda that does not require input from Detroit citizens or officials.

For a Washington, D.C., lawyer, Mr. Orr was extremely well versed in not only state law, but local law too. He was over prepared for that moment. Not for one minute do I think that Mr. Orr had not known months ago he would be appointed czar of Detroit.

There’s about to be a lot of money pumped into Detroit, which means Detroit is going to bounce back. The problem; many of the current residents of Detroit will not be there to enjoy a New Detroit.

When Dave Bing was attempting to so-called shrink Detroit by denying city services to certain neighborhoods that was an attempt to push people out. When that was defeated, the plan became blight by mass demolition of houses. That is because if there is nothing there, there is no reason to be around. Neighborhoods were and are literally being turned into wide open fields.

You don’t take over, and then declare there will be a partnership. Those are gangster tactics, by a gangster government that made a mockery of the democratic process when it pushed Public Act 436 through the legislator after the people had voted down Public Act 4, the very same law, and then attached it to an appropriations bill so that it could not be voted down again. The hand writing was on the wall from that point going forward.

This is not the time to sit on our hands and hope that political situation will fix itself. Neither is this the time to be distracted with issues that don’t focus on all the details. This is the time to show some solidarity and support for your fellow Detroiters. This is the time to fight for the level of Democracy that places you in control of your life, and future.