Detroiters and other Michigan residents agree. There is too much “special attention” given to the City of Detroit.
The special attention given to Detroit over the last generation has resulted in extreme economic dislocation. Many of the actions taken by the State of Michigan that are meant in specific for Detroit are reversible errors. Michigan should act to correct them now.
Detroit had for decades an agreement that required the employees of the city to live in Detroit. One very destructive act by the state stripped Detroit of being able to continue this productive and helpful agreement. These agreements resulted in most neighborhoods having Detroit City employees as residents. They were the eyes and ears of Detroit's elected and appointed officials and an effective anti crime and anti blight force working for the city of Detroit.
Detroit's ability to tax itself has been recently severely restricted by the state of Michigan. This includes a state forced rollback of the city's income tax. Detroiters are willing and have been always willing to step up and pay their own way. But these efforts are stymied by the state of Michigan.
Detroit voted to allow three casinos to operate in the city. What was NEVER expected was the state of Michigan would take for itself the lions share of the tax revenue and leave the actual support for these casinos to the tax payers of Detroit. This is another case of “special attention” that, if corrected, would more then cover Detroit's annual spending deficit.
Detroit, back when Detroit voters were in charge decided all contractors working for the city of Detroit must pay a living wage so their employees could afford to live in respect and dignity in the city. The state of Michigan stripped Detroit and a few other Michigan cities (Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor) of this power under the Engler administration.
All of these actions taken by the state of Michigan have had a detrimental effect on Southeast Michigan. The entire region is hurt by what the Governor and the Emergency Manager are doing to Detroit and other Michigan cities. Michigan must somehow explain why a majority of African American Michigan residents are stripped of their power to have local control of their government. This is freely granted to virtually all white residents of the state. Michigan must explain to the world which is watching closely today why these actions against Detroit were taken in the name of ALL Michigan voters.