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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I can recall hearing arguments about scrappers for years. Detroit is not alone and many communities in Michigan share this problem.
July 11, 2013 at 1:00 am
Detroit's being lost a piece at a time
Nolan Finley
A chunk of concrete juts out of a hole on a street near Eastern Market in Detroit, placed there I assume by a good Samaritan who hoped to warn motorists of the hazard lest they bust a tire, or worse.
The manhole cover that once fit over the opening is long gone. My hunch is it was pried up by scrappers and sold to a metal dealer. Iron manhole covers don’t just blow away.
In other places, I’ve seen open sewer holes marked by tree limbs, milk crates and other make-shift warning signs.
Detroit is being dismantled and melted down piece by piece.
Officials estimate that 40 percent of the 44,000 out-of-commission street lights are the victim of metal thieves who strip the poles of wires and critical electrical parts made of copper.
Abandoned homes are quickly deconstructed, relieved of their copper wires and pipes, aluminum siding and anything else that might bring a few bucks from a scrap metal dealer. Even empty buildings in the heart of downtown fall prey to scavengers.
In Detroit, scavenging is a major contributor to blight. When the scrappers are done with homes and commercial buildings, they’re uninhabitable, and the odds they’ll be rehabbed go way down. So they sit there and rot.
“It contributes to an overall sense of lawlessness in the city of Detroit, as well as the devastation of the neighborhoods,” says Andy Arena, head of the Detroit Crime Commission, which has made ending scavenging a priority. “Now you have dilapidated houses that can be used by drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminal elements.”
Arena, former head of the FBI office in Detroit, is pushing for tougher legislation, both from Lansing and the city, to crack down on scavengers and metal dealers.
The crime commission has drafted proposals to require scrappers to have permits before they can sell metal to dealers, and to document where the metal came from. Dealers would have to more thoroughly document the metal they buy, and who they buy it from. Photographs and fingerprints of the scrappers would be required, and heavy penalties would be imposed for buying metal from scavengers who don’t have permits.
The scrap metal industry is pushing back, and successfully delayed consideration of legislation until the fall. “It’s pure greed,” says Arena, who adds that metal thefts could be choked off if dealers would just say, “That’s stolen. Get that stuff out of here.”
In a city where nearly 90 percent of homicides go unsolved, cracking down on scavengers may seem an odd priority. But the illegal scrappers are like termites devouring the city one small bite at a time. Until they’re stopped, Detroit can’t effectively tackle blight.
nfinley@detnews.com
(313)222-2064
Follow Nolan Finley at detroitnews.com/finley, on Twitter at nolanfinleydn, on Facebook at nolanfinleydetnews and watch him at 7:30 p.m. Fridays on "MiWeek" on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56.
Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130711/OPINION01/307110009#ixzz2YliXqecE |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:57 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:16 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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There are other ways in which Flint is being dismantled piece by piece.
The golf courses and community centers.
It would take a fortune to restore the Mott Golf Course to where it could actually be used for golf. I have to admit the volunteers are doing an excellent job of taking care of the area around the course. New flower beds and meticulous tree trimming has happened there. However the previous Asian beetle damage and the floodwaters have taken their toll. Manicured greens have been replaced with an abundance of weeds.
I don't golf, but little has been said about the Kearsley, Swartz, and Piece golf courses, two of which have been privatized.
Pierce park lost their community center when the EM privatized it into a banquet Center. I have never seen any ads for the Banquet Center, and one of the owners recently died.
Hasselbring Senior Center was privatized to an entity that was shown to have financial issues. It appears the EM was anxious to rid the city of the management burden. The advisory group failed to make appropriate arrangements.
The Brennan Center had a different arrangement. The Advisory Group fought for and received an agreement in which the Advisory Group can run the Center through September of 2014. |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:46 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Haskill Center is now a youth center run by the Boys and Girls Club. The senior Center component was dismantled because there was not enough usage.
The Brennan Center has a grant for youth programs. I have been told there is a friction between the seniors and the youth.
That leaves the Brennan Center. Through the efforts of Third Ward Councilman Bryant Nolden the building is undergoing restoration. Local volunteers and a partnership with Home Depot has repainted the facility and helped with other upgrades. This facility is one that is used by many and was recently used to promote health initiatives. Because of Nolden the building is open at specific times to allow young men to play basketball when they have no other options.
Some want to make this a conflict-of-interest for Nolden. Since when is it a problem that a politician goes out of his way to meet the needs of his community? |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:58 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint EM Brown, Mayor Walling in exclusive interview
Posted: Jul 11, 2013 5:16 PM EDT Updated: Jul 11, 2013 6:59 PM EDT
By Kristen Abraham - bio | email
FLINT (WJRT) -
(07/11/13) - Flint's emergency manager, Mike Brown, is back in control - but that's not stopping the city's mayor from making some big plans.
Brown took control once again after former Emergency Manager Ed Kurtz, resigned July 3.
A top priority will be working with the Mayor and council on how best to move forward.
In an exclusive interview, Brown and Walling speak candidly about the city's struggles and triumphs. Both men hope to leave the city better than how they found it.
Walling and Brown share a common vision for the city's present and future.
"The safety of the public is number one, there's no question about that
. We haven't talked about blight yet, but we do need to address that, and those are two big issues, as well as finances, going forward," Brown said.
"We'll be better off when we have a balanced budget and we have revenues that can sustain the services we need," Walling said.
Despite the appointment of an EM, Walling hasn't taken a back seat. He's led the charge to create Flint's master plan. "The plan is going to lay out how we become a more green city, how we attract residents to downtown and commercial corridors and how we build on assets which can be a big part of our future," Walling
said.
Walling's sights are set on what Flint will look like in 10 years. That's why he plans to run for re-election when his term is up in 2015. "This job is only part-way done. I'm someone who believes in committing to something, taking responsibility for the mistakes that are made and putting in place long term solutions."
Flint's financial crisis still remains. There's a $19 million deficit and a need for more revenue streams. But Walling believes no task is too difficult and wants to see Flint out of its dark days.
"I have always believed our community is stronger than the challenges we face and we've got incredible people and assets, no one has given up the fight, we are still focused on giving something to the next generation."
Walling said he and city council will work side-by-side with EM Brown to discuss the transition from receivership back to local control. |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:41 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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How can Snyder and the EM say Public safety is their number one concern when crime is increasing? Just listen to a scanner feed, read the scanner comments or read the Flint Journal and it is obvious that crime in Flint is rampant. When the Public safety Millage was approved it came with the reality that the administration planned on laying off more cops.
The State Police presence has not brought the relief from crime that was promised. The number of police on the streets is inadequate. Look at the day there was multiple shootings, a stabbing and police chases. Even Park Rangers, U of M Police and Mott College Police were enlisted to help.
The shooting and the crime is forcing people to leave. Obviously the city is relying on the new homes downtown to provide more revenue. After all property values took another nose dive. And don't forget that larger populations require more services. It takes commercial investments to provide he needed revenue. Even the businesses are leaving Flint. |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:53 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Despite the appointment of an EM, Walling hasn't taken a back seat. He's led the charge to create Flint's master plan. "The plan is going to lay out how we become a more green city, how we attract residents to downtown and commercial corridors and how we build on assets which can be a big part of our future," Walling said.
Citizens are deciding not to participate in these so called "planning sessions" because it is obvious they are being steered into the direction the city has planned. These groups keep getting smaller and most groups accomplish little. Despit the administration's claims to the contrary, I have been in several groups where citizens are upset that the majority of participants are not Flint residents.
It had to be non residents that selected these "commercial corridors" as most are in some of the worst gang infested areas of the city. |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:58 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Lately I have been told by some community volunteers that they are tired of the city asking them to perform tasks that rightly belong to the city administration. They ask why so much is being asked of the volunteers and indicate they are reaching a point where they have to consider if all of this work is appreciated. There are volunteers that have just quit working because they never see an end to the need.
Despite all of the layoffs the city is still $19 million in debt. People want to know how the millages are being spent?
Then there is the issue of transparency. Kurtz posted a resolution for budget amendments but never included what these amendments were. A request for HUD findings came bak that none were sent to the DCED. Of course they weren't as they are always sent to the administration and the Mayor! Peter bade has made a science of hiding the truth, just like when he lied to council about the Department of Energy grant. |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:08 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Just how does Brown expect to deal with blight when the citizens have lost the only real mechanism to eliminate trash.
Who is to blame for the trash deposited on city lots in the middle of the night? In the past the city had people who investigated this trash for evidence. Many times it was traced back to people paid to remove this trash but they did not want to pay the tipping fees. Leftover trash from evictions, contractors working on the cheap are often to blame.
People try to tell me that it is lazy Flint residents. My response is there is little need to carry this stuff off for a resident. Garbage pickup has always been adequate and even large articles are picked up. Why would a resident load up their trash and haul it when it is not necessary.
Rats and other vermin are running though parts of the city creating a health problem because of the trash. How is the city going to address this issue or is it that they just don't care. Perhaps they believe that people will abandon an area quicker if the living conditions get bad enough. Many who can't afford to move are seniors and their houses will just be abandoned if they leave. |
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Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:26 pm |
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