Detroit has filed for bankruptcy. Is this a new trend?

[SandYFan]

Another strawman. I haven't argued any number. I think that around 10% of peopled fit your hypothesis. And, that is an insignificant percentage.

10% works for me. I have a hard time keeping everyone's individual arguments why I'm so wrong straight.

[woot]

No, this isn't an article from The Onion. The judge actually said that filing bankruptcy is not honoring Obama. I'm trying to figure out her reasoning for saying that. Anyone have any idea?

Seems like it's about Obama's promise to not let "Detroit" go bankrupt. A lot of people, even judges, have a hard time understanding that both Romney and Obama were using "Detroit" as a metonym for the auto industry; nobody had any plans to save the city itself.

[thesaint258]

No, this isn't an article from The Onion. The judge actually said that filing bankruptcy is not honoring Obama. I'm trying to figure out her reasoning for saying that. Anyone have any idea?

My bet is that she's auditioning for a federal position.

[Uncle Ted]

No, this isn't an article from The Onion. The judge actually said that filing bankruptcy is not honoring Obama. I'm trying to figure out her reasoning for saying that. Anyone have any idea?

Obama 2012... "We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt."

The judge said state law guards against retirement benefits being “diminished,” but there will be no such protection in federal bankruptcy court.

The solution is simply... Detroit just needs to print up and pay with some IOUs.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Obama 2012... "We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt."

The solution is simply... Detroit just needs to print up and pay with some IOUs. [/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]

What that judge is arguing is that the Detroit city government can give itself massive pay and pension raises that the rest of the state has to pay the tab for since it's in the state constitution.

Unless the federal government bails out Detroit, which I'm not sure can be done with a GOP controlled house, the rest of Michigan has a choice if it doesn't bail out Detroit or if this judge's lunacy isn't overturned and Detroit just goes through with a desperately needed bankruptcy: 1) It can amend the constitution and get rid of that ridiculous provision, but that may not solve the problem since the pensions are already an obligation; or 2) They can essentially tell Detroit they're on their own and split the state. This last option is exceedingly remote of course, but I also can't imagine the rest of the state being okay with bailing out Detroit.

[woot]

Obama 2012... "We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt."

The solution is simply... Detroit just needs to print up and pay with some IOUs. [/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]

See my last post. I don't like Obama, but you've missed the point.

[Uncle Ted]

See my last post. I don't like Obama, but you've missed the point.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... politicians love to buy votes with money they don't have. That is why I suggested they just print up IOUs. It is not like they can print their own money.

[venkman]

Progressives blaming conservative policies for Detroit bankruptcy. :crazy:

[MarkGrace]

Good. Lord.

What a hellhole. Even the supposed "attractions" are in terrible disrepair. Broken and chipped statutes, dirty parks, unkempt city spaces, etc. Add all this to the scores of abandoned and busted out buildings and it's quite something to see. I will say this: some of the kindest and friendliest people I've met anywhere in the country. They're proud of where they're from, love their city, and very much believe Detroit will be reborn. I have a hard time seeing that happen at this point, but I'm certainly rooting for them. I left there kind of heartbroken for the people.

[Indy Coug]

For anyone that lives near Detroit or has been there recently, is it really as bad as footage makes it appear?

[MarkGrace]

For anyone that lives near Detroit or has been there recently, is it really as bad as footage makes it appear?

I haven't seen any footage so I have nothing to compare to, but it was somehow even worse than I expected. I had heard from people who live there that the downtown area was pretty nice and it was the periphery that was bombed out. However, outside of one small section, even downtown was just terrible. There's nothing there, everything and everyone that could help keep the city alive has apparently retreated to the 'burbs in the past couple decades (which apparently are quite nice).

[il Padrino Ute]

Good. Lord.

What a hellhole. Even the supposed "attractions" are in terrible disrepair. Broken and chipped statutes, dirty parks, unkempt city spaces, etc. Add all this to the scores of abandoned and busted out buildings and it's quite something to see. I will say this: some of the kindest and friendliest people I've met anywhere in the country. They're proud of where they're from, love their city, and very much believe Detroit will be reborn. I have a hard time seeing that happen at this point, but I'm certainly rooting for them. I left there kind of heartbroken for the people.

Please post photos.

[MarkGrace]

Please post photos.

You can use google images just as well as I can!

[San Juan Sun]

For anyone that lives near Detroit or has been there recently, is it really as bad as footage makes it appear?

I've been gone for a year, but everything I've heard is that it's even worse. I don't believe that photos do it justice. Walking around blocks of formerly magnificent brick homes now turned into burnt out derelicts, with the neighborhoods almost devoid of people, gives Detroit a creepy apocalyptic feel. I will agree with MG though, there are some great people that come out of the woodwork there. Sad thing is, the manufacturing isn't coming back to Detroit proper, and it's hard to see anything that will provide an economic boost to the city. It's a vicious conflating cycle of poor financial opportunity, education, public services and hope.

[MarkGrace]

I've been gone for a year, but everything I've heard is that it's even worse. I don't believe that photos do it justice. Walking around blocks of formerly magnificent brick homes now turned into burnt out derelicts, with the neighborhoods almost devoid of people, gives Detroit a creepy apocalyptic feel. I will agree with MG though, there are some great people that come out of the woodwork there. Sad thing is, the manufacturing isn't coming back to Detroit proper, and it's hard to see anything that will provide an economic boost to the city. It's a vicious conflating cycle of poor financial opportunity, education, public services and hope.

That's exactly how it felt. We went out to Belle Isle, and I don't know what I was expecting, but I seriously couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. It was like this cross between eerie and depressing that I just wanted to get away from.

Apparently the population of Detroit proper has decreased by half in the last couple decades? It's just spooky to see all these vacated buildings. Just these big, grand buildings totally empty.

But I am really glad I saw the city.