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Chaos erupts at Cobo as thousands jockey for federal aid (Obama "Stimulus" Giveaway)
newstin ^ | 8 Oct 09 | George Hunter, Charlie LeDuff

Posted on 10/08/2009 10:13:55 AM PDT by SkyPilot

Detroit -- The lure of federal cash assistance for needy Detroit families sparked pandemonium Wednesday at Cobo Center, as hundreds of city residents pushed, jostled and trampled others in a rush to apply for the aid.

In a scene that spoke volumes about the despair of one of the nation's poorest cities, about 50,000 Detroiters descended on downtown to pick up 5,000 applications in hopes of enrolling in a federal program that pays a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to low-income residents to help pay rent and utilities.

In fact, some 60,000 residents applied for the aid over two days, although the city will only be able to help about 3,400 families.

Wednesday's line stretched for blocks and before the process could be completed at least six people were taken away by ambulance, 150 police were called to the scene and the city stopped distributing applications before noon.

The mayhem seemed to reflect the desperation of a city in which one in three lives in poverty and 28.7 percent are unemployed. Others said it was exacerbated by rumors the government was literally handing out cash. It wasn't.

Karen Dumas, a spokeswoman for Mayor Dave Bing, acknowledged the rumors, calling them "totally untrue." Dumas added: "There is a process."

Walt Williams, 51, arrived at Cobo before sunrise to get a good spot for the 10 a.m. opening of the doors. "This morning, I seen the curtain pulled back on the misery," a bewildered Williams said.

"People fighting over a line; people threatening to shoot each other -- is this what we've come to?"


(Excerpt) Read more at newstin.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: chaos; detroit; freemoney; stimulus
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To: Vasilli22

BTTT


21 posted on 10/08/2009 10:26:46 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55
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To: B.O. Plenty
The inmates have been running the Detroit asylum for a very long time. As bad as the bunch in charge now is, there actually have been worse.
22 posted on 10/08/2009 10:27:31 AM PDT by colorado tanker (Barack Obama is an old Kenyan word for Jimmy Carter)
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To: reagandemocrat

all bowowed money......

I thought the stimulus was for the nation?


23 posted on 10/08/2009 10:27:34 AM PDT by himno hero
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To: Lurker

Not an ACORN in sight.


24 posted on 10/08/2009 10:29:01 AM PDT by elizabethgrace (I pray for our military, our Republic, Bibi and Israel.)
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To: SaveTheChief
"Just like pigs at a trough. Democrats have established quite a farm. Be afraid."

Don't be afraid. Be prepared.

25 posted on 10/08/2009 10:30:57 AM PDT by libs_kma (F.U.B.O.)
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To: SkyPilot
The scum who defaulted on debts, participated in CFC and first time home buyer programs are no different.

26 posted on 10/08/2009 10:31:18 AM PDT by I see my hands (_8(|)
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To: himno hero
all bowowed stolen money......

Fixed that for you.

27 posted on 10/08/2009 10:31:39 AM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: SkyPilot
"federal program that pays a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to low-income residents to help pay rent and utilities."


28 posted on 10/08/2009 10:31:54 AM PDT by Fast Ed97 (Is it bad when you start to miss the Clinton years?)
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To: wbill
"I'm concerned as to what the riots will look like when 95% of 65,000 people learn that they're getting Jack Squat. "

Yup. Rush questioned what would happen when it was learned that only 3,500 people would receive anything. He also said that (counterfeit) applications were being sold for $20.00.

29 posted on 10/08/2009 10:31:56 AM PDT by blam
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To: himno hero

The stimulus is money to be used to reward your cronies and people who supported you. To buy votes as well in 2010 and more so in 2012.

Rush compared this to Katrina. It is more like Zimbabwe.

The chickens are coming home to roost. I think we may not see the semi-normal country, we had only a year ago, in the future.


30 posted on 10/08/2009 10:32:45 AM PDT by Frantzie (Do we want ACORN running America's health care?)
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To: Frantzie

>>>The chickens are coming home to roost<<<

Good one.


31 posted on 10/08/2009 10:35:21 AM PDT by reagandemocrat
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To: Frantzie

YUP,

Zimbabwe here we come..... the Obamanation better known as the Obamanana Republic ( son of the late great Unites States)


32 posted on 10/08/2009 10:35:24 AM PDT by himno hero
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To: libs_kma

The women barging in the door sure don’t look like they’re too far from their last meal!


33 posted on 10/08/2009 10:35:30 AM PDT by marlon
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To: Lurker

I hadnt gotten into the taxation side... yyup. it ill coe from those few that he hasnt destroyed. Corporations and people who want to work.
Running a larger (welfare) government makes no sense , specially when he is looking to crush the capitalists private sector, unless you want to bankrupt the nation and run it straight into communism.


34 posted on 10/08/2009 10:39:14 AM PDT by himno hero
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To: A_Former_Democrat
Why doesn't Obama ride through town on one of the L's and throw money out of windows. He could have his “Evita” moment.
35 posted on 10/08/2009 10:39:35 AM PDT by poobear
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To: SkyPilot

True story. Several years ago in Richmond, VA, one of the suburban school systems decided to give away several hundred four-year-old worn-out Apple laptops, because they were switching to Dell. The laptops were worth maybe $300 or so, if that (assuming all the parts were there and they were in decent condition).

Well when the announcement was made, there was such interest from all over the world, they moved the distribution to the Virginia State Fairgrounds and restricted it to Henrico County residents only. The day of the giveaway, my wife went down there—we figured, hey, why not, right? Free laptop. Can’t hurt to at least check it out, maybe we’d get lucky.

She got there two hours early and there was a huge traffic snarl. There were at least THREE THOUSAND people waiting for maybe 500 laptops, and let’s just say that a rather rough crowd had pushed their way to the front of the line at the gates. She kept right on driving and came back home, and we were glad for it.

When they opened the gates, a stampede erupted. Old women were knocked over. Elderly on crutches, canes, and walkers were trampled. Wheelchairs were upended. All for laptops that had dead batteries, missing components, scratched screens, and busted keys. But they were FREE, dammit.

There is a subculture—largely but not exclusively urban, largely but nowhere near exclusively black—that will run over their own mother for anything “free.” It’s not a racial thing. It’s not a north/south/east/west thing. It’s the result of seventy-five years of New Deal liberalism and forty-five years of the “War on Poverty” conditioning people that THEY are the ones that deserve first shot at ANY handout, no matter what is is, no matter if it’s even useful to them. If they’d do that for a busted-up four-year-old laptop that won’t run modern software, what’ll they do for honest-to-goodness “free” money?

It was a real eye-opener.

}:-)4


36 posted on 10/08/2009 10:42:13 AM PDT by Moose4 (Ted Kennedy: "If they bring up Camelot, we get to bring up the lady in the lake.")
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To: SkyPilot
Like all gov't programs, it will take eons actually to get the money out the door.

And like virtually all gov't benefit programs, they humiliate and de-humanize the applicants.
37 posted on 10/08/2009 10:43:31 AM PDT by kenavi (No legislation longer than the Constitution.)
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To: SkyPilot

yes, but generally when the Democrats pass out their Walkin’ Around Money it doesn’t generate these great Photo Ops....


38 posted on 10/08/2009 10:49:49 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: luvbach1

Any idea where Rush got that audio?


39 posted on 10/08/2009 11:03:51 AM PDT by Long Island Pete (Stupidity is in the DNA of liberals.)
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To: SkyPilot
I love the smell of government cheese in the morning.

Smells like... liberalism.

40 posted on 10/08/2009 11:07:34 AM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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