Posted on 09/21/2014 2:24:32 PM PDT by walford
DETROIT – In a recent Detroit Free Press op-ed, University of California-Berkeley Professor Robert Reich places the blame for the city of Detroit’s bankruptcy on the “mostly white” residents of Oakland County.
Detroit-in-ruins-15“But Detroit is really a model for how wealthier and whiter Americans escape the costs of public goods they would otherwise share with poorer and darker Americans,” Reich wrote. “ … But one thing is for certain: A very large and prosperous group close by won’t sacrifice a cent — the mostly white citizens of neighboring Oakland County.”
The reaction of one Oakland County official was that Reich, a former U.S. Secretary of Labor, didn’t know much about his chosen topic.
“That piece is clearly misinformed,” said Robert Daddow, Oakland County deputy county executive. “He doesn’t understand what he is talking about.”
By all accounts, the state and Oakland County are major stakeholders in Detroit. Here’s some things Reich overlooked about how county and state taxpayers help fund Detroit.
No. 1: People who work in the city but live elsewhere — such as Oakland County — pay a city income tax. That income tax for non-residents is 1.2 percent, compared to the 2.4 percent that residents of Detroit pay. The city income tax brings in $248 million and accounts for 19.2 percent of the city’s revenue.
No. 2: Detroit has a special deal with casino revenues. There are 22 other cities in Michigan that have casinos operating within their boundaries, but Detroit is the only city that can collect a “wagering tax” from casinos. That amounted to $181.4 million in 2012, or 13.5 percent of the city’s revenue. Many of those bets, undoubtedly, were placed by Oakland County residents.
No. 3: Detroit is budgeted to receive $140.5 million in money taken from sales tax revenue that is collected from residents all across the state — including Oakland County — in the form of revenue sharing, which will account for 14.1 percent of the city’s revenue in fiscal 2015.
No. 4: Oakland County and its residents financially support several things that help the region, including the city of Detroit. Oakland County taxpayers voted to support a three-county millage that goes to fund the Detroit Zoo, which is located within Oakland County in the city of Huntington Woods, as well as a millage for the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Oakland County has also given $500,000 a year to Automation Alley for the past 14 years. Automation Alley is a technology business association that supports that industry, including businesses and institutions located in the city of Detroit.
Blame it on da man.
At one time he lived in Cambridge MA. He might have a place in Berkeley as well as a place in DC. There aren’t many places a celeb can live and not be hassled to death.
Hypocrite Reich lives in Cambridge,MA-——about 10% or 11%
black.
.
Roger Goodell’s fault.
“Kwame Kilpatrick and his fellow travelers are responsible for the condition of Detroit.”
Kwame was a bit player in the decent of Detroit into the sewer. The entire blame should go to Coleman Young, the Black Commie sharecropper’s son who came to Detroit from Alabama and “ruled” for 20 years.
Racial reversecism hate crime. That’s what this is but what difference does it make.
Hey Shorty,
If you had a next-door neighbor who NEVER cut their lawn, repaired ANYTHING they broke on their property, burned down their OWN garage, and then started damaging YOUR property,
Would YOU “invest” your money into your neighbor’s property???
HECK no. So stop blaming neighboring counties for Detroit’s self-inflicted woes.
Detroit failed because of corrupt Democrat leaders. The corrupt Democrats are the ones who drove the tax paying citizens out. It’s whitey that has been bailing Detroit out for a good number of years.
I’d like to know just how MUCH $$$ Robert Reichhhhhhhhuhhh has “invested” in the City of Detroit.
My guess - NOT a DIME.
Those hard-working, responsible, tax-paying “white” people are completely responsible. They should open their wallets and empty them into the black hole (no racism implied) created by shiftless, stupid, unemployed degenerates. Why...the “whites should leave, giving their houses to the “less fortunate”{. It would only be “fair”. Maybe the “whites” should off them selves, making sure the “less fortunate” are the beneficiaries of their life insurance policies. That’s the ticket.
so dems run the place into the ground for 50+ years, are happy to see republican/conservative whites who want to stay alive, leaving,
and after totally fubaring things up, blame whites for leaving the mess they made.
they were never going to have representation in liberal govt.
liberals are perpetual adolescents. blaming everyone else for their stupid, impulsive, naive, irrational choices. and shrieking fury and epithets all along the way at those who oppose them and point out their obvious errors.
Those hard-working, responsible, tax-paying “white” people are completely responsible. They should open their wallets and empty them into the black hole (no racism implied) created by shiftless, stupid, unemployed degenerates. Why...the “whites” should leave, giving their houses to the “less fortunate”{. It would only be “fair”. Maybe the “whites” should off them selves, making sure the “less fortunate” are the beneficiaries of their life insurance policies. That’s the ticket.
libtard politicians must always focus the proles’ hate on something other than themselves. the new goldstein is whitey, apparently.
certainly not themselves. having a scapegoat means never having to admit you’ve screwed yourself.
I think the quality of life for the community of whites is just as important as it is for blacks, and when those whites are footing the bill through taxes already, they are entitled to do whatever they can do to have a good quality of life for themselves and their families.
I’m sick of seeing the narrative framed around “what does it do for blacks?”. Whites live in this country and pay the majority of taxes by far, not to mention all the affirmative action, quotas, etc, they have to make way for.
What whites want and need, especially when they’re paying for it, is relevant too. I’m sick of seeing the question always framed as “what does it do for blacks, and what have you done for them lately?”
Reich needs more Milch cows
Vicious little goblin.
“wealthier and whiter Americans escape the costs of public goods they would otherwise share with poorer and darker Americans,”
And then I read the response, which was clear and concise.
Nothing I could add.
That would mean taking inventory of themselves and responsibility.
We had a few kin and neighbors who thought the same, until o bummer care hit their pocket books. Now they actually feel ashamed they voted for the idiot. I call them names I cannot post on FR. Wait until the next rate increases hit. I'll 'ax' them how it feels now.
A great article: How the Democrats Destroyed Detroit (Frontpage mag):
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/arnold-ahlert/how-the-democrats-destroyed-detroit/
I also seem to remember recent news stories about Detroit residents not paying their water bills, and demanding bailouts for their bills from a third party....?
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