Federal workers to help financially ailing Detroit spend "wisely"

[Camper]

Perhaps the feds need to learn what they're preaching first. They can start by cutting these workers they're sending out to preach what they can't/won't practice themselves.


Federal workers to help financially ailing Detroit spend wisely | Detroit Free Press | freep.com


Federal workers to
help financially
ailing Detroit spend
wisely

BY KATHLEEN GRAY AND STEVE NEAVLING

DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

1:24 AM, Jul. 9, 2011|

The feds are coming! The feds are coming!

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development Director Shaun Donovan will
visit Detroit on Monday to announce a
program to help the financially ailing city of
Detroit.

But he's not bringing money.

Instead, federal agencies, including HUD
and Health and Human Services, are
offering to have federal employees work
side by side with city employees to ensure
taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely,
efficiently and in a timely manner.

"Of course we need the feds coming in and
helping us with our business," said state
Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park, who
plans on attending a briefing about the
program -- dubbed the Strong Cities
Initiative -- in Midtown on Monday
morning.

Detroit will be among a handful of cities
getting the help, which Donovan will outline
in a speech to the Detroit Economic Club at
noon Monday.

But, wariness of a federal presence at the
Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in
Detroit is inevitable.

"When the federal government comes in, it
often means a loss of local control," said
state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit. "What I
hope is that it's more of a partnership than
a micromanagement."

Detroit leaders welcome U.S.
help with open arms

The timing of federal help for Detroit
couldn't be better.

The FBI is investigating the city's Human
Services Department over misspent tax
dollars and its handling of $100 million in
federal grants.

There's been a continuing police
investigation into how the city's Department
Advertisement of Health and Wellness Promotion has
handled about $75 million in state and
federal funds. And Detroit Mayor Dave Bing
fired the department's director, Yvonne
Anthony, in May.

More than 25 of Bing's top appointees have
left the city in the last two years, and Bing
has pleaded with Detroit's corporate
community to be more active in helping to
revitalize the city.

So the expected announcement Monday
from Shaun Donovan, director of the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, that Detroit will be one of a
handful of distressed cities to get help from
federal administration employees, not
money, was welcome news.

"Hell yes, we need the help," City Council
President Charles Pugh said. "Having
someone in Detroit to help us clean up this
mess is very much needed."

Details on the Strong Cities Initiative were
sketchy, but the broad outline, according to
state and local officials briefed on the
program, is that the Obama administration
will offer help from federal employees from
departments including HUD, Health and
Human Services, Education and
Transportation.

Pugh said they can help with things such as
making sure the city is following federal
regulations on how it's spending money on
programs like Community Development
Block Grants and Neighborhood
Stabilization Programs.

"Having someone here to make sure that
none of our HUD dollars go back to them
because we haven't spent them correctly
will be very welcome," he said.

The city's Human Services Department
handled money for the early childhood
program Head Start so poorly that it had to
return $7 million to the federal government
during the past six years while waiting lists
grew and the number of children served
dropped.

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, said
she hopes a federal presence will help get
vacant and dilapidated homes demolished
more quickly.

"There are more than 50,000 houses on
the demolition list, and the city has only
enough money for 10,000 homes," she
said. "It's a priority in my community to
address the issue of blight."

Although he didn't have details of the
program to be announced Monday, Gov.
Rick Snyder has been meeting with Obama
Advertisement administration officials for the last six
months to see what help could be made
available to assist Detroit, said
spokeswoman Geralyn Lasher.

"We've been talking about how to eliminate
barriers to growth and success in the city,"
she said. "It's been an ongoing process
even before the governor was sworn in."

With so much support from city and state
leaders, there should be no resistance
from city residents, officials said.

"This is a really great opportunity, so there
should be no push-back from anybody,"
said state Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland
Park.

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said
the federal employees could help build
strong partnerships between the city and
other governments to identify efficiencies
and cost-savings by sharing services.

"I'm hoping the partnerships with nonprofits
extends to governments like Wayne County
and the state," Ficano said. "Wayne County
is willing to help the city."

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4407 or
[email protected]. Staff writer Todd
Spangler contributed to this report

 

[LDB]

The inmates... What a joke!

 

[greg334]

For some of us, this quote shows the absolute stupidity and idiotic mentality the county has;

"Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said "the federal employees could help build strong partnerships between the city and other governments to identify efficiencies and cost-savings by sharing services."

The issue isn't building partnerships with the city, the other entities have tried this but the city does not want it at all. Their thinking is clear to most who offered to help, we don't need help from the 'burbs and you all can stay on your side of eight mile.

 

[Turtle]

For giggles, this is what the text looks like when copied from the desktop version of the Web site rather than from the smartphone version of the site.


The feds are coming! The feds are coming!

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Director Shaun Donovan will visit Detroit on Monday to announce a program to help the financially ailing city of Detroit.

But he's not bringing money.

Instead, federal agencies, including HUD and Health and Human Services, are offering to have federal employees work side by side with city employees to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely, efficiently and in a timely manner.

"Of course we need the feds coming in and helping us with our business," said state Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park, who plans on attending a briefing about the program -- dubbed the Strong Cities Initiative -- in Midtown on Monday morning.

Detroit will be among a handful of cities getting the help, which Donovan will outline in a speech to the Detroit Economic Club at noon Monday.

But, wariness of a federal presence at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit is inevitable.

"When the federal government comes in, it often means a loss of local control," said state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit. "What I hope is that it's more of a partnership than a micromanagement."
Detroit leaders welcome U.S. help with open arms

The timing of federal help for Detroit couldn't be better.

The FBI is investigating the city's Human Services Department over misspent tax dollars and its handling of $100 million in federal grants.

There's been a continuing police investigation into how the city's Department of Health and Wellness Promotion has handled about $75 million in state and federal funds. And Detroit Mayor Dave Bing fired the department's director, Yvonne Anthony, in May.

More than 25 of Bing's top appointees have left the city in the last two years, and Bing has pleaded with Detroit's corporate community to be more active in helping to revitalize the city.

So the expected announcement Monday from Shaun Donovan, director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, that Detroit will be one of a handful of distressed cities to get help from federal administration employees, not money, was welcome news.

"Hell yes, we need the help," City Council President Charles Pugh said. "Having someone in Detroit to help us clean up this mess is very much needed."

Details on the Strong Cities Initiative were sketchy, but the broad outline, according to state and local officials briefed on the program, is that the Obama administration will offer help from federal employees from departments including HUD, Health and Human Services, Education and Transportation.

Pugh said they can help with things such as making sure the city is following federal regulations on how it's spending money on programs like Community Development Block Grants and Neighborhood Stabilization Programs.

"Having someone here to make sure that none of our HUD dollars go back to them because we haven't spent them correctly will be very welcome," he said.

The city's Human Services Department handled money for the early childhood program Head Start so poorly that it had to return $7 million to the federal government during the past six years while waiting lists grew and the number of children served dropped.

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, said she hopes a federal presence will help get vacant and dilapidated homes demolished more quickly.

"There are more than 50,000 houses on the demolition list, and the city has only enough money for 10,000 homes," she said. "It's a priority in my community to address the issue of blight."

Although he didn't have details of the program to be announced Monday, Gov. Rick Snyder has been meeting with Obama administration officials for the last six months to see what help could be made available to assist Detroit, said spokeswoman Geralyn Lasher.

"We've been talking about how to eliminate barriers to growth and success in the city," she said. "It's been an ongoing process even before the governor was sworn in."

With so much support from city and state leaders, there should be no resistance from city residents, officials said.

"This is a really great opportunity, so there should be no push-back from anybody," said state Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park.

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said the federal employees could help build strong partnerships between the city and other governments to identify efficiencies and cost-savings by sharing services.

"I'm hoping the partnerships with nonprofits extends to governments like Wayne County and the state," Ficano said. "Wayne County is willing to help the city."

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4407 or [email protected]. Staff writer Todd Spangler contributed to this report.

 

[greg334]

It doesn't change the fact that the city wants the money but doesn't want to actually work to change it for the better.

The problem in this area, we have this great big entrenched idea that the city of Detroit is important to the entire state when in fact it is not and never will be. On top of that, we have a very clear "us vs. north of eight mile" attitude that has held the entire city back. It has a population less than that of one county for the first time in its history and we have three counties in the region. It has less manufacturing and less businesses than the counties and it has higher crime rates and higher taxes than the counties but alas we have the county leaders of the counties that Detroit is not a part of shifting money and help from their own people to give to Detroit to save it from itself while at the same time we have everyone begging companies to invest in Detroit when they don't want see any advantage.

NO matter what, the attitude has to change. Be it the idea that their vote doesn't count when the schools have outside people coming in to fix it (jackson and Rainbow collation has come to the state to repeal the special manager laws) or the attitude that the whites want to kick the blacks out - it all has to change. The city has been controlled by one or another which has brought it down and when you look around, the landscape is changing not for the better but for the worst. I look at the nearest large city by Detroit, Toledo, and I find that they have the right idea. They are not tearing down what people have built in the past but rebuilding and reusing.

 

[layoutshooter]

The ONLY federal "agency" that could help Detroit is the US Air Force. They need to use Detroit as a bombing range, clear it out, then and only then can it start over. Detroit is a total joke. More federal involvement will only make it worse.

 

[greg334]

The ONLY federal "agency" that could help Detroit is the US Air Force. They need to use Detroit as a bombing range, clear it out, then and only then can it start over. Detroit is a total joke. More federal involvement will only make it worse.

Well if that was the case, I would think from the Ohio border to the top of Oakland county and out to the Wayne county limits would be a good target.

What really is a joke is the lack of political participation in this state, we have only a select group protesting at any given time and another one sitting on their a**es and doing nothing but complaining. It isn't a detroit thing either that I speak about.

 

[layoutshooter]

Well if that was the case, I would think from the Ohio border to the top of Oakland county and out to the Wayne county limits would be a good target.

What really is a joke is the lack of political participation in this state, we have only a select group protesting at any given time and another one sitting on their a**es and doing nothing but complaining. It isn't a detroit thing either that I speak about.

Why bomb productive farm lands and wild areas? That makes no sense.

On the bright side, it seems that my state rep listened to my pleas. Under the proposed redistricting plan I will no longer be in Dingellberrys district!!! It seems that I will fall into the 7TH district. OH THE JOY OF NO DINGELL!!!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

This is hilarious! A rhinoceros teaching a bear how to be an owl!

 

[Camper]

What really is a joke is the lack of political participation in this state, we have only a select group protesting at any given time and another one sitting on their a**es and doing nothing but complaining.

The other problem is the copious political presence by the same special interests groups, the UAW and public sector unions, in particular.

Scott Walker(Wisconsin's Governor) has provided a good template for his counterparts in other states to follow. Unfortunately Snyder doesn't seem inclined to pursue the same path to fiscal sanity despite having a clear legislative majority.





Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Scott Walker(Wisconsin's Governor) has provided a good template for his counterparts in other states to follow. Unfortunately Snyder doesn't seem inclined to pursue the same path to fiscal sanity despite having a clear legislative majority.

Snyder is a RINO!

 

[greg334]

Why bomb productive farm lands and wild areas? That makes no sense.

The same reason why considering bombing people who refuse to change. It makes perfect sense, the south east region as a whole, including monroe county is the problem, not just one city.

 

[layoutshooter]

The same reason why considering bombing people who refuse to change. It makes perfect sense, the south east region as a whole, including monroe county is the problem, not just one city.

Monroe is NOT farmland or wildlands, I have NO problem restoring the wet lands there. Why bomb a farm, all you will get is Popped Wheat this time of year!!

No, Monroe is not a part of Detroit's problems. Detroit is solely responsible for their problems. Mainly the people who live there. They LIKE what they have, or they would change it.They like the filth, the crime, the corruption, the gangs etc.


Example how to change it: Some jerkweed threw a McDonald's cup on my lawn. I had two options, I could pick it up my self and throw it away, OR, wait for the government to do it, which they don't. I picked it. '

Detroiters, for the most part, don't clean it up themselves. THAT is the reason Detroit is a mess. Laziness.

 

[greg334]

Monroe is NOT farmland or wildlands, I have NO problem restoring the wet lands there. Why bomb a farm, all you will get is Popped Wheat this time of year!!

No, Monroe is not a part of Detroit's problems. ...

Sorry Layout, it is the same mentality that is here in Detroit as it is in Monroe and down to Toledo.

If you are going to make a statement of leveling a city, then it has to be put in context of what the underlying problem is - all of the south east region kisses Detroit's a** as if they matter and all of them are part of the same problem which include Monroe county so hence they too should be included in the statement you made.

It has nothing to do with farm land or restoring wet lands or anything like that but it only has to do with the mentality of the people who don't want to change anything or fail to fight for any real changes.

I say if people are going to complain about Detroit and the federal money, then they need to also complain about the state getting the same form of welfare to run programs that do not promote jobs or growth but do things to make others feel good.

 

[layoutshooter]

Sorry Layout, it is the same mentality that is here in Detroit as it is in Monroe and down to Toledo.

If you are going to make a statement of leveling a city, then it has to be put in context of what the underlying problem is - all of the south east region kisses Detroit's a** as if they matter and all of them are part of the same problem which include Monroe county so hence they too should be included in the statement you made.

It has nothing to do with farm land or restoring wet lands or anything like that but it only has to do with the mentality of the people who don't want to change anything or fail to fight for any real changes.

I say if people are going to complain about Detroit and the federal money, then they need to also complain about the state getting the same form of welfare to run programs that do not promote jobs or growth but do things to make others feel good.

If those in Detroit want to live like they do it's their problem. No one FORCES them to accept welfare, not clean up where they live, turn in drug dealers and gang members. It is 100% their choice to enjoy what they have.

We changed our state rep in the last two elections, with any luck we will do the same again next time.

I had NO choice when I was in the 15th, I DO now that I am in the 7TH. I MIGHT have a rep that is worth a flip. For the most part, people around here prefer to live in a clean neighborhood and WORK for a living.

 

[greg334]

No one FORCES them to accept welfare, not clean up where they live, turn in drug dealers and gang members. It is 100% their choice to enjoy what they have.

True no one "forces" them to do that but on the other hand the use of welfare in rural areas is as great as that of the city.

The problem is there is no opportunities, and this is where a closed shop crap coupled with the problem of the region who is not fighting to change the state or even their own backyard gives the foundation for those who end up as drug dealers or gang members. Some of it isn't a choice but a way of life we all have had a hand in creating.

We changed our state rep in the last two elections, with any luck we will do the same again next time.

BUT how many of you are active in the state politics?

I would venture to guess 1% of the population actually makes an effort to go beyond the occasional letter, while the other 99% makes excuses because they are happy with their lives.

I had NO choice when I was in the 15th, I DO now that I am in the 7TH. I MIGHT have a rep that is worth a flip. For the most part, people around here prefer to live in a clean neighborhood and WORK for a living.

You have a choice, you are never without choices but put yourself into the position of trying to figure out how to live while not having any real opportunities and see what life is like.

I can understand the mentality that has entrenched itself here in this region, but I can't understand how others can make blanket statements while not seeing they are part of the problem. I admit I can do more but I'm limited and with that, I can only help so much while others don't want to help at all.

In another thread, I said we don't have communities any more, and this is very true in this entire region. We end up being a bunch of individuals and nothing more than that. We as a collective group don't really care what happens but complain a lot when something does. People depend on other to do things here and have for a long time, and it has an everlasting negitive effect on our lives.

If one is to b*tch about welfare, it is also other programs that are equal to welfare - giving money out to people. This includes social security and medicare which also has the same effect of taking care of people with the same outcome and mentality that everyone is complaining about. Shouldn't social security be put in that same category? I mean you have zero investment into your fund while you paid for other's retirement and now others are paying for you, isn't that just like Welfare?

 

[layoutshooter]

No, Social Security is NOT a welfare program nor was it set up to be. It was forced on us, by law, under pain of arrest or worse, to provide a supplement for people's retirement. All who paid in are entitled by the law to collect. There was NEVER an income based requirement in it. There is not now.

As with welfare, Obama care etc, ALL of these federal programs use force to insure compliance.

None of us have any REAL choice unless we get rid of EVERY socialist in government at EVERY level.

 

[AMonger]

No, Social Security is NOT a welfare program nor was it set up to be. It was forced on us, by law, under pain of arrest or worse, to provide a supplement for people's retirement. All who paid in are entitled by the law to collect. There was NEVER an income based requirement in it. There is not now.

As with welfare, Obama care etc, ALL of these federal programs use force to insure compliance.

None of us have any REAL choice unless we get rid of EVERY socialist in government at EVERY level.

It's funny to see you defend SS as not being welfare, and then later in the same post, decry socialism. SS *IS* socialism. For it to not be socialism, "benefits" would have to be limited to your principle plus whatever return the government got on the money while they held it. Well, we know that FICA withholding is spent upon its arrival in gummint coffers, so there is no return, so that limits retirees to principle only. But even if there was some return, some interest our dividends earned, social security checks would end once that total was reached because you would, at that point, have taken out everything you've put in.

But that's not the case. Once you have collected your principle plus the imaginary interest, you keep collecting, and at that point, what you're collecting is OPM--OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, money other people had stolen from them by Uncle Sammy the Blade. iow, it's income redistribution, and that's how it was designed from the start.

Skeptical?

The very first social security thief was a woman named Ida Fuller. She worked under FICA withholding for three years before she retired, having had a grand total of $23 stolen from her by Uncle Sammy the Blade, who had been inspired to do do by his friend and fellow traveler, Karl the Kommissar.

So three years after the theft started, Ida retires. She goes down to the Social Security orifice and files for what she has coming to her. Two months after that, she gets her first check: $22--essentially the entirety of her principle. Next month: ANOTHER $22.

Ok, let's be generous and imagine that the government is a financial whiz and actually doubled her money in three years. We all know that didn't happen, but it simplifies the math. That concludes her benefits. She's received everything to which she's entitled--principle and interest. She's done, right?

Actually no, because SS isn't and never was an honest program. Ida lived until 1970, having collected about 1000 times her principle., impossible unless social security is a welfare-style, wealth redistribution program. And this isn't something that SS morphed into over the years; Ida Fuller was the first SS recipient ever.

So the facts are in, and social security is, ipso facto, a socialist program, QED.

 

[layoutshooter]

It's funny to see you defend SS as not being welfare, and then later in the same post, decry socialism. SS *IS* socialism. For it to not be socialism, "benefits" would have to be limited to your principle plus whatever return the government got on the money while they held it. Well, we know that FICA withholding is spent upon its arrival in gummint coffers, so there is no return, so that limits retirees to principle only. But even if there was some return, some interest our dividends earned, social security checks would end once that total was reached because you would, at that point, have taken out everything you've put in.

But that's not the case. Once you have collected your principle plus the imaginary interest, you keep collecting, and at that point, what you're collecting is OPM--OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, money other people had stolen from them by Uncle Sammy the Blade. iow, it's income redistribution, and that's how it was designed from the start.

Skeptical?

The very first social security thief was a woman named Ida Fuller. She worked under FICA withholding for three years before she retired, having had a grand total of $23 stolen from her by Uncle Sammy the Blade, who had been inspired to do do by his friend and fellow traveler, Karl the Kommissar.

So three years after the theft started, Ida retires. She goes down to the Social Security orifice and files for what she has coming to her. Two months after that, she gets her first check: $22--essentially the entirety of her principle. Next month: ANOTHER $22.

Ok, let's be generous and imagine that the government is a financial whiz and actually doubled her money in three years. We all know that didn't happen, but it simplifies the math. That concludes her benefits. She's received everything to which she's entitled--principle and interest. She's done, right?

Actually no, because SS isn't and never was an honest program. Ida lived until 1970, having collected about 1000 times her principle., impossible unless social security is a welfare-style, wealth redistribution program. And this isn't something that SS morphed into over the years; Ida Fuller was the first SS recipient ever.

So the facts are in, and social security is, ipso facto, a socialist program, QED.

I was not really defending it. I was just stating that it does not have a wage/income/wealth qualifier in the law.

I would do away with it if I could.

It would, however, have to be a "phased" elemination. Far too many have had way too much money taken from them. At the very least all they have put in should returned, with interest. It was, after all, taken by force.

 

[greg334]

No, Social Security is NOT a welfare program nor was it set up to be. It was forced on us, by law, under pain of arrest or worse, to provide a supplement for people's retirement.

Yes it sure is, it is welfare for rich retired people and those who can give up a bit to help the country. It is the basis for the welfare system we have. The medical part of it, medicare is also forced on us as it is the same concepts behind medicaid - both of them are horribly costly systems that costs us too much money.

All who paid in are entitled by the law to collect.

NOPE wrong there. The supreme court has said in their 1963 ruling just because we put into the system, we are not entitled to that money.

There was NEVER an income based requirement in it. There is not now.

There should be, if you are grossing more than say $50k in a business, the entitlement of that social security payment should be reduced. If you have a pension where you are collecting more than $50k, then that social security payment should be reduced. IF you can afford not to take the money at all, then you should be able not to collect.

As with welfare, Obama care etc, ALL of these federal programs use force to insure compliance.

Well again, it is the same as welfare.

None of us have any REAL choice unless we get rid of EVERY socialist in government at EVERY level.

Not get rid of socialist, get rid of those who compromise to earn political capital.

As of today, the republicans are caving in on the "negotiations" with the WH over the debt limit, they will come to some crappy agreement and prove again that the people are too stupid to understand what's going on to be angry. Again with all the hopes and dreams of beating Obama, he will run and rightfully point out that you can't trust the republican party because they can't even stand up and force an issue to be resolved BUT cave. He and the DNC can also point out that the leadership in the party is one who failed to back one candidate until it was too late.

Once you have collected your principle plus the imaginary interest, you keep collecting, and at that point, what you're collecting is OPM--OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, money other people had stolen from them by Uncle Sammy the Blade. iow, it's income redistribution, and that's how it was designed from the start.

Amonger, that would only be true if they put it into an account to gain the imaginary interest but from the time you apply for the money to the time you die, you are getting someone else's money and it is the biggest ponzie scheme ever devised - and we are angry at Madoff?

By the way, Ida collected from 1940 to 1975 (she lived to 100) and she collected $22,888.92 tax free dollars from her $24.75 "investment".