I am by no means an advocate for the political jargon that has Detroit wrapped up in excuses and reasoning as to why the city is in its current state. I believe it takes many people making poor choices over the past half-decade that have led to the fall of the city. Putting up casinos and other attractions may have helped with traffic; however, it doesn’t solve the enormous debt that the city is in.
So what draws people to the city of Detroit these days? I would have to say, sports. The Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings all have a base in the city (minus the Pistons that are in neighboring town of Auburn Hills). And, generally speaking, all our sports team (except the Pistons) are having great seasons that draw hundreds of thousands of people to the city each year. During football season, even if the lions have a horrible year, the community still supports the team, bringing in revenue.
How is the city of Detroit going to change, now that it has entered into Chapter 9 bankruptcy? I think that it is still too early to ask that question. We don’t know what is happening behind the scenes, or the progress that has been made out of the public eye. With that being said, I can tell you that there has been movement in the city and some of it is just being noticed by the rest of the state.
Detroit has a large number of city parks, and with the budget cuts, those parks are being neglected and over run. A group call the Detroit Mower Gang has sought to change that. This is volunteer based effort, among other volunteer efforts hitting the city. The mower gang has come together to reclaim several Detroit parks, to keep them maintained with their own equipment and money. It is this type of movement that is showing me that the community and citizens of Detroit love their town. Regardless of what funds are there and what political mess surrounds them, they will keep their hopes high and look for better change and a brighter future.
With so much hope returning to the city, I think it would be a great opportunity for the automobile industry that was bailed out so they could survive, to help out the city that has stood behind them for decades. How far would a few billion go between the big three to help provide electric for the street lights, or helping to pay some pensions for the retirees?
Blog post by GRAPE Social Media Contributor Ryan Elwell