Detroit

[Jerk]

http://www.youtube.com/user/camosilver#play/uploads/20/BfhsS-KMFL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6WKMNmFsxM

City ran by liberals.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I thought it was a city ran by gangs and assorted other criminals.

[Curly Bill]

I thought it was a city ran by gangs and assorted other criminals.

Dude, he said it was run by liberals already. ;)

[Crucifax Autumn]

lmao

Detroit is the taint of America...and yeah, that kinda taint!

[Curly Bill]

I think it was MonsterQuest the other night they were trying to catch these packs of wild dogs that roam around Detroit. I mean packs of wild *** dogs roaming the streets of one of our largest American cities!

[Crucifax Autumn]

Hell, the wild dogs are their greatest and kindest citizens!

[Curly Bill]

tru dat

[Scott D]

god I wish there was a middle finger emoticon.

[Curly Bill]

god I wish there was a middle finger emoticon.

What, you don't like wild dogs? ;)

[Scott D]

eh, I can be a bit touchy on the subject of the general area in which I live.

[Curly Bill]

Then tell us how it really is.

[Scott D]

What? Criminals on city council? Hell, we're finding out that there's a whole jewish money laundering ring going on all over the state of NJ. City was on it's way to making improvements under Mayor Archer, then Kilpatrick and his cronies got in office, made their mess and now it's got to be cleaned up again. Thankfully, they got his *** out of the state and he can drive everyone in the greater Dallas area nuts with his nonsense.

Plenty of burned out homes, I won't deny that part at all. Plenty of big buildings and boarded up buildings as well, however those aren't indicators of "socialism or liberalism". In fact, buildings like the Train Station are owned by a ****ing billionaire who it's more beneficial to keep them derelect because it keeps the property value down so he's willing to pay the fines on a multitude of properties because it's cheaper than demolishing the buildings and actually showing interest in developing the land or selling the property.

Just this past week there was a story about how this guy owns a property that looks a lot like the ones that video focused on (which the maker of the video flat out admitted to looking for the worst of the worst, which can be found in the worst part of any major city) right next to other properties where the owners give a crap. He's been after the city to get after this billionaire about his derelect property, and he's been told by a representative of the billionaire's company that if the condition of that property is such a problem for him, then he should move.

I truthfully don't think you can point at Detroit and say "This is what happens when it's all run by liberals or this is socialism in action." Hell, I'd argue that Detroit is what happens when pure unadulterated capitalism runs amok. Money and greed rule everything here, and that's the damn problem. That certainly isn't socialism.

[Curly Bill]

There are parts of Dallas I know I want no part of either.

I think we just hear so much about Detriot right now because of the auto industry.

[KC//CRIMSON]

Poor Jerk, he's gonna be heartbroken to hear the truth from a local.

[Curly Bill]

I don't know that Jerk will even remember having been on here tomorrow.

[Scott D]

There are parts of Dallas I know I want no part of either.

I think we just hear so much about Detriot right now because of the auto industry.

Detroit's just been an easy target since the Coleman A. Young mayoral period. Hell, two weeks ago I had to go work in a part of the city that was less than 2 blocks from where a gang related shooting took place in broad daylight at a school bus stop after a day of summer school.

going to be working downtown again in a couple of weeks.

[Curly Bill]

Have fun with that.

[Scott D]

I've been fortunate in my trips to the city so far in the 15 years I've lived here. I've got co-workers that have seen all kinds of **** happen, heard gunfire while they were in their homes and so forth. There's a new straight arrow in charge of the DPD now, and he's working on building up the relationship between the PD and the citizens, hopefully that helps there; It being a start in curtailing some of the violent crimes that are happening, but I have my doubts because this economy has driven people to do all kinds of wild **** to get by.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I do hear that pimpin' is easy in Detroit.

[Scott D]

the amusing part is there are 102 people running for the 9 City Council seats. There is a primary election next week I believe where the top 18 will proceed to a november election. One of the candidates is a "reformed" Pimp, apparently he got convicted of being a pimp at one time and served his time.

My only real hope right now with Monica Conyers about to get shipped off to a federal jail is that both Martha Reeves and Barbara Rose-Collins end up missing the cut for the final 18.

[bluedogok]

So when does "New Detroit" happen?

[XingTheRubicon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM

[Sooner98]

http://www.youtube.com/user/camosilver#play/uploads/20/BfhsS-KMFL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6WKMNmFsxM



That's what I would picture a normal city would look like after a nuclear bomb hit it. Seriously, unless I was driving some sort of military assault vehicle, I would be terrified of driving around those neighborhoods.

[Condescending Sooner]

What? Criminals on city council? Hell, we're finding out that there's a whole jewish money laundering ring going on all over the state of NJ. City was on it's way to making improvements under Mayor Archer, then Kilpatrick and his cronies got in office, made their mess and now it's got to be cleaned up again. Thankfully, they got his *** out of the state and he can drive everyone in the greater Dallas area nuts with his nonsense.

Plenty of burned out homes, I won't deny that part at all. Plenty of big buildings and boarded up buildings as well, however those aren't indicators of "socialism or liberalism". In fact, buildings like the Train Station are owned by a ****ing billionaire who it's more beneficial to keep them derelect because it keeps the property value down so he's willing to pay the fines on a multitude of properties because it's cheaper than demolishing the buildings and actually showing interest in developing the land or selling the property.

Just this past week there was a story about how this guy owns a property that looks a lot like the ones that video focused on (which the maker of the video flat out admitted to looking for the worst of the worst, which can be found in the worst part of any major city) right next to other properties where the owners give a crap. He's been after the city to get after this billionaire about his derelect property, and he's been told by a representative of the billionaire's company that if the condition of that property is such a problem for him, then he should move.

I truthfully don't think you can point at Detroit and say "This is what happens when it's all run by liberals or this is socialism in action." Hell, I'd argue that Detroit is what happens when pure unadulterated capitalism runs amok. Money and greed rule everything here, and that's the damn problem. That certainly isn't socialism.


You need to remove the rose colored glasses. All the bombed out looking public housing was built according to a liberal agenda.

[Scott D]

Actually the bombed out looking houses that you see in a burned condition were from the post WWII baby boom.

[OklahomaTuba]

I'm sure its a lot of things, but Detroit is just the most visible example of America becoming less competitive in the global & domestic markets while the rest of the world has caught up to us.

Government Motors and a Government backed UAW will certainly make things only worse in the long run.

BTW, is Obama still for the plan to destroy a good portion of Flint?

Ironic we spend billions to fix New Orleans, and then plan to spend another untold amount of our great grand children's future on destroying another town.

[Scott D]

I'm sure its a lot of things, but Detroit is just the most visible example of America becoming less competitive in the global & domestic markets while the rest of the world has caught up to us.

If Bush or Obama had the balls to repeal NAFTA maybe this isn't as much of an issue, however Clinton ****ed us over with being able to manitain a strong manufacturing base in this country.

[OklahomaTuba]

Repealing NAFTA won't help. In fact, it would hurt as the production savings would be gone making our companies even LESS competitive in the market. And believe it or not, we still do have a strong manufacturing base in this country. Very strong actually. But a $70/hr union dude cannot compete against a robot or a $5/hr messican, or a $1/hr chinaman.

Face it, those auto jobs aren't coming back unless another global conflict breaks out or Henry Ford's Zombie arises to bring forth more innovation in mass production of the high-capacity battery from the great beyond.

The labor unions have made manufacturing in non-right to work states a thing of the past. Oklahoma has gained its fair share of manufacturing over the last 10 years from the rust belt.

[Scott D]

1. Michigan is a right to work state
2. The cost of manufacturing being less costly in some of the countries where the jobs have been moved to is an outright lie.

[OklahomaTuba]

1. Michigan is a right to work state
2. The cost of manufacturing being less costly in some of the countries where the jobs have been moved to is an outright lie.Well, you got me on Michigan, didn't know that. Not sure it hurts the UAW that much though.

But I have actually seen the costs of manufacturing complex engineered to order energy equipment overseas for my company, and its not even close on the costs. All my competitors overseas make their stuff at half the cost I can make it here. Puts me at a huge disadvantage.

But as long as we have a massive engineering base here, we will have a strong manufacturing base. Its just to difficult to separate the two IMO.

[OklahomaTuba]

One thing NO ONE is talking about is the pension bomb thats about to go off any day now.

You think Detiot looks bad now. Obamavilles will be popping up all over the place.

And I wonder if any union members (auto, teachers, gov workers, etc) are paying attention enough to know their retirement is just one big fat illusion at this point?

[Scott D]

Well, you got me on Michigan, didn't know that. Not sure it hurts the UAW that much though.

But I have actually seen the costs of manufacturing complex engineered to order energy equipment overseas for my company, and its not even close on the costs. All my competitors overseas make their stuff at half the cost I can make it here. Puts me at a huge disadvantage.

But as long as we have a massive engineering base here, we will have a strong manufacturing base. Its just to difficult to separate the two IMO.

I didn't say all of them that got shipped overseas were less costly, just that the myth that all of them being less costly is a lie.

It costs more for drivetrain manufacturing in Mexico per drivetrain than it does for the same part manufactured in Ypsilanti, MI just as an example.

[OklahomaTuba]

I didn't say all of them that got shipped overseas were less costly, just that the myth that all of them being less costly is a lie.

It costs more for drivetrain manufacturing in Mexico per drivetrain than it does for the same part manufactured in Ypsilanti, MI just as an example.
Ahh, gotcha. I've seen that on the more complex stuff as well for energy equipment.

No one would freely admit to buying a Chinese or Russian submersible pump because their are so damn lousy and cost to much.

[Scott D]

oh and I should correct myself. Michigan is an At Will state, not necessarily a Right To Work state.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I do hear that pimpin' is easy in Detroit.

pimpin aint easy..but its necessary

[JohnnyMack]

That's what I would picture a normal city would look like after a nuclear bomb hit it. Seriously, unless I was driving some sort of military assault vehicle, I would be terrified of driving around those neighborhoods.

At about the 4:43 mark of the first video I think I saw Kevin Costner and a donkey.

[Scott D]

the video reminds me of something I was once told about the Bronx, when you looked across the Hudson at the city from Jersey. "At night the Bronx is all lit up and looks great in the dark. During the day, it looks worn down and abandoned."

[JohnnyMack]

the video reminds me of something I was once told about the Bronx, when you looked across the Hudson at the city from Jersey. "At night the Bronx is all lit up and looks great in the dark. During the day, it looks worn down and abandoned."

You could say the same thing about Mongo.

[StoopTroup]

The labor unions have made manufacturing in non-right to work states a thing of the past. Oklahoma has gained its fair share of manufacturing over the last 10 years from the rust belt.

Really? Exactly how much has Right to work increased the job rate in Oklahoma?

I know taxpayers and voters were promised that our State would see companies coming to our State to increase the number of jobs once Right to Work was passed.

I'd really like you to expand on just how much RTW has improved our State.

http://www.census.gov/epcd/susb/2006/ok/OK31.HTM#table1

[Condescending Sooner]

Actually the bombed out looking houses that you see in a burned condition were from the post WWII baby boom.

I said "public housing".

[OklahomaTuba]

Really? Exactly how much has Right to work increased the job rate in Oklahoma? Not sure the exact #, but I know for a fact that is has in my industry, which is also this states largest industrial/manufacturing sector.

I would even guess that without RTW, Oklahoma's industrial unemployment rate might just be double what it is now.

I'm sure Mexico would just love for us to repeal those RTW laws right about now.