Ford and Carhartt are supporting the project by creating a $25,000 "Re-Tooling Detroit" start-up fund, which covers lending fees for the Toolbank's initial community projects. Nearly 200 volunteers from Ford and Carhartt gathered at Belle Isle for National Volunteer Week, too. Using brand-new tools and custom wood kits provided by Detroit ToolBank, the team spent the day assembling picnic tables and Adirondack chairs that will remain in the park to serve the community for years to come.
Seriously, the site chosen to fix up was the wealthiest park in the broken down bankrupt city? The orphanages, juvie halls, prisons, homes for unwed mothers, Becky's House, homeless shelters, etc weren't in need?
It's got to be similar to doing charity work in a park on Coronado Island in the middle of San Diego Bay, or off the coast on Catalina Island.. or some other millionaire's neighborhood.
Detroit's working class and inner city residents heavily use Belle Isle all summer for cook outs, reunions, R&R. It enables anyone to enjoy one of the best waterfront's in the country. Your broad brush opinion that Detroit is still bankrupt and broken down is the same misguided, worn-out fear porn peddled on the news outlets that we are all so tired of. You can do better that that.
ReplyDeleteOk, Ill fact check with you, since you volunteered to discuss this.
DeleteIs Belle Isle (site of F1 racing in the past) the wealthiest park in the Detroit area?
No one said it was anything other than the best waterfront, that's not in discussion.
Is Detroit bankrupt? Site your source.
Yes, Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in 2013, becoming the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history with an estimated 19 billion in debt.
Detroit is one of the poorest major U.S. cities, with a 2024 poverty rate of approximately 34%. Despite significant downtown revitalization, over half of the city's children live in poverty, and the median household income of roughly $38k is half that of the surrounding region
Detroit has a high vacancy rate, with estimated 70,000 abandoned buildings, 31,000 empty homes, and 90,000 vacant lots
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_bankruptcy
So, I have stated the obvious, "bankrupt and broken down" is what Detroit is.
Ford doesn't make a car unless it's called a Mustang. Ford also calls an electric SUV a Mustang. That's some bullshit right there.
"peddled on the news outlets " I don't look at news outlets. I talk to family. I'm born to a Detroit area family that had to move to get work, because Detroit corporations were unable to hire managers/CEOs/Presidents that were committed to the best company operation, instead of personal wealth.
My grandfather was a tool and die machinist at Ford. One of his sons, my uncle Kenny was working at Autolite on the sparkplug manufacturing, his career was in one or another car parts companies, and his wife, my aunt Flora got a job in the same industry. They both retired about 20-30 years ago. Their son, my cousin Johnny was working for Mopar, in the paint shops, on trucks. He retired a year or two ago.
His kids, friends, etc still are in lower Michigan.
That's my paternal side.
On my maternal side, one of my great grandfathers was a lifelong dealership mechanic for DeNooyer https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/02/denooyer-chevrolet-small-michigan-town.html in Allegan
My cousins, their kids, etc are in the Allegan, Barry, Kalamazoo counties.
So, your turn.
You're tired of the reputation Detroit has? Me too. But it earned that reputation by electing people that failed to do their duty, and instead, were focused on getting rich.
The Packard plant, how's that eyesore going? https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-packard-plant-ruins-are-getting.html
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2022/10/five-years-after-peruvian-developer.html
See https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/07/opinion/sunday/exposures-detroit-by-air-alex-maclean.html
Detroit is so bankrupt, morally and financially, the city elected have proposed selling the cars in the city museums http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-detroit-desperate-and-stupid-enough.html
Cadillac motors moved their HQ to NYC.
You said I could do better? That's an opinion. I'm just a car guy, a blogger in my spare time, a Yooper by birth.
DeleteAnd you did nothing to factually refute what I said.
The site chosen to fix up was the wealthiest park in the broken down bankrupt city? The orphanages, juvie halls, prisons, homes for unwed mothers, Becky's House, homeless shelters, etc weren't in need?