Restoring The Revenue: Managing the Emergency Financial Manager with a Push from Cush.

Reclaiming and Re-Investing Detroit

By George Cushingberry Jr.

Candidate for Detroit City Council District #2

Kenneth Orr the appointed EFM for the City of Detroit, was on Cynthia Canty's show on public radio WUOM 91.7 FM.  He was again trying to assess what the city needs. What Detroit does not need to do is to attack its retirees and employees by balancing the budgets on the back of their labor.  If I am elected to City Council, I will not let that happen and do the following for the citizens of the City of Detroit, especially the ones in the new District #2.

First, stem the tide and make plans to refinance quickly by finding NEW WAYS to RAISE revenue. Continuous cutting does not grow anything, if you don't do any long term planning and investment. Statutory revenue sharing can’t be promised past two years. John Engler was a pro and Dennis Archer was a neophyte when it came to legislative issues. (Engler) knew the law reducing income taxes would stay and the appropriation would only be bound for two years. (Article 4 Section 31. Michigan Constitution). To fully understand this situation please read David Ashenfelter (a man I respect as a journalist since I still have a press card) article on the Handshake deal in "Bridges Magazine" (click here to read it) as reported on Canty's program.

Expand the 911 charge to cell phone towers so that each call may be assessed a fraction of a penny as an amendment to the utility users tax. (Review the House Fiscal Agency reports on the Restitution of Revenue 2007-2010)

Accept that property taxes invented in the 19th Century have run their course and must be allowed to cease to exist.

Take a look at the federal carbon tax proposed by President Obama.

Add our health care coverage to the exchanges so that we can piggyback the city and its retirees.Immediately apply for federal grants which we have neglected asking for like safe routes to school. When Rev. Mike Murphy ran the program they had planned to tear down Greenlawn between Fenkell and Puritan so the new combined school children in Ellla Fitzgerald/Mary McCloud Bethune wouldn't be subject to the devastation in their young psyche.

Get the water dept. to replace manhole covers! 

Apply for a state recreation bond grant to build a new state of the art recreation facility and regional health resource center at the Old Johnson Center facility on Cherrylawn and Chippewa. This can be accomplished with co-operation from corporate health systems and insurance providers with a pledge match the funding. We all need more physical exercise! Our regional health in Metro Detroit could be a model for others. We had a swimming pool in the 50's and 60's why not now!  Next to violence, one of the biggest killers in our community is the lack of ability to swim or stay afloat in deep water.

Getting treatment on demand for people suffering from substance abuse and mental illness is a priority. This can and will help reduce crime.  This will also help move money from corporate prisons to schools and health care needs because as Sheriff Benny Napolean once stated, a large number of the people that his employees encounter have substantial reading problems that lead to a frustrated person committing crimes because of being comfortable with the lifestyle, giving them temporary success.

To gain legitimacy, Kenneth Orr should be seen picking up paper on the streets in the neighborhoods instead of being a behind the desk dictator sent in from Lansing to loot the resources of the City of Detroit. Now you see why we need some, smart, sophisticated, stable, and stallions on city council. If you choose me to represent you on City Council in 2013, I will make sure that this happens for the benefit of the people of the City of Detroit.