With Detroit running out of money and options, Bridge visited two cities in California that have had their own fiscal woes – Stockton and Vallejo – to assess the impact of bankruptcy on neighborhood life. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) STOCKTON, Calif. – Here in Stockton, the standard postcards show a palm-lined City Center, without revealing that […]
municipal bankruptcy
Posted inMichigan Government
In Vallejo, residents rally to protect themselves
SORTA SILVER LINING: When bankruptcy led to vastly reduced police patrols in Vallejo, Calif., the number of neighborhood watch groups exploded from nine to more than 400. (Bridge photo/Ron French) VALLEJO, Calif. – The break-ins and the squatters in her middle-class neighborhood were bad enough. But when prostitutes began offering – and performing – […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Detroit’s EM should surround himself with fresh faces, fresh thinking
RIGHT MIND-SET: Emergency manager Kevyn Orr, far right, and Mayor Dave Bing flank Gov. Rick Snyder at a press conference to discuss the city’s financial straits. (courtesy photo/city of Detroit) Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr came in with an impressive resume and a seemingly razor-sharp focus and determination to right the city’s finances. He is […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest commentary: Detroit’s art treasures represent legacy we must protect
By Maud Lyon/CultureSource NOT FOR SALE: Detroit’s artistic legacy was a gift and remains a public trust. It cannot be sold off like a company’s office equipment, argues Maud Lyon. (Bridge archive photo) For 128 years, men and women have given works of art to the Detroit Institute of Arts. Why would people give the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Detroit’s troubles spreading to other Michigan cities, finance expert says
With Detroit’s recent appointment of an emergency manager, the state and the region will witness a long-deliberated and – for many city residents – hotly contested financial restructuring in one of the nation’s major municipalities by a gubernatorial appointee. Eric Scorsone, who studies local government finance at Michigan State University, discussed last week the potential […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* The Kalamazoo Promise (which offers college scholarships) is paying dividends: “We find positive effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on Promise eligible students large enough to be deemed important—about a 9 percent increase in the probability of earning any credits and one less suspension day per year. We also find large increases in GPA among African-American students.” […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Detroit’s fiscal opera will end with bankruptcy aria
Same song, second verse. That’s my reaction to the news last week that the state team charged with reviewing Detroit’s financial condition has unanimously concluded a financial emergency exists in the city. The exact wording: “… a financial emergency exists because no satisfactory plan exists within the city of Detroit to resolve a severe financial […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Education in the light of present-day knowledge and need calls for some spirited and creative innovations both in the substance and the purpose of current pedagogy” — Anne Sullivan Macy, tutor of Helen Keller. * Stockton, Calif., just became the largest U.S. city to ever file for bankruptcy. The invaluable Atlantic Cities site rounds up […]