Detroit thread. Post Kwame, Monica, and $1 houses here.

[Jacob]

These sorts of posts would be more interesting if similar corruption didn't occur in basically every American city.

I don't think this level of corruption does occur in every American city, actually. Probably in some, but hardly all of them.

I'd hope not.

[Syt]

http://www.towleroad.com/2012/05/detroitbullied.html

A Bullied 7-Year-Old in Detroit Has Committed Suicide: VIDEO
Seven years old!

DetroitAuthorities and media in Detroit are incredulous that a boy so young could have taken his own life over bullying, but that appears to be the tragic case, the Detroit Free Press reports:

Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. said Thursday, calling the situation "unfathomable."

He said the department is investigating the child's death, but as of Thursday afternoon, it appeared the situation is "exactly as presented" -- a suicide.

The boy was found by his 14-year-old sister hanging from a bunk bed with a belt around his neck.

The 7-year-old, whom the Free Press is not naming, had been depressed about being bullied by other kids at school and in his neighborhood, and about his parents' recent separation, the boy's mother told police, according to the report.

Adds the Free Press:

The boy's mother told police she forced her way into the room where her son was by removing the door knob, grabbed her son and held him up while a neighbor removed the belt from around his neck, a report says. The boy was then placed on his mother's bed, but a 911 operator said to move him to the floor, a report says.

The boy's mother told police she had last seen her son alive at 4 p.m. Wednesday, when she left to go talk to the family's pastor about the child's depression, according to the report.

The mother told police that her son "had been depressed due to her recent separation from his father; the fact that he had been bullied continuously by the children at school, in addition to the constant teasing that he had endured because he was the only boy in the home of eight females," a report says.

[CountDeMoney]

"had been depressed due to her recent separation from his father; the fact that he had been bullied continuously by the children at school, in addition to the constant teasing that he had endured because he was the only boy in the home of eight females," a report says.

Wow.

But, better a suicide at 7 than multiple prostitution murders at 37.

Shame, though.

[MadImmortalMan]

Been a while since we revisited Detroit.

Governor to announce EFM decision tomorrow; State takeover of Detroit possible


DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says he spoke by phone with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder today. He says the governor will announce his decision regarding the possible appointment of an Emergency Financial Manager for the city of Detroit on Friday.

The mayor said, "Everybody's got a pretty good idea of what the announcement is going to be."

When asked whether he expected the governor to announce the choice of an EFM, Bing said, "Not immediately."

Earlier today, WXYZ reported that Mayor Bing said the governor would announce a state takeover on Friday. The mayor says he did not make that statement and a review of his comments indicates that he did not specifically say a takeover would be announced.

"I shouldn't make the announcement, the Governor will make it," said Bing while talking with reporters following a speech before the Detroit Regional Chamber at the MotorCity Casino.

If the governor decides to appoint an EFM, the city will have 10 days to appeal the decision.

Governor Snyder said a week ago he would take a week or so to make his final decision on what he would do with the city of Detroit. At that time he said he would either appoint an emergency financial manager or enter into a new consent agreement with the city.

Those remarks came after a financial review team found that a financial emergency existed in the city of Detroit. The review team also recommended to Snyder that he appoint an emergency financial manager to run the city.

Detroit has been operating under a consent agreement with the state since last year. That consent agreement prevented the city from being taken over by an emergency manager, who would have been appointed under a state law that was in place at that time.

Voters overturned that law in November 2012 and the state reverted to an older law that allowed for the appointment of an emergency financial manager.

Michigan is about to foreclose on Detroit. I find the meeting's venue amusing. MotorCity Casino. Heh.

[Barrister]

It always amused me that there is actually a station with the call letters WXYZ. 

[Phillip V]

The governor of Michigan has appointed an emergency manager to seize control of Detroit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/us/michigan-appoints-emergency-manager-for-detroit.html

[Tonitrus]

The governor of Michigan has appointed an emergency manager to seize control of Detroit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/us/michigan-appoints-emergency-manager-for-detroit.html

Should be...

[Phillip V]

The governor of Michigan has appointed an emergency manager to seize control of Detroit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/us/michigan-appoints-emergency-manager-for-detroit.html

Should be...

[img]http://cdn.chud.com/d/d5/300x346px-LL-d52320f5_345285-oldman_large.jpeg[/img

Governor Snyder should appoint Mitt Romney to save Detroit.

[JacobL]

Kwame guilty on almost all charges including the biggie of racketeering. 

[Phillip V]

Scott Romney (Mitt's older brother) interested in running for US Senate seat from Michigan being vacated by Carl Levin.

Mitt Romney still being discussed as possible emergency manager of Detroit.

[Malthus]

Scott Romney (Mitt's older brother) interested in running for US Senate seat from Michigan being vacated by Carl Levin.

Mitt Romney still being discussed as possible emergency manager of Detroit.

"First prize: get to be President of the United States.

Second prize: get to be Manager of Detroit.

Third prize: stood up against a wall and shot"

"Oh wait ... got the order of 2 and 3 wrong ..."

[Tonitrus]

Hey now, he did save the SLC Winter Olympics.

Detroit...Winter Olympics...can't be all that different.

[Admiral Yi]

And the black people do love him.

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/student-brought-20-000-school-140704617.html

A 12-year-old recently had quite the show-and-tell at school: According to the Detroit News, she brought a backpack stuffed with $20,000 in cash.

Police, who declined to name the girl, said the student received it from a child who lives across the street from her in Taylor, outside of Detroit.

Word got around at the local Sixth Grade Academy that the girl was handing out cash to her friends. That's when the principal stepped in and called the police.

"The school district called us and said a 12-year-old student had a backpack full of money," Taylor Chief of Police Mary Sclabassi said. "The principal became aware of it when she heard the student was giving money away to friends. They brought in the student, secured the backpack and retrieved the money she had given away. This is a real first for me."

Commenters on the Detroit News website were also stunned by the news. Doran Hollow wrote, "That was my middle school and I never ran into anyone so generous."

Scott Gypsy opined, "She must have been a fan of Robin Hood."

Added Brent Link, "My other thought was casino winnings. But drugs was the first one to cross my mind. Who really keeps that kind of money under their mattress?"

No word on what the neighbors were doing with that amount of cash around the house, but undoubtedly they will be glad to get it back.

[DGuller]

Wow, $20,000?  She could've bought the whole neighborhood with that kind of money.