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

[Savonarola]

Headlines from Detroit:

I can't go to jail for bribery because mom needs me

[The Brain]

How the fuck do you go to jail for bribery?

[Eddie Teach]

How the fuck do you go to jail for bribery?

You get caught.

[dps]

How the fuck do you go to jail for bribery?

You get caught.

I.e., the bribe wasn't big enough.

[Savonarola]

Heh, this was part of a racket involving about a dozen principals.  While fraud is hardly unknown at the Detroit Public Schools, this is the first time a case has been brought forth that had a large number of conspirators.  Usually it's just a lone perpetrator (though some have stolen an extraordinary amount of money.)

[Savonarola]

Strip clubs are permitted in Wayne County Michigan (where Detroit is) but not northern suburb Oakland and Macomb counties.  Consequently many strip clubs are located on the Detroit side of 8 Mile Road which is the border between the city and the vanilla suburbs.  One of the largest is called "Trumpps' (spelled like that to avoid lawsuits.)  I was wondering if this current campaign season has helped their business.  (Probably, a couple others have shut down, but they're still open.)

[Savonarola]

Say what you like about the man; at least he kept it real:

'Our hero': Detroit parents want convicted principal back

[Savonarola]

And in today's least surprising headline:

Report details new fraud, theft in Detroit schools

The article goes into the reason why there has been such an extraordinary uptick in fraud allegations now.  The school systems first emergency manager (in 2009) instituted an Office of the Inspector General.  Just over a year ago that was closed down by the previous emergency manager as a cost cutting measure.  The thieves in the school system were quite busy over the past year and when current emergency manager reopened the office there was a large backlog (the same thing happened in 2009.)

The fraud perpetrated by the principals predates the State of Michigan taking over the school system and continued throughout the Emergency Managers.

[KRonn]

Taking money from a struggling and bankrupt city and school system should earn those crooks extra time in prison making little rocks out of big ones. 

[Valmy]

Just over a year ago that was closed down by the previous emergency manager as a cost cutting measure.

Yeah I bet

[Savonarola]

When I was last in Detroit I saw the Edsel and Elanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores.  I had never been there before.  I had been to the Henry Ford Estate, Fair Lane, which is smaller than the Edsel and Elanor Ford House, and dark and gloomy.  The Edsel and Elanor Ford House is much more impressive.  Edsel traveled to Europe with his wife and Detroit's most prolific architect, Albert Kahn, to get ideas for his house.  What he created was an enormous stone cottage from the Cotswolds.  The interior ranges from English manor house, to French Chateau to Art Deco.  Despite its size it seems quite livable, at least as compared to many of the other rich man's mansions I've seen.  (In part that's because Edsel had a young family and in part because (unlike many mansions I've seen) it was a permanent home, not a gilded age palace to be enjoyed for a six week season of the year.)

Edsel Ford was a lover of art and had quite a sense of style (something which annoyed Henry to no end; but was reflected in the late 20s and 30s era Fords.)  The mansion is filled with objet d'art ranging from Fra Angelico paintings, to Persian pottery to Van Goghs.  Today they're mostly replicas, the real ones are in the Detroit Institute of Arts, but in his lifetime they were all authentic.

There was a 3/4 size house that Clara Ford (Henry's wife) had built for Josephine Ford (her Granddaughter.)  Everything in it works including the sinks and the light.  Clara thought that playing house would help Josephine develop into a proper young lady; but Josephine preferred horseback riding.

There was a little exhibit on the grounds about women and driving; I learned that Edsel's wife Elanor never drove a car (her son, Henry Ford II, had a custom Lincoln built for her with an extra tall ceiling so she could get in without removing her hat,) but his mother, Clara, did.

Edsel is unfortunately remembered as the name of Ford's notorious failure; but that had nothing to do with Edsel Ford.  He had died in 1943, fifteen years before the Edsel.

[Savonarola]

Just over a year ago that was closed down by the previous emergency manager as a cost cutting measure.

Yeah I bet

He's the same guy who was the EM of Flint and made the decisions that touched off the water crisis.  He could be crooked (it's not unheard of, one of the EMs of Highland Park was on the take), but he seems more like the epitome of penny-wise and pound-foolish.

[Savonarola]

Taking money from a struggling and bankrupt city and school system should earn those crooks extra time in prison making little rocks out of big ones.

You'd hope so, but they're probably going to Club Fed.  Monica Conyers described her hardships there; sometimes they ran out of dessert.   

[Savonarola]

I saw the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills (a suburb of Detroit) a few weeks back.  The museum focuses almost entirely on the Jewish experience and only has a single placard each for Jehovah's Witnesses, The Polish Intelligentsia, Gypsies and Homosexuals (which wasn't much of a surprise as Farmington Hills is a largely Jewish area of Detroit.)  The entire first floor describes Jewish culture from biblical times to present.  Then the lower floor tells the story of anti-Semitism in the entre-deux-guerres period, the rise of Hitler and ultimately the Holocaust.  The museum is fairly clinical until the end of the exhibition where they have the scenes of the camps' liberation shown on multiple screens.

There's an exhibition targeted for children next.  At one point they discuss the ills of nationalism; but they define "Nation" as an American would, rather than pointing out that the "National" in National Socialism referred to an ethnic group, not a country.  (Not that it's right to hate citizens of another country, it just misses the point of what the Nazis were up to.)

At the very end there was a legacy section.  They had a list of apologies from various groups for their actions during the Holocaust.  Most were church groups or things like that.  Some though were a little strange.  Denmark has issued an apology for its role in the Holocaust  .  The New York Times also issued an apology for not making the Holocaust page one news (even though at the time only the perpetrators knew the extent of the crimes against humanity and, of course, there was a world war going on.)

Even with its flaws, I thought the memorial was well done.  Its a place where children can visit, though be careful on the one room with the scenes of the liberation; those are quite graphic.

[Savonarola]

It's time to make Detroit great again:

Clemency for Kwame Kilpatrick. He was wrong but 28 years is too excessive.

Dear President Obama,

As a native Detroiter, I am well aware of the things that Mr. Kwame Kilpatrick has done wrong. I believe he should pay for his wrong doings but 28 years in prison is just too excessive.  Prior to you Mr. Obama, I had not believed a black man could be President until I saw how Kwame galvanized the City of Detroit and without his mistakes the sky could have been the limit for him. He gave the city hope again, brought investments in and he truly did make a positive impact in a community that had been headed for destruction since the 50's because labor costs, white flight and the decline of the Big 3 automotive companies. I recognize that yes, Kwame is not without fault and has done wrong and should have to pay for what he has done, but let us remember that we are not talking about a career criminal. We are talking about a man with multiple degrees who rose to Mayor in one of the Major cities in the country when he could have fled the ruins of Detroit and taken his talents to Washington or the private sector. Instead he took the rains of a sinking ship and did a better job than anyone could have expected.  I plead with you to support change for Kwame.  This is yet another extremely intelligent black man that we are going to allow to rot away in prison.  Instead he could be released and given the opportunity to work for the State and City government to educate young politicians on the slippery slope of corruption which every Senator, Congressmen, State Rep, Governor, Mayor, Aldermen and City Council member face everyday.  Everyday one of these elected officials is walking a tight rope in between what is considered politics and what is considered racketeering and corruption. Pull Kwame out of prison and let him use his mind, his heart and his voice to shield other young politicians, black men and women away from the unfortunate trap he fell into.  Yes people were hurt, yes people were mad but I have forgiven him and others will as well.  Everyone deserves a second chance and I believe the City of the Detroit will be a better place with OUR Son out of prison and back home doing the work to rebuild his family, city and his reputation.  Kwame is just too smart to be in prison and it is a disservice and an atrocity to lock him away for that long.  His wife and children are barely surviving. They are being watched and hunted down by the government for any money or help they receive.  It's wrong and it needs to be made right.  This is my final point.  President Obama you recently pardoned some people who actually sold drugs and were caught.  The reason you pardoned them was because even though they sold drugs, the sentences they were given were too excessive. One of the people pardoned happens to be Denver Bronco's Demaryius Thomas' mother.  This is a quote from the White House post the pardon " These unduly harsh sentences are one of the reasons the President is committed to using all the tools at his disposal to remedy unfairness in our criminal justice system. Today, he is continuing this effort by granting clemency to 46 men and women, nearly all of whom would have already served their time and returned to society if they were convicted of the exact same crime today." Even though Kwame was at fault while Mayor of Detroit....28 years is too excessive.  There are too many black men in prison to date. Many if who were released may or may not make an impact.  Let's not keep a GOOD one in there for 28 years. Kwame can make an impact on SO many people the day he walks out of prison.  Thank you in advance for your support and peace be with you for reading.
Very Respectfully,

The People for the release of Kwame Kilpatrick

This petition will be delivered to:
President
Barack Obama

First Lady of the United States
Michelle Obama

The rains of a sinking ship?   
The city of the Detroit?   
How can Kwame not be a career criminal?  He clocked in every morning and committed crimes; often working more than an eight hour day just to get all the crime in.