Detroit files for bankruptcy

Reba said:
Did you live in Detroit? I've never lived there but I've made visits to there.
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No, never but just only visit with my father in mid 90's when we helped my father's brother because he moved to Georgia.
 
TXgolfer said:
That is not what I am seeing in Chicago and it is not what the statistics say either.
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That's because you don't live there to see the changes. Several people who are from Chicago said there have been changes with shifts from poor to high income professionals moving in.

Seattle is one perfect example. I went to Seattle last month and saw the changes to the city core...it's more dense with thousands and thousands of new apartments completed. Who can afford them? Professionals, of course who work at high tech businesses. Downtown area alone population increased from 20,000 to 60,000 in 20 years.
 
sequoias said:
That's because you don't live there to see the changes. Several people who are from Chicago said there have been changes with shifts from poor to high income professionals moving in.

Seattle is one perfect example. I went to Seattle last month and saw the changes to the city core...it's more dense with thousands and thousands of new apartments completed. Who can afford them? Professionals, of course who work at high tech businesses. Downtown area alone population increased from 20,000 to 60,000 in 20 years.
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I have family in Chicago. I go to Chicago all the time. Again...it is my favorite city.:)

Sadly Chicago is no Seattle. The demographics I provided show this clearly.
 
I moved to the country so I could eat a lot of peaches. And if I head my little way I'd eat peaches everyday. Sun-soaked bulges in the shade.
 
sequoias said:
Chicago's population loss is due to change of demographics. Poor people are moving away from Chicago with average of 3-4 people per household replacing with less people per household. More young professionals are moving into Chicago. It's the similar demographics as Seattle except it hasn't lost population since 1970's.
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Actual, it said it hasn't loss since 1980's, not 70's. Perhaps, you need to check the confirm with me. Hmm?
 
TXgolfer said:
I have family in Chicago. I go to Chicago all the time. Again...it is my favorite city.:)

Sadly Chicago is no Seattle. The demographics I provided show this clearly.
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Of course Chicago isn't Seattle, just trying to set you an example that's all. I don't think you get it at all. Chicago is a city of 2.7 million people so there has a lot of changes to be done in a transistion in a 227 square mile city. Seattle only has 83 square miles to work with, that's why things change quickly there.

You can just think whatever you want. :)
 
PowerON said:
Actual, it said it hasn't loss since 1980's, not 70's. Perhaps, you need to check the confirm with me. Hmm?
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Yes, you're right it's 1980's when it rebounded and continued to grow since then.
 
sequoias said:
Of course Chicago isn't Seattle, just trying to set you an example that's all. I don't think you get it at all. Chicago is a city of 2.7 million people so there has a lot of changes to be done in a transistion in a 227 square mile city. Seattle only has 83 square miles to work with, that's why things change quickly there.

You can just think whatever you want. :)
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:lol: I am not the one that compared Seattle to Chicago. You were. I know all about Chicago....I also know how to analyze statistics.
 
I ain't surprised about Detroit. Their tax base is nearly wiped out thanks to 60 percent loss in population between 1960 and today.

I got ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC coverage from Detroit on TV. For many years, the news cover city problems and murders on daily basis.
 
Maybe it is time for OCP to take over Detroit. :lol:

Remember OCP from Robocop movies? ;)
 
Detroit does really have a long road to go. It would take a lot of energy and money to get the city back up and running 100% but won't happen anytime soon. They would have to go back to square one and start as smaller town and go from there with a more stable and diverse economy.
 
Royale said:
I ain't surprised about Detroit. Their tax base is nearly wiped out thanks to 60 percent loss in population between 1960 and today.

I got ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC coverage from Detroit on TV. For many years, the news cover city problems and murders on daily basis.
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Yes, Ontario and city of Toronto increased a lot of population, but not for state of Michigan and city of Detroit.

Something is wrong with our country.
 
Detroit— A bankruptcy judge has overruled objections to the city’s bankruptcy filing, freezing several lawsuits filed against Detroit and will allow the bankruptcy case to proceed in federal court.

U.S. District Judge Steven Rhodes also decided Wednesday that an automatic stay triggered by Detroit’s Chapter 9 filing extends to Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, Gov. Rick Snyder and members of the restructuring team.

The judge noted that in recent Chapter 9 cases, it was the bankruptcy court that determined all of the eligibility issues raised by creditors.

Rhodes’ decision comes after city lawyers — during a hearing that lasted almost two hours over the biggest municipal bankruptcy case in U.S. history — argued Wednesday morning that Detroit would be “irreparably harmed” if retirees were able to block its Chapter 9 filing.

Rhodes ordered recess shortly before noon and resumed the hearing shortly after at 2 p.m.

Retirees and city pension fund lawyers have been trying to fight the bankruptcy case because, they say, the filing is trying to violate constitutional protections of vested pension benefits.

City lawyer Heather Lennox argued Wednesday the city would be “prevented from accessing necessary protections” of a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing.

Lawyers for the city and several creditors, including unions and pension funds, sparred in court before Rhodes as he convened the first hearing in Detroit’s historic bankruptcy case Wednesday morning.

Union lawyers argued at Wednesday’s hearing the city’s bankruptcy filing is flawed because it is designed to slash retiree pension benefits.

Attorney Robert Gordon, who represents the city’s pension funds, made the argument during the first hearing in the biggest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history that attracted dozens of lawyers, reporters and protesters to the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit.

“There simply has not been a valid bankruptcy petition,” Gordon told Rhodes.

The Chapter 9 filing is trying to override the state constitution, which protects vested pension benefits, added Sharon Levine, an attorney who represents Michigan Council 25 of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.

“The filing is arguably flawed because it is going after pensions,” Levine told Rhodes.

State residents “have an absolute right to protect their constitutional rights,” she added.

Rhodes himself appeared at ease Wednesday. After a UAW attorney joked about placing a bet, he fired back.

"We don't permit that," Rhodes joked.

Following the morning hearing, Sharon Levine, an attorney with Lowenstein Sandler LLP, which is representing AFSCME, said outside the courthouse she was pleased with the opportunity to be heard by the judge.

"He appeared to be really considerate of the arguments we were making. He appeared to be really concerned about our members and the people of Detroit," she said.

Earlier, a city lawyer urged Rhodes to block the lawsuits against Orr, Snyder and members of the restructuring team. According to a city attorney, Orr was in the federal court building on Wednesday.

The lawyer, Lennox, said the automatic stay triggered by Detroit’s bankruptcy filing should be extended to the public officials and members of Orr’s team.

Orr’s legal team wanted Rhodes to take over three state court lawsuits filed by retirees, current city workers and Detroit’s pension funds. Attorneys for labor unions and the city’s two pension funds argue the bankruptcy filing endangers earned pension benefits for nearly 20,000 retirees and 10,000 current city workers in violation of the state constitution.

“That kind of activity needs to stop,” Lennox told the judge.

Rhodes has sole jurisdiction over the city’s bankruptcy case and needed to make that clear, Lennox said.

“This court has jurisdiction over this case, and only this court,” Lennox argued. “Widespread litigation…can only confuse the parties.”

Wednesday’s hearing is the opening salvo of a legal protracted battle between Orr and the city’s unsecured creditors, who are owed $11.5 billion.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen also will mediate in the case, according to a federal court filing, which states: "Chief Judge Rosen may, in his discretion, direct the parties to engage in facilitative mediation, under his direction, with such other mediators as he may designate. The fees and expenses of any such mediators shall be shared by the parties as directed by Chief Judge Rosen."

Ahead of and after the hearing, protesters were outside the federal courthouse.

"For me, there's a responsibility for this governor to uphold the state constitution. I don't think the governor is doing that," said Ed McNeil of AFSCME Local 25. "People elected the governor to follow the law. He's got to follow the law."

The potential cuts to pensions are unknown, McNeil said, but rejected claims by Orr and Snyder that efforts were made to negotiate.

"(Mr.) Orr has not responded to me at all," McNeil said of his multiple attempts to speak with the emergency manager.

The biggest municipal bankruptcy case in U.S. history is being watched closely by creditors and governments throughout the country because of its potential implications on the nation’s municipal bond market and the sanctity of public pension funds.

The day’s events began at 9 a.m. with Rosen briefing reporters from as far away as Japan, China and Norway about how the bankruptcy proceedings will be handled in the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse.

On Monday, Rhodes ordered extra security and restricted access for Wednesday’s hearing, limiting creditors to two attorneys apiece in the first-floor courtroom. A scheduling conference in the bankruptcy proceedings is scheduled for Aug. 2.

Labor unions, religious leaders and liberal political action groups also are planning a 2:30 p.m. rally outside the courthouse on West Lafayette Boulevard to protest potential cuts to pensions.

Opphttp://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130724/METRO01/307240058#ixzz2ZzQav8QJ
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Foxrac said:
Yes, Ontario and city of Toronto increased a lot of population, but not for state of Michigan and city of Detroit.

Something is wrong with our country.
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Nothing is wrong with Texas. They're NO. 1 for grown population and workers. :lol:
 
PowerON said:
Because we have death sentence, anti-gay, big bucks, support gun, etc...?
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No, I'm not concerned about gun law in Texas and the death sentence is no priority to me.

Of course, anti-LGBT rights is one of significant reason that why I dislike Texan government and other major reason are people being represented unfairly - known as heavily gerrymandered map for state legislature. Other reason is higher uninsured rate. I can't discuss about more detail because political discussion are off limit. Houston, Austin and Dallas have good LGBT communities - heavily localized.

The climate in Texas (mostly eastern part) is brutal in the summer, similar to Alabama and Georgia.

The public transportation in major Texan cities aren't great, compare to SF, NY, DC and LA.

I don't think Texas is perfect state since they have problems like other states.
 
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