Comments on: In Flint, Unsafe Streets, Failing Schools

Children Are Victims of Soaring Unemployment in Michigan City; But They're Leading Fight to Take Their Neighborhoods Back

[jwz1234]

I lived in Flint for many years, made the right decision to leave. My advice is to get out now!!!!!! Last one out turn the lights off.

[mary-miami]

The fastest way out of this Depression is to provide people with a living wage. Increase the minimum wage to ten dollars an hour. That will at least help people to float. If you take into consideration the price of rents and food, gas, bills, utilities; it's virtually impossible to survive on a minimum of seven dollars an hour without asking for food stamps. If healthcare and university aren't free, then no one will ever be able to rise up out of poverty into middle class, because there's no money left over for school or doctor once the bills are paid.

[fleabag75]

"The purpose of government is for the protection and well being of its citizens" (circa 1792)
"The purpose of government is for the protection and well being of industry" (circa 2001)

[proud_churchgoer]

This is what happens to communities when people lose faith in God.

[fedupredneck]

LOL- What god?

[LinInTn]

I grew up in Detroit in the 50's & 60's and have lots of family in the auto industry. I am proud of the parents who want to keep their neighborhoods safe. Any help the city can give should be applauded. I am also glad they are bringing back tougher standards for high school graduation. Children need to be challenged by their courses, taught good study skills, and earn the self-esteem from meeting goals. They are our future and need to be prepared to properly lead that future.

[sahbuhnim6]

The the end of Americas Industrial era. It was a grand ride all the way from when Henry Ford introduced the assembly line method of manufacturing.
That method is antiquated that's been proven because why would they be looking for cheaper labor. And yes it's money driven that's all it's ever been. If you can't adapt to the changing environment then you go away just like Neanderthals.

[fleabag75]

Hey "greedy union" people. Stop complaining! The jobs are gone! No more greedy union people jobs! Ok? You folks won that round! Now those people are trying to find the minimum wage jobs you seem to favor. Again, you won that round. As far as poor quality workmanship,,,, they were told HOW to make what they made. Are you suggesting the assembly line workers substituted cheap parts instead of higher quality parts on their own? Are you nuts?

[searingtruth]

"There is a battle for good. But we are not fighting it."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[tmittelstaed]

To really understand the problem with Flint, start by looking at a map. (it might also help to watch the 20 year old documentary "Roger and Me" by Michael Moore) The city has the same factors as many thousands of other small cities in the US - and if it's development had been uninterfered with by GM, it would be no more and no less than any of those other thousands of small cities in the country.

The problem is that GM caused the city to grow far, far in excess that it should be. Other than GM the only thing the city ever had was being a stopover point on the roads leading to Detroit. Now, with GM basically gone, Flint is shrinking back down to the normal size for a small stopover city like this.

[tmittelstaed]

I guess my question is since it is a dying town, why should these people take their unemployment benefits and spend them on s e x? Why not just walk away and start a new life elsewhere with those unemployment benefits?

The American West is dotted with abandonded ghost towns that sprung up around mines, and such. Some were abandonded as late as the 1950's. This is no different. When a community has a single major employer and does not diversify it's economy, if that employer disappears, the community withers. Ever see the movie Cars? Same thing.

[tmittelstaed]

Usually what happens in these situations is that the banks end up with ownership of the lots, then if the bank decides the lot will -never- sell, ever, it will stop paying property taxes - and by law the county will end up having to take the property in exchange for back taxes.

So ultimately the land deed goes back to the government. After all, the land was probably purchased or homesteaded from the government in the first place.

After heat and utilities have been turned off for a year these homes are trashed.

[searingtruth]

"They proclaimed that only our children counted, when in truth they were the first to pay."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[culturechang]

This article is pretty transparent. It appears that the problem is drugs and unemployment, but there is nothing like a little sex to get media attention. Otherwise, its just a dying town and nobody would care. I venture to say that street prostitution probably has little or nothing to do with it. This article does not connect the dots either.

Prostitution exists on the street because there is no where else for it to exist. A few years ago they busted a bunch massage joints for prostitution. Made a big media splash. They always say "drugs and prostitution go hand-in-hand", but I never heard one mere mention of drug use or possession in those cases. Proving that theory wrong.

Then they blame the topless bars, but I dont see any mention of these in this neighborhood either, but again, lies will abound when prostitution is mentioned.

One thing that does go hand-in-hand with prostitution.....govt and sensationalistic lies.

[tmittelstaed]

I guess my question is since it is a dying town, why should these people take their unemployment benefits and spend them on s e x? Why not just walk away and start a new life elsewhere with those unemployment benefits?

The American West is dotted with abandonded ghost towns that sprung up around mines, and such. Some were abandonded as late as the 1950's. This is no different. When a community has a single major employer and does not diversify it's economy, if that employer disappears, the community withers. Ever see the movie Cars? Same thing.

[John_Merritt]

Hey Tmittle:

I was watching the segment on Katie's evening news and it appears this is a rather blighted area. It also appears their financial resources are very limited.

I guess it comes down to comfort. They may be comfortable in their surroundings because maybe that is all they have ever known. It remains to be see what lies ahead for Flint and surrounding areas.

There are so many vacant plants and so many possibilities for green jobs and industrial 'complex cities'. It is kind of cool; because I was mulling over the possibilities for the Detroit region and similar ones; and what I was able to come up with sounds futuristic, but great.

Now if we can only get Washington and corporate America to think outside, it will be a win for everybody. Eveyone will have jobs, we can consolidate and streamline system efficiencies, environmental requisites will exceed expectations and we will become the blueprint for the entire world.

If only they would listen. And the people cheered.

[dwilson59]

John Merritt

What is a green job?

Can anyone tell me what a green job is?

[Meg003]

I agree with Irish. It does sound like a great concept. I have often thought that it would be a good idea to relocate the entire city of New Orleans away from the flood zone.

[IrishWench01]

Not a bad concept. Kinda neat actually. There was a time when that would happen naturally as people and officials would pull together for the benefit of all and become allies against those that would seek to take their safety and community away.

They would still need some sort of lucrative employment and a plan. And a community oragnizer. Haahahaa! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[John_Merritt]

It sounds like a group of people who have lost community. I do not know Flint and how the vacant homes are spread out over the locale.

What would be neat to see, if we could consolidate all those people in close proximity to each other; by relocating them to a neighborhood. Than the city could raze entire blocks for future development of some sort.

It is a win for the neighbors, the police and for the community. It will make it easier for the law enforcement agencies to police, and displace all the criminals outside the area where they can be monitored closely by the police and the neighborhoods.

Than as development of commercial or residential improves in the future, there will be vast areas of land instead of areas sprinkled with new and old homes. Does that make sense? The best part, all the people will have 'community' again. How cool.

[IrishWench01]

Not a bad concept. Kinda neat actually. There was a time when that would happen naturally as people and officials would pull together for the benefit of all and become allies against those that would seek to take their safety and community away.

They would still need some sort of lucrative employment and a plan. And a community oragnizer. Haahahaa! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[Meg003]

I agree with Irish. It does sound like a great concept. I have often thought that it would be a good idea to relocate the entire city of New Orleans away from the flood zone.

[slove43794]

There is a lot of blame to go around,that would include the greedy Unions and the poor workmenship of it's members. Lets call it like it was, they should have taken more pride in their work.

[atwrkr]

I get so sick of hearing people comment on things they've never ignorant of. If you've never done it then clam up. What's so hard for people to understand. If you have any entry level job the only thing you can do is what your told to do. The only thing you can assemble in any manufacturing plant is what your given to assemble. If it's junk it's not because you made it junk it's because the pieces they buy from suppliers are junk or the engineering is bad. The membership does not control the UAW. The nepotism within the UAW is off the charts. The leaders you see in the media are busy protecting their own. You have know idea what it's like to be on the floor working. Management lying to you. Union lying to you. People on the outside despise you out of ignorance from what they hear about you. It gets pretty sickening. This article is not about the union workers, it's about Flint. What GM did was more about the low cost of labor. The same thing is playing out in all other fields right now. People are losing their jobs because none of us can compete with what someone else will work for overseas. When was the last time you talked to an American when you were calling your mortgage or credit card company? They don't have a union so who do you blame for those lost American job?

[bearjoint]

I agree that there is much blame to spread around. atwrkr seems to think that the union employee is the puppet of the union and of management. However, I hail from Flint, MI and I knew of many union employees, mostly 2nd shift, that snuck out during their shift whild their buddies covered for them. I remember people laughing because the put something in the car that would create a rattle that would drive the new car owner crazy. I remember every time a new contract came up that the union had to have something bigger and better and sometimes just absurd. Most of us don't get birthday's as a holiday. so.... GM found a way to do it cheaper somewhere else.
The Flint I grew up in was a nice place to live. We had good jobs and a great cultural center. We had any kind of class, inexpensive, funded by Mott Foundation.
What we didn't have is the forsight to diversify and we counted on GM to be the be all and end all for us forever. We worked for GM and bought foreign cars because they were cheaper. Wonder why they were cheaper -- their workers didn't have all the wonderful perks that UAW workers had. Like anything, a good thing needs to be cared for.
When I got laid off in Flint I went southwest and never looked back. I have a great life here and appreciate it every day. If you want Flint back work for it. If you have no skills to do that, take advantage of the programs that offer you an education and get the skills to either fight for Flint or escape it.

[thusspokezara]

Another culturally insensitive CBS article. When are we going to learn that we cannot impose our Judeo Christian values on other cultures? We have to learn to celebrate our differences. Live and let live.

[mswolfestock]

thusspokezara -- what do you do - copy 'n' paste your same old idiotic garbage on every article? This article RE: dying towns in Michigan has nothing to do with anybody imposing any values on other cultures. You have become boring and trite.

[dwilson59]

Thusspokezara

Culturally Insensitive?

This is America and American Culture. You dont like it then get out.

[mkimball]

Does Flint have the resources to maintain all those vacant lots? Does the City own all the lots? If not, does the City have the resources to adjudicate all the lots or to acquire lots from banks that have foreclosed on the properties? This seems to be a band aid on a problem that will only grow. Where is the long-term plan? And is Flint demolishing a valuable resource, their housing stock?

[tmittelstaed]

Usually what happens in these situations is that the banks end up with ownership of the lots, then if the bank decides the lot will -never- sell, ever, it will stop paying property taxes - and by law the county will end up having to take the property in exchange for back taxes.

So ultimately the land deed goes back to the government. After all, the land was probably purchased or homesteaded from the government in the first place.

After heat and utilities have been turned off for a year these homes are trashed.

[hungry1968-16]

"That's when Flint had 80,000 General Motors jobs. Today it's 7,500. When the jobs left, so did the people, leaving the once-proud neighborhoods to rot."







GM took all of their well paying manufacturing jobs overseas, and now the American people are supposed to support them, after they turned their backs on America.

I say F them - let their overseas manufacturing locations, ask those countries for bailouts.

[mswolfestock]

GM has nobody to blame for its collapse but itself. Twenty years ago, GM should have started asking why people were buying Toyotas and Datsuns (now Nissan) and any other car except American cars. Then GM should have listened to the answers that foreign car drivers gave them. Then GM should have done whatever it took to offer drivers the kind of cars that they wanted to buy and drive. But GM chose to sit on its fat, lazy, and complacent backside and watch itself implode. The last American car I drove was a 1995 Chevy Blazer and it was such a piece of *S*H*I*T*T*T*T* that it caught fire and burned. Neither the dealer or GM would stand behind its product. Since then I have driven two Suzuki Grand Vitaras and now I drive a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Perhaps they were assembled somewhere in the U.S., but the point is I will never drive a GM, Ford, or Chrysler vehicle. I wouldn't take a GM vehicle even if it was free, with free gas and maintenance.