Prodigy
The Detroit City Council voted yesterday to approve the transfer of the running of the zoo to the Detroit Zoological Society. While this means that the Zoo won't close, there is still the slight matter of finding the money to run the Zoo. And I'm sorry to the people of Oakland County, but L. Brooks Patterson is a friggin' jackass. "I don't think the suburbs would be interested in subsidizing the zoo without any ownership," he said. "If it were an independent authority with shared ownership, maybe. But I don't think Oakland County taxpayers want to subsidize Detroit's assets." That comment made me more angry than the Detroit City Council three members who didn't vote for the transfer. Yo, Brooks baby, the Zoo is in Oakland County! Who the bloody hell cares who owns it? It's a Southeastern Michigan institution people from all over the region visit the Zoo. Instead of trying to influence the people in your county to vote against a millage increase (The Detroit Free Press estimated that the proposed property tax would add additional $4.06 to $5.15 per year per house worth $200,000.) why don't you learn how to work with people instead of always being a contentious bastard? How can anybody be that petty to vote against $5 for the Zoo? Especially the people of Oakland county which contains one of the richest zip codes in the country. At any rate, I can now renew my membership to the Zoo proudly and without reservation that they'd get my money and then turn around and use to close and ship the animals to other zoos.
posted by Kathleen @ 2:15 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Right on, sister!
In response to your question: "Just saw your comment at Beth's. Are you enjoying The Cider House Rules?" I can say I'm enjoying it very much. I actually read the book quite a few years ago and loved it then, too (a lot of the books I listen to I've read before). And I did think the movie was excellent — and no wonder. John Irving himself wrote the screenplay and personally made all the choices of what to leave in, take out or change (i.e., the modified love triangle, a bigger role for Fuzzy, etc.).
Way to go Kat. You can be proud to have had a small hand in it.
I can see Patterson's point. It seems that Kwame has a 'f-the suburbs'opinion until he is looking for a handout (or votes). Then the suburbs are being racial when they don't help out poor ol' Detroit. Brooks has a point here. People in this area won't even pass taxes to improve their own roads, so why would they increase their taxes to pay for something that they have now true ownership of? Stewardship is fine, but most voters are over 55 and on fixed incomes. Regardless of where you live (even if it is one of the richest zip codes), everyone is trying to get by with less...including our corporations. 4 or 5 bucks may seem like very little but when it is piled on top of school millages, road millages, and general taxes, you become choose as to where your tax dollars go.
As a homeowner and having never been to the detroit zoo, I'm not sure I would vote to steward something that Detroit has screwed up and that Detroit can continue to screw up.
wow, I should really proofread my posts.
"have now true ownership of?"
is really 'have no true ownership of?'
and
"and general taxes, you become choose as to where your tax dollars go."
should read: 'and general taxes, you need to choose where you tax dollars go.'
I disagree with you. I would not support a tax increase for the zoo as long as the city of Detroit maintained controll of it. The Detroit city government cannot manage money, and their rules for hiring and vedors cause costs to be 20-30% higher. Also, as a homeowner, I am tired of getting taxed left and right for everything. I have a house to maintain, and the $5 for this and that taxes add up at the end of the year (Dearbornites are still paying for the Rec center). Let the users of these institutions pay to keep them open. I do utilize the zoo, the DIA, and the Henry Ford, and I have no issues paying them directly for the ability to use them.
Hello my love! This morning as I was rushing around getting ready for work, pulling on my trousers and eating toast at the same time, the door went and I went 'grrrrr, what now?!' and answered the door and there was the postie with a box for me and I thought 'Ah, I know what that is!' and it was a lovely gift from you. Not one scarf, but 2 gorgeous scarves and some pot holders. Thank you very, very much Kat. Thank you VERY much. You've made my week. And the scarves are beautiful. And you'd never have known this because I've never mentioned it, but I was given a beautiful turquoise coat for my christmas and I've been looking for a scarf to go with it (which is why I'd said black) - the turquoise in the other one you sent me is a perfect match for my coat. Amazing! Thank you a million times over. Have a good week. xxx
I'm so glad to hear the zoo won't be closing! That's awesome.
From someone that lives and works in (for) Oakland County, yes, Brookes is a big, cheap ass.
A couple years ago when the County was threatening lay offs, there was a big meeting for all of the staff where Brookes claimed he knew the sorrows of being laid off/fired and his heart went out to us. He even apologized with the majority of the County wouldn't even get our annual raise (3%). He even shed a tear for his speech. Yes, all of the average workers had to deal with not getting their annual raises one year, and getting our annual raise cut down, while Brookes and the members of the Board of Commissioners all enjoyed taking their 12%+ annual raise.
Maybe they should have voted to turn down their raise to have enough money for the rest of us.
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