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Topic: Evicting the poor from the city

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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

VOICE OF DETROIT: The city's independent newspaper, unbossed and unbought

Local, national and world news from a people's perspective

ABOUT VOD


PRIVATIZATING DETROIT: RESIDENTS EVICTED AND DISPLACED BY CORPORATE INTERESTS; HEARING WITH FEDS MAY 20 4 P.M. UAW LOCAL 600

Posted on 05/04/2013 by Diane Bukowski


By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor Pan-African News Wire, Global Research,

April 30, 2013

A new push is being made by corporations and banks in Detroit to drive even more working class, poor and nationally oppressed people out of the city. This fact is being illustrated by recent developments in the downtown area and its environs where low-income people are being forced to move from several apartment buildings.
Local multi-millionaire Mike Illitch owns the Detroit Red Wings, the Tigers, Little Caesar's, and a multitude of properties in downtown Detroit and the Cass Corridor area. He can afford to build FREE housing for the displaced residents.

The Cass Corridor, a heavily depressed area that has been neglected by the City government and the business magnates for years, is now the apparent focus for the construction of a new sports stadium. The owners of the Detroit Red Wings may be attempting to take control of sections of the Corridor in order to either gentrify the district or engage in “developments” that will not benefit the interests of the current residents.

Residents in three apartment buildings on Henry Street between Cass and Second Avenues received a hand written notice on April 20 saying that they had to move out within thirty days. Another document which appeared to be a “Notice to Quit” was also handed over to the residents.

However, neither of these documents appeared to be validated by 36th District Court where Landlord-Tenant matters are handled. Since the tenants are mostly senior citizens, single parents, people living with disabilities and marginalized workers, the supposedly new owners, who have not come forward to publically claim responsibility for the illegal attempts to evict, feel that they can get away with these blatant acts of disregard for hundreds of people.

All together there are over 200 apartment units spread out between the three buildings. Some of the residents have lived in the buildings for over thirty years while others are newcomers.

One resident told this writer that he had just moved in one month ago. He said that he paid the first month’s rent and a security deposit in addition to purchasing furniture for the apartment.

This resident is now irate that he has been told to move by May 20. He wants to take some legal action to recover his money and obtain resources from the new owners to relocate.

This is the sentiment among other residents as well. A meeting was held on Sunday afternoon April 28 in a vacant lot across the street from the apartments.

The residents are angry and frustrated and are looking for assistance. Members from various organizations including the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shut-offs, attended the meeting.

However, since it is not clear who really owns the building now it will take some serious inquiry and political action to uncover those that are responsible. Residents of the apartments have also been told that their electricity, gas and water will be shut-off after May 20 creating even more uncertainty.


The situation in the Cass Corridor is being replicated throughout the central city area. Two other large apartments downtown are also being taken over by new ownership where the residents, who are Section 8 renters, are being ordered to move. (VOD: now add a third–the Griswold Senior Apartments.)

These developments are taking place at a time when the federal government and private industry are not building low-income housing. Detroit, which is now under emergency management under the aegis of the banks, is being exploited at an even deeper level than what has prevailed over the last decade.

The foreclosure and eviction crisis hit the city of Detroit with vengeance beginning in the mid-2000s. The U.S. Census report indicated that approximately 237,000 people left the city during 2000-2010, which is 25 percent of the population.

At present, the City government, although heavily dominated now by pro-corporate surrogates, virtually has no authority in light of the state-imposed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr. As one resident said during the tenants meeting on April 28, “we are basically on our own now.”

Foreclosures Continue Throughout the State

Moratorium NOW! Coalition traveled to Coldwater, Michigan in the southwest region of the state on April 24 to support the Murray family who are facing foreclosure. The Murrays have been fighting to maintain their home for the last four years and are represented by anti-foreclosure Atty. Vanessa Fluker of Detroit.

The judge in the case ruled against them and ordered the family out of the home within ten days. The Murrays had placed over $40,000 in an escrow account while they exhausted all of their legal options in the case taking it all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court.

In Portage, Michigan, also in the southwest region, the Benthin/Mac family was facing imminent eviction during the week of April 22. As a result of an e-mail and phone campaign, they were able to win a temporary stay of eviction.

On May 20, UAW Local 600, the largest of its kind in the country, will be hosting a public hearing with officials of the banking arm of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Finance Housing Administration. Homeowners are being encouraged to participate to expose the damage being done by the federal government which is the major player in the foreclosure process at present.

Although hundreds of billions of dollars have been allocated for federal housing programs through TARP and HAMP, most of the funds have not been spent because the banks are refusing to participate in efforts to keep people in their homes. Several agreements between the banks and the Justice Department related to fraud and discrimination have not resulted in a shift in federal housing policy.

Only a mass movement led by working class and nationally oppressed people can lead to the adoption of policies that recognize housing as a fundamental human right. The current phase of capitalist development is resulting in the further impoverishment and marginalization of tens of millions of people throughout the U.S.

Related articles and websites:

Are Detroiters being evicted to make room for a new Red Wings arena?

Low-income tenants kicked out of Cass Corridor buildings by new owner

http://moratorium-mi.org/

http://peoplebeforebanks.org/index.php?art=5#fanniemae

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130422/BIZ/304220419

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/4721/meet_the_downtown_residents_who_say_they_are_being_pushed_aside_for_the_new_detroit
Post Sun Dec 22, 2013 7:17 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Voice of Detroit


ILLITCH PLANS $881 MILLION RED WINGS STADIUM PROJECT WITH PUBLIC FUNDS, DESPITE DETROIT BANKRUPTCY FILING

Posted on 09/09/2013 by Diane Bukowski


95-year project to be 61% publicly-funded, tax-exempt

Utilizes remaining Empowerment Zone bond credits

Expands DDA to create “city within a city,” displacing residents, businesses

Eliminates millions in city fees assessed under Joe Louis Arena plan

Cato Institute: no communities have benefited from sports projects

By Diane Bukowski

Sept. 8, 2013
DETROIT – As Detroit bankruptcy proceedings present a massive threat to city assets and workers’ pensions, downtown czar Mike Illitch plans to replace Joe Louis Arena with a new tax-free Red Wings hockey stadium and adjacent private developments at a cost of at least $881 million, 61 percent publicly-funded.

An estimated $536 million would come from tax increments “captured” by the Downtown Development Authority, including school, library, city, county and state taxes.

These figures differ from previously announced lower amounts because they include an estimated cost of bonds to be issued by the Michigan Strategic Fund. The bonds would utilize the remainder of Detroit’s federal Empowerment Zone credits, set to expire at the end of 2013. They cover 30 years of a 95-year agreement, according to a report from the City Council’s Legislative Policy Division (LPD).

Art Papapanos, vice president of board administration at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), described plans for an “Events Center” and “Catalyst Development Project, during a Council committee meeting Sept. 5. He said they would be located in a Downtown Development Authority area expanded to include land north of I-75 (the Fisher Freeway), west of Woodward, south of Charlotte and east of Grand River.

The project takes advantage of Public Act 396 of 2012, signed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in Dec. 2012. That Act amends the Downtown Development Authority Act of 1975 to exempt a DDA in a city of more than 600,000 residents from all taxation on its earnings or property, including real estate transfer taxes.
MAP OF PROPOSED EXPANSION OF DDA DISTRICT (ALL AREA N. OF I-75), WITH ILLITCH PROJECT AREA OUTLINED IN PURPLE. HOCKEY ARENA WOULD BE W. OF WOODWARD, S. OF TEMPLE, EAST OF CASS, N. OF 1-75.
MAP OF PROPOSED EXPANSION OF DDA DISTRICT (ALL AREA N. OF I-75), WITH ILLITCH PROJECT AREA OUTLINED IN PURPLE. HOCKEY ARENA WOULD BE W. OF WOODWARD, S. OF TEMPLE, EAST OF CASS, N. OF 1-75.

“When Proposal A passed, it limited a DDA’s ability to capture revenue streams,” Papapanos said. “[The new Act] says show us a project of at least $300 million to recapture the revenue stream. So we presented a $650 million project, $450 million for the arena and $200 million for the ancillary area.”

Papapanos said the DEGC wants the Council to approve the expansion of the DDA district amend the DDA Tax Increment Finance Plan, and approve the contribution of 37 city-owned parcels of land there at no cost.

Federally-assisted Detroit Empowerment Zone in red. Funds will expire Dec. 31, 2013.

He said that Illitch’s Olympia Development of Michigan will also fund three stations on the proposed Woodward Corridor M-1 rail line. The Catalyst Development Area surrounding the arena would include retail and residential construction and modernization.

Papapanos said the Council must vote on the plan within 60 days, but the LPD report says the real urgency comes from the amended expiration date on Empowerment Zone funds. A Council vote on the project was set for Nov. 12, with a discussion by the full Council sometime in October.

Council Neighborhood and Community Services Committee chair James Tate said regarding the project, “What excited me is the Empowerment Zone aspect.”

Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, who did not run for next year’s term, was angry.

“This proposes a free transfer of city-owned land,” she said. “State law requires any transfer to be at fair market value. We need information from the assessor’s office.”

Watson also objected to the fact that the city is not included as a party in the “Concession Management Agreement” (CMA) covering the project. The parties are Olympia Development of Michigan (an Illitch holding), the Michigan Strategic Fund, and Wayne County.

Council President Saunteel Jenkins agreed that the value of city land for the project should be assessed, but appeared to accept that the city would not be party to the CMA.

Watson added that hundreds of millions in city fees and surcharges from Joe Louis Arena will be lost and questioned what will happen to the facility.

“This would be an opportunity for a replica of the agreement put together by Mayor Coleman A. Young and Bella Marshall for Joe Louis Arena to provide compensation for the city,” Watson said. “Every time they appear on TV, why not demand a share before approving this agreement?”

In Dec. 2012, the Detroit News reported that Illitch’s Red Wings owed the city up to $70 million in cable television rights and millions more in rent, concessions and other revenue and property taxes. The LPD report says only a fraction of that amount, owing since 1980, has been paid since then pursuant to negotiations with Illitch Holdings.

During a Council hearing in 2011, a city analyst from the Assessor’s office said many other fees associated with the city’s sports franchises, including income taxes from Tigers, Lions and Red Wing team members, had not been paid. Watson eventually estimated outstanding corporate debt to the city at $800 million.

Watson also demanded a task force to monitor the hiring of city residents and businesses similar to that utilized for Comerica Park and Ford Field. Illitch’s proposal says he will comply with Exec. Order 1, which requires 51 percent of the workers on the project to be Detroit residents.

Empowerment Zone funding requires 37 percent of the workers to come from the Empowerment Zone itself but does not set wage levels or hours worked. The proposal says a third-party task force will be set up, but does not indicate who will choose it.

Detroit residents present expressed outrage during comments restricted to one minute by committee chair James Tate, who threatened their removal if they exceeded the time limit. Tate also unsuccessfully attempted to limit questions from Councilwoman Watson, and refused to have LPD’s David Whitaker give a summary of their report.

“People are being removed under this project, and they have no idea where they’re going,” Marie Burton said. “You know these people are going to burn your stuff down, tear it down brick by brick. People need decent housing with flowers and trees, and the city needs its tax dollars. Give us respect. We are not rats or dogs, we are human beings.”

Representing “Detroiters Resisting Emergency Management,” Attorney Tom Stephens said, “[Publicly-funded sports arenas have] not worked as an economic development strategy to create high-quality living wage jobs, either in Detroit – where taxpayers funded both Comerica Park and Ford Field during the same years that the city slid into its current fiscal crisis and bankruptcy—or anywhere else . . . .Desperately needed financial assistance has long been and is still being denied to children mired in poverty, to public safety, transit, education, health, environmental protection . . .and other social necessities. lWhy should elected officials appropriate hundreds of millions of tax dollars to benefit a multibillionaire owner of a sports franchise?” (Click on TStephens coments for Stephens full written comments.)

A Cato Institute study cited in the LPD report found that not one community has benefited economically from similar sports arena projects anywhere in the U.S. in previous years.

Jerry Balenger, owner of the building housing the popular Cliff Bell’s Jazz Club and Bucharest Grill on Park Avenue in the DDA area, said Illitch is employing a “scorched earth policy.” He said the DEGC has not consulted with other business owners in the district, who are trying to ameliorate 27 years of blight there. He said Illitch wants to build a wall around his holdings with this project, located diagonally north of the Illitch’s Detroit Tigers’ Comerica Park and the Detroit Lions’ Ford Field.

Bill McMasters ) of Michigan Taxpayers United says plan is for a “city within a city” controlled by secret interests with taxing power. .

Forbes Magazine lists Illitch as one of the “400 Richest Americans.” He owns the Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, and Little Caesar’s Pizza, as part of the $1.7 billion Illitch Holdings empire, along with large amounts of land in downtown and midtown Detroit. His wife Marian owns the sole controlling interest in the Motor City Casino, and is also involved with Gateway Casino Resorts, LLC and other gambling enterprises.

Bill McMasters, head of Taxpayers United of Michigan, which has 300 members from Detroit, called the project the “creation of a city within a city by a secret organization with taxing power by people who are not elected.”

DEGC is all businessHe showed a Freedom of Information Act request he submitted to the DEGC and the DDA asking for a list of tax breaks given to major companies in Detroit Renaissance Zones. A denial letter from Papapanos, who identified himself as the “FOIA Coordinator for the DDA only,” said the DEGC is not a “public body” and therefore not subject to FOIA and Open Meetings Act laws. He said the DDA does not keep such records. (Click on McMasters FOIA and response for full letter detailing all businesses McMasters wants information on. Click on DEGC Directors 2010 2011 for most recently available listing of directors.)

The DEGC staffs the DDA and numerous other city authorities. Its board members represent a broad range of major corporate CEO’s in the region.

Pastor Alonzo Bell of the Martin Evans Missionary Baptist Church on the city’s east side said he bought property adjacent to the church land, but now is losing it because the tax rates have skyrocketed.

“This shows the inequality of billionaires getting tax breaks for profit,” he said. “Everybody in the City of Detroit needs to get a tax break.”

Laverne Holloway said, “This is an absolute shame! People keep saying Detroit is destroyed and worthless, but people are coming every day with their hands out for more public money. Mike Illitch owes us $200 million. PAY THE MONEY! We need every single dime every corporation owes us collected first.”

Ray Litch, Vice-President of the Cass Tech Alumni Association, said they have been planning to construct a field for “boys and girls” baseball on the site of the old school, since razed. He said the football field built with the new school is too small.

Others, primarily from businesses and construction unions, favored the proposal.

They included Ken Harris, President and CEO of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, which he said has 72,000 members in the state and 32,000 in Detroit, and the largest Black supplier data base in the country. He said Detroit is ranked #4 across the nation in numbers of Black entrepreneurs.

“I commend Mike and Marian Illitch for their history of supporting us,” he said.

Chris Jackson, who is partnering with Jenkins Construction in the Queen Lillian medical building project just north of the expanded DDA, said the project will be an “opportunity for Black businesses and developers.”

Toney Stewart, Delegate of Local 687 of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC), said, “We need jobs!” The Carpenters Union has 14,000 members across the state, the vast majority of them white males. The MRCC is a major contributor to the campaigns of powerful politicians state-wide.




The MellowOne-Jeff. Jeff Lewis {Detroit}. says:

09/09/2013 at 6:17 pm


I just can’t believe how so many African Americans in The City Of Detroit can not see what’s going on here, these Rich white man and there companies getting Millions of Dollars in Tax abatement’s and public funding and most of all everything coming from the City Of Detroit is free or just pennies on the Dollars, does this look a little like Black Leader’s on City Council just given up once again on the People who elected them still. Look at everything that’s going on, Detroit Citizens always being put out and left out, while the rich get richer and the People of Detroit get left out in the very cold that the leadership has made. Nothing for the Citizens of Detroit and yes we need to help our selves, but given all that these Billion’s Dollar’s white men get this is how they stay on top and when it’s all said and done it’s more so for the people coming into Detroit for sports events then ever for those of us who live here. Now I’ll say this as well, if many of us who are in the Community working for justice and a better City for Detroiter’s first and protesting for it’s betterment were given just some of these Millions of Dollars we too could erect Beautiful Neighborhoods and Clean Street’s, we also could put People who look like we do and who live in Detroit to work, which may or may not help detour Crime. Something’s really wrong here once again, as always the Rich get Richer and the People who have stayed through it all still get nothing. As I said My Detroit Family look around you and see the real for what it is, America is still based on Rich and poor and the Elected People are still for what it seam to be and what it look likes, there on the side on the RICH only, not those who Voted for them. Wake-up Family for while we are sleeping, we are losing and all of our Cities Assets are being given away, leaving you and me out in the cold once more, with out anything to look forward to at all, but remember through it all it was still our tax Dollars that keep the City going no matter how bad or how good it has been. But now all of Detroit’s Assets are going into the Hands of Whites from outside Detroit with nothing be given at all to Detroit, how does that happen, you take from the People and then give those assets to others, it’s like you walk into my house that I have paid for, for years and just take it from me, put me out and then tell me will I’ll rent it to you but you will have to pay me $2000.00 a month. Wow how things are going wrong. My God, My God. Peace And Love, With Power To The People. The MellowOne-Jeff. Jeff Lewis {Detroit}.

Reply



Quintin Williams says:

09/09/2013 at 9:06 pm


This will smash a community and threaten possible city jobs increasing although its a big project for brand new development.

Reply

- See more at: http://voiceofdetroit.net/2013/09/09/illitch-plans-881-million-red-wings-stadium-project-with-public-funds-despite-detroit-bankruptcy-filing/#sthash.tqKOZ8HS.dpuf
Post Sun Dec 22, 2013 7:34 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Genesee Towers implosion causes gas main leak, Consumers Energy says

Gary Ridley | gridley@mlive.com By Gary Ridley | gridley@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on December 22, 2013 at 4:52 PM, updated December 22, 2013 at 4:54 PM


FLINT, MI -- Consumers Energy officials say that the Genesee Towers implosion caused a gas leak in downtown Flint.

Brian Wheeler, a spokesman for Consumers Energy, said crews from the utility company were on the scene, had shut off the gas, and were attempting to repair the leak.

"What we think happened is the implosion probably shook loose a fitting from the gas main," Wheeler said.

Watch replays of the implosion here

Flint police reported a possible gas leak following the 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, implosion of the 19-story building. Consumers Energy crews were on hand to investigate the report.

Wheeler said the utility company shut off service to the gas main prior to the implosion. The line was unable to hold pressure when crews attempted to restore service to the line following the implosion, Wheeler said.

The leak is believed to be somewhere under the roughly 40-foot tall pile of rubble from the building.

Wheeler said the leak was expected to be repaired by 6 p.m. No downtown businesses should be affected by the leak, he said.
Post Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:15 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Terry banker said it well on Facebook with a photo. He noted the building on the left (Towers) was going to be destroyed because the building on the right (Mott Foundation) wants it.

Taxpayers subsidized the long term goal of the downtown groups. Taxpayers paid over $10 million in special assessments only to have Brown (with his conflicts of interest) sell it to Uptown for $1. Uptown was supposed to find the money for the demo. Well they did with Brown giving them $880,000 in HUD Community Block Grant Funding. Even my friends trained in HUD policies don't believe this project met one of the 3 HUD objectives. Just how high up does this corruption go?

That money could have been used for the money pit called Smith Village instead of using city resources such as the water & sewer fund, the street fund and others.
Post Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:31 am 
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