Go ahead and do it Detroit, when more of your folks move south, MI will loose electoral votes, and KY, TN, GA, and AL will gain them....

Don't forget Autoworld!



Flint is to driving up North as Gary Indiana is to driving to Chicago.

Okay, i am a livonia resident. I was born in detroit and travel there frequently for the casino, hockey (when there's a season) and for a pretty decent bar scene. kwame kilpatrick (aka king kwame, mayor sexy, coleman lite, mayor bling) has been running that city into the ground. mayor dennis archer, who was kwame's predecessor did some serious work to the city. he took it from a post youngian urban warzone (deruit as we affectionately called it) to an almost habitable place. he brought businesses and jobs... then kwame comes in, he allowed the casinos to stay in their "temporary" locations inside the city, instead of becoming the riverfront hotel/casinos they were supposed to be. now, correct me if i'm wrong, but wouldn't 2 1000 room hotels bring in more money annually in tax dollars than a stupid ass fat tax? not to mention, i would go to the casino more often if they had a hotel so i wouldn't have to drive through the DUI trap that is I-96 and I-696. plus then the casino could ACTUALLY comp you something useful. then i could go over to windsor, pick up a whore and bring her back to my comped room. and then make her swim her way back over the border cuz i'm sure not drivin her. anyhow, that's my senseless rambling that is slightly on topic. sorry to have wasted your time.

theres a red robin on gratiot in either fraser or clinton twp .. its at 13 and gratiot in front of the mall, its closer than flint but its still across the bridge.. i dont understand why our gov't is so afraid of canadians. must be your unnaceptable radical ideas, like universal healthcare and decriminalizing marijuana

12 dollars an hour is mediocre? Christ, sign me up!

wow, i rally rambled with no real direction there. i need to stop getting drunk at noon.

Asa Phelps You're attacking the argument by applying logic to the eating habits of the poor. I hope you see the fallacy in that.

I understand, and I think I know where you're going with this one. Who cares if we tax the poor because they're too stupid to realize what the hell is going on anyway. (DISCLAIMER: Wealth != intelligence, not all poor people are stupid)

My parents never go out to eat, they don't see movies.. they don't do anything. They're very boring people. There's currently a 13 inch TV with a dial in the living room because the old 20-incher burnt out. It's an extreme that I wouldn't suggest anyone follow, but it's a good example because they're middle class right down the line. They had some fun with disposable income when they were young, and then they had kids. My sister is going to graduate from law school in a couple weeks debt free. The power of sacrifice.

Do we blame advertisers for the plight of the poor? The constant barrage of consumerism that makes them feel like they aren't getting their fair share if they don't have a big screen TV. I have worked some crap jobs and met some extremely motivated people and for each moron out there I'd like to believe there's a couple more who have plans and are carrying them out.

yeah what happened to those other casinos they were building on the waterfront? and all the apartments and condos they started to build to?

liverleef:

Unfortunately I must agree. Just the other day on PBS I saw a special describing the plight of poor people in America. It blamed most of the problems on Reagans policies. One of the families they profiled was dirt poor, then the couple both got mediocre jobs, about 12 dollars an hour i think. You think they invested this extra money or saved it or somthing? Nope, they bought a china cabinet and a bunch of china to fill it with, a computer, a big TV and a bunch of other crap for temporary amusement. Naturally when the first emergency came along they lost everything. Damn, use your heads poor people.

You do realize that you sound like an absolute tool, right?

12 dollars an hour is mediocre? Christ, sign me up!

This couple had 2 kids so 12 bucks an hour certainly not alot of money

Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money!

I went to Detroit once. Once...

/Ode to Johnny Dangerously

Long time lurker, first time poster. Not so much.

So I have a story about ol' Kwame. It's now a third-hand story, but a story still. I got it from my old boss, who heard it from a friend of hers whose friend is the actual waitress.

About five years ago there was this restaurant in Ferndale that was closing up shop for the evening. All of the customers had gone home and the waitress went to the door to lock up. Before she got there Kwame, his wife, and his entourage barge in, requesting service. Seeing how this would probably be a big take, the restaurant offered service.

So this huge gathering grabs some seats and begins ordering. Kwame's wife requests the chicken sandwich from the menu. The waitress explains that they have run out and they won't be getting anymore until the morning. Kwame himself stands up, and says "Do you know who this is? I am the Mayor of Detroit, and this is the freakin' first lady of Detroit. Now you WILL go and make her a chicken sandwich, if this means that you go somewhere else, buy the chicken, bring it back and cook it!"

To this, the waitress says, "You're the Mayor of Detroit, huh? Welcome to FERNDALE."

Absolutely hilarious.

/used to work in Auburn Hills
//miss my old boss
///she was hot
////and quite funny

Ironically, the only way that Detroit can improve it's situation and revenue problem is to provide incentives to businesses to locate there. NOT disincentives. Most other cities/states have to do the same.

You cannot be "pro-tree" while being "anti-soil".

With the mayor running things into the ground, Detroit is becoming more of a cesspool every day. I don't see how they are gonna have the superbowl there.

Weaver95

Umm...the rich left 30+ years ago following the riots.

So the tax would jump from 6% to 7% or 8%?

I don't see what the big deal is. I live in Southern California and the sales tax here has jumped up to 8.25%.

Detroit was on the right track under Dennis Archer. Kwame Kilpatrick is a farking joke.

I'm getting tired of doing this on fark.

I love Detroit. Detroit and it's surrounding cities are beautiful in a lot of ways and offer a lot of potential. The two newest sporting complexes installed in downtown Detroit (the Copa and Ford Field) are both gems. The city has made large strides in revitalizing it's downtown area - it's light years farther from where it was 10 years ago.

Yes, Kwame Kilpatrick is a thug. Yes he squanders precious finite city resources on stupid things like Escalade leases and excessive bodyguards. However, I think he's different from Hizzoner Coleman A. Young because the citizens of the city now are really looking for change, as opposed to Young's time when they just went along with Young because they hadn't yet noticed all the auto jobs going away and seen the writing on the wall.

Now we have three casinos here, which are all three fleecing the city in their own way. That is where Detroit must get it's revenue from. The new riverfront casino will be a boost to the city, but Detroit has to get paid for it, and use that money to continue to vitalize the city and remove some of the eyesores that are plaguing the streets, such as old Tiger Stadium and others.

People love to bash Detroit, but it's funny that the ones that do bash it have never once been here. The city is changing, despite it's horrible mayor, but it's taking time. Detroit isn't going to die or fade away, but they need to do more to entice more high-tech industries like the new Compuware building and tax the hell out of those casinos in order to make it over the hump.

Whining! The tax in Texas cities is 8.5% for all resturant food and going higher.

BitwiseShift:
Detroit is broke and poor. It's harder to tax poor people than those with money.

/Not advocating increasing taxes anywhere.

How about a murder tax?

WOOHOO!!! L-TOWN REPRAZENT!!!!!

You take the thug out of Livonia, but you can't take Livonia out of the thug, that's what I say.

If you work in the city of Detroit, you're punished by the city income tax. If you live and work in the city of Detroit, that punishment is double. And they wonder why people are moving in droves out of the city?

You mean people actually leave Livonia? Learn something new everyday....

Mr. aginghipster -

I agree with the things that you have said. Ford Field and Comerica Park are very nice facilities, despite the product actually put on the respective fields. The city should be taking more from the casinos. There are some nice changes that are taking effect. And I've yet to a) be robbed and b) see any violence firsthand while I've been in Detroit.

I think that the city has, unfortunately, put the cart before the horse. It seems to make little sense to me that building the stadiums and the casinos before really redeveloping the city was ok'ed by the establishment.

And I think Kwame is moving in the wrong direction with this tax. I think Kwame should be ousted, and you can take his place.

When you do become mayor, of course, make sure that if you do keep this tax, keep it away from Big John Steak & Onion. :)

Signed,
SigmaPhiDeltaAtTriStateBlows

The Commerce Department's definition of fast food revolves around when you pay for your order. Pay before you're served, it's fast food. Pay after you've eaten and it's full service dining.

This is a GREAT idea. Even more cash-trapped Cleveland should listen to this idea. Cleveland funded the building of Jacobs Field and Gund Area on their 'sin tax' on cigarettes and alcohol. Fast Food is truthfully a bad thing too, and might as well get the brunt of this...

I don't like vending machines in kids schools, but if they're gonna stay, tax the he*l out of those things, too!

I don't see how they can justify this? A tax on cars makes sense because cars require roads to be maintained. Are they claming this is a sidewalk repair tax from all the fat people?

you're right aging hipster, people do need to stop bashing detroit. especially people that have never been here. the whole state gets a bad name just from people like jimmy kimmel making uneducated stereotyping remarks about one city. i guess i dont mind all that much though because that means less people will be here and leave more privacy and peace for us up north because they dont know how truly awesome it is up there

Amen flucto! No one seems to give a rats ass that they are taxing the hell out of a pack of smokes, but if they tax a cheese burger they must be out of there god damn mind.


/rant

//lights up and trys to chill.

then the commerce departments definition of fast food eliminates Coney Islands from that definition.. taxing them would be unfair. clickondetroit.coms article said that American Coney Island might not be considered because its as big and has the same service as any normal restraunt.. but ive never been in a coney that wasnt just like every other coney. maybe ones bigger and ones cleaner but theyre all restraunts. why should they be taxed as a fast food restraunt? isnt that demeaning to the quallity of their food?

The Detroit riverfront-there's another example of the stupidity of Detroit government. They recently completed a deal, for a very large amount of money (naturally!), to buy out the business and property of a large cement manufacturing plant on the riverfront. They will be tearing down a functioning business, that provided jobs, to build a park. The city does not have the money to adequately maintain the many parks they already have, let alone add a new one.Belle Isle,the island park in the Detroit river is a sad reminder of better days in Detroit, and how the present government has squandered that legacy.The "Cultural Jewels" that attract a mainly (White) suburban clientele struggle along with reduced budgets and general neglect every year, while huge mismanaged projects like the Wright African-american museum get lavish budgets (suprise,suprise!).

SigmaPhiDeltaAtTriStateBlows:

And I think Kwame is moving in the wrong direction with this tax. I think Kwame should be ousted, and you can take his place.

That's all well and good, but in my 30 years Detroit has never elected a white mayor, so I don't really see myself as the groundbreaker. Besides, I'm a pro-taxes liberal, so I should probably stay out of public office.

I go to Detroit several times a year on business. It's not as bad as some people say, but it's no paradise, either. I alternate between trips to Chicago and Detroit a lot with business, and I prefer Chicago ten times better, traffic jams and all.
Having said that, Detroit needs to stop electing these crooked mayors. Coleman Young did more damage to that city than anything, yet people kept re-electing him. Kwamie is no better with his bodyguards and Lincoln Navigators for his relatives. He has no business being mayor of Romulus let alone Detroit.

This sounds like the ultimate in regressive taxation. If you can't afford to have a sit down meal for lunch, bend over.

2005-05-08 02:33:39 PM cheguevara12

"We would've gone to Canada or Detroit to do some gambling, but none of us have passports (I guess we can't get back into the US w/o them, even from Canada)"

That's odd. You can from Mexico.

This wouldn't have happened in the hands of responsible private enterprise....

Point 1:
The first reaction when a politician proposes raising taxes should be, "what the hell did you do with the money we've already given you?" If your kid overspends his allowance, do you just fork over more dough without asking where the first installment went?

Point 2:
This is in the time-honored tradition of finding something that's unpopular or can be made so ("fast food makes our children fat and diabetic!") and then taxing it as a punishment or as a way to "pay us back for the harm they're causing." That's how you eventually end up with government sucking the majority of your income out of your pocket. Even if you hate the bastards who they want to tax, you should resist the temptation to go along with a hike in taxes, because YOU'RE next.

wtf? uneducated? I got muuged @ the age of 4 in D-Town, you ever been? I met Coleman Young @ the age of 9, guy had an entourage like you wouldn't believe(and was a Tuskegee Airman, to boot-go figure), my buddy Johnny had stories 'bout Willie Brown's Era as Da Mayor in San Fran that made me homesick...(has Kwame strong-armed a gold-leafing of City Hall thru the City Council? Then STFU about a real Playa Maya!)

More important question: How do you distinguish a fast food resteraunt from a real reseraunt?

peanut butter doesnt come in jugs.

Raising taxes 2% is the sissy approach.
Just raise the sales taxes to 17% for non-food items. And on the Lincoln Navigator you charge 33%. That's going to tax the right people and bring in the real money to turn Detroit around.

PrestonPreston

Creepy. That place looks just like my middle school.

"We would've gone to Canada or Detroit to do some gambling, but none of us have passports (I guess we can't get back into the US w/o them, even from Canada)"

That's odd. You can from Mexico.

The rule is changing for both soon. However, at present, all you need is a driver's license to get back into the States. The border guards give you a lecture, but they let you through. Just remember to take the tunnel. The bridge backs up because of all the trucks they're searching.

/Detroit represent.