On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:54:49 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 11/5/2011 9:27 AM, Robert Neville wrote:
Jack wrote:

Its a typical tactic. First you create a crisis. That's what they're
doing now by taking out the street lights. After a few months of dark
streets and the resultant increase in crime, the taxpayers will be in
the mood to vote a millage/tax increase so the municipality can buy new
energy efficient LED street lights. It will be a very lucrative contract
for one of the mayor's cronies. The whole process will take about 3 years.

You are obviously not familiar with what is going on in Detroit. The city has
lost about 40% of it's population. There are whole neighborhoods of abandoned
house, and blocks with maybe one occupied house. The city is bankrupt - you
don't get any tax revenue from empty houses.

The only hope they have is to focus the little money they have on neighborhoods
that actually have residents. They aren't guying new anything, much less LED
lighting.

Are there any "taxpayers" actually living inside the city limits of
Detroit? Perhaps the city should die? Then people with that good old
American pioneering spirit will move in and rebuild the place but only
after the vermin have found another habitat. ^_^

That appears to be what's happening. The city is trying a "controlled
collapse" or perhaps "providing cover-fire for the retreating residents" is a
better metaphor.