Not now

I have long said that the position of superintendent of Detroit Public Schools is by far the worst job in Detroit. By far.


The next on the list is mayor, followed by starting quarterback of the Lions, goalie for the Red Wings, then coach of the Pistons. The best job? Hmm? It's either Detroit School Board president, City Council president or second-string quarterback of the Lions -- until he actually has to play.


Those in the line fire have the least to fear. That's just the way it goes around here. I believe the problem stems from the fact that we want, or better, need somebody to blame for the failure of systems, and those in the direct line of fire are are highest-priced targets.


Connie Calloway was fired less than two years after the board we elected to select her made the hire. Their incompetence in the hiring and handling of this mess is reason to oust them all. The board is made up of some smart, competent people, but among them we have some who will not send their own children to DPS schools and at least one who has been charged as an unfit parent. Yet they are responsible for the future of our children, and implicit in that is the future of the city and region. I honestly do not believe that the majority of the board members understand the stakes.


The school board hired Calloway, who came from a small Missouri school district armed with a reputation as a strong curriculum administrator. But they knew she lacked the experience of leading one of the largest districts in the nation. They knew that going in, but gave the post to her any way. Worse, they beat her up over the lack of experience as a large school district CEO during her entire tenure. It made no sense to me, and seemed like a recipe for disaster -- which it ultimately was.

I have many friends who teach in DPS and they have children who I consider to be outstanding young people. I salute them. Still, I could not justify sending my son to a DPS school. Could you?

A lifeline shouldn't come at that price

Following the request for financial assistance from the federal government by the Detroit Three automakers over the past month left me feeling like the rest of the country hates Detroit, and by inference, Detroiters. I have to admit, it's been a preoccupation these many weeks and I've been bothered by it -- mightily.

At a time when our state and region are struggling and could use not only a lifeline, but some moral support, I wish our government leaders would have taken a different course. However, they didn't.

They finally approved support a few days ago -- not as much as requested, and with ample strings. It was a far cry from the treatment legislators afforded Wall Street, which it gladly gave $700 billion with no stipulations. Worse, news reports today indicated that financial institutions that received the money can't document how they have been spending the dough -- and that is my money, and yours. Meanwhile, if General Motors and Chrysler (Ford said didn't need any money right now) fail to jump through whoops in a satisfactory manner over the next few months they will be required to pay back their loans in March.

That will probably be the case, unless the Barrack Obama Administration shows the automakers some love when he takes over. The credit market is still in such a state of turmoil that most consumers can't get loans to buy vehicles anytime soon.

Bigger Problems

Metro Detroit cannot afford this right now. I'm not just talking about the automotive industry, I'm talking about the community. Helping Detroit is good, it's needed. I don't just mean the auto industry, for which "Detroit" has become a code word.

I spent a few hours Sunday doing my part as a volunteer with a MorningSide Neighborhood Organization project in which we hope to document blight in the community with the hope of getting property owners and city officials to help address the issue of foreclosures and their decimating effect on the area. On the two streets I documented, I counted 51 vacant homes. Some were abandoned, some foreclosed and a few sat empty with for sale signs in front. Most were either crumbling or vandalized, and need to be razed -- or soon will need to be.

I couldn't help but think people across the country hate us while this is going on?! Our federal government is hesitant to throw a rope to an industry which supports a region struggling like this?

The Detroit News today reported that Michigan is one of only two states (Rhode Island is the second) to have a shrinking population, according to estimates just released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

"Michigan's loss rate increased, with an estimated 46,368 fewer people in the state on July 1, 2008. The bureau estimated the state lost 34,000 people the year before, and nearly 10,000 in 2006.

If the state maintains its losses for another year, its population could fall below 10 million for the first time since 2000. According to the Census Bureau, Michigan has 10,003,422 people," The Detroit News reported.

The loss in population is consistent with the loss or thousands of jobs, a large percentage of which are tied to the auto industry.

From what I saw, it looks like many of those residents just walked away from their homes and moved elsewhere. I'm assuming, based on Census data, that some left the state.

I am convinced that Wall Street received an unconditional bailout from Washington because they run in the same circles, whereas Old Money auto industry figureheads had to go to Capital Hill with hats in hand because they are outsiders. They got a raw deal, even after a $13.4 billion so-called bailout came their way.

Offering money to the auto industry was a social justice issue. With so many metro Detroiters dependent on the industry (including children, families and retirees) helping to ensure its survival is a moral imperative. Why it took so long, and came with such baggage, is beyond me.

Is this the Old West?

Judy Pensyl deserved better.

Four times the east side Detroit resident's home has been invaded in recent months. Each time the burglars have taken her belongings, and eventually escalated activities to include vandalizing the home before they left.

My biggest fear after my own home was burglarized earlier this year was that the crook, or crooks, now know the layout and contents, and would eventually be back. I didn't want to take that chance, but the reality is as long as my family stayed in the home the likelihood of that happening was inevitable.

I received an e-mail about Ms. Pensyl that read, in part: "They robbed her the first time but then came back and threw food around the kitchen, overturned bookcases, painted gang graffiti on walls, etc. It's really shocking that such a well-intentioned and gentle soul should have this happen to her. What's even worse is that the police basically shrugged their shoulders and said there wasn't anything they could do!"

Ms. Pensyl is a slender and slight woman, a senior, would loves the city is active and outgoing and would never harm a soul. She is the type of person the city needs more of.

"She's been staying much of the time with some friends because she doesn't feel safe in her house, especially since it hasn't been properly secured. It appears that she's been targeted by someone in the neighborhood, although I can't imagine why."

She received some help the Guardian Angels, and apparently she did finally find at least one sympathetic person in the Eastern District police precinct. But finding that ear was not easy, as Ms. Pensyl had a tough time getting help initially.

"Their lack of response and apparent indifference is probably the most disturbing part of this whole thing. Sometimes I feel like we live in the Old West, where people are basically on their own to defend themselves. We deserve better than this!"

The wave of foreclosures that has decimated MorningSide, the neighborhood in which Ms. Pensyl lives and where I am active, is as much to blame as the overextended police department. With fewer residents to watch out for on another, crooks can ply their trade with few repercussions.

In MorningSide we're trying to do something about the foreclosure madness by taking inventory and attempting get banks or mortgage holders to be accountable for upkeep. The goal is to get people in position of ownership to take the reins, and ultimately, have more people engaged in what's going on in the blocks. It's a first step, but solving this Old West problem that is becoming a nightmare for too many.

Questioning commitment

Commitment. It is something I admire. But today I found myself conflicted about some people's commitment to certain things.

The revelation came as I pulled up to the intersection of Moross and I-94 and he wasn't there. "He," is a gentleman I have seen occupying the same spot on the same corner every time I pass by. He is there holding a sign that says simply, "Hungry. Please Help." He is there all day, sometimes sitting, sometimes standing. His look is pertually desperate. He is there despite rain or snow, whether it's warm or bitterly cold. That takes commitment, no matter the motives.

As I approached the intersection today however, he was not there. I wondered whether he had gotten the help he needed. I wondered because, as I sat next to him at a red light Saturday I wanted to let down the window and ask whether he has seriously sought help, through an agency or a program dedicated to assisting the homeless or those in need of a meal. I understand that some who need help can get it, while others are sometimes left out in the cold, literally.

According to the Coalition on Temporary Shelter, or COTS, on any given day, nearly 10,000 people in Detroit are homeless. The agency says that less than 2,000 beds at its facilities and other emergency shelters exist to serve them. Those programs are near capacity every day, and the problem has shown no signs of letting up, given our region's increasing rate of poverty and lack of access to affordable rental housing and the current foreclosure madness.

I didn't let my window down Saturday, but I didn't avoid eye contact either. He saw me watching him and declining to help. I wondered what he thought, or whether he cared. I am sure he picked the spot because of traffic volume, so he's playing the odds anyway and could probably care less. I was probably just another motorist sitting between him and one who would give him a few bucks.

My personal policy is to give money to agencies that help the homeless and to volunteer at shelters a few times a year. I give money to people on the street infrequently, and working downtown for most of my career, I estimate I've been approached a few thousand times. When I'm in a generous mood or am presented with a compelling case, I'll give a dollar or two (and probably do more than most, at the end of the day). But I try to stick to my guns.

Because I give to agencies that help homeless people move toward independence, why give money to someone who may squander it? I know, when I articulate the point it sounds heartless, but it's a macro position to which I am sticking. I'm helping the greater good ... I have to believe.

I don't know what the exit ramp guy does with the money he gets or how many motorists actually bother to help him, but he must do okay. I can't believe he would be there, day after day after day, if it was just about a few bucks for a meal, right?

If he was simply hungry he could go to a soup kitchen a couple of times a day to eat, there are quite a few on the east side. I self-reflect on that and then wonder if it's his commitment I'm questioning or mine?

I believe I am committed to helping people when I can, and have demonstrated that over the years. However, since I have seen this man so many times and done so little, I'm a bit conflicted.

Have you ever refused to let down your window or dig into your pocket or purse when you could have? I guess the larger question is, should you feel guilty about not doing so?

Our generation faces unprecedented times, between economic turmoil, people losing jobs, homes and hope -- in some cases. We will only get past this if we all do our part. And there's my cathartic moment. I'm going to start by finding out why that guy is so committed to that corner, when I see him again and can pull over.

I say the next time because I eventually did see him today. As I turned the corner and moved from the service drive onto Moross, there he was, heading toward his corner, in the snow. Commitment.