Right after City Council once again decided not to take a vote on Belle Isle turning it over to the state Governor Snyder said the deal was off, he would no longer consider a deal for Bell Isle. No sooner than those words were spoken came word from Lansing that "well maybe". Add to that the report of Belle Isle still being in the states budget even though Council said no and the Governor's office said fine, sort of. So what gives, what is it about Belle Isle that's got that state and the Governors office all smitten so much so that the city's $350 million budget deficit has taken a rear seat.
Anybody in Lansing or in Mayor Bing's office happen to notice that while all this effort was being spent on Belle Isle the city reached nearly 400 murders in 2012 and began 2013 with a bang?
Anybody In Lansing or Bing's office happen to notice that there was the body of a dead woman found in a house in Detroit on a block with rows of vacant unboarded homes?
Anybody in Lansing or in Mayor Bing's office see the news reports of fire and ems struggles to get the appropriate equipment to save lives?
While everyone was focused on Belle Isle did anybody notice that a 72 year old woman was shot several times in her home or a 70 year old man shot and killed a teenager who attempted to rob him.
It appears that some folks have really got their priorities mixed up. Maybe they should let everyone else in on why Belle Isle appears to have become a symbol of Detroit's demise and it must be extricated from the city. So much hoopla over a park and who will control it. Even media has jumped in with columns on about "who will save Belle Isle" and "Belle Isle left languishing".
Where in America is a process more disrespected than in Detroit? The state makes an offer and the city is just blindly suppose to accept it; no details on just what they intend for the island other than sprinkle a few trash cans around. For its part it would serve city leaders well if they followed the same process they would if anyone else were bidding on a contract or land etc. The first thing that should've been done is issuing RFP's (request for proposals) to see who had another viable plan. There is a former mayor who is on trial currently for allegedly steering contracts to a friend. This has been roundly criticized as corruption by the same media. In the end maybe Belle Isle would be better served as a state park but before reaching that conclusion it would be good to first practice transparency and state what the plans are for the park. Then look at competing options. And lastly explain how turning over the park to the state, which will save a reported but clearly inflated $6 million is going to solve the city's $350 million budget deficit.