Comments on: Greening of Flint: Mama E and the Mayor http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/07/14/greening-of-flint-mama-e-and-the-mayor/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:59:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sue http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/07/14/greening-of-flint-mama-e-and-the-mayor/comment-page-1/#comment-13597 Sue Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:49:40 +0000 http://greatlakesecho.org/?p=26788#comment-13597 Does the University have so much money it can afford to play with this? Greening!?! Greening what, to allow the gang bangers and dopers a more comfy place for business and killing? Come on, nice frippery, from the halls of wisdom, but greening is hardly the answer to Flint's recovery. I think I must be missing some thing here in the whole mindset that this has any place in the discussion of helping Flint. What a non-issue when the rest of the town is being abandoned, burned and trashed. I know of more than one person who have just literally walked away from their homes and they were paid for, not behind on payments. But there is no reason to stay and every reason to get out. Greening. Nice, thoughtful, dreamy, but not practical or realistic. Does the University have so much money it can afford to play with this? Greening!?! Greening what, to allow the gang bangers and dopers a more comfy place for business and killing? Come on, nice frippery, from the halls of wisdom, but greening is hardly the answer to Flint’s recovery. I think I must be missing some thing here in the whole mindset that this has any place in the discussion of helping Flint. What a non-issue when the rest of the town is being abandoned, burned and trashed. I know of more than one person who have just literally walked away from their homes and they were paid for, not behind on payments. But there is no reason to stay and every reason to get out. Greening. Nice, thoughtful, dreamy, but not practical or realistic.

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]]> By: Tom http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/07/14/greening-of-flint-mama-e-and-the-mayor/comment-page-1/#comment-8453 Tom Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:05:01 +0000 http://greatlakesecho.org/?p=26788#comment-8453 What it comes down to is the old saying "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Consider it this way: if you live in a 6-bedroom house, with a big family, and all the kids grow up and move out, then you've got too much house. You either sell the house, and get one that fits your new needs, or you do like my my mother-in-law: close off the upstairs so that you don't waste energy to heat and cool the unneeeded space. A similar situation holds true for post-industrial cities like Flint (and even more so, Detroit). They've got an urban infrastructre that was built for a much, much larger population, one that's unlikely to return. So what do you do with limited resources? You consolidate, and focus on places that have more population density. It sounds harsh, and for people in the Dead Zone of Flint, it is harsh. But what's the alternative? If you're one resident, in a blighted neighborhood with blocks and blocks of vacant houses, then you are disproportionately using more than your share of resources such as police and fire coverage, sewer, utilities and street maintenance. To extend those services to a handful residents ends up costing the city far too much per capita. In a democracy, you've got to do what's best for the majority, and until you do, everyone will suffer more because of it. And that's an even larger injustice. What it comes down to is the old saying “the greatest good for the greatest number of people.”
Consider it this way: if you live in a 6-bedroom house, with a big family, and all the kids grow up and move out, then you’ve got too much house. You either sell the house, and get one that fits your new needs, or you do like my my mother-in-law: close off the upstairs so that you don’t waste energy to heat and cool the unneeeded space.

A similar situation holds true for post-industrial cities like Flint (and even more so, Detroit). They’ve got an urban infrastructre that was built for a much, much larger population, one that’s unlikely to return. So what do you do with limited resources? You consolidate, and focus on places that have more population density. It sounds harsh, and for people in the Dead Zone of Flint, it is harsh. But what’s the alternative? If you’re one resident, in a blighted neighborhood with blocks and blocks of vacant houses, then you are disproportionately using more than your share of resources such as police and fire coverage, sewer, utilities and street maintenance. To extend those services to a handful residents ends up costing the city far too much per capita. In a democracy, you’ve got to do what’s best for the majority, and until you do, everyone will suffer more because of it. And that’s an even larger injustice.

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]]> By: Shaun http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/07/14/greening-of-flint-mama-e-and-the-mayor/comment-page-1/#comment-7783 Shaun Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:23:06 +0000 http://greatlakesecho.org/?p=26788#comment-7783 I'm left with the impression that they just don't get it...Mama E more than Walling in this case... It's hard to quantify that statement, and frame in a context that's helpful to the development of your documentary... Perhaps the best way to put it is neither of them, nor most of anyone else in this discussion, is one the same page (let alone the same side of the debate)and nothing is being done to change that--though I think things like this documentary are a part of improving everyone's knowledge and education on the matter. Again, the notion of what 'green' is raises its head. She says "the city wants to make it a greener Flint." I'm curious as to how she would support and back up that statement. What makes her say that? I'd like to see how she's connecting her statements, understanding and experience to the mayor and his statements, understanding and experience. Who's accountable for the ignorance? I’m left with the impression that they just don’t get it…Mama E more than Walling in this case… It’s hard to quantify that statement, and frame in a context that’s helpful to the development of your documentary… Perhaps the best way to put it is neither of them, nor most of anyone else in this discussion, is one the same page (let alone the same side of the debate)and nothing is being done to change that–though I think things like this documentary are a part of improving everyone’s knowledge and education on the matter.

Again, the notion of what ‘green’ is raises its head. She says “the city wants to make it a greener Flint.” I’m curious as to how she would support and back up that statement. What makes her say that? I’d like to see how she’s connecting her statements, understanding and experience to the mayor and his statements, understanding and experience. Who’s accountable for the ignorance?

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