What $214,000,000 could be used for in Detroit? (houses, theater)

[Retroit]

Let's imagine:

1. Half of the proposed Light Rail line?
2. Renovate some buildings, maybe Michigan Central Station?
3. Tear down 50,000 abandoned homes?
4. A new factory?
5. A mall?

No, no, no, something much more beneficial to the people of Detroit:

Prince Fielder agrees to 9-year, $214M deal with Tigers | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Our priorities are effed-up.

[Coldjensens]

None of those things will provide a return for th people who are putting up the money to pay this guy. However if he performs well, they will get a return.

[Retroit]

That's true. My disappointment is not so much with Illitch as it is with society in general that is able to spend money to watch a bunch of grown men in tights hitting a ball around and groping each other but cries out that they can't afford to pay taxes, fix up their homes, pay for medical care, save for retirement, etc.

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by Retroit

Our priorities are effed-up.

Pretty much.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Retroit

Let's imagine:

1. Half of the proposed Light Rail line?
2. Renovate some buildings, maybe Michigan Central Station?
3. Tear down 50,000 abandoned homes?
4. A new factory?
5. A mall?

No, no, no, something much more beneficial to the people of Detroit:

Prince Fielder agrees to 9-year, $214M deal with Tigers | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Our priorities are effed-up.

Last I checked Mick Illitch owns the Tigers, not the city of Detroit. If the city owned them, then I would agree 100%, but as it is, Illitch is the owner and it would appear that by bringing Fielder into his organization he will make money on the deal... sounds like his priorities are just fine.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Retroit

Let's imagine:

1. Half of the proposed Light Rail line?
2. Renovate some buildings, maybe Michigan Central Station?
3. Tear down 50,000 abandoned homes?
4. A new factory?
5. A mall?

No, no, no, something much more beneficial to the people of Detroit:

Prince Fielder agrees to 9-year, $214M deal with Tigers | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Our priorities are effed-up.

Light rail would be great use of public money as well as tearing down a few houses.

But why use funds to renovate the Central Station that is privately owned and will NEVER be turned over to the public? Likewise the mall and a factory should be PRIVATE investment.
IF theses endevors were truly worthwhile, don't we think SOMEONE would already be investing? There must be a reason why private enterpriese is NOT investing in Detroit and don't even think to say because:

There are Black people there
It's the Unions
It's the (what ever your excuse du jour)

Money is GREEN and knows no boundries. If there is money to be made in Detroit, they would come...

And oh...didn't we learn from Papa Fielder??? OMG..ROFLMFAO until it hurts.

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Last I checked Mick Illitch owns the Tigers, not the city of Detroit. If the city owned them, then I would agree 100%, but as it is, Illitch is the owner and it would appear that by bringing Fielder into his organization he will make money on the deal... sounds like his priorities are just fine.

Response:

That's true. My disappointment is not so much with Illitch as it is with society in general that is able to spend money to watch a bunch of grown men in tights hitting a ball around and groping each other but cries out that they can't afford to pay taxes, fix up their homes, pay for medical care, save for retirement, etc.

Illitch didn't get the money from nowhere. He got it from a society of people who have their priorities so screwed up that they would rather spend hundreds of dollars attending a sporting event than fix up abandoned buildings, build infrastructure, develop businesses, improve their community, etc.

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

But why use funds to renovate the Central Station that is privately owned and will NEVER be turned over to the public? Likewise the mall and a factory should be PRIVATE investment.
IF theses endevors were truly worthwhile, don't we think SOMEONE would already be investing?

Not if they can make more money from owning sports teams. What would Illitch have done with his money if he didn't spend it on the Tigers and Red Wings? Perhaps Fox Theater gives some indication?

[johnr83]

It could probably be used to build a duty-free store!

[TBideon]

Prince Fielder is going to bring a lot of money into Detroit. Look at what Lebron did for Cleveland, and all the tens of millions that Cleveland saw directly from his playing.