Which is Worse: Highland Park or Detroit? (Troy, Royal Oak: lawyers, homes)

[conovercourt]

Originally Posted by and the

People from the suburbs are afraid of Detroit. People from Detroit are afraid of Highland Park. Highland Park was a "Ford" town many years ago. Ford's first BIG plant was in Highland Park on Woodward. There are many great examples of Craftsman style houses in Highland Park. What there is NOT a good example of, is a POLICE DEPARTMENT. Highland Park is so broke that it no longer has a police department and relies on the Wayne County Sheriff's department for police services. Do not move there.

Wasn't HP also the headquarters for Chrysler Corp before they moved out to Auburn Hills?

[Jake1256]

are we really saying which ones worse. Detroit isn't near as bad, I'm still saying this. the city is like 6 times bigger than Highland Park, having sections the size of highland park being wealthy and nice. Detroit's downtown is very safe, alot to do..etc. all the histroic districts in Detroit are very nice. then theres mexicantown, croktown, midtown, all very nice areas.

[and the]

Wasn't HP also the headquarters for Chrysler Corp before they moved out to Auburn Hills?

Yep. There was a big Sears too. All Gone.

[Mellie]

Originally Posted by CityKing59

then theres mexicantown, croktown, midtown, all very nice areas.

I suppose it depends on what you consider "nice." Mexicantown has pockets of neatly kept homes, but it is still largely a lower income area bordered by blight. Culturally distinctive, but then there's the gangs.

Corktown, midtown, and Brush Park want to appeal to a yuppie demographic, but the surrounding areas are a drawback to many people and in my view, the prices aren't justified. These communities show promise but are a long way from being fully developed.

Highland Park is in so much trouble on every level that, landmarks notwithstanding, a serious comparison can't even be drawn between it and Detroit.

[Jake1256]

Highland park is much worse. when you compare that small city to Detroit, it's gonna be worse. Detroit has some really nice areas, and lively spots, and the downtown is safer than most if not all of the suburban cities, excluding Troy and Canton.

[and the]

and the downtown is safer than most if not all of the suburban cities, excluding Troy and Canton.

That claim is totally ridiculous. There are plenty of websites where you can search crime stats by zip code that will put that nonsense to rest.

[mathlady]

Everyone is entitled to think and/or believe as they choose. The question posed, highly interests me. I'm a teacher in Highland Park who does not live in the city limits, but 'lives' there each and every day. I can understand why people would think that it's the bottom of the barrel or even hell on earth. I'd like to help you see a picture of something positive coming out of the city. Students from all over Detroit end up in Highland Park schools. Detroit sends us those that they have kicked out, Hamtramack occassionally sends us a few, also. We have had students who have moved from other states and other regions within our own state to join our populations. We have an eclectic group of youngsters that all have something to offer if only they are given the timeand/or chance. 75% of my students (middle school aged students) have a single parent or other family member raising them. 50% of the students live in sub-standard living conditions, no water, electricity, rats, mice, roaches, fleas and other things you may not even be able to fathom. 25-30% of 8th graders are already sexually active and the average # of middle school students pregnant in my school is 4-8 each and every year. Even with all of that creating daily struggles, we have children that still dream of becoming something big in our lifetime. Many have dreams of teaching or of working in a bank and I've had those that want to be doctors and lawyers and yes, some still want to play sports. As a teacher I try to reinforce that they should dream every day of something they want to achieve and then begin a path to bring that dream into reality. These thoughts allow them to forget for a minute that their lives are tough right now and remember they have just as much of a right to become something wonderful as do those priviledged students in districts like Birmingham or Bloomfield. What does this all have to do with the discussion began by dmetro? Well, try to remember we all have to come from somewhere and we don't have the liberty of choosing who we are born to and where that birth takes place. There are bright spots in the darkest of places and Highland Park shines, you just have to look closely to see the facets of our diamonds in the rough.

Food for thought

[BurtsBees]

Originally Posted by and the

People from the suburbs are afraid of Detroit. People from Detroit are afraid of Highland Park. Highland Park was a "Ford" town many years ago. Ford's first BIG plant was in Highland Park on Woodward. There are many great examples of Craftsman style houses in Highland Park. What there is NOT a good example of, is a POLICE DEPARTMENT. Highland Park is so broke that it no longer has a police department and relies on the Wayne County Sheriff's department for police services. Do not move there.

Just to add, as of 7/1/07, the Highland Park police department has been established once again.

[and the]

Just to add, as of 7/1/07, the Highland Park police department has been established once again.

You're kidding, right??? Got a link??

Editorial

Highland Park pension falters under Blackwell

The rolling disaster that is Highland Park's finances continues: The city has been kicked out of the state Municipal Employee Retirement system for not making employer payments.

That's hardly a ringing endorsement for Gov. Jennifer Granholm's hand-picked emergency financial manager, veteran Wayne County politico Art Blackwell II, who was appointed in 2005 to take over the Wayne County community's finances. Blackwell is also the son of the former mayor of Highland Park, who played a role in the current financial mess -- though the senior Blackwell is far from alone.

The state's Emergency Loan Board Thursday ratified what the Municipal Retiree System had done and ordered Blackwell to set up a trust for the pension fund assets that are being returned to him from the state pension system.

The loan board and the Municipal Employee Retirement System both issued statements that neither they nor any entity other than the city is responsible for covering Highland Park retiree pensions. The statements had a certain tone of exasperation.

The Michigan Municipal Employee Retirement system announced at the end of last month that it was removing Highland Park from the system "following a long history of the city not paying its pension contributions."

Blackwell replaced Ramona Henderson Pearson, a respected accountant and former Wayne County auditor general who had been appointed financial manager by former Gov. John Engler in 2001.

Blackwell, it turns out, has not made one payment of the employer contribution to the state-managed system since he became emergency financial manager. Employee contributions to their own pensions, however, had been forwarded to the system.

To be sure, the city's financial mismanagement goes back for years. Pearson sought audits of both the police and fire and general employee pension systems in 2004, but met resistance from the police and fire trustees.

It turned out several retirees were illegally drawing two pensions, including a couple of members of the police and fire pension trustee board. Pearson initiated a lawsuit and ended that practice, which had cost the system an estimated $500,000.

Pearson and a benefits consultant, Jan Lazar, who served as acting city manager under her, arranged a consensual suit by the Municipal Employee Retirement System (MERS) in which a judge levied a tax that allowed them to contribute about $5 million to MERS by 2004. When Blackwell took over, the city's account with the retirement system had a deficit of about $450,000. Under his stewardship, it has grown to $2.7 million.

The general city retirement system is also in bad shape, but it has not been administered by the state.

Blackwell points to a reduction in the city's cumulative deficit (separate from its faltering pension funds) by $8.7 million on his watch -- the result of Chrysler forgiving the city its debt to the automaker for overtaxing the firm. And the emergency financial manager contends he has reduced the city's operating costs by $100,000 a month.

Blackwell is seeking to float a bond issue to cover the pension fund debts. The state would not let Pearson float such a bond, but Blackwell says he will go to city residents and ask for a vote. Otherwise, the long-suffering residents of the city could well face another tax levy to fund the pensions.

Blackwell notes that unlike Pearson and Lazar, he is serving without pay. But for Highland Park's residents, that may not turn out to be much of a bargain.

[BurtsBees]

Originally Posted by and the

You're kidding, right??? Got a link??

Have no reason to lie. Buddy of mine got hired as a Police officer there Im holding out for a better department, but hes still working none the less.