Opportunity (Detroit: income, living, airport)

[crystalblue]

Now, having never been there (cept through the airport when i was a kid. dont think that counts) but having read alot, seems like Detroit is a city due for a turn around

I was thinking (and this would take someone with money to implement)...

The future of agriculture seems like it will be vertical farming
The Vertical Farm Project - Agriculture for the 21st Century and Beyond | www.verticalfarm.com

with all that free space in Detroit, why not build massive farms, 40-50-100 stories tall, and give the citizens of Detroit jobs working in them? they probably wouldnt get paid all that much, but if free housing were provided, with electricity and some of the food, would they need alot of money?

Clearly this is just dreaming big, but could it work?

[rwocmo]

First, who's going to pay for the hugely expensive structures and second, what if the residents of Detroit won't want those jobs? Would we have to ask Mexico for shiploads of immigrants to do them, while the Detroit residents stare at the buildings?

[crystalblue]

Originally Posted by rwocmo

First, who's going to pay for the hugely expensive structures and second, what if the residents of Detroit won't want those jobs? Would we have to ask Mexico for shiploads of immigrants to do them, while the Detroit residents stare at the buildings?

i agree

not sure if i would want the job either, but not working at the moment, i would probably be up for it.

and as for building, it would only work if someone thought it would turn a profit (or if they were very altruistic, break even). Maybe UM could fund one as an experiment? A working living lab.

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by rwocmo

First, who's going to pay for the hugely expensive structures and second, what if the residents of Detroit won't want those jobs? Would we have to ask Mexico for shiploads of immigrants to do them, while the Detroit residents stare at the buildings?

Why can't you explain this all-too-common "opinion" heard in RW media? Your basic "message" is that lazy Detroit residents don't want jobs?

[snoopygirlmi]

Sigh...........

I never gave any thought to the "lazy" part until you brought it up.

That said, a lot of Americans are lazy, not just Detroiters. Until a couple of days ago, I never realized that being called lazy could be considered racist. I happened to stumble upon an explanation on 1200am and I realized just how naive I was (again! It happens all the time.)

So how else can we describe people who don't want work w/out using the word "lazy"? Lazy is the first word that comes to mind for most people. It's not like anyone's trying to be insensitive to other people's culture.

However, I think the question is legitimate. What if the people in the city aren't interested in that kind of work? It's not like people from the suburbs are going to come down and do urban farming. And a lot of people in rural areas are already doing farm work because they have no interest in being "citified."

It really isn't too hard to explain that a lot of Americans won't work for the low-wages that a lot employers in service/farming sector want to pay. So, Americans complain that they can't find good jobs and employers complain that they can't find workers. Again, that's not necessarily strictly a black problem. Lower income whites, blacks and others struggle in that same economic reality.

Have a good night.

[kimba01]

Originally Posted by snoopygirlmi

Sigh...........

I never gave any thought to the "lazy" part until you brought it up.

That said, a lot of Americans are lazy, not just Detroiters. Until a couple of days ago, I never realized that being called lazy could be considered racist. I happened to stumble upon an explanation on 1200am and I realized just how naive I was (again! It happens all the time.)
Have a good night.

Same here.

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by snoopygirlmi

Sigh...........

I never gave any thought to the "lazy" part until you brought it up.

That said, a lot of Americans are lazy, not just Detroiters. Until a couple of days ago, I never realized that being called lazy could be considered racist. I happened to stumble upon an explanation on 1200am and I realized just how naive I was (again! It happens all the time.)

So how else can we describe people who don't want work w/out using the word "lazy"? Lazy is the first word that comes to mind for most people. It's not like anyone's trying to be insensitive to other people's culture.

However, I think the question is legitimate. What if the people in the city aren't interested in that kind of work? It's not like people from the suburbs are going to come down and do urban farming. And a lot of people in rural areas are already doing farm work because they have no interest in being "citified."

It really isn't too hard to explain that a lot of Americans won't work for the low-wages that a lot employers in service/farming sector want to pay. So, Americans complain that they can't find good jobs and employers complain that they can't find workers. Again, that's not necessarily strictly a black problem. Lower income whites, blacks and others struggle in that same economic reality.

Have a good night.

Why wouldn't Detroiters want those jobs, and why would they necessarily be low-paying? Okay, I understand we can and must speculate.
Sorry about my interpretation, but I thought your wording sounded a lot like RW media "code" to its insider base - probably unintentional.

[Tekkie]

These explanations of how Detroiters are lazy and wouldn't work low wage jobs clears up why businesses like Whole Foods and Meijer couldn't find enough willing workers, and thus they didn't bother to open. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

But in all seriousness, I think this could be a good idea. Who would pay for it? Who pays for any infrastructure dedicated to business? Answer: Investors who want to make money. I highly doubt this would be part of some overt pork barrel project from DC.

[fmax]

C'mon you guys.

If there was any money in Urban Farming one of the enterprising CD posters would have created a REIT and tilled from Telegraph to The MacArthur Bridge by now. It's not happening. *pop*

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by fmax

C'mon you guys.

If there was any money in Urban Farming one of the enterprising CD posters would have created a REIT and tilled from Telegraph to The MacArthur Bridge by now. It's not happening. *pop*

Jeez, what a great way to look at things - "if it hasn't been done already, it can't be, so why bother". An outlook very similar to that of a city council you have held in disdain.
Don't changes in outside conditions and attitudes, changing environments, need, creative vision, have something to do with possibilities?