Highland Park Turning off Street Lights

Arthur Blackwell II, thwarted in his attempts to privatize the Highland Park's water department and quasi-thwarted in his attempts to get paid by the state under the table, has a new cost-cutting idea: shutting off street lights. Citing a $1,000,000 a year DTE bill, he has requested that DTE let him turn off half of the city's street lights.

Blackwell II, appointed by Governor Granholm to be the city's "Emergency Financial Manager", essentially has the last word on every decision made in Highland Park.

Jack Lessenberry of the Metro Times described Blackwell II thusly:

The Detroit News, which I agree with editorially about once per papacy, called him “a nickel-grasping bottom feeder.” That was too kind. In a world where Lonnie Bates was the pinnacle of integrity, Art Blackwell would be suspect.

Forget the fact that his father, ex-Mayor Bob Blackwell, famous for having his jaws wired shut and sometimes running the city from a strip bar called the Tender Trap, did more than anyone else to ruin Highland Park.

...

This is a man who hid consulting fees, used leftover campaign funds to build a deck on his home, and couldn’t explain $27,000 in “travel expenses” back during his days as chairman of the Port Authority.

This is a man who once had a $42,000-a-year mayoral appointment with the Detroit Fire Department, but seldom showed up for work.

This is a man, in short, whose appointment to handle Highland Park’s finances makes as much sense as appointing a child molester to run kindergarten sleepovers.

Last year, Blackwell II was ordered to pay the state of Michigan back $66,000 after papers in a taxpayer-filed lawsuit stated that he'd cut a backroom deal with the State of Michigan (Ms. Governor?) to get paid $132,000 a year after he'd promised to work for $1 a year.

Earlier this month, WDIV-Detroit reported he was under investigation again for receiving an additional $44,000 from the state of Michigan. It's very strange how this money is coming directly out of state funds, and yet the media, masses and state politicians just can't seem to muster the same indignation for Blackwell II as they could for Detroit's ex-Mayor, Kwame "Detroit, you done set me up for a comeback" Kilpatrick.

Anyhow, back to the street lights... The Chicago Tribune and Detroit Free Press first carried the story on March 10. Blackwell II wrote to the city's block presidents in a letter dated February 23. He informed them of the plan to save 15% on the city's DTE bill by shutting of the street lights. Blackwell II floated a plan to shut the lights in alleys. Others have proposed shutting every other street light on Woodward, John R, 2nd, and 3rd. City officials met with block club presidents last night to discuss these plans. The plans were set to go into affect April 1. Crack Freep reporter Zlati Meyer wrote that a public meeting has been set for mid-April (?). He also called last night's meeting "public", despite the fact that it was only for block club presidents.

Back on March 10, a DTE spokesman told the Freep that they would not recommend the current proposal and would be willing to discuss alternatives with the city. But another DTE spokesman (Scott Simons) told the Freep today that he did not endorse, but would not object to Blackwell II's plan. Meyer offered no context on the change in tone by the DTE spokes-army (compared to the Freep's very own March 10 story). There was one quote from a retired female resident, but the majority of quote-space went to Blackwell II. Blackwell II had the audacity to claim that the city doesn't need as many street lights because it was designed for roughly 3 times the amount of current residents. He did not elaborate on how the city might morph into a landmass 1/3 of its current size. He did, however, report that 20% of the lights were busted anyhow.

2 months ago the Highland Park superintendent decided to immediately close the Highland Park Career Academy high school for all students except graduating seniors. Those kicked out by the decision were told to enroll in night school or internet classes to fulfill their legal right (and compulsory obligation for some) to attend school. Now, walking home at night could get even tougher...

The Water Front

Tonight was the first ever public screening of a new documentary, The Water Front. The Water Front documents the struggle of the people of Highland Park to demand affordable water, resist the privatization of their water system and shut-offs of running water set in motion by the "managers" appointed to run Highland Park. The filmmaker had an extraordinary amount of access and video of the state-appointed city officials as they attempted to gouge already disadvantaged residents with rate-hikes, bully them with water and sewage shut-offs and privatize the city's water system. The film was shown at the Highland Park Community High School.

Clip from The Water Front here!

Free Advice

Billboard messages offer free advice about parenting almost everywhere you go in Detroit. On Oakland in Highland Park, two identical messages proclaim the need for children to use car seats until they reach the height of 4 feet 9 inches.


Photoshop? No. Sadly, a decision was made to place these identical billboards next to each other. Notice the sign in the foreground proclaiming a "Drug free school zone". There are no schools currently operating in this area. The street is lined with abandoned and occupied industrial buildings and leaning street lamps.






Across the street

OK, let's forget for a moment the poor decision to place the same message next to itself. Let's forget that there are no schools along this avenue and probably not very much parent traffic. Let's ignore how difficult to discern the message, "4"9' Is The Magic Number!" is. One question remains: how many parents in this neighborhood can afford to buy child seats for 4"8' children?

Car seat prices range from about 50 to 300 dollars.

The boosterseat.gov website advertised on these billboards includes a link, "Where can I find a booster seat?" It suggests, "...stores that sell toys, children's furniture or other items aimed at parents" and to "Try typing 'Booster Seats' into your favorite search engine."

I know of only one effort to provide car seats to low-income families. A local auto parts chain partners with the Detroit Tigers in a (self-) promotion to provide car seats to "qualified families."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) argues with statistical data that children as tall as 4"9' have better chances of surviving auto accidents if they are in booster seats. Their point is well taken. However, their use of advertising funds and "efforts" to get this message out seem misguided. Why not spend that money on discounting car seats for low-income families?

Other free advice billboards in the city ask questions like, "The Crossing Guard Knows Who Your Kid Hangs Out With, Do You?" Such questions are intended to berate bad parents into taking more interest in their kids' activities.

There's no shortage of free parenting advice, but who are the ad wizards that came up with this?


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