Detroit, Michigan, is a failed city. In recognition of this, its government went to court yesterday to beg for bankruptcy status, and the protection that implies — mainly, the legal ability to force the re-prioritization of its $18 billion debt:
In his opening statement, attorney Bruce Bennett said he “could stand here for hours” to describe the “mountain of evidence” that shows Detroit is insolvent. Without relief, he added, 65 cents of every dollar … residents pay in taxes could be needed to address the problem, leaving little for everyday services for 700,000 residents.
There’s hardly anything hopeful about this story.
Recently, libertarians have noted that the people of the city have begun to band together, solving voluntarily and through community and market activity the deficit in services coming from city government. Fine, fine, but enough for a solution?
Still, for real drollery, consider the witless comment by MSNBC’s most witless socialist, Melissa Harris-Perry, that Detroit’s troubles are the result of what happens when government becomes “small enough to drown in a bathtub” (a witticism of my friend Grover Norquist). Hilarious, in that Detroit’s corrupt and spendthrift pols are anything but libertarian, and Detroit government anything but small.
The fact that Detroit can no longer competently enforce some of its own laws only shows the ultimate result of the policy of over-governance.
Despite what socialists and (perhaps) some libertarians may say, liberty is not “no government.” It’s the right amount of good government, defending rights and property from vandals, con men, thieves.
In Detroit, the vandals have been the government.
And a bankruptcy ruling would simply confirm that.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
4 replies on “Detroit Ironies”
Well spoken Paul. I am so thankful that I live in a city that is void of such problems. I sympathize with those residents who are stuck there with no means to get out and away from it. Those responsible should be jailed, which of course I know won’t happen. lyle in Aurora
A bankruptcy would confirm that the existing Detroit government should be fired and possible have charges filed.
The person who (most deservedly) should be jailed (if he is still alive) is COLEMAN YOUNG, THE FORMER MAYOR, who looted the city to an extent that I do not think has ever been done before. (Not to mention his using underage children to be mules for his drug enterprise).
As he so “eloquently” put it, “I am the chief mf h — — — — — –”.
As government in Detroit finally shrinks, evidently ordinary people are stepping up to the plate and taking care of many problems. A small government sounds OK until one realizes no government ever remained small. Government boondoggles all around us are imploding or thrashing wildly and erratically in their final death throes. This is the good news.