Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s announcement last week of plans to close 50 parks in the city instantly grabbed attention in the New York Times as well as other national publications. At the same time the revelation of shutting down 50 of the 107 recreation parks also heightened the conversation around an emergency manager for Detroit, underscoring the dire straits the city is in.

The mayor’s announcement, an apparent response to the Detroit City Council’s refusal to approve a State of Michigan proposal to lease Belle Isle and instead demand more answers from Gov. Rick Snyder, presents a challenge for families in the city who once looked to those parks for their recreational needs. It remains unclear whether the parks targeted for closing are in highly populated neighborhoods; the absence of recreational facilities is a recipe for crime.
With the city’s ballooning deficit and cash flow issues, some are contending that an emergency manager is the route to cure Detroit’s fiscal crisis in order for the city to avoid bankruptcy. Under the new EM law, PA 436 of 2012 becomes effective, March 27.

For instance, Rev. Bertram Marks, general counsel of the Detroit Council of Baptist Pastors and an advocate on issues in Detroit, penned a bold editorial recently calling for an emergency manager.

“We have no more room for philosophical and ideological debates about how we arrived here and whether it is offensive to our autonomy for the state to intervene. Our condition is analogous to what we see in the private sector. Companies make themselves vulnerable to hostile takeovers when they are saturated with inefficiencies, mismanagement, waste and loss of market share,” Marks wrote.

“The issue today is not whom we should blame, but rather who can fix these enormous problems. The morale of the citizens who feel virtually paralyzed by the numerous instances of violent crime, coupled with the frustration most Detroiters feel regarding city services, must be our highest priority and mandates immediate and precise action.”
He went to say, “Detroit needs a manager who will be free from the influence of private contractors seeking to serve their need for profit ahead of the needs of the people. The contract provided to the emergency manager must include specific provisions that allow for his autonomy to work with the unions and the citizens to achieve the best possible results for the citizens of Detroit.

“We do not need another study, review, agreement or half-hearted attempt to blame union workers and simply slash their salaries and benefits as a means of fixing Detroit’s problems. What we need is emergency financial management. Management requires innovative solutions beyond simply ‘cutting’ our way out of debt.”

But the question that has been haunting not only officials in the corridors of power in Detroit but also the powers that be in Lansing is who would that individual be if the governor decides to make an announcement in the next four weeks?

That individual, according to Marks and others, has to be not only free from the realm of politics, but also have a track record of turning municipal governments or institutions around and have a deep understanding of Detroit government, the city’s future and aspirations of everyone who is contributing to make a difference.

Some names are already floating around city hall, in the political chattering class as well as among community leaders anxious to see who would be named an emergency manager if Detroit gets to that point.

Charlie Beckham, the man who almost singlehandedly orchestrated the Bing era, has come up many times as an ideal candidate for the job given his lengthy background in municipal government.

In the first editorial meeting I had with Bing (our first lengthy face-to-face encounter) months before he announced his candidacy for mayor, it was Beckham who accompanied Bing to the meeting to make the case that, in fact, the former NBA star-turned-businessman could do the job, as the city was struggling to free itself from the shackles of the Kwame Kilpatrick scandals.

Beckham, a veteran of the Coleman Young era whose tenure with Bing ironically was short-lived right after Bing took office, and now has become a vocal critic of the mayor, has expressed interest in the position if given the opportunity.

Another name that has come up, surprisingly, is Dr. Curtis Ivery, chancellor of Wayne County Community College District and former commissioner of the Arkansas Division of Human Services under then-Gov. Bill Clinton, becoming the first African American cabinet member under Clinton and managing billions of dollars in annual budget for Arkansas’ mammoth state department.

Ivery, who has turned WCCCD, the state’s largest urban community college with over 70,000 students into a first rate educational institution since taking over in 1995, is viewed by many as a turnaround manager.

In fact, WCCCD last year received an A+ bond rating from Fitch, which cited “strong budgetary and fiscal management practices” despite the challenges facing the local economy.

Anthony Williams, the man who has largely been credited for turning around Washington, DC, as mayor and who was a featured speaker at the 2012 Mackinac Policy Conference, is also said to be under consideration. At the last business conference on Mackinac Island it was almost obvious that Williams was shopping for the job because he gave a prognostics of Detroit, and offered what he thinks ought to be done to bring the city back to solvency.

In fact, Williams is believed to be the frontrunner candidate, and if that is the case it creates both an opportunity as well as a difficult challenge for the city.

Picking someone with no ties to the city or state creates a level of independence in doing the job. But the issue is that the person would have no roots to the area, would not understand the political and social dynamics of the region in relation to the state, and the individual would literally have to be accompanied on an introductory handshake tour of the city, sometimes by opportunists looking to seize on the person’s lack of knowledge of the area.

No matter who emerges as an ideal candidate, one issue remains: Detroit is at a crossroads and the leadership of both the city and the state cannot abdicate themselves from righting the ship.

Foster, McCollum, White & Associates, a political consulting firm, conducted a fiscal analysis of Detroit’s financial state and concluded that, “Our assessment of the cash flow balancing is that a minimum of $94 million of the $202.4 million is unattainable and will not address the cash deficit in the General Fund. Our estimate is that the city’s General Fund will start with a $62.2 million deficit.”

Their estimate also said the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is “hemorrhaging money significantly and has equaled the type of cash burn at the Department of Transportation. The Water and Sewerage Department lost $203, 500,000 during the 2012 fiscal year.”

And the rate increases according to the political firm are not stopping the cash burn, citing as an example the Water Fund’s operating net deficit at $113.6 million as of June of 2012 despite revenue from Detroit and suburban customers increasing by $18.2 million.

Bankole Thompson is editor of the Michigan Chronicle and the author of the forthcoming book “Rising From the Ashes: Engaging Detroit’s Future With Courage.” His book “Obama and Black Loyalty,” published in 2010, follows his recent book, “Obama and Christian Loyalty” with an epilogue by Bob Weiner, former White House spokesman. Thompson is a political news analyst at WDET-101.9FM (NPR affiliate) and a member of the weekly “Obama Watch” Sunday evening roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut. E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit his personal page at www.bankolethompson.com.

(NEW YORK) -- Detroit has been ranked among the nation's most congested cities in terms of traffic, according to a report by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The Urban Mobility Report (UMR) was released Tuesday, and states that the time required for a given trip has become more unpredictable. The report also introduces what's been titled the Planning Time Index, as a means of measuring that degree of unreliability.

According to the UMR, Detroit is the 13th most congested city in the country, with Washington, D.C. topping the list.

The UMR went on to state that congestion in cities across the United States has remained relatively stable in recent years and underscores the link between traffic and the economy.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/detroit-traffic-congestion-worst_n_2622109.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit

According to her family, Detroit-resident Louisiana Hines just narrowly surpassed South Carolina's Mamie Rearden as the oldest African-American in the U.S. But Rearden, who died last month at the age of 114, may still hold the crown, according to administrators for the California-based Gerontology Research Group, a consultant for Guinness World Records, who say that census records from 1900 show Hines was born in April 1899, putting her at 113.

Hines, who helped run a restaurant, worked as a riveter during World War II, raised three children and owned a beauty shop, died on Friday with the undisputed distinction of being one of the oldest people in the world.

"(She believed) that she was living in God's hands, in God's time," Hines' granddaughter Darlene House told the Detroit Free Press, revealing her grandmother's "secret" to a long, prosperous life.

"She would talk about being an obedient child, and her mother telling her an obedient child would live a long life. She always tried to be an obedient child to her mother and God," she went on to say.

The uncertainty over Hines' age resulted from her birth certificate being delayed and issued in the 1940s, when Hines was already an adult.

According to recent Census Bureau data, the nation's centenarian population has grown by 65.8 percent over the past thirty years. And while 82 percent of them are said to be female, the world's oldest person is actually a man -- 115-year-old Jiroemon Kimura of Japan.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/louisiana-hines-dead-worl_n_2624487.html

Before Django, there was Kunta.

Nearly everyone has something to say with regard to comparisons between the current blockbuster hit and the mini series that premiered back in 1977. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the television hit that first introduced us to the harsh, brutal realities of American slavery.

The original cast of Roots announced that they would participate in a live Q&A on SiriusXM on Wednesday night. LeVar Burton, Leslie Uggams, and Louis Gossett Jr. will speak with a studio audience, answering questions about the film. The event, which takes place after the broadcast of the mini series, will be moderated by civil rights activist Joe Madison. It will replay on SiriusXM The Power channel 128 at 4 p.m., 8 p.m, and 12 a.m.

Roots is based on the autobiography of Alex Haley, and is one of the most classic, groundbreaking examples of its kind. It was nominated for thirty-five Emmy Awards, and won 14, including best director, best actor, and best writing.

It cannot be denied that Roots had and continues to have a tremendously impact on black culture. Giving viewers the opportunity to speak directly with cast members allows them to answer the most pertinent questions they’ve had about the mini-series. For once, they will get the direct perspective of actors who brought to life characters who have become icons in our memory bank. The big question is, what will viewers ask?

Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @missbritneysp 

In the spirit of black history month, African-Americans continue to raise the bar on excellence through their endeavors. 

The recent accomplishments of blacks in the professional world are steadily on the rise, and the realm of journalism is one of many fields in which we are making new strides. On Monday, the Washington Post announced its current national editor Kevin Merida will be stepping into the role of managing editor. Merida makes history as the first African-American to hold this position. The Washington City Paper reports that Merida will replace Liz Spayd, who resigned shortly after the 2012 presidential election.

Merida will join fellow managing editor John Temple, taking on the responsibilities of news and feature coverage, and the Universal Newsdesk. Temple will begin to focus more so on digital operations, while Merida on the print side of the publication.

February is a month of historic trailblazing, and it is off to a great start.

Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @missbritneysp 

Midland City, Alabama (CNN) -- At least Ethan is safe.

That is the sentiment many were expressing in Midland City, Alabama, and beyond. But what comes next for this little boy about to turn six could be complicated.

How does a five-year-old heal from this ordeal? How does a youngster go on after witnessing his bus driver shot to death, after being dragged to an underground bunker by a gun-toting stranger? How will he deal with what he experienced the six days he languished in that hole and what he saw during the explosive rescue Monday that left his captor dead?

"It's very hard to tell how he's going to do," said Louis Krouse, a psychiatrist at Chicago's Rush Medical Center. "On the one hand, he might get right back to his routine and do absolutely fine. But on the other hand, the anxieties, the trauma, what we call an acute stress disorder even post traumatic stress symptoms can occur."

Just as it has been for most of this saga, authorities, at a late night news conference Monday, released few details the boy's rescue.

Boy's family all smiles after standoff Hostage standoff over; child rescued Former hostage on captivity underground The road ahead for Alabama child hostage

Ethan was taken to a hospital, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steve Richardson, where he was in a private area with heavy security.

"He is doing fine," Richardson said, adding that he visited the boy. "He's laughing, joking, playing, eating."

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson added no new details about Ethan's rescue but thanked the contingent of federal and state law enforcement that helped.

When asked if the boy saw his abductor, 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes, killed during the rescue operation, Olson replied "He's a very special child. He's been through a lot, he's endured a lot."

Support crucial for kids after trauma

The Rescue

Last Tuesday, police said, Dykes boarded a Dale County school bus and demanded the driver hand over two children.

The driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., refused, blocking access to the bus's narrow aisle as at least 21 children escaped out of the back emergency door, authorities said.

The gunman killed Poland, then grabbed the kindergartner before barricading himself and the boy inside a nearby bunker he had built on his southeast Alabama land. In the ensuing days, officials said little about what was going on in the bunker or in their strategy, or what -- if anything -- Dykes wanted.

It became very difficult to deal with or even communicate with Dykes over the past day, Olson said. Also Dykes was observed holding a gun.

Believing the child to be in imminent danger, an FBI team entered the bunker at 3:12 p.m. CT (4:12 p.m. ET) and rescued the boy.

One neighbor said he was outside when he was startled by the sound of an explosion.

"I heard a big boom and then ... I believe I heard rifle shots," said Bryon Martin, who owns a home near the bunker where the boy had been held since Tuesday.

It was a loud noise that "made me jump off the ground," he said.

Authorities wouldn't say whether the blast was set off as a diversionary tactic or whether Dykes had planted explosives around the bunker.

At one point Monday, Olson told reporters, "Based on our discussions with Mr. Dykes, he feels like he has a story that's important to him, although it's very complex."

The sheriff did not elaborate.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/05/us/alabama-child-hostage/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

We live in a world that is slowly stripping away all remnants of innocence from small children. Just weeks after the tragedy at Sandy Hook, many are making it a pressing concern to protect the youth from the shocking realities of adulthood before they reach the age. Yet, just how much has our culture tainted the minds of our little ones?

A school in Carson, CA is the center of controversy over an apparent sex scandal involving at least one four- and one five- year old. Huffington Post reports that the students participated in oral sex during the time that they were supposed to be napping. In light of the recent events, the school, First Lutheran Church of Carson, has decided to close its doors. The decision was made after the current principal stepped down and no other teacher wanted to take his or her place.

The question that is sure to surface as a result of this incident is ‘what or who is to blame’? Everyone appears to have an opinion when it concerns the matter. Lawyers for the students blame careless teachers, who they say should have been aware of the activities of the children. A father of one of the students involved loathed the experience his son has endured, and how it will change him as a person.

Are parents responsible? Are teachers at fault? Those questions may never be accurately answered; for now, the closest remedy might involving settling the matter in court. Stayed tuned as this story continues to unfold. It just might get even more shocking than it already is.

Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @missbritneysp 

Bobbi Kristina Brown took to her Twitter account recently to voice her opinions on her grandmother, Cissy Houston’s new book Remembering Whitney.

The 19-year-old daughter of the late Whitney Houston tweeted that she finds the book “2B Disrespect2MYMOTHER & me being HERDAUGHTER won’t tolerate it.”

Bobbi Kristina made it clear she and boyfriend Nick Gordon will not be supporting the book: “Haven’t read&won’t.”

Read more: http://thegrio.com/2013/02/04/bobbi-kristina-bashes-grandmothers-new-book-remembering-whitney/