  Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 2445 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.246.29.74 |
T he gubernatorial election is two months away, and Republican candidate Dick DeVos' turnaround plan is already working: He's turned downtown Detroit around completely. What's alarming is how few people noticed. Campaign spokesman John Truscott says 15,000 copies of the first volume of DeVos' "The Michigan TurnAround Plan" have been put in the hands of elected officials, business groups and editorial writers, and more than 50,000 more have been downloaded. This is good, in the sense that an informed electorate is lots better than the usual kind. But it's a trifle disconcerting that according to Truscott, I'm the first person to point out the problem with the photo on Page 11. I should note here that I hadn't looked until a friend brought the picture to my attention. It's a dramatic nighttime shot of downtown Detroit, taken from Windsor. All the usual landmarks are present and accounted for: Cobo Center, the Penobscot Building, the Guardian Building, the RenCen. Except that the RenCen sits to the far west, and Cobo is to the east -- exactly the opposite of how you'd find them if you were walking from Grosse Pointe to Wyandotte. "I would try to be cute and say we took a photo from the other angle," Truscott says, "but that's not going to work." Nope. Somebody simply reversed the photo, and nobody caught it. It's just a goofy, harmless mistake -- unless you're among the people who think DeVos would just as soon clip Michigan's largest city from the map, in which case it might not seem so harmless after all. more: http://www.detroitnews.com/app s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200609 06/OPINION03/609060395/1283 | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 31 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 68.40.119.216 |
If you think Detroit is having a hard time getting help from Lansing now, just wait for the whole city to disappear from his map if Devos gets elected. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 600 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 68.42.162.164 |
That's funny. There seem to be no good editors left in this world. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 1323 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 69.130.18.100 |
Michiganliberal.com had this on Wednesday - the photo's posted. correction: Michiganliberal.com tipped their hat to DeVos is a Dick as the finder. (Message edited by lilpup on September 09, 2006) | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1273 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 69.136.147.198 |
don't trust the man with the beady eyes! | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 2 Registered: 09-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
I couldnt agree more,, if people think DeVos and company are going to do SouthEast Michigan and especially Detroit any favors to "turn itself around" they are sadly mistaken, He will dig Detroit as deep as a hole as he can. He just last week was bad mouthing Detroit at a Grand Rapids rally about how they turn out more students to prisons than colleges,, He never would have said that here in his speeches.. He really is a funny guy, he came out with a big campaign a month ago how he doesnt want negative advertising yet has unleashed a very negative campaign lately basically in response to him losing ground.Kinda two faced,,,.Im sure he rather us all join his evangelical peers so as to brainwash us the same way as they are. I wouldnt trust him as far as you could throw his limousine. Why would a man who makes 25 million a year want to give it up for a job that pays 200,000 unless he and his party has a definite agenda planned. DeVos will never be for the average person,,and never for Detroit,,, | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1135 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.60.105.245 |
Another thing I particularly love is why he keep trying to distance himself from Amway/Alticor. Saying how his decisions now have nothing to do with the company since he is no longer president, EXCEPT he is still their largest shareholder. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 3 Registered: 09-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
So true Bob, but have you seen his campaigns latest strategy on TV ? At news time 6:00p each work day there is stunning commercial by Amway touting its success and what unbelievable happy people work there,, It is ofcouse paid for by Amway and no mention of DeVos in it, but its pretty obvious the intention of it all..Its very curious how they never advertised before ...Its kinda obvious the intention is to get us all thinking how wonderful DeVos and company are, Pretty cagey advertising I must admit, as it will probably work with a certain uninformed segment of the population,, But then again they have the $$$ to pull anything they want to using MEDIA. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1136 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.60.105.245 |
Yes, DeVos has Dubya reelection people crafting his ads. Enough money seems to be buying DeVos anything. Of course, this is the same guy that trys to look like an everyday guy in the commercials, yet when he was on the Grand Valley State U board, had to fly in his helocopter ala Trump into his meeting from Amway's headquarters. | ||
Quinn Member Username: Quinn Post Number: 912 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 69.242.213.101 |
Is this a joke? Devos is BAD BAD BAD for Detroit. Turnaround plan for "Detroit?" Are you kidding? Oh wait...if turnaround means shipping jobs to China then we'll be well off. Fabulous. | ||
Tndetroiter Member Username: Tndetroiter Post Number: 263 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 141.217.226.172 |
This election really is about the lesser of the two evils. I'll vote for neither him nor Granholm. | ||
Quinn Member Username: Quinn Post Number: 913 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 69.242.213.101 |
We're always stuck with the lesser of two evils it seems. I'm no HUGE fan of Granholm...but given the two of them...I think he's evil...and she will not hurt Detroit. I thought Kerry sucked a$$ but I worked my butt off for him to try to get jacka$$ out. | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 32 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 68.40.119.216 |
The real struggle will be in who gets elected in the House and Senate. Having a Democrat Gov. and a Republican House and Senate has just promoted gridlock. Heaven help us if Dick has full rein to shape the state in his follower's image. | ||
Metrodetguy Member Username: Metrodetguy Post Number: 2939 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 69.221.67.70 |
Detroitbill, are you one of these political hacks that signs up for this forum to make erroneous claims? Please report Devos' statement accurately. He has repeatedly stated that he supports Detroit and that reviving Michigan cannot be completed without reviving Detroit. He has cited the FACT that more Black men are in prison and on the welfare rolls than go to college and that must change in order to revive Detroit. He has in fact said that within the City of Detroit limits, among other places in the state. Sorry but it's the truth and it is at the root problems in Detroit. | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 46 Registered: 05-2004 |
So what is Dick going to do about it? | ||
Homer Member Username: Homer Post Number: 48 Registered: 08-2004 |
Well Dick knows basketball. Don't think he will pull in any Pistons fan's votes. .......Over the years, a more competitive side of Dick DeVos' personality began to emerge. He briefly served as president of the Orlando Magic, the NBA basketball team his father bought in 1991 for $85 million. His father still owns the franchise, now valued at about $250 million.......... | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4991 Registered: 02-2004 |
Billionaire Dick has a turnaround plan for Detroit HAHAHAHAA!!!!! He can go back to Grand Rapids and save that city instead. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1157 Registered: 11-2003 |
His dad saved that city. | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 788 Registered: 06-2004 |
He made be bad for Detroit, but the car industry, the region as a whole and the city have created so many of our problems on their own. I really get discouraged at this mentality of entitlement where we demand someone from afar -- Washington or the governor -- to save us, of course by spending someone else's money. No wonder the rest of the country has turned their backs on us. If the city would get its house in order -- such as by having a well administered police department -- I think Devoss and other traditionally antagonistic people would come running to help. | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 789 Registered: 06-2004 |
PS.. I wouldn't read too much into that ad except possibly that the staffers don't know much about Detroit (to have not recognized the mistake). That's not great. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 254 Registered: 05-2006 |
quote: Over the years, a more competitive side of Dick DeVos' personality began to emerge. He briefly served as president of the Orlando Magic, the NBA basketball team his father bought in 1991 for $85 million. ______________________________ ___________________ As a Piston's fan, I hated his old man after he stole Grant Hill from us. Oh wait, they gave us Big Ben in return and another championship... I must find something else to critique. (Message edited by detroitej72 on September 16, 2006) | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 255 Registered: 05-2006 |
quote: Heaven help us if Dick has full rein to shape the state in his follower's image. ______________________________ ___________________ Amen. Much better!!!!!!!! (Message edited by detroitej72 on September 16, 2006) | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 48 Registered: 05-2004 |
Maybe he'd lay off more people? | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 196 Registered: 04-2006 |
The DeVos answer to fix Detroit is to raise a Wayne County SALES tax because many people no longer have an income to tax because they are out of work. The loss of taxes on income is no reason to cut the size of government in Detroit because we can all afford to pay just a litte more when we buy things, if we take money out of the bank and take part time low wage jobs and be smart like those in Mexico and China who stretch their incomes. This is because when Wal-Mart opens in Livonia, Detroit residents will then have jobs again to replace the union jobs at Ford when they move the Wixom plant to Mexico. Why, we can just import lots of things from China and then pay for SMART bus service with a one half cent mass transit tax, while MDOT builds large freeways for people who have lots of money, so they can destroy farmlands and forests with large homes. Then more Wal-Marts will be built and then we can raise the transit tax to one percent of a county sales tax for light rail. And, then ship more jobs to China. This is the DeVos way of saving Detroit and the SMART and DDOT bus systems. Vote for him, if you want. It's your right. He refuses to support or publicly debate http://savethefueltax.org | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 198 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'm not against the sales tax idea, IF our leaders raise this tax in all 83 counties the same and get the federal, state and industry investments and the enhanced bus system all required as necessary to make this type of tax actually work without filling up the pockets of SEMCOG leaders who give great mass transit speeches and mostly drive really big cars, like a hummer. The taxpayers who supported the SMART tax and the rest of us deserve to keep good bus service and not see more hummers and more fancy big plans from SEMCOG when we have the knowledge to manage our limited transportation tax dollars with new toll collection technology that does not require manual laborers and also we should tax those who build on farmlands and forests to help save Detroit. We have low gas taxes in Michigan compared to other states and with the gas prices low, we could support a one cent per gallion increase, so SMART can buy more buses. And then we can campaign to get Livonia to come back and be SMART. http://savethefueltax.org |
