95, and getting better

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/world/africa/mandela-birthday.html?_r=0

Mandela's health is "steadily improving", the SA presidency has announced. Indeed, Madiba still remains in hospital, but the doctors have confirmed that his condition is stable, and continues to improve.

Today, the symbol of the struggle agaisnt apartheid makes 95. It's a double holiday actually, because this is also the 15th anniversary of his wedding. And it'll be marked with various celebrations across the country. Rocker gangs will participate in cleaning the streets, volunteers will be covering schools with drawings, and politicians from across the spectrum will celebrate Madiba's 67 years of public service with various initiatives. Since 2010 this day has been known as Mandela Day, after a decision by the UN.

My country's first black president has been in hospital in Pretoria for more than a month now, and he spent some time under breathing mask. According to a conclusion of the medical team which surfaced at that time, life in Mandela's body was being maintained only thanks to the medical equipment. But for the last few days, his family and friends are claiming that he has responded to treatment positively.

A public poll among South Africa's youth shows that 89% of them are planning to take part in the celebrations of Mandela Day in some way. Which only shows what a national icon he has become throughout the years.

Detroit files for bankruptcy protection

[404.livejournal.com]

So apparently the city of Detroit is having to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, to help the city restructure the 18.5 billion dollars in debt it owes to creditors. Less than a month ago, the city of Detroit diverted roughly 283 million dollars from economic development funds to help fund a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings, the hockey team owned by billionaire Mike Ilitch, who just so happens to own the Detroit Tigers. The Togers got their new stadium, also partially publicly financed in the early 2000's.

From an Associated Press story about the financing of the new Red Wings stadium:
Michigan lawmakers in December approved a measure allowing tax dollars collected by the Downtown Development Authority to be used for the development. The DDA has been allowed for nearly two decades to pay down Detroit's general obligation bonds with about $12.8 million a year that otherwise would have gone to education statewide.
http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=674634

Over the first decade plus, the state of Michigan and Wayne County (the principal county for Detroit) have or will have contributed public funds to build three new stadiums for owners that are billionaires (Illitch owns the Red Wings and the Tigers, the Ford family, of the Ford Corporation owns the Lions, the football team that plays in Ford Field) while the finances for the state and city have been dangerously close to default. The Ford family and Mike Ilitch must be taking their cues from the OCP Corporation and Dick Jones:

I say good business is where you find it.

In a previous post, I discussed the billion dollar albatross that is the Miami Marlins ball park, and how Jeffrey Loria basically conned the city Miami residents into paying for a new stadium, and then turns the club that occupies the park into a minor league team bereft of much talent. This is not the same for Detroit, the teams are doing well in their respective leagues (except for the Lions, but well, they are the Lions, so maybe next year), but it seems unconscionable for a city to pony up or to guarantee loans for a stadium when the city finances are a mess. The city has been a punchline for decades. Hell, in RoboCop 2 (1990), OCP banks on the city to default on their loans, so demolition can start of the old city, to be replaced by Delta City. This is only averted when the city is given an emergency loan from unknown sources, but I'll let you watch the movie for spoilers!



( I'd buy that for a dollar )