Subject: Detroit Assistance Date: October 21, 2003 From: L. Brooks Patterson To: Detroit Renaissance Members
Issue: How do we help restore the greatness of the City of Detroit? How do we rebuild the City?
Answer: Not by slowing the competition.
To paraphrase Lincoln: you don't help the weak by disabling the strong.
My position:Old enough to remember the Arsenal of Democracy. I was a resident of Detroit, being educated there.
Oakland was in its infancy.
As in nature, the son grew up strong while the father aged. The son is now being asked to support the father.
It makes sense to support the father, but only to the point that you don't so overburden the son that you bring him down and render him incapable of assistance.
So true in city/county relationships.
Oakland County is riding a development wave. Investment is strong. Jobs are being created at a rapid pace. The property tax base continues to soar.
Most recently (October 2003) Oakland County won a tug-of-war between Chicago and Auburn Hills (Oakland County) for location of the world headquarters of Borg Warner.
Would we have been competitive in that recruitment effort if we added to our costs of doing business:
an increased property tax to fund a regional transportation system?
an increased regional sales tax, from 6% to 7% to support the construction of a new Cobo Hall at a rumored price tag of $1.2 billion?
a new regional business tax to create and operate a new regional health authority?
All this to occur in a region already facing billions in new taxes to update the region's water/sewer systems and road infrastructure.
Conclusion: While Oakland County stands ready to assist and support a renaissance in Detroit, it will not and cannot accept a punitive land use policy or unrealistic tax policy that overburdens and destroys our competitive business environment.
