Detroit Sets A Record

[Edgetho]

For being the largest municipality yet to file for, and receive, bankruptcy.

Forty-five years of democrat rule can take its toll on -- Well, on anything.

BREAKING: Judge Rules Detroit Eligible For Bankruptcy
Ace of Spades HQ

And we have a new city atop the list of Largest US Municipal Bankruptcies. Congratulations Detroit!

$18 BILLION in debt. One city.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes determined the city meets the criteria for bankruptcy, ruling the city is financially insolvent and that the filing was properly authorized. He dismissed challenges to Michigan’s emergency manager law and ruled that pensions are not protected by the state Constitution.

“The case was filed in good faith and should not be dismissed,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes also ruled the city negotiated in good faith with its creditors, a key point of contention in the eligibility fight. The judge was sympathetic to creditors’ complaints that they did not get a reasonable chance to respond to the city’s proposals, but he noted that the sheer number of creditors — more than 100,000 — made it “impracticable” for Detroit to negotiate with them all.

Earlier the judge ruled that municipal worker pensions were not immune from the bankruptcy process. So it looks like the people who helped bleed the city dry will(sic) get to live with the results of their greed.

It takes awhile but eventually this is where Democratic rule leads.

Of course it's not just Detroit. No this is going to be the first in some mega-municipal bankruptcies across the country.

Illinois is starting to try and deal with their out of control pension plan.

[Update - Andy] The left is reacting about as calmly and rationally as you'd expect to a judge's mainstream interpretation of Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Judge Rhodes, if you ever show your face in #Detroit, please expect to either be beaten or run over. You have betrayed this city. #uniteblue

— Dominic Nanni (dpn) (@dominicnanni) December 3, 2013

Honestly, the bankruptcy process provides Detroit its only (slim) chance for survival as a major city. Without it, the years and years of decline will just continue as it withers away.

The whole idea of the bankruptcy process is to provide an opportunity for a fresh start, and I find it highly instructive that the left would rather see the city's last dollar used to pay a union pension benefit than for it to have a chance at rebirth.

 

[Edgetho]

Fifty-Two (52) years of uninterrupted dimocrap rule, people.

And what it leas ds to is decadence and despair and bankruptcy and .....

In the article, it sounds to me like the people that helped bring Dee-Troit to the edge of the Abyss (actually, over the edge) are going to get hurt as well.

Good. AFAIC the Judge should just leave them penniless. Afterall, they can get on welfare and Food Stamps and obamacare.

Or better yet, let the Unions who bankrupted the City pay their Pensions. Right.

Couldn't happen to a nicer group of thieves. Buh-Bye Dee-Troit pension money.

And you think Dee-Troit is bad, libturds? Wait until California goes broke because of their massive unfunded pensions.

THAT will be absolutely hilarious.

But, of course, they'll turn to people (us) who work hard, save our money and spend it judiciously, to save them.

And the Feds will simply steal our money and give it to them. As usual.

 

[RoadVirus]

Obama's likely reaction to this news: "We must give them a bailout!"

 

[laughinReaper]

For being the largest municipality yet to file for, and receive, bankruptcy.

Forty-five years of democrat rule can take its toll on -- Well, on anything.

BREAKING: Judge Rules Detroit Eligible For Bankruptcy
Ace of Spades HQ

And we have a new city atop the list of Largest US Municipal Bankruptcies. Congratulations Detroit!

$18 BILLION in debt. One city.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes determined the city meets the criteria for bankruptcy, ruling the city is financially insolvent and that the filing was properly authorized. He dismissed challenges to Michigan’s emergency manager law and ruled that pensions are not protected by the state Constitution.

“The case was filed in good faith and should not be dismissed,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes also ruled the city negotiated in good faith with its creditors, a key point of contention in the eligibility fight. The judge was sympathetic to creditors’ complaints that they did not get a reasonable chance to respond to the city’s proposals, but he noted that the sheer number of creditors — more than 100,000 — made it “impracticable” for Detroit to negotiate with them all.

Earlier the judge ruled that municipal worker pensions were not immune from the bankruptcy process. So it looks like the people who helped bleed the city dry will(sic) get to live with the results of their greed.

It takes awhile but eventually this is where Democratic rule leads.

Of course it's not just Detroit. No this is going to be the first in some mega-municipal bankruptcies across the country.

Illinois is starting to try and deal with their out of control pension plan.

[Update - Andy] The left is reacting about as calmly and rationally as you'd expect to a judge's mainstream interpretation of Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Judge Rhodes, if you ever show your face in #Detroit, please expect to either be beaten or run over. You have betrayed this city. #uniteblue

— Dominic Nanni (dpn) (@dominicnanni) December 3, 2013

Honestly, the bankruptcy process provides Detroit its only (slim) chance for survival as a major city. Without it, the years and years of decline will just continue as it withers away.

The whole idea of the bankruptcy process is to provide an opportunity for a fresh start, and I find it highly instructive that the left would rather see the city's last dollar used to pay a union pension benefit than for it to have a chance at rebirth.

Oh I thought the award would be for being the biggest liberal shithole in America.

 

[WillowTree]

All the taxpayers moved the hell out of detroit. They won't come back. They're gone. Detroit is done for no matter what they do now. Liberals should learn from this but they won't.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I'd make the entire UAW, every member, move back to Detroit

 

[Katzndogz]

The judge put the pensions on the table by saying the unions negotiated in bad faith. Very bad for those who were relying on those retirement benefits who should be able to sue those unions.

 

[jasonnfree]

Fifty-Two (52) years of uninterrupted dimocrap rule, people.

And what it leas ds to is decadence and despair and bankruptcy and .....

In the article, it sounds to me like the people that helped bring Dee-Troit to the edge of the Abyss (actually, over the edge) are going to get hurt as well.

Good. AFAIC the Judge should just leave them penniless. Afterall, they can get on welfare and Food Stamps and obamacare.

Or better yet, let the Unions who bankrupted the City pay their Pensions. Right.

Couldn't happen to a nicer group of thieves. Buh-Bye Dee-Troit pension money.

And you think Dee-Troit is bad, libturds? Wait until California goes broke because of their massive unfunded pensions.

THAT will be absolutely hilarious.

But, of course, they'll turn to people (us) who work hard, save our money and spend it judiciously, to save them.

And the Feds will simply steal our money and give it to them. As usual.

You're some kind of creep rejoicing in people losing their pensions after decades of work. What sewer did you crawl out of? At least KD is thinking of a way out for them to salvage something. by suing or something.

 

[waltky]

Granny says dey need to make cars carjack-proof...

Detroit motorists under siege in 'Carjack City'
May 23,`14 -- When they pull up to a gas station these days, Detroit drivers are looking beyond the price per gallon at a far more threatening concern: carjackers.

The armed auto thieves have become so common here that parts of the bankrupt metropolis are referred to as "Carjack City," and many motorists fear getting out of their vehicles even for a few moments to fill a tank. So gas stations are taking steps to protect customers, and the city has formed a special police team to go after suspects. Convicted carjackers will even get their faces and prison sentences plastered onto billboards. "You need to catch these people and make a good example of them," said Mousa Bazzi, who owns a Mobil station in a semi-desolate neighborhood bordering Detroit's east riverfront. He keeps his business well-lit and continually has two to four employees inside to ensure "there's always an extra hand or two" in case of trouble.

Authorities blame many of the carjackings, ironically, on improvements in vehicle security. Anti-theft equipment, GPS systems and advanced locks now prevent many vehicles from being driven without a key in the ignition. That makes it difficult or impossible for thieves to steal parked cars, leading them to target vehicles that are occupied, said Jonathan Parnell, of Detroit's auto-theft squad. Also contributing to the thefts is a strong demand for stolen wheels and tires, police said.

Bazzi's station displays pale-green decals depicting a lighthouse - a symbol that his business has joined the city's anti-carjacking effort. To be part of the program, stations must have security cameras, good lighting, be open 24 hours and have clerks willing to help motorists and provide a phone for emergency calls. "There is a waiting list," Sgt. Michael Woody said. "We have so many gas stations that want to become a lighthouse. You get better protection with that big sticker in the window that tells criminals there is proper equipment that will help police investigate these crimes." Detroit police reported 720 carjackings last year in the city of fewer than 700,000 people. That's down from nearly 850 in 2011 and 1,231 in 2008. The decline may partly be due to Detroit's freefalling population, but the thefts still exceed the carjackings in some comparably sized U.S. cities.

Sharlonda Buckman, executive director of a Detroit nonprofit, was at a gas station on an October morning when she ran inside for aspirin. Back inside her SUV, she was just closing the door when she saw a carjacker shove his gun inside. She screamed and jumped out of the vehicle. The carjacker jumped in and drove off. Three other customers gave chase in their vehicles. One caught up to the SUV and got shot in the leg by the carjacker, who was later arrested. Now, Buckman said, she tries not to pump gas at all. "If the night catches me, I won't pump gas in the city," she said. "Or I'll call somebody to meet me." It's difficult to know how Detroit's carjackings rank nationally because many police agencies lump carjackings with all armed robberies in annual reports to the FBI.

MORE

 

[ScienceRocks]

In we wonder why africa is a crap hole?

 

[skookerasbil]

That's the plan for progressives. Run the country into the ground and serfdom for all. They win. When everything goes to shit, people look to government......spend other peoples money and make everybody poor. Its actually a brilliant scheme.

 

[gipper]

Granny says dey need to make cars carjack-proof...

Detroit motorists under siege in 'Carjack City'
May 23,`14 -- When they pull up to a gas station these days, Detroit drivers are looking beyond the price per gallon at a far more threatening concern: carjackers.

The armed auto thieves have become so common here that parts of the bankrupt metropolis are referred to as "Carjack City," and many motorists fear getting out of their vehicles even for a few moments to fill a tank. So gas stations are taking steps to protect customers, and the city has formed a special police team to go after suspects. Convicted carjackers will even get their faces and prison sentences plastered onto billboards. "You need to catch these people and make a good example of them," said Mousa Bazzi, who owns a Mobil station in a semi-desolate neighborhood bordering Detroit's east riverfront. He keeps his business well-lit and continually has two to four employees inside to ensure "there's always an extra hand or two" in case of trouble.

Authorities blame many of the carjackings, ironically, on improvements in vehicle security. Anti-theft equipment, GPS systems and advanced locks now prevent many vehicles from being driven without a key in the ignition. That makes it difficult or impossible for thieves to steal parked cars, leading them to target vehicles that are occupied, said Jonathan Parnell, of Detroit's auto-theft squad. Also contributing to the thefts is a strong demand for stolen wheels and tires, police said.

Bazzi's station displays pale-green decals depicting a lighthouse - a symbol that his business has joined the city's anti-carjacking effort. To be part of the program, stations must have security cameras, good lighting, be open 24 hours and have clerks willing to help motorists and provide a phone for emergency calls. "There is a waiting list," Sgt. Michael Woody said. "We have so many gas stations that want to become a lighthouse. You get better protection with that big sticker in the window that tells criminals there is proper equipment that will help police investigate these crimes." Detroit police reported 720 carjackings last year in the city of fewer than 700,000 people. That's down from nearly 850 in 2011 and 1,231 in 2008. The decline may partly be due to Detroit's freefalling population, but the thefts still exceed the carjackings in some comparably sized U.S. cities.

Sharlonda Buckman, executive director of a Detroit nonprofit, was at a gas station on an October morning when she ran inside for aspirin. Back inside her SUV, she was just closing the door when she saw a carjacker shove his gun inside. She screamed and jumped out of the vehicle. The carjacker jumped in and drove off. Three other customers gave chase in their vehicles. One caught up to the SUV and got shot in the leg by the carjacker, who was later arrested. Now, Buckman said, she tries not to pump gas at all. "If the night catches me, I won't pump gas in the city," she said. "Or I'll call somebody to meet me." It's difficult to know how Detroit's carjackings rank nationally because many police agencies lump carjackings with all armed robberies in annual reports to the FBI.

MORE

"Nothing new under the sun."

Back in the 80s, I handled auto claims for a large Michigan insurer. We had so many auto thefts in Detroit back THEN, that it became impossible to manage.

The Detroit PD, back then, discontinued picking up and impounding stolen vehicles when officers found them on the street, because there were too many. We would be notified by Det PD when they found our stolen vehicle...did not happen often....Then we would arrange for our tow company to pick up the vehicle...usually by the time the tow got to the vehicles last known location, it was either gone or completely striped. In one case, I had a new Corvette stolen three times. When we finally did pick it up, there was almost nothing left.

 

[R.C. Christian]

It took more than democraps to cause this.