 
Youngprofessionaldetroiter
Member
Username: Youngprofessionaldetroiter
Post Number: 363
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 3:46 pm: |    |
I was reading an article in the Freep.com and a forum comment caught my eye. (Yeah, I know, I try not to get sucked into the fray there, a little crazy for my taste.)
"with unemployment levels so high--why don't the businesses and block clubs adopt an unemployed person to keep each block clean. Studies show that clean areas mean higher property values."
Yeah, it's probably an oversimplification, but there's some truth to the question, eh? If we're at 10% unemployment in the city...but we have a need for keeping the cities, clean, we must be able to find some way to convert the unemployed to help do something...even if it's just picking up litter, right?
The question, as always, is how. I don't know enough about local politics to even start. Any ideas? |
Crumbled_pavement
Member
Username: Crumbled_pavement
Post Number: 545
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 4:21 pm: | |
I don't think this could work without some type of incentive. Cockrel would have to enforce ticketing businesses and homeowners who don't maintain their property and make sure these people pay. This would provide the incentive. Example: A party store is going to get the same amount of customers whether the parking lot is clean or not, why would they pay someone to keep it clean? To avoid a ticket. |
Sharmaal
Member
Username: Sharmaal
Post Number: 1364
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 4:32 pm: | |
This won't work because of one thing....
THE UNIONS. |
Daddeeo
Member
Username: Daddeeo
Post Number: 130
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 8:03 pm: | |
You don't need unions if Detroiters decided to clean up after themselves. It makes me sick to see people walking down the street just throwing wrappers (and anything else they don't feel like taking to a trash can) on the ground.
I'd like to see a broken windows approach they took in New York enacted here. The only problem is they don't have enough cops to do it effectively. |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 2274
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 9:30 pm: | |
A two year moratorium on taxes in lieu of property rehab costs. With receipts of course. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 863
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2008 - 1:26 pm: | |
quote:"with unemployment levels so high--why don't the businesses and block clubs adopt an unemployed person to keep each block clean. Studies show that clean areas mean higher property values." I believe the government actually did this in Czechoslovakia during the 1980s. If enough people are willing to pay for it, I don't think it's a bad idea. It might also help people realize the cost of throwing things on the ground when they get a bill each month for cleaning it up. People seem to have a much better grasp of the negative social effects of their actions when there is a corresponding sacrifice measured in dollars and cents. |