  Kingofdetroit Member Username: Kingofdetroit Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2006 |
I'm trying to wonder why Detroit gets such a bad rap. Well I know why I live here... Anyway I'm always hearing that way back when, when there were talks about putting in mass transit and stuff that the BIG 3 nixed it because we were the "Motor City" and drove cars and didn't need mass transit. Well excuse my ignorance on the matter but was this officially decided upon by the BIG 3 or did it ever go to vote by the citizens? If the BIG 3 caused it all can we sue them for putting so much investment into them and now their going belly up and screwing Detroit over? Maybe putting in mass transit or who knows what else they brushed aside, might have helped Detroit and make it a different place today. Not leading the nation in foreclosures, being one of the fattest cities and what not. Maybe there already is a class action or already was. I dunno. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1414 Registered: 05-2005 |
who is bringing suit and what is their greivance exaclty? links man, links. | ||
Kingofdetroit Member Username: Kingofdetroit Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2006 |
No one that I know of yet. Just wondering if this would be possible. I think for a while there everyone thought the BIG 3 were unstoppable or going to be around for ever. What else is Detroit going to do for jobs with all these people sitting around. Either they are going to have to leave or the Detroit area needs to start getting a new identity. No longer the "Motor City". | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 787 Registered: 11-2003 |
Gravitymachine, re-read his post and you'll see that nobody has actually filed any lawsuit. He was just asking a hypothetical question: "If the BIG 3 caused it all can we sue them..." | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 390 Registered: 08-2006 |
The big three teamed up with Standard oil and a Tire company (Goodyear?) back in the 50s and bought up all the street cars and scrapped the rails in Detroit and surrounding areas. The intent was to force the people in the metro area to buy cars. The PCC rail cars were sold to Mexico City where some are still in use today. It's one of the best bold naked corporate greed stories of our history. | ||
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez Post Number: 8 Registered: 12-2006 |
pics? | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 391 Registered: 08-2006 |
Some info on the PCCs themselves, not the controversy. http://www.sptc.spb.ru/detroit .htm | ||
_sj_ Member Username: _sj_ Post Number: 1614 Registered: 12-2003 |
The controversy involves many layers, voters, local governments, unions, state governments, etc. The Big three really is a little blip in terms of this failed initiative. | ||
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez Post Number: 11 Registered: 12-2006 |
Didn't I see this in a movie once? Oh yeah, now I remember....."Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Good luck with the lawsuit KOD. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 781 Registered: 12-2005 |
California is trying to sue the three domestic producers for environmental legacy costs (damage) caused by decades of the vehicles produced by these (and the extinct "little 5" auto companies who somehow don't count because there are no perceived deep pockets to raid). Has anyone mentioned that the state of California also gleefully collected sales tax and yearly license fees on each and every one of those cars? Hmmmmm.................. Being California, there WILL be a judge who will gladly agree to hear the case. | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2369 Registered: 10-2003 |
And don't forget all that tax on all the fuel those bad gas guzzlers consumed. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 222 Registered: 04-2006 |
Isn't Mercury or Lincoln or something based in Cali? | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 376 Registered: 06-2006 |
The Big 3 don't just decide what Detroit does or doesn't do, but they have historically had a lot of influence, and for good reason... Going by your hypothetical, for a lawsuit to succeed, the situation would likely have to be that the elected officials wanted to build a transit system but the Big 3 took affirmative steps to purposely interfere with their ability to do so... More likely, however, was that city felt that the best way to help their bread and butter industry was to ensure them millions of vehicle sales by NOT building a transit system, also considering that many if not most of the area's residents are able to purchase automobiles at a generous discount... | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 11003 Registered: 10-2003 |
WAS based in California. It lasted a few years I believe, moved back here either last year or the year before. | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2370 Registered: 10-2003 |
The city made a conscious decision to shut down the street cars. The system needed a great number of very expensive upgrades at the time. The city decided that switching to busses would be cheaper in the long run. They were correct, it was cheaper to run busses than upgrade the streetcars. Unfortunately it had many unforseen side effects. This Falls under the old british saying of being pennywise and pound foolish. You cannot sue a private company for a cities decisions. | ||
Quinn Member Username: Quinn Post Number: 1065 Registered: 01-2005 |
When I was in school...we had a trip to Toronto and met with the guy who helped develop their subway. He was also the man who helped design the Lodge Freeway. He said that the Lodge Plan included hard rails for local and express trains...ie a "subway" or commuter train. This was all subsidized by the federal government. He said that the big three and other large corporations lobbied heavily to have that portion of the project taken out. Now, he was a million years old, but sharp. No dementia in '93. I have no reason to doubt him. Maybe he could be a start witness? hehehe. |
