Flint's Latest Parking Problem

Is downtown Flint's latest parking structure the son of AutoWorld. Columnist Andy Heller thinks so after Kristen Longley of The Flint Journal reported that Flint taxpayers "could be on the hook for payments on $10 million in loans for a downtown parking deck that now sits mostly empty."

"Less than six months after opening the James W. Rutherford Parking Structure, the Downtown Development Authority already is scrounging to make the first payment on the city-authorized bonds for construction of the parking ramp.

"The problem? The DDA expected to bring enough downtown tax revenue this year to cover the $620,000 payment, but instead is bringing in a tiny fraction of that — about $900."

Will Walling Cure Gingivitis?

Andy Heller does a marvelous summing up of the Flint mayor's race:

I said Dayne Walling would thump Brenda Clack by a 60/40 margin. Some laughed. The actual split was 64/36. I rock. You should not doubt me.

That's a thumping, indeed. But don't blame Clack. Walling had more money and a bigger organization, one that, in truth, never really disbanded after his narrow election loss to The Don. It just hibernated until The Don imploded, which everyone knew wouldn't take long.

The biggest factor, though? Guilt. This was Flint's mea culpa to Walling for having inexplicably chosen The Don last time around.

Walling now becomes the proverbial guy who hooks a marlin: Now what do you do? He'll be under pressure to deliver a Flint renaissance. The peculiar thing about Flint voters is they expect miracles from mayors. They want them to eliminate crime, attract a new General Motors (in other words, create not just jobs, but high-paying jobs that last forever) and, oh, while they're at it, stamp out the curse that is gingivitis.

Flint's Unemployment Rate

Flint's official unemployment rate?

27.3 %.

And keep in mind the real unemployment rate is much higher because you aren't counted as out of work if you've been looking too long or have simply given up.

It's bad enough for Journal columnist Andy Heller to suggest that Michigan be declared a Federal economic disaster zone.

This Ain't Cool

Flint Journal columnist Andy Heller weighs in on an Ottawa ad agency's insulting "This Ain't Flint" campaign:

Believe me, Ottawa, no one regrets our lack of foresight more than us. We recognize our mistakes. As I say, fixing them has been difficult, to say the least. May you never find yourself in our position.

But if you do, I like to think that we'd have the decency not to mock you, thus adding to your burden.

Now, all that said, I realize this ad campaign is just that -- an ad campaign for a radio station. It doesn't speak for the people of Ottawa. It speaks merely to the hearts and judgment of the twits who wrote it.

To you people, I'd like to say this: Shame on you.

Believe it or not, human beings live here. Most of us have jobs, don't eat rabbits and don't shoot our neighbors, regardless of what you might have heard.

And the tourism agencies for Flint and Ottawa have teamed up to denounce the campaign:

Noel Buckley, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism, said he was made aware of the campaign today and was disappointed by it. He is asking that the ad company stop using the photos taken from his agency’s Web site. He’s also contacted officials with the Newcap radio stations to convey his concerns with this campaign.

“Images of Ottawa can be downloaded by anyone from our Web site for promotional purposes,” says Mr. Buckley. “They are not intended to be used unfairly to portray other destinations and this is clearly an unfair comparison between Flint in 1989 and Ottawa today.”