Livonia to draw line with Northville - Crain's Detroit Business

Livonia to draw line with Northville - Crain's Detroit Business

This is a very interesting article about the long legal battle between Northville and Livonia regarding some property that used to be (I think) a state mental hospital, but has been shut down for years. The whole controversy points to something I have been saying for a while, that maybe we don't need the number layers of government that we have. This development company has been playing off Livonia and Northville, and you see that all the time, with the tax breaks given to companies to settle in one place over another, the differences in police and fire forces because cities are different, the differences in schools because of a boundary line. Sub-optimal decisions are made because more decisions have to be made and different organizations can be coerced into making sub-optimal decisions buy companies or people that know how to play the game. I can't say I know the answer, but the idea of regional authorities for certain things does make sense on a lot of decisions.

Here is one idea. I think we should have a moratorium on greenfield building in the state. Instead of increasing our sprawl problem, we should go back into older areas and refresh them. Then, leave more green space outside the cities unspoiled. But if one city says they are not going to let any more greenfield building be done, then developers, smartly, would move to the next city, and the first city loses on the potential growth. To the developers, a few miles one way or another doesn't matter. But if the region says, we are not going to allow greenfield building, if you want to build new homes or businesses in this area, refurbish existing areas. Then developers have to do what is right for the region if they want to do business there, and more areas are refurbished, more green spaces preserved.

Tigers reach .500 with dramatic ninth-inning rally

"Tigers reach .500 with dramatic ninth-inning rally: "Those are frustrating ones, to be honest with you,' Leyland said. 'You've got a three-run lead in the ninth and then you look up, bottom of the ninth and you're down one. But that's the life of a closer. Here's a guy who is 14-for-14 (in save opportunities). Pretty tough job when you're 14-for-14 and you blow one and get booed that bad. That's pretty tough.'"

Sorry Jim, we had every right to boo that lustily after that performance. The fact that he was cheered coming to Sunday's game was the correct response by the fans.

Update: Todd Jones the next day.
Jones, on the fans' reaction to him: "I was very thankful. I got a pretty nice ovation. I could hear it today. I was anticipating a Jason Grilli-esque greeting."

Bush is charming, but

I was just reading an article about the Presidential Medal of Freedom presentation, and my overriding thought is that Bush is a charming guy, too bad he was such a terrible president. If he wasn't (or hadn't been) convinced war with Iraq was the right thing from the moment he took office, he might have accomplished something. Probably not, but maybe.

Rep Knollenburg wants to help Big Three

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/BIZ/804290426/-1/rss

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg proposed spending more than $1.2 billion
over five years to aid domestic automakers as
they spend billions to comply with new fuel economy standards.
He also
proposed a rewrite of the tax code that could be worth as much as $3.2 billion
to Detroit's Big Three automakers in annual tax rebates.

Normally I would say I am against such subsides, but I see how this area is hurting and would support it if there were a provision that the money has to be spent in the US or somehow be guaranteed to help American workers. This money cannot be spent overseas.

Strategic Oil Reserve Controversy

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-wants-bush-to-stop-filling-petroleum-reserve-2008-04-24.html

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Thursday called on President Bush to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a way to reduce gas prices at the pump.

So here is my question - why are we still filling the SPR when prices are at an all time high, and why don't we start selling that on the open market to alleviate some debt or something?

I am sure there is a way I could research this, but I wonder if the 70,000 barrels a day is a higher or lower amount than previous - i.e. is Bush trying to move more public money to his Big Oil buddies?

Pistons thought

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080418/SPORTS03/804180384/1051/rss16

It is very interesting that there is no talk in this article from the Pistons about how they know how to win, they are not worried. They sound like they are ready to make a better effort. Positive sign.

Tigers on Tax day

So, I am watching the end of the Tigers game, and Rayburn made one heck of a play, even if it didn't quite work out. Had Young not scored, that would have been play of at least the week. Anyway, did I see Cabrerra try the hidden ball trick on Monroe? That wasn't mentioned.

Anyway, good win, need many more.

Oh and taxes due in 1 hour 52 minutes.