single bullet theory
It’s Complicated: Debunking the Silver Bullet
Let’s be clear. No one issue has caused the current economic crisis the city is facing. Thus, no one thing will solve all the problems. It would be so much easier for everyone if folks could look at one item and say ‘if only that one thing hadn’t happened’, or something along those lines.
Causes:
Water Street did not cause our current economic crisis. It is costing us money, there is no doubt. However, it is not the root cause of our situation. The housing bubble crash, along with the auto industry downturn, plus loss of thousands of jobs in the region had a hand in the whole mess.
The biggest challenges Ypsilanti faces, along with those facing many other towns and cities in Michigan, come from the state itself. Many sources of state funding have been either cut off, or so depleted that the very foundation of financing our city has to change or adapt. State money may come back – someday. Until then folks, individually and regionally, we are on our own.
Cures:
If the City Income Tax had passed, we would be in a better situation than we are today. We would have income coming from Eastern Michigan employees that we are not able to garner right now, and that 30% of real estate that pays no taxes would now be helping us out, for instance.
No one cure will solve all our problems. Even if the income tax had passed, the world would not be perfect, the city would not be wealthy, and these would still be challenging times.
Single Bullet Theory (Our Prognosis):
Blaming Water Street for all ills does nothing but lay groundwork for upcoming campaigns and distract from the complex issues that surround us. That is the only reason to bring it up. Otherwise, instead of blaming, council would have taken up the Planning Commission’s recommendations for Water Street and begun moving forward on finding developers.
When any authority (especially a politician) offers you an easy sound-bite answer, you can bet your money you are being patronized and manipulated.
AYPAC encourages voters to contact their city council members and ask the hard questions:
- Why are we cutting police and fire when we were previously promised that these were not at risk?
- Why are we still waiting for the Water Street closed committee to take up the Planning Commissions recommendations?
- Why did we commit to a property tax increase as part of a proposal to temporarily save public transit, but turned down an income tax proposal that would have solved many at risk programs?
Lastly, listen carefully to what your council members are saying. If they have a pat answer to this incredibly complex situation we find ourselves in that sounds easy….if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true. Single causes and single solutions are like firing blanks. Hardly the ammunition we need to fight the challenges Ypsilanti continues to face.
posted by B. Bashert and J. Gawlas
Transparency Rating (1) - 25%