Southwestern Detroit neighborhood to be demolished (how much, houses, unemployment rate)

[Tyveker]

The Neighborhood Marathon Oil Is Killing With Its Buy Out - Residents Speak Up - Curbed Detroit

Sad. Sad too that these people are the ones who did the whole Detroit community thing, and it actually worked, they cleaned up the area, and now big business is showing just how much it cares about communities (as if polluting them to death weren't enough).

[Tyveker]

Also: God is Detroit perfect in the snow!

[zthatzmanz28]

Just consider how many jobs this will create! Not to mention how it will influence Marathon to remain in the city and the state creating a tax revenue that is so badly needed by everyone..
GO MARATHON, the shining light of capitalism and an example to all of us who strive to improve out lot in life.

[urbanliving99]

Sounds like the people complaining are just greedy.

The clause listed in the Free Press linked below shows that it is the higher of two appraisals or 40,000 would lead me to believe that if you were to look at trulia (or an appraisal not associated with the ones listed) would put those house values at less than 40K.

Then they are taking the highest of those prices (in the off chance the house was worth 100K)

Then they add on a buyer premium

Then they add on relocation assistance.

"The program, being announced this afternoon, is voluntary. Prices offered for houses will vary but will be generous, starting at either the average of two appraisals or $40,000, whichever is higher, plus a 50% premium on top of the appraised average plus relocation assistance."

Seems like the journalist is just hating on "corporate" America. I think the program as outlined in the Freep is more than fair - if not generous. If you disagree - tell us how you would alter the program.


Marathon offers to buy out Detroit homeowners near refinery amid $2.2B expansion | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

[Tyveker]

Facetious, right?

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Tyveker

Facetious, right?

dropping the unemployment rate and creating jobs in not facetious, is it?

you go urbanliving 99...corporations are people too and they have feelings like the rest of us!

[Tyveker]

Create jobs for people, at the expense of other people.

Here's my problems:

1. Marathon Oil has been polluting the areas for years, and their supposed munificence in buying out the residents is a calculated move, so that they can ward off a future, entirely deserved class action suit.

2. They are destroying a neighborhood that has (judging from the articles) done well in cleaning itself up and stabilizing. With so many neighborhoods simply disappearing in Detroit, every single intact one is precious and should be preserved.

3. People are not money, they aren't the same. A corporation giving these people money to move out ignores what is actually important in a house - not its price, but the fact that it becomes a home.

4. The neighborhood seemingly has a strong community. They did the most Detroit thing to do: took things into their own hands, and it worked and they cleaned up their neighborhood. All of that for nothing! It is very discouraging, from the perspective of someone moving to Detroit.

5. I fear that many of these people will use the buy out as an opportunity to leave Detroit, which is obviously the last thing we need.

6. Concomitant with my reservations about this, is my trepidation in that general area. My roommate went to visit Zug Island and didn't know she couldn't take pictures. Security guards stopped her and her family and then called in national guard officers, adducing possibilities of terrorism (read: she's arab). In what world is it acceptable for a government to provide security to a private factory? Do they not allow pictures because of specious terrorist threats, or because pictures would document the island's heinous pollution?

You're being facetious, right zthatzmanz28? Sorry, reading it is hard! But this is facetious: "corporations are people too and they have feelings like the rest of us!" right?

[urbanliving99]

I never asserted to support corporations - I just realized there are two likely outcomes

1) Marathon takes over the area via eminent domain (and pays current FMV for the homes)
2) Marathon offers higher incentive option to avoid eminent domain.

I simply think choice two is preferable to choice 1.

Arguing about the merits/detriments of eminent domain "corporations" is not my point - as that has already been settled by the Supreme Court.

[animatedmartian]

The way I see it, yes it's a great community, but it's in a bad location. There's really no buffer between them and the refinery.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Tyveker

Create jobs for people, at the expense of other people.




You're being facetious, right zthatzmanz28? Sorry, reading it is hard! But this is facetious: "corporations are people too and they have feelings like the rest of us!" right?

The supreme court and Michigan's own prodigal Mormon son Mitt both agree corporations are people--
They just need a great big kiss and a hug from me to you...Don't you love capitalism too?

And it also came to pass, So say Angel Moroni and Joseph Smith.