Three years ago, the question facing Detroit was: Will it survive? It has! The largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history is now a painful reminder of the past. This year, in his 4th State of the City Address, Mayor Mike Duggan painted a much brighter picture of the Comeback City.
Quick Duggan Bite:
The Mayor also reminded the invitation-only audience at Focus: Hope that:
- The new LED street lights are on
- Police response time has improved
- More buses are running on time
- Thousands of abandoned buildings have been demolished
- Parks have been reopened and the grass is being cut
That’s great progress!
But wisely, Mayor Duggan spent most of his speech talking about “what’s next?” The Mayor outlined programs that he believes will help create jobs, affordable housing, neighborhood investment and the Detroit Promise program that can guarantee a free college education to eligible Detroit students. He must fully deliver on these ambitious promises.
The Duggan administration must also continue to hammer away at some longstanding Detroit roadblocks: Public education, high auto insurance rates and a crime rate that is improving but still much too high!
This is an election year. Mayor Duggan will stand on his record and promote his vision in what we hope are “open” forums across the city. That way he can be evaluated and challenged by Detroit voters. A truly revitalized city hinges on complete government transparency and bi-partisan cooperation.
I’m Mike Murri, Vice President & General Manager
Broadcast: February 23 - 26, 2017
