Role of Community Influencers & Using Fiscal Solvency cont…
The Fire Department
Under Governor Snyder, Kevyn Orr paid millions to a suburban private firm to review the management of the Detroit Fire
Department. Under Governor Snyder’s consent agreement, to save money, fire stations were closed at night when the United
States Fire Administration states that most fatal fires begin after 9:00pm. The result was fire trucks racing against the clock
from one edge of the city border, to the other to arrive to needlessly burned structures.
Disabled people were asphyxiated to death in their homes from smoke inhalation before fire trucks could arrive.
Do African Americans living in their homes deserve to have their lives placed at risk by the State’s austerity measures?
The asphyxiated bodies of squatters were found in homes not known to be occupied as rubble was cleared because the official
policy of the Fire Chief under the Governor’s Consent Agreement with the City, and under Orr, was to “let it burn.” Fire
fighters did not have the equipment to fight fires as they were trained using generally accepted principals of fire fighting.
If the goal of the Governor was fiscal solvency, why did Orr not use all of the Federal grants provided and miss a deadline to
file for more FEMA grants in August 2013? If the Federal government was frustrated that the city returned grants, the
citizens were as well.
Sending a Strong Message
In September of 2013, Kevyn Orr shut off all electricity in downtown Detroit without notice.
Not for fiscal solvency, but according to Gary Brown, his COO, “to send a strong message”, because in the 98 0 weather, the
courts, colleges, and city offices were using too much electricity for air conditioning. As a result, traffic lights stopped, courts
were closed and prisoners were taken back to cells in the darkness, a pregnant woman was trapped on an elevator in the City
County Building, and fire stations could not open their doors for the rig to respond to fires. He made it clear who was in
charge.
Orr also hired Jim Bonsall as the Chief Financial Officer, and did not fire him when Bonsall asked black employees if he could
shoot children in hoodies for Halloween. This is the atmosphere in Detroit under Governor Snyder. City employees also
reported that Bonsall was doing backroom no-bid contracts that were less than legal.
Clearly, public safety protocols have taken a back seat and placed a burden on minorities and the disabled. What about
ethics?
After finishing his appointment, Orr was asked to describe what success meant in Detroit. Orr stated, “Getting out without an
indictment.” White suburbanite business owners laughed. How should Detroiters feel about such a statement?
This question was the perfect time for Orr to simply state that the purpose and measurement of his success of the Governor’s
appointment of him was “fiscal solvency”.
Therefore, t is difficult to accept the State’s pretext of fiscal solvency as the purpose of hiring Robert Bobb, when he is on a
Coalition which wants to drive students out of the district.
It is difficult to accept the State’s pretext of fiscal solvency as the purpose of removing DWSD from local authority, when the
Governor’s chosen appointee make comments that the purpose is to “get out without an indictment” to chortles and laughter.
It is also difficult to accept the State’s pretext of fiscal solvency as the purpose of DPS when the Governor Snyder’s chosen
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