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Detroiters react to the bankruptcy process and the city's future.
Compiled by Keri Guten Cohen I Story Development Editor
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Five Jewish Detroiters give their take on
Detroit, the bankruptcy process and the
city's future.
Jake Cohen: partner,
Detroit Venture Partners;
board member, Quikly
and Level Eleven.
How long have you
lived in Detroit? I
moved to Detroit in
February 2011. I was in
Ann
Arbor for 11 years
Jake Cohen
before that, and I grew
up in West Bloomfield. Detroit in 2013 is
undeniably one of the most interesting cit-
ies in the world.
It has unintentionally become ground
zero for discussions about what the future
will hold for American cities, educational
systems, government and industries.
Necessity has forced Detroit to rethink
everything, and young people are moving
here to be a part of this discussion.
How will bankruptcy affect Detroit?
The current level of city services for
Detroiters is absolutely tragic — for
basic needs like transportation, police,
firefighters, water and streetlights. While
the bankruptcy will be incredibly pain-
ful for many of Detroit's citizens, the vast
majority of its citizens will benefit from
improved city services that are desperately
needed.
As a practical matter, the bankruptcy
will allow Detroit to dedicate its lim-
ited resources to supporting the needs
of its citizens today and into the future.
Currently, most of those resources are
going toward paying for services that
supported the city many years ago. The
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August 8 • 2013
bankruptcy is a much-needed chance for a
fresh start.
What is the future of Detroit? The
bankruptcy is what I would call a "trailing
indicator:' meaning that it is an indicator
of what was happening in the past (e.g.,
population decline over several decades),
as opposed to what will happen in the
future.
"Leading indicators" of a thriving future
for Detroit are everywhere — college-
educated young people are moving to
the city in record numbers, University
of Michigan students are staying in state
more than at any other point in my life-
time, the trendiest restaurants and bars
are opening in Detroit rather than Royal
Oak or Birmingham, and commercial and
residential occupancy rates in Downtown
Detroit have been steadily climbing for at
least two years.
I plan to live in Detroit for many years
and be part of its historic comeback.
Harriet Saperstein:
chair, Woodward Action
Association; board
member, Opportunity
Resource Fund, Center
for Community-Based
Enterprise, WSU Press
Board of Visitors,
Harriet
Reconstructionist
Saperstein
Congregation of Detroit.
How long have you lived in Detroit?
We have lived in Detroit since 1963,
when my husband, Al, came to Wayne
State University. A local colleague lived
in Huntington Woods, and another in
Detroit's Lafayette Park (a co-op apartment
building east of Downtown.) We chose
Detroit because as former New Yorkers
we disliked commuting, and we wanted to
bring up our children in an urban, inte-
grated setting.
Living in this new development meant
Al could bicycle to work, and we could
be part of an urban experiment that also
promised possibilities for me as a sociolo-
gist. We stayed because we became com-
mitted to our neighbors, to our neighbor-
hood and to Detroit, a challenging and
challenged city, even at that time.
We appreciated the other individuals
and families who shared our values of
a commitment and willingness to take
action for community improvement. We
were reasonably satisfied with Chrysler
School and Cass Tech for our two daugh-
ters and (later on) our various exchange
students.
I began working for the city of Detroit in
1967, and that reinforced my understand-
ing of the complexities behind Detroit's
difficulties and my desire to be a part of
the solution, not the problem.
How will bankruptcy affect Detroit?
That's the wrong question. It should be:
"How will it affect Detroit, the region, the
state and even other cities?"
No one really knows what it will mean.
The required changes will directly and
indirectly affect a much larger region.
For residents, it will hurt individuals
as pensions and health benefits in an
underfunded system get cut back, and as
politicians at every level continue to take
personal benefits while undercutting the
social safety net.
The probable negative is a "leaner,
meaner" city, with even fewer available
services or necessary funding for invest-
ments to improve the physical and social
service structure. The possible positive is a
"leaner, meaner" city that is part of a more
integrated, regionally funded area; a state
that doesn't just see cutbacks as the only
answer, and is again a leader in education
and technology; and a responsible private
sector (including bond holders and inves-
tors) that has accepted reasonable finan-
cial compromises.
What is the future of Detroit? My
dream: A city of about 700,000 in viable
neighborhoods amidst green areas, inte-
grated in terms of race, ethnicity and class,
one that builds on some of the vibrancy
and enthusiasm of the younger people
coming into Detroit, keeping them as we
improve schools and services.
My image: All of us in our area strug-
gling to make this dream work.
Yes, I will continue to live in Detroit,
trying to be part of the solution, not the
problem. I take many of my values from
my Jewish heritage. Tikkun olam is how I
have lived and will continue to do so. I will
look at the positives — e.g., the Riverfront
— and work on changing those negatives
that I can. I will also work with younger
people in our community to hand on and
hand over the continuing challenges in our
community. Detroit is worth working with
and for.
Jodee Fishman Raines:
Jodee
Fishman
Raines
vice president of pro-
grams, Fred A. and
Barbara M. Erb Family
Foundation; board
member, WSU Alumni
Association, Palmer
Woods Association,
Isaac Agree Downtown
Synagogue.