The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, December 9, 2013 - SA The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, December 9, 2D13 - 5A ORR From Page 1A cal to the history of the state, country and world, as it was cen- tral to the origin of the organized labor movement, the expansion of the middle class and the birth of cars, commuting and transpor- tation. The most elemental com- ponent of the city's financial distress, Orr said, is its rapid population decline. Once a city of 1.8 million residents in the 1950s, Detroit's population is now just over 700,000 and the city has lost close to 240,000 residents in the last decade alone. Compounding the popula- tion decline is Detroit's physi- cal enormity: the entire cities of New York City, Boston and San Francisco can fit inside Detroit's 139-square-mile border. While the city's revenue stream from property and income taxes has shrunk because of the dwindling population, the city remains as geographically large. Thus, the costs to maintain city infrastruc- ture and services remain the same while the budget to fund it continues to shrink. This dynamic has created a complex accumulation of chal- lenges for the city to provide its essential services. For instance, the city can afford to keep just 60 percent of its street lamps lit on any given day - leading to a host of problems for law enforcement and emergency services. "Turn a city dark, you will see . crime," Orr said. "It's very sim- ple." The city's rising crime rate is also driven by "economic dispar- ity, hopelessness and helpless- ness," Orr said. Yet thanks to the city's vast size and decreased police force, it often takes close to an hour for authorities to respond to emergencies. Another persistent issue is the city's bus system, which Orr says reaches its routes on time at just a 65-percent rate. The pub- lit school system does not have its own buses, so young children ride the city buses to and from school, enduring long wait times in the cold, unlit and crime-rid- den streets - a combination that Orr worries is a detriment to edu- cation. In addition to detailing the flawed distribution of services, Orr also outlined the extent of the city's $18 billion in debt obli- gations, which, if not addressed soon, could make the financial situation even worse. Private enterprise secures $6 billion of that debt, and most of the remaining $12 billion is related to employmentcand retiree cost: $5.7 billion for health care costs for retirees, $3.5 billion for unfunded pension obligations, and $1.4 bil- lion in bond debt used to pay into the pension system. As difficult as it is to accept, Orr said the city has no choice but to readjust and reduce its finan- cial obligations, meaning that many pensioners will not receive the retirement income they were once promised. These tough choices underlie the enormity of Orr's task. Unlike the bankruptcy and restructur- ing process in the private sector - Orr also represented Chrysler LLC when it filed for Chapter 11 in 2009 - there is a human ele- ment inherent to these proceed- ings. Orr's address laid the frame- work for the rest of the conference held by the Detroit Revitalization & Business Initiative, a student- run organization in the Business School whose mission is to help students learn about Detroit, engage with the community and commit to contributing to its revitalization. "(Orr) really was able to con- nect the hard, cold numerical facts with the real human truths of the challenges facing Detroit," Business graduate student Nir- mal Deshpande said. "It puts what we're learning here into a very clear context." The theme of Friday's con- ference was "Growth and Regrowth," exploring the new industries that will drive the city and investigating how to reinvig- orate the traditional sectors that made the city strong. The confer- ence, which was attended mostly by graduate business students, included panels on the inter- section between education and business, as well as a forum for students interested in working in the city upon graduation. "As a lot of us try to figure out where we're going to settle, it makes you think twice about, 'Do I wantto go to Chicago, doI want to go to New York, (or) do I want to go be involved in a new revital- ization (in Detroit),"' Deshpande said. Faculty, as well as students, seemed to view Orr's address positively. Business lecturer Peter Allen said in an e-mail interview that he was impressed with Orr's resolve to have a two-year budget and 10-year projection in place by the time his appointment ends 10 months from now, and was also pleased with Orr's apparent will- ingness to work in concert with the city's elected officials. Emergency financial manag- ers have been criticized by many for having too much power and being able to override the power of elected officials. "Overall, if I were a Detroit investor, I would feel very com- fortable making an investment today," Allen wrote. The attendees' seeming- ly favorable reaction to Orr's remarks reflect that, while unequivocal in his assessment of the city's fiscal state, he was able to inject a dose of optimism as well. "At the end of the day, there are twothings I have to leave this process with," Orr said. "A city that functions effectively and some semblance of hope that peo- ple who depend on these services to live, will be able to live out rest of their lives with some form of dignity and hope." Mourners pray and sing to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela outside his old house in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa South Africans odda of prayer for Mandela South Africans of all faiths pray for Mandela CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - In death, Nelson Mandela unified South Africans of all races and backgrounds Sunday on a day of prayer for the global statesman - from a vaulted cathedral with hymns and incense to a rural, hilltop church with goat-skin drums and barefoot dancing. Mandela was remembered in old bedrocks of resistance to white domination as well as for- mer bastions of loyalty to apart- heid. "May his long walk to freedom be enjoyed and realized in our time by all of us," worshippers said in a prayer at the majestic St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town, where the first white settlers arrived centuries ago aboard European ships. South Africa's reflection on Mandela's astonishing life was a prelude to a massive memorial in a Johannesburg stadium Tues- day that will draw world leaders and luminaries. They will gather to mourn, but also to salute the achievements ofthe prisoner who became president and an emblem of humanity's best instincts. The extended farewell - a bittersweet mix of grief and cel- ebration - ends Dec. 15, when Mandela is to be buried in his rural hometown of Qunu in East- ern Cape province. The anti-apartheid campaign- er wanted to die in those mod- est, traditional surroundings; instead, he died Thursday at age 95 in his home in an exclusive Johannesburg area. He was sur- rounded by family after months of a debilitating illness that required the constant care of a team of doctors. Family friend Bantu Holomisa told The Associated Press that Mandela wasn't on life support in his final hours. He appeared to be sleeping calmly but it was obvi- ous that he was finally succumb- ing, added Holomisa, who said he saw Mandela about two hours before his death. "I've seen people who are on their last hours and I could sense that he is now giving up," said Holomisa, who is the leader of the United Democratic Move- ment in parliament. "You could see it is not Madi- ba anymore," Holomisa added, using Mandela's clan name. The government and Man- dela's family have revealed few details about Mandela's death. Ahmed Kathrada, who was sentenced to life in prison with Mandela in 1964, said he was informed shortly before Mande- la's death that his old friend had little time left. Kathrada said Graca Machel, Mandela's wife, conveyed the message to him through another person that Mandela "will be leaving us that night" and "the doctors have said, 'Anytime."' COUZENS collected, and they're always programs including caroling at full," Chochla said. "We usually St. Joseph's Hospital in Ypsilanti From Page 1A remove the gifts for the night so and decorating cookies at the each day there is a huge amount Ronald McDonald house near only about 40 tags remained of gifts that get turned in." Mary Markley Residence Hall. unclaimed. Although this is the Giving The organization is planning sev- "Every day I pass by the yel- Tree program's first year, the eral other charitable events for low bins where the gifts are being club participates in outreach the holiday season. C4l A.idiigan Batl PHOTO STAFF EXHIBITION Friday, December 13th at 5pm The Duderstat Center FEATURING WORK FROM ERIN KIRKLAND TODD NEEDLE MARLENE LACASSE PATRICK BARRON KATHERINE PEKALA PAUL SHERMAN NICHOLAS WILLIAMS JAMES COLLER TERESA MATHEW TERRA MOLENGRAFF ADAM GLANZMAN TRACY KO . RUBY WALLAU ALDEN REISS PICTURES AND STORIES AND NEWS, OH MY! FACEBOOK.COM/MICHIGANDAILY TWITTER.COM/MICHIGANDAILY