I found a cool thing yesterday- The Detroi tArea Diaper Bank. We have a son who has transitioned from one size of diapers to another and we had some of the old ones left over. I could have taken them to the daycare where I knew that they would be used, but living in the neighbourhood we do, I didn't feel that it would have done the most good. Enter the Detroit Area Diaper Bank! New and open packages for all age groups- newborn to oldborn- are taken. It's a small thing but I felt better today for finding my 15 diapers a better home.
www.detroitareadiaperbank.org
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Detroit
I've been deliquent in my lack of blogging. Life has taken over, as life does when one has a full-time job with lots of responsibilities, a small child, and a family of which to take care.
Anyways, Detroit!! It has been a strange couple of years in the life of the city since I wrote last. The mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has been convicted of perjury as has his girlfriend, and the two of them spent 4 months in jail down the street from my office. If I looked out my window I could see the county jail with it's narrow vertical slotted windows, and I wondered on a regular basis which window the fallen hero was starring out of at that moment. Such arrogance to be in such a public job and to think that you would not get caught. He was an elected official not the King of Detroit!
The city has just completed its fourth election in the past year and has re-elected David Bing as mayor. He seems to be making some of the hard decisions, which while not necessarily popular, have gotten him re-elected. I hope that he can change how the city government functions, and even more so I hope that he can change the culture of Detroit into one of solid, consistent achievement- this is the largest task ever!!
Since I last wrote, we have entered the global recession and the rest of the USA has now caught Michigan's cold- extended recession. Michigan has been in a downward economic trend for the past decade and it is only now that the rest of the country is feeling the same illness- epic foreclosures, failing businesses, brain drain, large levels of unemployment (10%- largest percentage since 1983- don't remember much of that one- I was 8!), decreases in funding for public education, etc.. Michigan politicians can't seem to decide whether or not education is really important to them or worth fighting for. They all want Michigan to be successful but can't seem to muster the political willpower to put their priorities on the line, bite the bullet, and tax people for loose tabacco, flavoured cigars, and late-night bar hours. They are taking about removing $300 per child out of the budgets of each of the schools this year!! In a state where children in Detroit Public Schools have one hour of science a week (in this technological world?), no toilet paper and have to hand in their pencils at the end of the class, this is ENORMOUS! (this is no urban myth- I've seen it for myself). It saddens my heart terribly to see these children suffering needlessly and continuing the cycle of poverty.
On that note, I'm going to bed in my cosy suburban house...
Anyways, Detroit!! It has been a strange couple of years in the life of the city since I wrote last. The mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has been convicted of perjury as has his girlfriend, and the two of them spent 4 months in jail down the street from my office. If I looked out my window I could see the county jail with it's narrow vertical slotted windows, and I wondered on a regular basis which window the fallen hero was starring out of at that moment. Such arrogance to be in such a public job and to think that you would not get caught. He was an elected official not the King of Detroit!
The city has just completed its fourth election in the past year and has re-elected David Bing as mayor. He seems to be making some of the hard decisions, which while not necessarily popular, have gotten him re-elected. I hope that he can change how the city government functions, and even more so I hope that he can change the culture of Detroit into one of solid, consistent achievement- this is the largest task ever!!
Since I last wrote, we have entered the global recession and the rest of the USA has now caught Michigan's cold- extended recession. Michigan has been in a downward economic trend for the past decade and it is only now that the rest of the country is feeling the same illness- epic foreclosures, failing businesses, brain drain, large levels of unemployment (10%- largest percentage since 1983- don't remember much of that one- I was 8!), decreases in funding for public education, etc.. Michigan politicians can't seem to decide whether or not education is really important to them or worth fighting for. They all want Michigan to be successful but can't seem to muster the political willpower to put their priorities on the line, bite the bullet, and tax people for loose tabacco, flavoured cigars, and late-night bar hours. They are taking about removing $300 per child out of the budgets of each of the schools this year!! In a state where children in Detroit Public Schools have one hour of science a week (in this technological world?), no toilet paper and have to hand in their pencils at the end of the class, this is ENORMOUS! (this is no urban myth- I've seen it for myself). It saddens my heart terribly to see these children suffering needlessly and continuing the cycle of poverty.
On that note, I'm going to bed in my cosy suburban house...
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