It’s really not all that complicated; either we’re going to move forward together as a region, recognizing how mutually interdependent we really are, or we’re going to remain in neutral. This region badly – very badly – needs a functional 21st century mass transit system. The ‘Q’ Line, when compared to grown-up cities like Denver, Colorado, is little more than a muscular People Mover.
Oakland and Macomb County Executives L. Brooks Patterson and Mark Hackel claim they are protecting their residents from a bad deal. Others suspect the true motive to be much more political. Political roadblocks sounds more plausible, but whatever the issue is, it needs to be worked out or set aside so that the voters can be given the opportunity to vote their conscience on the RTA ballot proposal during the fall. Hopefully their conscience knows that this region sorely needs better public transportation. This is not a Detroit bailout proposal, this is a Southeastern Michigan bailout proposal. Because so long as we continue to suffer through this ridiculous excuse for public transportation, making us the laughingstock of just about every other major city that long ago took care of its citizens, we can forget about considering ourselves forward-thinking.
Hackel was on Detroit Today Wednesday morning with Stephen Henderson insisting that he knows his constituents well enough to know that they will not vote for the proposed RTA ballot measure in its current form because it does not give them enough bang for their buck. It’s likely that Patterson feels the same way But although there may be some merit in Hackel’s point that it’s better to craft a proposal that will get approved than to sit back and watch the current version sink, knowing that this is the closest we have come to an agreement in such a long time and we may not have this chance again for a number of years, the question still remains: is it a certainty that Hackel is right? Or is this just a pressure tactic to get what Hackel and Patterson want, threatening RTA supporters with the potential for failure if they don’t cave in?
From the Detroit News:
Members of pro-transit groups, including Transportation Riders United, called on L. Brooks Patterson and Mark Hackel, executives of Oakland and Macomb counties respectively, to back off and allow their representatives to approve the RTA’s master plan Thursday at a special session held at the Detroit Regional Chamber office.
Patterson and Hackel have raised concerns about getting back their fair share of revenue if the tax millage is approved by voters in November, how many service improvements each county will receive in return and how the plan could affect the operations of SMART, the suburban bus system.
The question of whether this is a pressure tactic for control becomes even more potent considering the number of influential supporters from throughout all three counties who today issued a signed open letter to Patterson and Hackel, imploring them to allow the RTA ballot proposal to move forward. The full contents of the letter – including those who signed it – is shown below in italics:
July 27, 2016
Dear Executives Patterson and Hackel,
As leaders of Southeast Michigan’s largest businesses, health systems, colleges, non- profits, and other institutions invested in the future of this region, we are asking you to work through any open issues in the days ahead to ensure that the people of this region have the opportunity to vote on the regional transit plan.
Virtually all of us signing this letter lead regional institutions. Our employees live across the region. Our facilities are located across the region. Our students come from across the region. Our ability to attract and retain talent is tied to what we have to offer as a region. It takes but a glance at successful regions across the nation to know that the issue before us is one of the most important regional issues of our lifetime.
We have come too far, after too long, to see our best shot at regional transit in a generation fall before the people are able to decide.
We appreciate that you have expressed past support for regional transit, and that you want the time to get it right. That time is short, measured in days.
The weight of this moment is great. We are asking you to come to a resolution of the issues you have raised so that the people of this region, as a region, can have the chance to decide on something fundamentally important to our collective future.
Sincerely,
Gerard M. Anderson, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, DTE Energy
Dennis Archer, Jr., Founding Principal & President, Archer Corporate Services, LLC Sandy Baruah, President & CEO, Detroit Regional Chamber
John Carter, President, Michigan Middle Market, Chase, J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC Matt Cullen, President & CEO, Rock Ventures, LLC
Mark Davidoff, Michigan Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP Bud Denker, Executive Vice President, Penske Corporation
Richard DeVore, Regional President – Detroit and Southeast Michigan, PNC Financial Services Group
Shauna Ryder Diggs, MD, Regent, University of Michigan
David Egner, President & CEO, The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Linda Forte, Senior Vice President, Comerica Incorporated
John T. Fox, President & CEO, Beaumont Health
Dan Gilbert, Founder & Chairman, Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures LLC
J.G. Ted Gillary, Executive Manager, Detroit Athletic Club Antoine Garibaldi, Ph.D., President, University of Detroit Mercy
Herman B. Gray, MD, MBA, President & CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan Cindy Hill, DRIVE
Sen. Carl Levin, Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn, LLP
Daniel J. Loepp, President & CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Florine Mark, President & CEO, The WW Group, Inc.
Jean Meyer, President & CEO, St. John Providence Health System Patricia E. Mooradian, President, The Henry Ford
Rev. Louise R. Ott, Congregational Church of Birmingham Heather C. Paquette, Managing Partner, KPMG LLP
Roger S. Penske, Founder & Chairman, Penske Corporation Cameron H. Piggott, Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC
Rip Rapson, President & CEO, The Kresge Foundation
Michael T. Ritchie, President – Michigan Market, Comerica Bank Andra Rush, Founder, President & CEO, Rush Group LLC
Nancy M. Schlichting, Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ford Health System Ramesh (Ray) Telang, Greater Michigan Market Managing Partner, PwC
Brad Simmons, Director, Government and Stakeholder Relations, Ford Motor Company Mark Wallace, President & CEO, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
Roy Wilson, President, Wayne State University
Maybe it’s just me, but this appears to be a rather significant group of folks…
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