Racial tensions flare at meeting over Belle Isle lease: “White whores can’t save us.”

A public hearing over leasing Belle Isle to the state turned ugly today when opponents heckled supporters and suggested the deal was a racist takeover.

“White whores can’t save us,” one resident said during a boisterous, two-hour period of public comments.

At issue is whether the city should lease the island park to the state for 30 years.

Supporters say the island has been neglected because the city can’t afford to maintain it. Opponents counter the state can’t be trusted with the unique gem, which has a rich history of racial integration.

Rowdy council meetings have been routine since the state announced last year that it would begin intervening in the city’s budget decisions. But not before today have supporters of some state intervention – in this case, Belle Isle – spoke out at council meetings.

And many in the crowd were not pleased.

“Get out of here,” one Detroiter yelled at supporters, most of whom were white and lived in the suburbs.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, telling us what to do,” another cried out.

Another exclaimed: “We have too many people outside of the city in our city’s business.”

Police officers stepped in when speakers got out of control or refused to sit down.

“We’re having a good conversation,” Councilman James Tate tried to remind the audience, but to no avail.

Here’s a sampling of today’s comments to the council:

“Get rid of the invaders!”

“You’re selling us out.”

“You’re saying we’re too incompetent and ignorant to run our own land.”

“Power to the people.”

“I am ashamed to be white because … it’s a racist takeover.”

“This would never have happened before the city became black.”

To be fair, many in the audience were respectful.

Council members may vote on the issue as early as Tuesday.

The deal would save the cash-strapped city $6 million a year. If it’s rejected, the state likely would appoint an emergency manager, sources told me today.

“I don’t deal with guns to my head,” Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said .

The council is split on the issue but they may have five of the required nine votes.

Got tips or suggestions? Contact Steve at sneavling@gmail.com.

Steve Neavling is an investigative journalist and former city hall reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Living on the city’s east side, Neavling explores corruption, civil liberties and the underbelly of an oft-misunderstood city.

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About Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling, who lives on the city’s east side, is an investigative journalist, a freelance reporter for Reuters and former city hall reporter for the Detroit Free Press. A journalist for 13 years, his stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.

malcom

Do you people realize that White traitorous liberals like ted kennedy looked at America in the 60′s and said it was “too White” so they changed the immigration law to stop Whites from migrating to America in favor of africans, asians and south America. And that was the beginning of the end for White America. Sadly Whites said nothing and watched their race be ethnically cleansed from the country. All because they were afraid to be called racist. so they will eventually die off or be slaughtered.NO other race would do this.
Malcom

ever notice that black conservatives are never so hostile but yet are hated by black and white liberal?. But savages have always hated the civilized people
Mike Harlan

its a Lease Agreement, not a Takeover. Some People can’t tell the Difference. As far Detroit is Concerned, the only People who tear up Neighborhoods are the People who live there.
BiteMe

…niggers..
NameAmanda Brand

The biggest racists are blacks. It’s getting really very old now.
http://twitter.com/The_Tracer Agent Smith (@The_Tracer)

whites built the city, blacks destroyed it.
Ben Ruggierio

White people make the kind of remarks that were made at this racist council meeting and we would be publicly “lynched”.The comments made at this meeting, were by racist PIGS can keep this city that THEY personally ran into the dirt. Keep up the blight and shooting, you’ll clean your city up! Birth control would help too! Massa! Keep it RAGGETY!
- Ben Ruggierio
  
  Wonder if the loser who made the white whore comment receive gubbament assistance (from white whores)?
- cavmedic
  
  I wonder about the identity of the loser who made this comment,
  “I am ashamed to be white because … it’s a racist takeover.”
Alexander Thomas

It’s absurd to even try and help these people. Apparently they enjoy living in their own filth. So let them. If they don’t want anything from the white whores. Instead of saving money on Belle Isle, maybe we should cut there government handouts off instead. That way everyone’s happy.
Chicongo Blues

Welcome to New Liberia, USA
Pingback: Frustrated with City Council, Gov. Snyder withdraws offer to lease Belle Isle | Motor City Muckraker |
http://www.facebook.com/phillip.j.hale.5 Phillip J Hale

Sounds like a threat from the state. “Do this, or else!” That, in itself, is BS!
- http://www.facebook.com/phillip.j.hale.5 Phillip J Hale
  
  The State–aka the governor, who slithered into office as some moderate nerd businessguy–has become a sickening cancer of hard-right politics. He’s been making threats and cuts since he’s been in. He’s a pin-head whose agenda is based on CEO-mindedness, which means he cuts his way to get in the black (economically, not racially…necessarily). He’s not a politician so much as a bully. This state made a mistake sticking him in there, but that’s what happens when people are too stupid to either study up on candidates, or leave them alone when you don’t understand what you see. Detroit has a CEO mayor, in a CEO governed state. We’re screwed. Privatization is not the answer. But it may be too late now.
Pingback: Black radicals denounce Belle Isle lease plan as “racist”
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Eric

Detroit is an island within the state
http://DressLikeaManDetroit.tumblr.com Steven

My goodness… It makes you laugh out loud reading the comments, but before I could finish laughing the gut wrenching reality hits you like a brick. These are real people who actually feel this way… My mind is blown to say the least. This deal is a no brainer for the city: a 30 year lease is nothing in the grand scheme of things and in return you save nearly $200Million and get a well maintained, beautified park in return. Like I said – no brainer!
- S Jackson
  
  it’s a 90 year lease in 30 year increments. i read nothing in the lease that guarantees improvements in the park.
- j d
  
  Its actually a 30 year lease in 10 year increments! The city has the right to take it back in 10 years, but of course they wouldn’t cause the white whores would make it that much better and they wouldn’t have to even worry about it.
- http://DressLikeaManDetroit.tumblr.com Steven
  
  Let’s use some common sense here. Is the state going to take over this land and allow it to remain a dump? Probably not.
- Thomas Katt
  
  Well, yeah. It’s like leasing the fire hydrant in front of your house – basically, the state is trying to *give* the city bailout money, no strings, no questions … and the city’s citizens are refusing to take it.
  
  No wonder the city is broke.
Peter

Is it possible that the person who said “white whores” actually said “white horse”? That makes more sense.
- Jimmy
  
  Yeah, maybe that was it. It’s hard to understand these people when they talk about gubbamit and bidnid and are referring to government and business.
http://macfarr.wordpress.com Mac Farr

I never thought of the fact that I’m a whore had anything to do with my race.
t

I’m amazed at the incredible amount of prejudice still in Detroit, and a great deal of it is by blacks toward whites. Black people feel that the ‘white whores’ are trying to take over ‘their’ land, and have all kinds of reasons for opposition to this, when in fact it was not ‘their’ land at all, it belonged to the Indians if you want to get technical about it. And the fact that the state is trying to gain control is not to diminish anything African American related, it is to TRY DESPERATELY TO SAVE A CITY THAT HAS BEEN IN IT’S DEMISE FOR MANY YEARS. The comment one person made “They’re saying we’re too incompetent to run our own land”….well, if the shoe fits!! I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Look at the mess Detroit is in! Open your eyes people! It’s been corrupted by corrupt people for far too long. It’s time to shape up or ship out folks! I’m angered by seeing my city withering away into the abyss and damn tired of it! Stop with all the hating, with all the chips on shoulders, and all the crying ‘poor me’ and allow the much needed help to be dispersed!
Michael Kruger

Once again the people of Detroit are proving to be their own worst enemy on these financial issues. There hus tis not the tax revenue to keep the city going and eventually the shit is going to hit the proverbial fan…bankruptcy and lots of unnecessary suffering on the part of employees, retirees, citizens and the entire metropolitan area. People need to work together but the cries of racism stop all that in its tracks…again. These same folks should ask Kwame, his dad, Bernard, and buddy Bobby Ferguson to foot some of the bill since they have clearly ripped off the city for hundreds of thousands of dollars….
Larry D’mongo

Governor please file Chapter something bankruptcy and put a end to the MADNESS!
http://www.facebook.com/nancy.barnett.984 Nancy Barnett

Belle Isle Island was here long before the Blacks moved to Detroit.!!! So the land is for everyone and speaking from personal experience my father used to take us to Belle Isle every summer until the 1967 roits and it was a beautiful park that has gone to hell ever since. The city of Detroit has never been able to recover from that devastating roit of 1967.
- Toka313
  
  Belle Isle was the site of the 1943 riots. It was the ’43 riots that the city wasn’t able to recover from. And also a huge reason why this is going to highlight racial tensions.
bebow

To be fair, black whores won’t save us, either. The city and state should be listening with both ears to the rising heat in the tone and content of those messages.

Racial tensions flare at meeting over Belle Isle lease: “White whores can’t save us.”

About Steve Neavling

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