The dialogue that Mr. Akinyemi talks about is an important one to have, but it assumes goodwill on the part of Detroit's governance--a goodwill that does not, in my opinion, exist. Rather, as Jack McHugh commented on one of my previous entries, anyone who enters the Detroit political sphere does so for personal gain. After all, those are by far the most lucrative jobs in the city, both in terms of explicit compensation and possibilities for corruption.
Furthermore, the real problem in Detroit isn't the public school system per se, or the tax regime, or infrastructural problems. There are two real underlying problems in Detroit; the first is the absence of law enforcement and the second is the breakdown of family and family values. When studying economics, the question of law enforcement often takes a back seat; discussions of policy impacts often simply assume that no one breaks the law. But in thinking about economic revitalization, nothing could be more important. Businesses need to think about a lot of different things before investing in a location, and you can bet they'll think about the likelihood of being robbed, having their buildings defaced, and being able to hire polite and capable employees. Enforcement of the laws would help keep children in school and drugs off the street. This is the area that requires the most financial attention from the city, immediately.
The question of family and values is not a political one, but a social one. Being a follower of Christ, I would like all the churches in the area to stop thinking about politics and simply encourage members to be productive and economically independent (I Thessalonians 4:11-12), without blaming anyone else--even if that blame is justified. Churches need to step up outreach and face-to-face assistance in job training, finding jobs, balancing a checkbook, drug rehabilitation, after-school programs, and other basic services.
In closing, I would like to mention that, as one might imagine, Detroit conservatism is simply not the same as West Michigan conservatism. (Nor is West Michigan conservatism like Minnesota conservatism, California conservatism, or Ohio conservatism.) But many important core principles are there:
In many minds, the government still retains responsibility for job creation. That should not be. And how then shall we create such wealth? We return to the themes I earlier hinted at: the need to build a free market economy, in which individual entrepreneurs, who trust each other, organize in firms of all sizes, to create prosperity and jobs. We must all enter into partnerships for creating prosperity...TW2 would like to wish Mr. Akinyemi all the best in his effort. This blog certainly supports efforts to restore Detroit--a once-proud city, now beset by false prophets of race and an illiberal culture of corruption--to global prominence. Make sure and follow his efforts; his blog will from now on appear on my sidebar.
For those who believe Detroit possesses a rightful place in the world, you are wrong. Respect is earned not handed out for free. Detroit will gain long lasting credibility by building a conservative appraoch to government and open economy that challenges the norm.
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