In what could be a new high water mark of anti-Washington sentiment, the city of Troy, Mich., is rejecting a long-planned transportation center whose construction would have been fully financed with federal stimulus money.The street signs at the city's entrances say "City of Tomorrow, Today!" but it sounds like Mayor Daniels is leading Troy backwards, with great conviction.
The terminal, which would help Troy become a transportation node on an upgraded Detroit-to-Chicago Amtrak line, was hailed by supporters as a way to create jobs and to spur economic development. But federal money is federal money, so with the urging of the new mayor, who helped found the local Tea Party chapter, the City Council cast a 4-to-3 vote this week against granting a crucial contract, sending the project into limbo.
“There’s nothing free about government money,” Mayor Janice Daniels said in an interview. “It’s never free, and it’s crippling our way of life.”
Friday, December 23, 2011
City of Yesterday, Today
Extremists who mistakenly believe they are defending liberty have the Detroit suburb where I grew up in their vise, the New York Times reports:
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2 comments:
Which way to the witch-burning?
Indeed. Sad for me to see - Troy really was a nice place to grow up and I remember it fondly. And the train stop really does need an upgrade. Everyone there drives, but being able to catch Amtrak to Chicago (or even Ann Arbor) is a nice option to have.
While that area does have a Republican streak, I remember it being more of a "country club Republican" type, not wingnuts like Mayor Daniels.
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