In Flint for today then I am skating home to New York Mills tomorrow.
Its odd to be home, and not for the cliched reasons you probably think.The prevailing wisdom is that Flint is a dying city, its unpleasant to look at and the residents are bereft of hope.
These things are all very true.. and its sad to see it. The thermometer got to 91 yesterday, shedding a lot of harsh sunlight on the urban blight that has gripped this city since the 80s. The vegetation is overgrown in the urban areas which helps. The trees and grass are almost doing the buildings a solid, struggling to cover up their blemishes.
My heart breaks for the place I called home for so many decades. I disagree with my girlfriend when she says its gotten worse. I think it got a lot worse over the winter, and the sunlight is exposing it.
One of the jobs that I am interviewing for in DC next week is a grassroots campaign movement to bring "green collar" jobs to places like Flint MI. Coming here this week has given me a reminder why that cause is so important.
I think he is halfway right. The Flint area is very unpleasant. Just because you are defacing and building in downtown Flint does not make it all better. We must rid the blight on the outskirts of Flint as well. Our attitudes must change...this put a real negative impact on Flint. The workforce here is all about me, me, me. The "me" needs to be working as team! The clicks must treat everyone as an equal, as if we are all in the same boat so to speak. Until this attitude changes within the citizens of Flint, absolutley no one will want to come here. I worked for a major nonprofit here in Flint, it's main goal was to help the citizens of Genesee County. They can't even get along with each other. What a true shame! Until we stop stabbing each other in the back and take a good hard look at what a community is all about, we will never grow prosperous! Michiganders need to treat each other with respect, and make it real! It's not just an outerlayer when the time is right, or when you need somthing. Neighborhoods are not neighborly, workplaces are not working in the team effort atmosphere. Who would want to move here? I moved back 3 years ago, and regret it. This is not a place to call home! Wake up Flint, Michigan! I'm tired of hearing your excuses that its always been this way, NO IT HASN'T!
Posted by: concerned citizen | 06/27/2009 at 09:14 AM
I hope while you were home in Flint you went downtown and took a stroll through the Flint Cultural Center to see all the improvements made. Yes, we have some blight, but please also get a look at some of the positive things happening in your hometown.
Feel free to contact me while you're here (or when you come back next time) if you would like me to show you around and point out some of the things happening.
Matt Bach
Public Relations Manager
Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
(810) 232-3288
mbach@flint.travel
Posted by: Matt Bach | 06/25/2009 at 10:44 AM