Sign in or 
| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| May 20 2009, 11:26 AM EDT (current) | jimmiller5418 | 663 words added |
| May 20 2009, 11:26 AM EDT | jimmiller5418 |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
JAMES E. MILLER 103 Methodist St.,Cecilia, KY 42924 270-862-4537 jimmiller5417@yahoo.com
April 21, 2009
Mr. Daniel T. Kildee Treasurer, Genesee County 1101 Beach Street, Flint, MI 48502-1475
Telephone: (810) 257-3059 FAX: (810) 257-3885
Tax Information: (877) 805-2856 treasurers-webgroup@co.genesee.mi.us?subject=Treasurer's%20Website Daniel T. Kildee
6450 Flagstone Court, Flushing, MI 48433
dkildee@sbcglobal.net
Re: Re-invent Flint, MI
Dear Mr. Kildee:
Flint shares with most other cities and urban areas of the nation, the self-imposed barriers which, over the long run, has placed it in the failure mode as a place to live and work. The basic philosophy of most, if not all urban planners, is to plan the urban areas for the benefit of vehicles not people. This type of planning has greatly benefited the auto industry, the oil companies and a host of business which draw profits from folks who use massive amounts of transportation. However, this planning mode has left us choking on our own pollution; spending many non-productive hours in the transportation mode; used our hard-earned money unnecessarily for car payments, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repairs; and wost of all, created highly segregated living space (not necessarily racial segregation, but mental segregation). See: Hard-wired Traffic: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/HARD-WIRED+TRAFFIC
Take Los Angeles or any major city (and some minor ones): How much time and money is spent in the car, round-tripping to work, school, shopping, meetings and entertainment? How much of that time could have been put to productive use if one did not have to travel nearly everywhere to get things done? See: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/HOW+TO+GET+THE+RIGHT+ANSWERS+TO+THE+RIGHT+QUESTIONS.
The solution is not to erase and empty neighborhoods, then compact folks in the remaining neighborhoods. In-filling an established neighborhood with new construction merely perpetuates the evil of planning as if only vehicles mattered. See: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/PLANNING+AS+IF+PEOPLE+MATTERED
Flint can be re-invented. Basically, each area of the city would be turned into an ecovillage with use of vacant spaces for gardens, greenhouses, forests and habitat for animals (including us human animals). Local neighborhoods can be cleared of old, dilapidated buildings (use the old wood for biomass), and new ecovillages are created. The buildings should be built, using natural materials as much as possible. A good start would be to build houses, offices and factories, using straw bale construction. See: http://strawbalebuilders.wetpaint.com/ . Straw walls have an R value of 50. Moreover, these buildings are simple to build such that folks with little or no skills can build them (under expert supervision).
The gardens, greenhouses and fields would follow permaculture methods of agriculture. Energy saving devices would be installed. Each neighborhood community would use/dispose of its waste water using the Ecology Machine or similar devices. See: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/THE+ECONO+CAMPUS
Land could be cleared and would be sold to a cooperative community corporation, similar to Mutual Aid Society of America, LLP, which is modeled from studies of Mondragon Cooperative Corporation http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/Research+on+Economic+Impact+of+Cooperatives .
Mondragon has a record on growth, success and survival during the Franco dictatorship. BBC's documentary video tells the story of Mondragon during its middle years. [ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7565584850785786404&hl=en ].
Each community cooperative corporation must start worker cooperatives on the worker cooperative plan (in our legal system, known as a limited liability partnership). Many different business, owned by the workers, can become very profitable and thus raise the quality of life of the workers. See: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4765137760763676264&q=democracy+in+the+workplace&total=14&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1
My extensive research and major paper on Mondragon is at: [http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/Mutual+Aid+Society,+Mondragon+and+More ]
A worker cooperative which establishes a dairy can provide work, fresh dairy products and in the process create their own heat and power. http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/DAIRY+PRODUCTION+OF+SYNGAS+AND+BIOCHAR.
The list goes on. The planning should provide for the creation of work cooperative businesses which will serve all of the needs of each neighborhood community cooperatives and the members living therein. The two books worth reading on this subject is Sin Patron by lavaca.org and the Ricardo Semler book, Maverick, cited below. You are encouraged to read the MASA website and the many articles. If you are interested in learning more, then send me some questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
April 21, 2009
Mr. Daniel T. Kildee Treasurer, Genesee County 1101 Beach Street, Flint, MI 48502-1475
Telephone: (810) 257-3059 FAX: (810) 257-3885
Tax Information: (877) 805-2856 treasurers-webgroup@co.genesee.mi.us?subject=Treasurer's%20Website Daniel T. Kildee
6450 Flagstone Court, Flushing, MI 48433
dkildee@sbcglobal.net
Re: Re-invent Flint, MI
Dear Mr. Kildee:
Flint shares with most other cities and urban areas of the nation, the self-imposed barriers which, over the long run, has placed it in the failure mode as a place to live and work. The basic philosophy of most, if not all urban planners, is to plan the urban areas for the benefit of vehicles not people. This type of planning has greatly benefited the auto industry, the oil companies and a host of business which draw profits from folks who use massive amounts of transportation. However, this planning mode has left us choking on our own pollution; spending many non-productive hours in the transportation mode; used our hard-earned money unnecessarily for car payments, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repairs; and wost of all, created highly segregated living space (not necessarily racial segregation, but mental segregation). See: Hard-wired Traffic: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/HARD-WIRED+TRAFFIC
Take Los Angeles or any major city (and some minor ones): How much time and money is spent in the car, round-tripping to work, school, shopping, meetings and entertainment? How much of that time could have been put to productive use if one did not have to travel nearly everywhere to get things done? See: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/HOW+TO+GET+THE+RIGHT+ANSWERS+TO+THE+RIGHT+QUESTIONS.
The solution is not to erase and empty neighborhoods, then compact folks in the remaining neighborhoods. In-filling an established neighborhood with new construction merely perpetuates the evil of planning as if only vehicles mattered. See: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/PLANNING+AS+IF+PEOPLE+MATTERED
Flint can be re-invented. Basically, each area of the city would be turned into an ecovillage with use of vacant spaces for gardens, greenhouses, forests and habitat for animals (including us human animals). Local neighborhoods can be cleared of old, dilapidated buildings (use the old wood for biomass), and new ecovillages are created. The buildings should be built, using natural materials as much as possible. A good start would be to build houses, offices and factories, using straw bale construction. See: http://strawbalebuilders.wetpaint.com/ . Straw walls have an R value of 50. Moreover, these buildings are simple to build such that folks with little or no skills can build them (under expert supervision).
The gardens, greenhouses and fields would follow permaculture methods of agriculture. Energy saving devices would be installed. Each neighborhood community would use/dispose of its waste water using the Ecology Machine or similar devices. See: http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/THE+ECONO+CAMPUS
Land could be cleared and would be sold to a cooperative community corporation, similar to Mutual Aid Society of America, LLP, which is modeled from studies of Mondragon Cooperative Corporation http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/Research+on+Economic+Impact+of+Cooperatives .
Mondragon has a record on growth, success and survival during the Franco dictatorship. BBC's documentary video tells the story of Mondragon during its middle years. [ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7565584850785786404&hl=en ].
Each community cooperative corporation must start worker cooperatives on the worker cooperative plan (in our legal system, known as a limited liability partnership). Many different business, owned by the workers, can become very profitable and thus raise the quality of life of the workers. See: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4765137760763676264&q=democracy+in+the+workplace&total=14&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1
My extensive research and major paper on Mondragon is at: [http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/Mutual+Aid+Society,+Mondragon+and+More ]
A worker cooperative which establishes a dairy can provide work, fresh dairy products and in the process create their own heat and power. http://masallp.wetpaint.com/page/DAIRY+PRODUCTION+OF+SYNGAS+AND+BIOCHAR.
The list goes on. The planning should provide for the creation of work cooperative businesses which will serve all of the needs of each neighborhood community cooperatives and the members living therein. The two books worth reading on this subject is Sin Patron by lavaca.org and the Ricardo Semler book, Maverick, cited below. You are encouraged to read the MASA website and the many articles. If you are interested in learning more, then send me some questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
