>From my perspective (been in Detroit for 9 years) there's been an exponentially greater amount of private money flowing into the City since around the time the DEMF started than in the years leading up to it. Although there are a lot of reasons for the growth, I'm convinced that the DEMF/Movement has contributed greatly to the optimism and upswing in the City. I don't think I'm alone in that perception.
Although the budget crisis is for real, I'm convinced the attention this has gotten owes more to the fact that it's a mayoral election-year than that Detroit's about to go into receivership. Can you imagine the State trying to take over Detroit like they did the school board? The real story is that Sharon McPhail wants to put Kwame on the hook for the lay-offs and such. I haven't taken sides, but this year's shaping up to be a battle royale between these two. Obviously the City cannot put anything toward the festival this year, I have a good feeling that there's enough private money out there that is interested in keeping Detroit on the road to success, which includes keeping it on the map nationally and internationally for its one truly world class music event--the DEMF. You would have had to be in a coma for the last 5 years not to realize how big the festival has become for Detroit. Scott Ellis
