Annexation: A Growth Strategy by the Numbers
Landin believes by annexing 28 "distressed" communities in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counites, Detroit will once again have the clout that can go a long way in solving many of the city's woes, such as lack of affordable housing, declining public education and inadequate mass transit, he said.
"There is one word that encapsulates of what everyone wants to do. And that word is: More,'" Landin said. "How do we get more? My answer to all of that is annexation. It's how Detroit was built."
Detroit's population is currently a little over 633,000, according to the U.S. Census. The last time the city had more than 1 million residents was around 1990.
"If we were to take all those communities that are distressed, and help them find a way out of that distress, and put them together without losing their identities, we can change the image of this state and city" Landin said.
A distressed city or community refers to an economic index based on the employment rate, poverty level, education level of its residents along with business growth.
The advantages of a city with over 1 million people combines resources and "human capital," and traditionally be eligible for much more federal revenue, Landin said.
Education: Institute a Strong Mayor Model
Education is a foundational issue whose success has eluded us for the past 30 years. We have tried everything except a strong Mayor-led model that is working well in other large urban cities. The challenge there is that we need someone who knows education.
I offer myself with over fifty years of experience ranging from a favorable determination related to an Amicus in the Bradley v Milliken case to the Ohio Project: Closing the Achievement Gap, the foundational work that served as a template for President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. This experience takes on greater significance given the Governor Whitmer’s recent Executive Order on increasing male presence in our education system with an extra focus on at-risk African American males.
The Ohio CTAG program resulted in a 10-point increase in proficiencies over 12 months, which would translate into an over 100% increase for DPSCD. Single digit proficiencies are no longer tolerable. 30 years of 50% illiteracy, 40% poverty and 20% unemployment are unsustainable and unacceptable. I have developed an education equity resource model, developed over fifteen years, based on over 100 reports and studies and approved for presentation to the 2021 National Association of State Title I Directors. This is inclusive of working twenty years with the Institute for Urban Education at Central State University (HBCU), the National Council on Educating Black Children, National Association of Black School Educators, CAAASAS and ALAS.
Endorsed by Dr. Venita Kelley
Former special representative to the Governor for closing the achievement gap.
Workforce and Talent
Another area of expertise, having served as Citywide Business Solutions Director for three contractors over the years. I have experience with each of the federal laws dating back from CETA to the present, WIOA. I designed the most successful placement model for Workfirst/Welfare to Work TANF recipients, increasing placement and retention rates by 100% for 60 contractors citywide. I am a subject matter expert on compliance since the original Executive Order 2 by Mayor Young, having served in that capacity on multiple major projects e.g. Comerica Park, Ford Field. I have served on five NAC’s, three Bedrock, District Detroit 2 and the Gordie Howe.
No other candidate is as experienced with the formulation of Community Benefits Agreements. 25 years ago, we partnered with the Chamber to host Employer Summits. I have served to place, on a macro scale, virtually every major concentration of economically disadvantaged job seeker, locally and nationally.
Economic Development: Secured $100 billion access to capital from African American Venture Capitalists to realize humanitarian projects
Economic Development is at the core of everything. I am the only candidate experienced in most every facet of the Automotive industry up to and including representing the entirety of Mexico’s Tier 1 supply chain in the retraction of the eighties to formulate the inception of the Automotive Industry Action Group. In this capacity I worked with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank as well as the General Agreement on Taxes and Tariffs, now the World Trade Organization to position Mexico for entry into NAFTA by negotiating their debt.
This experience becomes important as we prepare for the renegotiation of the USMCA timed with the opening of the Gordie Howe, solidifying our role as the busiest, most economically significant border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. Timing being everything, it’s time to revisit the DIFT, which I propose be renamed the LIFT, Linear Intermodal Freight Transfer.
The only missing component is a consolidated clean port to complement the other logistics modes, rail, air and truck freight. The offloading of shipping freight in Detroit offers substantial savings in time and costs to shippers as well as contributing to the sustainability of our Great Lakes by reducing the pollution associated with the traffic. Let’s tie this together with a viable World Trade Center to complement the new J.W. Marriott that will serve to enhance the profile of Huntington Place. Detroit is the only large city on an international border crossing, representing a global industry w/o a functional World Trade Center.
Affordable Housing
While 10,000 units seems to be the consensus goal, there are at least two very different versions of what that looks like. The Governor’s plan projects 20,000 jobs associated with the 10K build at $2 billion. A Detroit Mayoral contender implies his plan for 10,000 units will create 100,000 jobs with no mention as to how they will be paid for. That said, the following is my analysis of the information available based on the last five years of activity.
Between 2018 and 2023 (5 years), approximately 900 new affordable housing units were completed in Detroit… the city currently has more than 1,400 units of affordable housing under construction. A 2023 report from the Detroit Justice Center… found that the city was at least 46,000 affordable housing units short… “We have built or preserved $1 billion in affordable housing units in the last 5 years... we have to build another (900 units) $1 billion to keep long-time Detroiters from (being) priced out of the City.”
Analysis: 900 units in 5 years at $1 Billion; to reach 10,000 units at that rate it would take 50 Years and $10 billion and we would still be 36,000 units short of what we need today, imagine what our need will be in 50 years.
Solution: Faster and more cost effective to build up our human capital to meet the market.
Transit and Mobility
I fully support a seamless regional transit system. This is consistent with and embodies the spirit of the Grow Michigan Together report. This objective also makes a case for Annexation, which would facilitate a regional system with an expanded Detroit as the hub. This has been addressed at every major event this year; Detroit Policy Conference, The County Executives, State of the Region, Pancakes and Politics, Detroit Moves, etc.
Health and Medical Access
To reclaim the Detroit Medical Center and its quality standard of care service level. Detroit is the home of cardio-care since 1952 when the Dodril heart pump was invented with GM and WSU partnering with Dr. Dodril and Harper Hospital. With the medical history made at Harper once again in 2012 with the first Impella CP procedure making closed heart, minimally invasive, surgery possible. The work of Harper’s Cardio Team One supported the decision to build the DMC Heart Hospital. We are well positioned to make the DMC the Cardio specialty destination of the country.
I have taken the initiative to identify prospective buyers/investors and World Class Institutions to operate it. By virtue of my own experience having been the first Impella CP patient in 2012, I have established relationships with New England Med-Tech corporations. One large corporation has just completed eight Med-Tech acquisitions and because of the significance of the Detroit market, their largest, for one of those acquisitions, there is a basis to initiate a conversation to consolidate those here. BAMF’s move to Detroit serves as an example of the possibilities for Med-Tech in Detroit.
Neighborhoods and Commercial Corridors
At the risk of seemingly oversimplifying the issue, neighborhoods are organic in nature, grounded in home ownership, 50%, which provides long term stability making it attractive for commercial investment and development. This means we start at the beginning; literacy for half of our population, followed by workforce training, leading to employment, making someone qualifiable and bankable.
Seniors and Security
I most recently served two years as Vice-Chair of the Senior Caucus for the Michigan Democratic Party and continue to serve on the board representing the 13th Democratic District. I am deeply involved in advocating for all aspects impacting quality of life issues for us seniors.
Immigration
While Michigan is losing population overall, international immigration continues to be the greatest source of our population growth. The trend is expected to continue through 2050, with a projected growth total of 630,000 immigrants (the equivalent of Detroit’s current population) per the current trend (University of Michigan, Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics, The Economic and Demographic Outlook for Michigan Through 2050, July 29, 2022). Hispanics comprise over 60% of Michigan’s population growth.