When last we left our heroes (that’s you and me, bud) they were designing a broad plan to help move our favorite big city in a better direction, towards being a place that we could actually live, work and shop in. Towards being a place our kids to go to school in, and getting the first rate education we want for them.

As a former teacher in the DPS, I can testify to how challenging that can be. I was involved in a very high-end program, teaching mass media skills to a broad range of students. It’s the kind of program you’d think would be geared towards the cream of the school system. Unfortunately, because of the funding parameters – it was designated as a vocational education program – and the lack of coordination with the home schools, coupled with the appeal that being in media has for young people, we found ourselves with a student population that often lacked the basic skills necessary to understand the curriculum. I’m talking about basic reading and math here, let alone problem solving and decision-making.

So, we found ourselves with a beautiful facility, excellent equipment and willing students who were often unable to learn what we were trying to teach them, because they didn’t have basic reading, math and language skills. The solution proposed by administration? “You guys teach them that stuff too.” So, in addition to the high level technical stuff, we were charged with remedial education. Need I add that most of the kids could have benefited from a steady, more involved adult presence in their lives? In the three years I taught there, I saw two parents during the tri-annual parent teacher conferences, two out of a student population of close to 150 over a one year period. Now it’s been almost twenty years, so my memory may be blurring the numbers, but the point remains. Challenge upon challenge.

At least we’re not alone in thinking about the issue. By now you’ve heard about the proposed digital high school initiative proposed and funded by Apple (read about it here), as well as the Thompson/Bing/Skillman Foundation plan for funding and setting up 15 charter schools around Dave’s factory (here and here). And some of you may be aware of the Wayne State’s partnership with Apple, and its integration of wireless iBooks and AirPort wireless cards into its College of Education curriculum (here). While I’ve heard some talk about the efficacy of such plans, it’s hard to fault the effort.

So how can we help with our billion? We can set up another “education pocket” in NewTown with a few elementary and middle schools feeding a superior, general purpose high school. We can offer WSU grads – by far, the largest supplier of teachers to the DPS – special degree loans to those who will work and live in NewTown. Your loans will be forgiven if you work in the city for 5 years (and double if you don’t.) If you’ve chosen to go to Wayne, you probably have some ties to the city. Thinking a WSU grad might have an interest in living and working in town is not too far a stretch – especially if you offer a safe, clean area with good housing, shopping and entertainment.

Lastly, probably our biggest bugaboo in this area is mass transit. We have been sold a dream, people - the dream of private transportation. More than any other big city except maybe L.A., we are wedded to the idea of One Man One Car. We’ve turned bussing into a disgusting, poor person alternative and won’t allow discussion of anything else. One of a series of articles on how GM purposefully derailed the streetcar industry to increase sale can be found here. You may disagree about GMs intentions, but it’s hard to see a lot of evidence of GMs support for mass transit.

This part of our Master Plan will meet the most resistance in Motown, so we gotta be prepared for a distinct lack of cooperation. I’d vote for something similar to the Loop in Chicago. Like an elevated rail system that focuses on the NewTown area, with provisions for expansion into a true metro line serving all of Southeast Michigan. We could tie into, replace or co-opt the People Mover, depending upon what the engineers say. Lastly, we put up several parking facilities on the perimeter of NewTown and make it a No Car Zone. With a safe, clean and efficient transit system, who needs a car to get around NewTown? Just leave your keys with the attendant, please, and enjoy.

Well that was fun, wasn’t it? Fantasizing about spreading a cool billion around on a new idea? I wonder what we’d have to do to actually get a billion dollars for such a project. Since I’m sure we’ve already upset a lot of people and special interests with the whole idea of NewTown, let’s just get everybody riled up before we go and talk about ownership.

We could get a billion dollars by making NewTown a private community and offering stock. I’m not so keen on this idea. Too easy to concentrate power into a small number of hands, who might not have the same vision as you and me (Hey, it’s our idea after all!). Let’s talk about the T word. Yup, I’m talking about a tax or a millage, where all the people of SEMichigan own NewTown.

We’ve got about 5 million people in the area, according to the last census. One billion divided by 5 million works out to $200 per person. Let’s exempt kids, non-working spouses and the poor and rough it up to about $1000 per taxpayer. A one time $1000 millage to seed the project, followed by a more modest yearly tax based on income and residence (NewTown residents paying more) sounds like a good place to start.

This is what taxes are for people. They pay for services. You want your trash removed, school buildings maintained, roads resurfaced? You gotta pay for it. The whole idea that taxes are “your” money and you shouldn’t have to pay them is crazy. Our taxes are our money, and they are the means to pay for the services and things that we use. Is it always an equitable distribution, or one that each and every one of us likes? Of course not! But if you want to make a difference in this world and for this city, be prepared to put up some dough. Like the Fram ad says, “You can pay me now, or pay me later.” We can be proactive about this, suck it up by choice and take a more modest risk now, or wait until the whole thing falls apart and we have a truly outrageous and expensive mess on our hands.

You don’t like this idea? Fine! Don’t just sit on the sidelines throwing your verbal trash. Come up with one of your own. Let’s discuss it on the message board. Or send me an email at mmtym@detroitbuzz.com. All constructive comments welcome.

In the meantime, heed our Weekly Words of Wisdom:

"Apply yourselves, day after day, year after year, to the study of the "unthinkable."

- Soen Nakagawa