Banking on reform
Your story on the new Land Bank legislation ("Land bank statement," Metro Times, Feb. 4) states that the land bank could sell land at below market value. But selling land cheaply to organizations that will use the land for the good of the city has always been an option for the City of Detroit — it is the city’s policy, not the law, that restricts land sales to market value.
The Fast Track legislation provides an opportunity for the city to rethink its policies by providing financing opportunities for a Land Bank to engage in strategic thinking with regard to the disposition of tax-reverted properties. The Land Bank can both improve the efficiency and effectiveness of transferring property to owner-occupants and developers and make strategic decisions regarding the disposition of public land that is currently of no use to anyone. —Katy Locker, Royal Oak, klocker@michiganlegal.org.
Dirty words
Re: "Gallery adieux" (Metro Times, Feb. 4). We can’t believe that little bitch, Mitch Cope, is blaming The Dirty Show for his departure from the Tangent. To say Dirty is "the kind of stuff that perpetuates this kind of mediocre art world in Detroit" is nonsense. Dirty is one of the few shows that elevates Detroit artists out of the mediocrity directors like Cope created.
There are a lot of reasons to hate Dirty. But it seems to us, Cope (who, we believe, has never been to a Dirty Show) is complaining because Dirty is successful. It’s huge because it isn’t boring and our patrons have fun — obviously, that’s against the rules in his Big Book of Art Snob Etiquette. For Cope to pick on the hordes of artists in Dirty is unforgivable — we think they’re good enough to take to other cities. So apparently our attendees need a bitter elitist like Cope to tell them what "good art" is and what they should be looking at. But one way to judge art is to ask, "Does it move you?" And if the art we are showcasing moves one enough to quit his job, then I guess we are doing our job. —Jerry Vile, South Lyon, jv@dirtydetroit.com.
Hope springs eternal ...
Re: "Super Sluts" (Metro Times, Feb. 4). What are these people thinking? Obviously they are not thinking. Perhaps they are only thinking of the money. Seems to me that Janet and Justin had to outdo the Britney and Madonna kiss. Where does it end? Hopefully the public will continue to express their outrage regarding these classless publicity stunts and the media will not glorify these entertainment whores with endless publicity. —Kathy Paul, Clarkston
The boob tube
As far as Janet Jackson’s partial nudity goes, I didn’t think it was a big deal. We do have a puritan streak here in the USA, even as we pillage and loot the entire planet under the guise of "free trade." I thought it was interesting that the FCC chairman was on TV the next day talking about launching an investigation. Not about CBS’ refusal to air the MoveOn ad — about how our children are going to pay for Bush’s war and tax cuts for the rich — but about a little too much skin on the ol’ boob tube. —George Corsetti, Detroit
Bowled over
I have a bone to pick with your Super Bowl essay. No, it is not about your take on Ronald Reagan. No, it is not about CBS’s rather hypocritical choice to not air MoveOn’s ad in lieu of what other garbage they chose to air. No, my grievance is much more severe. My issue is, I own a pet iguana. I’ve had him for years. A wonderful pet, I might add. Yes, he is scaly, yes, he is cold-blooded.
But to compare him to Kid Rock? What has my iguana done to you? —Jonathon Kecskes, St Clair Shores
Errata: In "Mediations on Zen, love, & rudders" (Metro Times, Feb. 4), Ms. Shaqe Kalaj was misidentified with a masculine pronoun. Also, in “Leni Sinclair: Rock photography’s overlooked grand matriarch” (Metro Times, Feb. 4), one quote implied that Ms. Sinclair’s work was used without compensation by Mojo magazine. While Ms. Sinclair has frequently been stiffed by the music press, she assures us Mojo always pays.
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