To: Mayor Dave Bing
Stop 200 Acre Farm From Coming To Downtown Detroit!
Stop the Hantz Farm from crippling the thousands of independently run urban farm/gardens in Detroit. These farms are currently making a large impact on the morale and state of the economy, in a city that has been devastated by corporations, who have shipped any and all work overseas.
Why is this important?
The Hantz Farm, a proposed farm that may have ties to Monsanto, the GMO's and deadly pesticides superpower, is planning on setting up a 200 acre farm in the city of Detroit. There are already (literally) thousands of local-urban farms/community gardens here in Detroit (all had to comply with very strict guidelines), but the Mayor Bing wants to override those guidelines and allow Hantz to do as the company pleases. The mayor has also agreed that if the farm is unsuccessful, Mr Hantz would be allowed to tear down the farm and build anything desired - even factories! Luckily the Detroit City Council is stalling the agreement, but I'm sure we won't have much time before time runs out!
Through the mayor's eyes, this is a good opportunity to create jobs in the city. Jobs are good, but polluting the city from the run off of farm chemicals is not acceptable. In addition, nor is the fact that this farm will destroy the successful farms already running in the city! Furthermore, what's to say that Hantz's factory farm won't do to Detroit, as the auto companies did: export our jobs, or just leave when a better tax rate comes along!
The true concern to me is not the issue of a corporation vs independant, but more about the health and well being of my fellow Detroiters. At the moment, it doesn't appear there is a 'direct' connection with Monsanto, yet the CEO Michael Score, that Hantz has put in charge of the farm does have former ties to the behemoth... There doesn't seem to be a plan to bring Monsanto in, but there is no reason they wouldn't.
Ten things to consider ( facts via http://boggsblog.org/2012/07/13/media-questions-by-shea-howell/):
First, what is the rush? Since the current plan is to grow hard wood trees that mature for profit in 60 years, why the push for a decision now? Why should Hantz be exempt from the public processes that draws on the experience and wisdom of current urban gardens, City Planning, and more than two years of work in negotiation with state and local authorities?
Second, why should Hantz be given preferential treatment to buy land? Why shouldn’t this land be made available to current residents and urban farmers?
Third, what are the ecological and social implications of selling over 200 acres of land to one individual for large scale industrial level agriculture? How will this affect the local, small-scale growers? The ecosystems?
Fourth, why should the City agree to sell land far below its current estimated value? Buried in the Wall Street Journal article was this sentence, “Hantz is offering on $300 a parcel, one-tenth of what city officials wanted.”
Fifth, why is Hantz reluctant to sign a development agreement with the City, indicating how they would use the land after 5 years?
Sixth, what is the role of the Kresge Foundation in all of this? They are frequently referred to as a partner. What does this mean? What other foundations are involved? How?
Seventh, why has Hantz’s commitment to Detroit not included moving any of his Southfield business operations into the city?
Eighth, Hantz is quoted in business outlets saying, Detroit “cannot create value until we create scarcity.” He claims, “Large-scale farming could begin to take land out of circulation in a positive way.” What does this mean? Positive for whom? How does this relate to the Mayor-Foundation initiative to shrink the City?
Ninth, what are the long term implications of the “tax credits and state assistance” that Hantz is expecting to receive?
Tenth, is Hantz willing to work with the community to develop a community reinvestment agreement, establishing principles and practices that will benefit the surrounding community in exchange for assuming public resources?
Through the mayor's eyes, this is a good opportunity to create jobs in the city. Jobs are good, but polluting the city from the run off of farm chemicals is not acceptable. In addition, nor is the fact that this farm will destroy the successful farms already running in the city! Furthermore, what's to say that Hantz's factory farm won't do to Detroit, as the auto companies did: export our jobs, or just leave when a better tax rate comes along!
The true concern to me is not the issue of a corporation vs independant, but more about the health and well being of my fellow Detroiters. At the moment, it doesn't appear there is a 'direct' connection with Monsanto, yet the CEO Michael Score, that Hantz has put in charge of the farm does have former ties to the behemoth... There doesn't seem to be a plan to bring Monsanto in, but there is no reason they wouldn't.
Ten things to consider ( facts via http://boggsblog.org/2012/07/13/media-questions-by-shea-howell/):
First, what is the rush? Since the current plan is to grow hard wood trees that mature for profit in 60 years, why the push for a decision now? Why should Hantz be exempt from the public processes that draws on the experience and wisdom of current urban gardens, City Planning, and more than two years of work in negotiation with state and local authorities?
Second, why should Hantz be given preferential treatment to buy land? Why shouldn’t this land be made available to current residents and urban farmers?
Third, what are the ecological and social implications of selling over 200 acres of land to one individual for large scale industrial level agriculture? How will this affect the local, small-scale growers? The ecosystems?
Fourth, why should the City agree to sell land far below its current estimated value? Buried in the Wall Street Journal article was this sentence, “Hantz is offering on $300 a parcel, one-tenth of what city officials wanted.”
Fifth, why is Hantz reluctant to sign a development agreement with the City, indicating how they would use the land after 5 years?
Sixth, what is the role of the Kresge Foundation in all of this? They are frequently referred to as a partner. What does this mean? What other foundations are involved? How?
Seventh, why has Hantz’s commitment to Detroit not included moving any of his Southfield business operations into the city?
Eighth, Hantz is quoted in business outlets saying, Detroit “cannot create value until we create scarcity.” He claims, “Large-scale farming could begin to take land out of circulation in a positive way.” What does this mean? Positive for whom? How does this relate to the Mayor-Foundation initiative to shrink the City?
Ninth, what are the long term implications of the “tax credits and state assistance” that Hantz is expecting to receive?
Tenth, is Hantz willing to work with the community to develop a community reinvestment agreement, establishing principles and practices that will benefit the surrounding community in exchange for assuming public resources?