Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The grim side of cities

In the USA, continued financial pressure on those cities that missed the urban renewal process...
In his first public meeting, Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr said On Monday the city has a 50/50 chance of filing for bankruptcy.
Speaking to an audience at Wayne State University, Orr delivered a message of fiscal discipline but offered few details of his plan for negotiating with Detroit's creditors, public employees or retirees.
Detroit is believed to owe about $17 billion in debt and other liabilities. When he released his first official report on Detroit's finances last month, Orr said the city will have enough cash on hand to meet its existing obligations through at least the fourth quarter.
Asked about the possibility of a bankruptcy filing, Orr said: "I'll take a dive and say 50/50.