Poletown East borders Detroit, Michigan. The first immigrants into the region were Polish and hence the name. The greatest growth in Pole town was experienced during the early twentieth century. Thousands of Polish immigrants moved into the area in search of employment in the slaughterhouses and auto plants. Within no time, Poletown was home to many communities especially the minorities, including the blacks and the Italians. The government of the city of Detroit had no mercy when exercising laws and order on these minorities. The fact that they had the power to enforce the law made it feel like a right to victimize the people in Poletown anytime and anywhere without putting into consideration that they were people just like the White Americans. That shows that there was the misuse of power by the state government. .
The people who lived in Poletown were divided by race, class and ethnicity. Therefore, the group was not homogenous. As expected, many conflicts would crop from this, and this led to the community’s lack of ability to resist any external forces, which had different interests, to invade the region. Because of the differing attitude, the municipal government could encroach into Poletown, therefore, invading the space of the original occupants.
Poletown vs. G.M. and the City of Detroit is an example that proves the misuse of power by the government officials. As stated earlier, Poletown experienced a period of extensive industrialization in the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. However, the region started experiencing declines especially during the depression period and this extended during and after the World War Two. For example, the cigar industry faced decline after it had boomed in the 1920s. By the time the depression struck, most of the industries had moved to Florida where their labor cost was low. Because of competition, the cigar industry ultimately collapsed. The auto industry, the largest employer in Poletown, was greatly affected too. The reason behind this was due to the development of more industries that offered better wages and land costs. The economy was poor in the years that followed and by the 1980s, the inflation, high oil prices and government regulation led to a severe recession. The automobile manufacturers in Michigan were affected yet again. It was because of most Americans turning to more efficient and cheaper imports from Japan. As a result, the unemployment level rose from seven percent in 1979 to sixteen percent in 1982. There were major subsidies to domestic businesses both at the state and at federal levels leading to a reduction in the tax base by over $100 million.
It is at this point that the state government of Michigan resolved to relieve the General Motors Corporation. The corporation even went ahead to announce the closure of the factory - a move that threatened the jobs of community workers. In the 1980s, however, the company reported to the city of Detroit that it was willing to reconstruct a new factory, but this time, in Poletown. According to the institution, Poletown was an integrated and stable area located in an urban environment. The project builders and planners did not put into consideration that this project would risk thousands of homes and properties. The residents here valued their neighborhood. They were good neighbors to each other with a high religion and ethnic tolerance. Rent was on the lower side, and accessibility to both shops and other services offered in the region was easy. The area was one of the most racially integrated in the whole of Michigan.
The government of the city of Detroit was concerned about the high rate of unemployment. They had knowledge that if General Motors left, this number would increase even more, therefore, making the city lose income tax revenues and millions of dollars in real estate. All the government wanted was to get a site on which the company would be relocated, and nothing stopped them from selecting Poletown. Unfortunately, the city used its power and ability to evict the residents who occupied the specific land. It is at this point that the residents of Poletown moved to court challenging the constitutionality of the city of Detroit using its power to convey the property to a private person, after snatching it from another person. Did the municipality have any right to use its power to grab the public property of the people of Poletown and then later on hand it over to a private corporation for the construction of a factory, which in return would promote the rise of the employment level, commerce, and industrial growth?
The Michigan court overruled the plaintiff’s claim, bringing out that it was authorized for the condemnation to take place since the plant would be of benefit to all, both the private and public user. At the end of the day, the government’s purpose served the needs of the public. The economic base of the community was revitalized while unemployment was alleviated at the same time. The municipal government, however, noted that it was important to provide enough proof that the public would be the primary beneficiary of any project conducted by a private contractor.
Among other groups that supported the development was the regional Catholic Archdiocese. The priests supported the relocation plans and even went ahead to plan for the sale of the two Catholic churches in Poletown. Some residents too were for the idea, claiming that those who were not in the support of the idea represented only a small minority and not the entire Detroit neighborhood. Most of the supporters did not notice the municipal use of power to manipulate the decision to move the Poletown’s resident. Yes, the move would have public benefit but if the initiative was not supported by the municipal government, would it be implemented?
The planning process towards building a new plant and a central industrial park displayed an abuse of power. The authorities did not mind the cultural or religious attachment the polish and other residents had with the Poletown region. These city authorities under the leadership of Mayor Coleman Young displayed the greatest form of insensitivity. According to the mayor, the town was a simple “myth” and regarded the real Poletown as Hamtramck. The residents were mostly hurt not by the move to build a plant, but the insulting nature displayed by the authorities who regarded their region as a waste of urban land, which was not worth preserving. In all aspects, the planning process was insensitive, brutal and lacked reason. It should have been done in a more diplomatic manner, involving arbitration. White supremacy and institutionalized racism catalyze this abuse even the more.
In conclusion, abuse of power is rampant among the municipal government officials. As displayed by the municipal government of the city of Detroit, most authorities use their power to manipulate various processes. The worst thing is that the planning process is manipulative and insensitive. The Poletown case is a perfect example that as much as authorities are planning to employ a private to bring development, the process should follow the right protocol. The residents should not be mocked but instead should be handled with respect whether they belong to the majority or the minority.
Works Cited
Bukowzyk, John J. "The Decline and Fall of a Detroit Neighborhood: Poletown vs. G.M. and the City of Detroit." Washington and Lee Law Review (1984): 49-76: (41), 1. Print.
Detroit Justice Communication. A brief history, ‘OurStory’, of the development of Uprooting Racism Planting Justice in Detroit. n.d. Web. 22 March 2016 <http://www.uprootingracismdetroit.org/ourstory/>.
Poletown Neighborhood Council v. City of Detroit. No. 66294, 304 N.W.2d 455/19 ERC 1972/410 Mich. 616. Michigan Supreme Court. 13 March 1981. Print.
Sandefur, Timothy. A Gleeful Obituary for Poletown Neighborhood Council V. Detroit . n.d. Web. 22 March 2016 <https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-132053254/a-gleeful-obituary-for-poletown-neighborhood-council>.
