www.michronicle.com


VOLUME 73 – Number 47★★ James Hunter dies


Former Detroit Lions star James Hunter has died. There will be a viewing at Hope United Church from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 5.


WHAT’S INSIDE


Despite Sherrod, Black farmers get the shaft (A-3)


Black farmers, due $1.2 billion for a legacy of discrimination by the Agriculture Department, suffered a new, disheartening setback.


August 4-10, 2010


By Sam Logan CHRONICLE PUBLISHER


Last week, Blue Cross Blue Shield


of Michigan’s CEO, Dan Loepp, dis- played the kind of bold leadership the city of Detroit needs to get back in the game and help stabilize the local econ- omy. Blue Cross announced the relo- cation of its 3000 employees from its office park in Southfield to downtown Detroit and the Renaissance Center. This is a great shot in the arm for the city, and a smart strategic business de- cision by the Blues.


According to Mr. Loepp, the relo-


cation would reduce the company’s long-term real estate debt, streamline operations and improve corporate cul- ture. Moreover, it demonstrates com- mitment to shoring up the state’s core


city and pumping much-needed revenue into the Detroit econo- my. Frankly, what’s good for Detroit is good for the state of Michigan. With- out a strong and viable urban center, our state cannot compete on the national landscape.


No doubt this 479 Ledyard • Detroit MI 48201 COMMENTARY


that is needed to move our city and state forward. Blue Cross is a Michi- gan-based company and has been an- chored in downtown Detroit for more than 70 years. Their commitment to improving the health of Michigan runs deep, and includes the economic health of the state.


The Blue Cross team is to be com- Sam Logan


deal took a lot of planning and negotiating with city and county officials, General Motors and other key partners. This is the kind of collaboration and determined effort


mended for its vision. Obviously this move will be difficult for some of the relocated employees, but Loepp says the company will communicate with and engage employees throughout the transition process. Tough times re- quire decisions that may not always be popular but are necessary for the common good.


The Blues are investing in the state’s other significant cities, including Lan-


313.963.5522 $1.00 Blue Cross’ choice to enhance Detroit


sing and Grand Rapids, because invest- ment in core cities impacts the entire region. In Detroit, the additional pay- roll of approximately $181 million for the relocated Blues employees will significantly contribute to the city’s tax base and pump some discretionary income into local restaurants, bars, retail stores, etc.


This economic investment will also


have a ripple effect on surrounding neighborhoods, providing small busi- ness opportunities and possible em- ployment for local residents. In a city with high unemployment, diminishing revenue streams and a dwindling tax base, this news is big.


Congratulations to Blue Cross Blue


Shield of Michigan for strong leader- ship and bold commitment.


Toronto scrapbook (B-1)


Managing Editor Cornelius Fortune describes various cultural attractions of Toronto, including Harbourfront Centre and the Caribana Festival.


Michael Eric Dyson debuts on WDET (B-3)


WDET 101.9FM has an- nounced the addition of The Michael Eric Dyson Radio Show to its weekday line up. This daily, one-hour program is hosted by award-winning author, scholar and social com- mentator and Detroit native Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. The Michael Eric Dyson Show airs at 1 p.m.


Molina at congressional briefing (B-3)


Molina Healthcare of Michigan was among three health plans represented at a recent con- gressional briefing in Washing- ton, D.C. on best practices for improving health care equity among diverse populations.


BCBS moves thousands of employees to downtown (C-2)


Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) has announced they will move approximately 3000 employ- ees from Southfield to the Renaissance Center beginning in 2011. The company says the move will reduce their long-term real estate costs, streamline operations, improve corporate culture and posi- tively impact their Michigan legacy.


The best selling albums of all time (D-1)


The Recording Industry of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that, among other things, keeps track of record sales in the United States. It is also responsible for Gold, Platinum and Diamond certififications. This week the Chronicle’s entertainment sec- tion focuses on the top-selling records of all time, the big- gest being Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”


VIRG BERNERO won the Democratictic nomination for governor and will face Republican Rick Snyder in November.


CLARKE’S BIG WIN


SEN. HANSEN CLARKE (center) with Aunt Marion Clarke (left) and wife Choi. —Eric Hobson photos


By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR


Y


es, it appears to be the end of a political dynasty that once was a machine that greatly mattered in Detroit. Never in recent history has Detroit seen this kind of upset, one that is also a polit-


COMMENTARY


ical lesson that shows the consequences buried in political scandals.


who has held the position for 14 years and is Michigan’s only member of the powerful House Appro- priations Committee in Wash- ington, was subdued Tuesday night in a bitter upset that


Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, DECISION


2010


guaranteed State Sen. Hansen Clarke’s journey to Congress.


institutions and a large campaign war chest, Kil- patrick was unable to defeat Clarke, a particularly strong challenger in the 13th Congressional District, the most watched race.


Despite the backing of powerful organizations, Bankole Thompson See PRIMARY page A-4


By Patrick Keating CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER


office in the November general election can’t seem to explain their positions clearly on the issues they are running on, its hard to decipher which candi- dates really have an understanding of the precarious state of Michigan, and are ready to go to work.


And often, the media, which is


supposed to be that space between the people and government, misses the point of holding candidates ac- countable for their platforms.


J. Mikel Ellcessor, general man-


ager of WDET, Detroit Public Radio (101.9 FM- NPR Affiliate), said that’s because there has been, to some degree, a bit of a predatory relation- ship from the media to the media con- sumer, where they’ve been served up lot of “salacious stuff” that doesn’t really matter to the average person’s life and only keeps them distracted.


“


media makes the mistake, engage with your media and let them know you’re watching and you’re paying attention.


“I think that years after serving up Kwamegate to people, and distracting


www.michronicle.com 6 89076 06419 4


them with all kinds of related sideshows, and years of partisan bickering, over there too much/too little union influences in our lives, it’s kept people distracted from the real issues that they want to dig in on now, which are


” See ELLCESSOR page A-4 J. Mikel Ellcessor – Andre Smith photo


Media must stick to real issues, says radio veteran When your


In a tough economic climate where some of the candidates running for


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