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Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson passes away at the age of 80
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Long-time Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has died. He was 80 years old.
He died at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning at his Independence Township home surrounded by family and friends after his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Patterson began his public service to Oakland County more than 40 years ago. He served as Oakland County Prosecutor for 16 years and was elected as executive in 1992, where he served until his death.
During his leadership in Oakland County, the county has been able to maintain its AAA bond rating, and it has been ranked among the best counties in both the state and the country.
https://www.wxyz.com/homepage-showcase/oakland-county-executive-l-brooks-patterson-passes-away-at-age-80
He died at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning at his Independence Township home surrounded by family and friends after his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Patterson began his public service to Oakland County more than 40 years ago. He served as Oakland County Prosecutor for 16 years and was elected as executive in 1992, where he served until his death.
During his leadership in Oakland County, the county has been able to maintain its AAA bond rating, and it has been ranked among the best counties in both the state and the country.
https://www.wxyz.com/homepage-showcase/oakland-county-executive-l-brooks-patterson-passes-away-at-age-80
R.I.P. L. Brooks Patterson, a racist
Oakland County's longstanding Executive L. Brooks Patterson died at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday from cancer. He was 80.
It seems much of the local media had already lined up obituaries for Patterson, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. The Detroit Free Press called him a "wise-cracking," "hard-drinking," "native Detroiter known for bashing his hometown, often in racially charged terms." Crain's Detroit Business wrote he was "known as much for his management of the state's wealthiest county as for his sometimes controversial and divisive comments and humor."
We know it's taboo to "speak ill of the dead," but in the style of Brooks, let's call it like we see it, without dulling the edges. The man was a racist, and contributed mightily to metro Detroit's segregation problem.
...
His promise turned out to be true, with Oakland County maintaining its AAA bond rating under Patterson's long, successful reign. However, in Patterson's mind Oakland County could only prosper at the expense of Detroit. From a 2014 New Yorker profile:
In the same interview, he compared his boycott against the city to genocide against Native Americans:
...
But last year, Patterson doubled down on his anti-Detroit stance. When asked if he'd join a group of regional business leaders working to help Detroit, Patterson chose the worst possible words.
"Oh, hell no. I'd rather join the Klan," he said. He later apologized, saying, "Sometimes when I’m passionate about a topic, I choose sharp words and purposely engage in hyperbole to get my point across."
https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/08/03/rip-l-brooks-patterson-a-racist
Oakland County's longstanding Executive L. Brooks Patterson died at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday from cancer. He was 80.
It seems much of the local media had already lined up obituaries for Patterson, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. The Detroit Free Press called him a "wise-cracking," "hard-drinking," "native Detroiter known for bashing his hometown, often in racially charged terms." Crain's Detroit Business wrote he was "known as much for his management of the state's wealthiest county as for his sometimes controversial and divisive comments and humor."
We know it's taboo to "speak ill of the dead," but in the style of Brooks, let's call it like we see it, without dulling the edges. The man was a racist, and contributed mightily to metro Detroit's segregation problem.
...
His promise turned out to be true, with Oakland County maintaining its AAA bond rating under Patterson's long, successful reign. However, in Patterson's mind Oakland County could only prosper at the expense of Detroit. From a 2014 New Yorker profile:
“I used to say to my kids, ‘First of all, there’s no reason for you to go to Detroit. We’ve got restaurants out here.’ They don’t even have movie theatres in Detroit — not one. ... I can’t imagine finding something in Detroit that we don’t have in spades here. Except for live sports. We don’t have baseball, football. For that, fine — get in and get out. But park right next to the venue — spend the extra twenty or thirty bucks. And, before you go to Detroit, you get your gas out here. You do not, do not, under any circumstances, stop in Detroit at a gas station! That’s just a call for a carjacking.”
In the same interview, he compared his boycott against the city to genocide against Native Americans:
"I made a prediction a long time ago, and it’s come to pass," he said. "I said, 'What we’re gonna do is turn Detroit into an Indian reservation, where we herd all the Indians into the city, build a fence around it, and then throw in the blankets and corn.'"
...
But last year, Patterson doubled down on his anti-Detroit stance. When asked if he'd join a group of regional business leaders working to help Detroit, Patterson chose the worst possible words.
"Oh, hell no. I'd rather join the Klan," he said. He later apologized, saying, "Sometimes when I’m passionate about a topic, I choose sharp words and purposely engage in hyperbole to get my point across."
https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/08/03/rip-l-brooks-patterson-a-racist
