9 year old boy raises almost $3000 for City of Detroit

[JDgreen227]

I just saw this story in the latest issue of TIME magazine....did a Google to verify the story. A nine year old boy named Joshua Smith opened a stand selling snacks and drinks in front of his parents west side home after hearing about the city of Detroit's financial problems. Dubbed the "Lemonade Kid" he raised $3600 IN ONE WEEK selling lemonade, fruit punch, water, and popcorn and he donated $2832 of his profits to the City of Detroit.

Must be one h*** of a nice neighborhood there he lives in.

 

[Ductape]

How did the government not shut him down ??? Lemonade stands are illegal now..... he should be arrested. And what a ridiculous waste of money and effort..... giving to a government that can't be responsible with the rest of the money they spend.

 

[creekbend]

I viewed the report on MSN a couple of days ago. If memory serves me correctly, the Mayor made a suggestion to the boy that he save the money earned for his future education, but the boy refused. He stated that the City of Detroit needed the money more.

 

[JDgreen227]

I viewed the report on MSN a couple of days ago. If memory serves me correctly, the Mayor made a suggestion to the boy that he save the money earned for his future education, but the boy refused. He stated that the City of Detroit needed the money more.

The city of Detroit, like many other large and formerly great centers of the population, would have done well to take a crash course in budgeting thirty years ago. As part of my job, I traveled extensively to all parts of Detroit from 1970-2002, and saw both it's finest areas as well as the worst parts the city had to offer. The extreme contrast saddened me and I was always very happy I was able to leave the blighted areas and not forced to stay there, let alone live there.

What I also find sad is that if you gave the leaders of Detroit a BILLION dollars, they probably wouldn't have a clue as to how to spend it properly and it would serve more use if one flew over Detroit in an airplane and simply threw the billion out the window. No doubt the young man meant well but I really wish he had kept his money for himself.

 

[TCJatko]

The kid should keep his money for school. Detroit is a lost cause.

 

[MasseyWV]

It's a waste of money, Detroit is toast.

 

[300UGUY]

I have to agree with that. That might cover 1 hour of legal battles with the former mayor.

 

[300UGUY]

The city of Detroit, like many other large and formerly great centers of the population, would have done well to take a crash course in budgeting thirty years ago. As part of my job, I traveled extensively to all parts of Detroit from 1970-2002, and saw both it's finest areas as well as the worst parts the city had to offer. The extreme contrast saddened me and I was always very happy I was able to leave the blighted areas and not forced to stay there, let alone live there.

What I also find sad is that if you gave the leaders of Detroit a BILLION dollars, they probably wouldn't have a clue as to how to spend it properly and it would serve more use if one flew over Detroit in an airplane and simply threw the billion out the window. No doubt the young man meant well but I really wish he had kept his money for himself.

I was born in Detroit, worked in the city for years. It's been going down since the 50's. In some ways, it is a good example of total lack of planning. The city was put together fast, factories, schools, commercial areas all mixed up with residential neighborhoods. The streets were like a maze, then they put the expressways thru, dead ending many streets, and cutting up neighborhoods, stranding commercial areas, and cutting off schools from neighborhoods. And much of the residential construction was done in the teens and 20's, on 30 ft lots, no driveways, no off street parking. And the houses are either small and old or large and cut up into flats. Basically a mess.

 

[milkman636]

The responsible thing for the city to do would be to mail a check to the boy's parents for the same amount, and also include a commendation or some other token of appreciation for his generosity.