No deal on Belle Isle lease 'disappoints' state GOP leaders

The top two Republican leaders in Lansing are not happy that the Detroit City Council scrubbed the Belle Isle lease deal with the state.

The Snyder administration was hoping against hope that the city council would buy the lease deal, which would have saved the city about $6 million.  So much for that.

"Very disappointed," said state House Speaker Rep. Jase Bolger.

"I'm disappointed, of course," said state Senate GOP Leader Randy Richardville.

The governor warned if the city council balked, he would take the deal off the table.  However, Senator Coleman Young, Junior thinks the deal is not dead yet.

Meanwhile, Bolger says he does not want to send in an emergency manager, but he doesn't see any progress either.

"The bottom line is solutions need to be delivered.  The citizens of Detroit deserve better than this.  The state deserves better than this.  The bottom line is we need to see results.  That can happen in a multitude of ways, but if the City of Detroit is not going to accept responsibility, then they're leaving the state with few choices," he said.

Richardville, who says he wants to support the city was asked, "You're not impressed with the way they have responded to these overtures?"

"Not some of them, no, but we have, like I said, bent over backward as much as we can to try and help out in what I think is a sincere way.  But you've got so many factions that are disagreeing over there that it makes it hard for them to come together united," he answered.

Senator Young is not buying that united stuff.

"These guys are hungry, man.  They want the City of Detroit.  They want to take over [the] City of Detroit.  It's crazy."

"The governor says he doesn't," I retorted.

"Of course he says that.  He says that all the time, but he does.  He says one thing and does something completely different."

The governor is awaiting a financial review team report on the financial health of the city and in all likelihood it will not be very glowing.