Nerd, Orr & Bing: Fix-it firm

Posted by hpayne on March 14, 2013

A businessman governor, a businessman mayor, and a Chrysler bankruptcy lawyer.

In an impressive show of unity and competence, Governor Snyder was joined by Mayor Bing and lawyer Kevyn Orr this afternoon to announce Orr as the emergency manager to operate on Detroit’s fiscal emergency.

Bing’s presence was huge.

“We must stop fighting. We must work together. This is a crisis out of neglect over 40 or 50 years” said Bing echoing almost to the letter Snyder’s call Relentless Positive Action delivered just moments before. Snyder and Bing have been at odds for a year on the EM, but that was water under the bridge as Snyder graciously praised Bing and thanked him for his support. Sometimes leadership means humility.

This is Snyder’s meat and potatoes – a venture capitalist who sees government as a business. Detroit, he says, is his greatest turnaround challenge yet.

For his part, Orr – a Michigan Law grad of Snyder’s generation which further illustrates the teamwork here – was glib, exuded confidence, and candid about his motivation calling this challenge his “call to action” after listening to Detroit’s troubles for too long on the Sunday talk shows.

Orr helped shepherd Chrysler through managed bankruptcy in 4 months.He told The Detroit News’ Nolan Finley he thinks Detroit can “easily be done in 18 months.” Even six. Given the enormous financial difficulties of the city (as outline by Dan Howes here), that may be optimistic. Especially given that Chrysler was bailed out by federal loans. But what Detroit saw today was leadership from three experience businessmen who have turned around businesses before.

With that leadership foundation, Detroit can finally start to build a solution.

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