Toon & Text by John Auchter
After last week’s multi-panel, text-filled cartoon, I wanted to do something simple and quick (for your sake and for mine). And while I like it, and I think it makes its point, I will cop to the fact that it is not necessarily 100% accurate.
Mike Ilitch died this past week. He was a Michigan icon, born in Detroit to working-class immigrant parents. He and his wife Marian founded Little Caesars Pizza and grew it into a business empire. He was longtime owner and fierce supporter of our beloved Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. His charitable life ran the gamut from youth sports programs and education to community economic assistance and veteran affairs.
But the truth is, Mr. Ilitch was not all “give.” He was a businessperson who created a great deal of wealth by looking after his own interests. The new Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit is a pretty good example of that. It was certainly within Mr. Ilitch’s ability to pay for the entire facility himself, but instead he managed to get $350 million in taxpayer money to share the cost.
Some people resent this and hold it against Ilitch . I tend to take a broader view. First, billionaires get to be billionaires by taking money people are willing to give them. Second, Detroit could have done a whole lot worse with a sports franchise owner. (Donald Trump famously not only sunk his New Jersey Generals football team in the 1980s but pretty much drove the whole United States Football League out of business.)
Nevertheless, the truth may also be that Trump is not all “take.” (If he’d just release his tax returns, we’d be better able to qualify that. And whether he is in fact a billionaire.) But the point is that cartoons (and memes) exaggerate to be funny or provoke a response, but real life is much more nuanced. Ideally, simple and quick start conversations, not end them.
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com. You can also find his stuff on Michigan Public Radio’s website under Opinion.
Ilitch gave a lot in silence. Trump takes and roars loudly about it.
What Mr. Ilitch did for Rosa Parks will forever cement him in my mind as a great humanitarian.
President Trump should only release his tax returns when the former president releases his college records, transcripts and other documents pertaining to his life in Indonesia.
As far a I am concerned, probably along with other taxpayers, these billionaires that want the taxpayers to fork over money for some sports arena should not get a dime of taxpayer money.
It used to be when the Detroit Pistons played basketball in Detroit, they used to give some tickets to community groups for free.
After they moved to the Palace the free tickets disappeared.
The cost of tickets went up.
Jimmy, This post is cuckoo. Please read what you write before you post it. What is the deal with college transcripts, for example? Obama got all A’s. Do you have college transcripts you wish to release? Did you ever go to college?
How many good deeds did Mr Ilitch do besides what he did for Rosa Parks? Many more than you will ever hear about I would imagine. That’s what giving is all about. Not like me me me trump.
Thomas,
You are definitely a liberal. I have known a lot of liberals over the years. When they cannot give a reasonable response to a question, a liberal always resorts to attacking the other person character, life style and educational level.
Yes, I did attend college. It was 40 years ago.
How do you know that the former president got all A’s?
He has spent well into the the 7 figure range to keep all his college records sealed. President Bush 2 released his college records and the liberals were all him about his college records.
Right now I have come to the conclusion that if Jesus Christ had run for the office of president and had won, liberals would still have a mental breakdown and go after him to run him out of office.
Jim the Third, We demand that you release your college transcripts and all documentation regarding your life in Uzbekistan.
Jimmy, Did you go to Trump University? Or, did you go to the Electoral College? Or?