This taxicab driver is an everyday hero.
He is fighting against the odds to keep his family in its middle class position. He is intelligent, knows the issues, is optimistic and is well-spoken.
The Tea Party whiners look like spoiled brats compared to this man, and they are just that and worse.

Great interview. It is so refreshing to hear everyday, intelligent, real Americans speaking about our problems in this country, instead of glib, out of touch, spaced out, sold-out politicians. I really got into listening to this man, and he was just fabulous. He touched on so many of the key issues in one shot; and when he got going, I could really hear him, speaking from the heart. I would have loved to hear more of his thoughts on health care. He's in the same bracket as a lot of us -- old enough to know the score on health issues, and too young for Medicare. And a parent trying to make ends meet, to boot. While they've sold America out on NAFTA and with these trade agreements. A green future for Detroit sounds like the way to go. Look at the workers American companies don't want. I was just trying to communicate with someone overseas via email about a financial issue, as sadly, this company is also going overseas now for their labor, and there's nothing that tops American workers for problem-solving in America. A shame to see that company taking a plunge now, too.

Someone on another article board was talking about, how in Europe, a lot of people are talking now about a Guaranteed Minimum Wage (and we're not talking about "welfare"). As usual, they are ahead of us on so many things, like guaranteed quality health care (not Medicaid quality; i.e. in name mostly, and more "welfare"), and this very decent notion, as well, not to mention, commonsensical, insofar as the economy itself is concerned. Opening up an improved and portable Medicare would have a similar widespread and positive economic effect.

Good video. I experienced the capital flight from Detroit firsthand, when National Steel (Great Lakes Steel Division) went bankrupt in 2003.

Until more people understand our debt-based money supply, and the private central banking system which controls its issuance, our situation will not improve. The following quote is attributed to the founder of the Rothschild dynasty, which is a major player in international banking.

"Give me the right to issue and control a nation’s money and I care not who governs the country.” Meyer Amschal Rothschild, International banker.

The sad truth is that both, the Republicans and the Democrats, are beholden to the banking interests, and will continue to be, until the U.S. government issues sovereign-money. To find out more about sovereign money, google "council on sper" and watch the videos on the councilonsper's channel.

Great interview!

MARK - You are a wonderful ambassador for Detroit! Hang in there!

YANA - THANK YOU for doing what you do! Here's hoping our country is not too far gone...

Interesting points on GMW in Europe. They are, of course, discussing it as income, not wage, which I would definitely support for the U.S., along with guaranteed health care in the form of an improved and expanded Medicare being open to the country.

That would make any issues over GMW or health care non-issues. Also consider the prison population in the U.S. -- which is the largest in the world, holding extraordinarily higher numbers of minorities, and large numbers of incarcerated persons for non-violent drug offenses and/or immigration matters.

We spend 30,000 per year incarcerating one adult. About 80,000 per juvenile.

Also consider how much we spend policing people in ineffective "welfare" systems, rather than actually providing them with, for example, real health care. We spend more on the administration.

It takes a leap of thinking here, because we don't believe people "deserve it." Yet we "bail out" banks and wealthy CEOs. We hand health insurance companies 30-55 million new customers. We spend billions and billions on war. We lock a lot of people up who wouldn't be there if drug laws were reformed or they had enough money to live decently to begin with.

And think what ingenuity and new ideas and innovations would come about in such a society.

A fundamental guaranteed minimum INCOME along with guaranteed health care are the future of a sane society. This American is ready for it, but I imagine we'll probably destroy ourselves and the rest of the planet long before any such progress is conceivable to most.

Great interview. Mark represents the true American spirit. If, that same spirit he shows can be felt and realized by the rest of the country, then we could have a fighting chance. But unfortunately, with all the misinformation, confusion, and overt laziness of the majority of Americans I feel the American spirit will be a footnote in future history books. I hope I am wrong. Keep working for your family Mark.

Yana, what a great interview. Thanks for working with us in Detroit! --caleb/FSTV