Life in "Progress" City - Flint MI edition

From Michael Moore's home town.............

A string of suspicious fires that hit the battered city of Flint, Mich., after more than 20 firefighters were laid off and two firehouses closed were meant to "terrorize the community," the mayor claims.

Since the job cuts in late March, 153 of 202 fires – mostly in vacant buildings – were classified as suspected arson, city officials said. The number of arson fires began to decline after a federal grant enabled the city to rehire some of the firefighters.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Mayor Dayne Walling told ABCNews.com.

A string of 14 suspicious fires erupted the night before the city laid off 23 firefighters and 23 police officers on March 24 in an attempt to close an $8 million budget deficit. Two of Flint's five fire stations were also shut down that night.

If this were a Law and Order episode Jack McCoy would determine that these arsons were perpetrated by a rich industrialist looking to build luxury condos in Flint.

Burning down your city because you don't like your job conditions?

Now that's "progressive"!

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