密歇根新闻广播 福特和福特基金会闹掰,密歇根西南经济得利

 

It's never too late for fence-mending.

That's certainly the case with the Ford¹ family and the foundation that bears its name.

Detroit News business columnist² Daniel Howes has been speaking with Ford Foundation CEO Darren Walker.

Ford and the Ford Foundation had been at odds³ for years until they fell out completely in 1976. Henry Ford II claimed that the people running the board had no understanding of capitalism⁴ and how the fruits of it funded the foundation.

Instead of spending money on Detroit and southwest Michigan, as had been intended by Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, the foundation was more interested in the developing world. So much so that the foundation with $12.3 billion in assets dwindled⁵ its contributions to Detroit to a handful of millions by the mid-1990s.

But in 2006, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox went after the foundation and reminded it of its obligation to the area in which they were incorporated.

Within a year, after a series of administrative⁶ subpoenas⁷, the foundation upped its donations in Michigan, starting with a $25 million commitment to what became the "New Economy Initiative."

The Ford Foundation continued its investment on Detroit with a yearly contribution of $12-15 million until the "Grand Bargain."

And now, for the first time since 1948, the trustees of the foundation will be holding a meeting in Detroit.

Martha Ford, owner of the Detroit Lions, will be hosting a dinner at The Henry Ford Museum. The foundation's trustees will be in Detroit to meet with Mayor Mike Duggan and Gov. Rick Snyder, among others, to learn more about the city.

"I think it's very emblematic⁸ of what's happening in Detroit, in general. I think you now have both political and business leadership that understands what has happened in the past but is less encumbered⁹ by the past," says Howes.

1 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

2 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

3 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

4 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

5 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

7 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

8 emblematic   

adj.象征的，可当标志的；象征性

参考例句：

• The violence is emblematic of what is happening in our inner cities. 这种暴力行为正标示了我们市中心贫民区的状况。
• Whiteness is emblematic of purity. 白色是纯洁的象征。 来自辞典例句

9 encumbered   

v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police operation was encumbered by crowds of reporters. 警方的行动被成群的记者所妨碍。
• The narrow quay was encumbered by hundreds of carts. 狭窄的码头被数百辆手推车堵得水泄不通。 来自辞典例句