DETROIT, MI - Kevyn Orr was asked why he chose the University of Michigan to attend college and he said he was "somewhat of a socialist" as a youngster and looking for a large, public university to begin an odyssey in which he would "stick it to 'the man.'"

Ironically, he joked Thursday at a Detroit Economic Club luncheon, he is "now 'the man.'"

John Wolman, publisher of the Detroit News, noted at the beginning of the event that as the state-appointed emergency manager for Detroit, Orr is seen either as a "grim reaper" or as an "economic savior."

Livelihoods in the form or city worker and retiree pension payments are at stake, and cultural assets at the city's world-class museum could be on an auction block.

On Thursday, Orr noted that he brought the city to seek federal bankruptcy protection in July after three lawsuits were filed to limit his power. He said he began to run out of time to do his job. Orr was appointed in March and has 18 months to straighten out the city's fiscal system.

Channel 4's Carmen Harlan, the event's moderator, said, "But you had to know that Detroit is very protective," adding, "We're a different crowd."

To which Orr responded, "You are and you aren't. In a sense you're a microcosm of what's going on at the federal level with the shutdown."

Here is a closer look at what Orr said Thursday is happening in our microcosm.

On the possible sale of Detroit Institute of Arts assets:

"I said at the beginning… look everything's on the table," Orr said of the possibility of some of the museum's assets being sold to appease creditors.

Orr said that Christie's auction house will finish an appraisal of "tier one" art by the end of this month, and another of "tier two" pieces by the end of November.



"I have a fiduciary obligation to account for all the assets of the city of Detroit," he said. "The foremost amongst them might very well be the DIA."

On pensions and benefits:

Orr blamed mismanagement of the city's two pension funds over the past three decades for the difficult position he now finds himself in, that is, to possibly take a hacksaw to some portions of the city workers' and retirees' pensions and healthcare benefits.

“I’ve got to rationalize pensions and healthcare because of conduct that occurred before I came to the city,” he said.

Last week Orr released an audit on the city's pension system by Detroit's Auditor General Mark Lockridge and Inspector General James Heath. Orr estimates the city's debt at over $18 billion, including $3.5 billion in unfunded pension obligations.

On Thursday, Orr said that when he is around the city, people will come up to him – some with tears in their eyes – asking about what is going to happen to what to many citizens is an important livelihood. He called it one of the most difficult aspects of his job here.

“All I can say is, I’ve been put here for a reason,” he said. “This is an emergency. This is a crisis.”

He added, “The issue now is how we deal with it and it’s a very heavy lift”

On his advisers' pay:

The Detroit Free Press has reveled that Orr's restructuring consultants have $62 million in contracts approved so far. Harlan asked the emergency manager about the expenses.

“Well if we’re going to do something about (the city’s financial situation), we’ve got to pay the best people to do the job,” he said.

Orr insisted that the actual cost so far is $18 million, not $62 million, because the consultants are being paid 90 days late.

In any case, he said, even if all the professionals worked for free and he saved the city $100 million, Detroit still has $3.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and $5.7 billion in retiree healthcare obligations.



He also said the "professionals" he is paying to help sort through the restructuring are "doing it at a discount."

So who is Kevyn Orr?

One of Harlan's closing questions asked, "Who is Kevyn Orr?"

Orr repeated an autobiography that says although he has achieved "some material success," he came from humble beginnings. Orr grew up just outside of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Both of his parents were highly educated, according to Bethesda Magazine, which is based near Chevy Chase, where Orr has a $1 million home.

His mother, who actually was studying for a master's degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for several summers while he was growing up, also rose to become superintendent of schools in South Florida's Broward County.

Harlan asked if he could have any profession, what would it be? "A ski instructor," he said.

And, she asked, is there is a job he does not want? "To be mayor."

David Muller is the business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.