Detroit: City in Crisis

One Canadian journalists' take on Detroit:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...deoLineup/News

Honestly...I am starting to get tired of all these "Think Pieces" about Detroit...its like, when there's nothing else to write about, let's tell the story of Detroit AGAIN, without talking to those that live there...

I think we are in the focus of media on both sides of the straits both because the collapse of the big automakers and because what Detroit-Windsor have gone through that past several years is now being felt everywhere. CBC's The National broadcasting from Windsor the other night was a similar Canadian reaction.

The seems like media is rushing to the source to try to see what can be gleaned from our experience. Unfortunately, like the Globe video, this has largely led to a lot of head shaking with no offering of solutions and little enlightenment about the causes, beyond the obvious.

For those of us on the this forum who have been wrestling these issues for years, they sound like some newbie poster coming in yelling to the top of their lungs about how bad everything and then following this with a lot of scolding but no answers.

I think everyone is worried and tired of hearing how bad things are. We are not screaming at the tops of our lungs, just concerned about the national/global, and especially the Detroit economy. We love the city and we all worry that if/when the big 3 auto makers fail that Detroit will be in WAY worse trouble than it has been previously. I think everyone is anxious about what might happen and are just voicing our concerns. I pray for Detroit every night. I love the city and would love to have been there during the big heydays and hopefully, there will be another big heyday era for Detroit.

Changing things in Detroit is tough for a variety of reasons. You have a large uneducated, illiterate population that [[in many cases) has a vastly different system of values than others outside of Detroit.
It's like trying to make chicken salad out of chicken ---.
Having progressive leaders would help but most seem hellbent in helping themselves first.
Citizens need to find some self dignity and help clean up the city as best they can.

The problems in Detroit are a direct result of an inept political system. The apparent love of crooked Mayors, a City Council that is the laughing stock of the country, department heads who have no idea of what their doing, a school system that is a complete nightmare with absolutely no leadership, out of control cronyism and the family and friends environment. The list could go on forever.

After 54 years in Detroit, I gave up and left. I was tired of hearing the same old us vs. them attitude that is so prevalent in Detroit politics. The city's leaders seem to be completely clueless and the same could hold true for a lot of its residents. Detroit is an American city; it's not a black, white, brown, green or purple city. The distain for the suburbs and the white population as a whole has hurt Detroit. Until everyone stops blaming all the problems on one race or another race and other communities outside the city’s boarders and learns that everyone in this state has a stake in Detroit’s resurrection, things will never get better. This separatist attitude needs to be relegated to the history books.

I find it so sad that the city that I grew up in, loved, worked and lived in for many, many years has almost disappeared. I want Detroit to survive and thrive but until these ingrained attitudes change, the city will continue to die a slow and painful death.