Detroit is never going to "come back"

[48009]

Unless you have solutions for all of the following:

[[i) Teach illiterate adults marketable skills jobs in 2013 require
[[ii) Make the unmotivated ambitious
[[iii) Prevent illiterate adults in poverty from having babies [[cyclical illiteracy and poverty)

Without solutions to these core issues, the city can't possibly "come back" or ever be much better than what it is currently.

[iheartthed]

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of how cities operate if you think this has anything to do with making a city successful.

[48009]

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of how cities operate if you think this has anything to do with making a city successful.

Please point me to a successful city where over 50% of working age adults are illiterate, 1 in 3 drop out of high school, 35% collecting food stamps. This isn't 1935, when you only needed a pulse and some grit to work in a good paying factory job. Detroit is so far removed from being a competitive landscape, I really don't think it can ever "come back."

[iheartthed]

Please point me to a successful city where over 50% of working age adults are illiterate, 1 in 3 drop out of high school, 35% collecting food stamps. This isn't 1935, when you only needed a pulse and some grit to work in a good paying factory job. Detroit is so far removed from being a competitive landscape, I really don't think it can ever "come back."

That's all beside the point. Detroit has those type of stats because it has not managed to attract any meaningful amount of immigrants to the city in over a half century. [[Same goes for Metro Detroit.) You're diagnosing symptoms as the disease.

[noise]

You're diagnosing symptoms as the disease.

This is exactly right.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Please point me to a successful city where over 50% of working age adults are illiterate, 1 in 3 drop out of high school, 35% collecting food stamps. This isn't 1935, when you only needed a pulse and some grit to work in a good paying factory job. Detroit is so far removed from being a competitive landscape, I really don't think it can ever "come back."

If you think it only took "grit" to get a good paying factory job in the middle of the depression, I'm going to discount your thoughts on Detroit's possibilities for a comeback.

[Hermod]

If you think it only took "grit" to get a good paying factory job in the middle of the depression, I'm going to discount your thoughts on Detroit's possibilities for a comeback.

It took World War II to make jobs plentiful.

[Goose]

Please point me to a successful city where over 50% of working age adults are illiterate, 1 in 3 drop out of high school, 35% collecting food stamps. This isn't 1935, when you only needed a pulse and some grit to work in a good paying factory job. Detroit is so far removed from being a competitive landscape, I really don't think it can ever "come back."

success is measured differently by liberals, by having 35% collecting food stamps, it IS success as they are reaching out and helping those that need it, to be more successful would be to reach 40% and help even more people...

the "war on poverty" has billions upon billions of dollars thrown at it for the past 60 years, new programs, new money, new benefits... its a war we are not winning...... but typically the only answer politicians have is throw more money at it.....

[Danny]

success is measured differently by liberals, by having 35% collecting food stamps, it IS success as they are reaching out and helping those that need it, to be more successful would be to reach 40% and help even more people...

the "war on poverty" has billions upon billions of dollars thrown at it for the past 60 years, new programs, new money, new benefits... its a war we are not winning...... but typically the only answer politicians have is throw more money at it.....

Just like George Orwells book, 1984 where BIG BROTHER is feeding proletarians with leftovers just to keep them happy.

[drjeff]

"come back" to what? To a 1950s version with 2 million people? No, that will never happen. However, the core city is already orders of magnitude better than it was 15 years ago. The outlying neighborhoods are worse. But if the core strength leads to influx of people to strong neighborhoods, the city can build from the center as it did decades ago and become strong again. Some of the worst outer neighborhoods may never come back.

[48009]

"come back" to what? To a 1950s version with 2 million people? No, that will never happen. However, the core city is already orders of magnitude better than it was 15 years ago. The outlying neighborhoods are worse. But if the core strength leads to influx of people to strong neighborhoods, the city can build from the center as it did decades ago and become strong again. Some of the worst outer neighborhoods may never come back.

How do you build up and maintain a strong core, with the hundreds of thousands of underemployed & illiterate adults in the outer boroughs draining your resources? You can shift people around the city, but they're still technically Detroit residents.

[izzyindetroit]

Unless you have solutions for all of the following:

[[i) Teach illiterate adults marketable skills jobs in 2013 require
[[ii) Make the unmotivated ambitious
[[iii) Prevent illiterate adults in poverty from having babies [[cyclical illiteracy and poverty)

The city can't possibly "come back." I haven't heard anybody offer solutions to these three inescapable issues.

The solution is to force all those people who meet your requirement list to live somewhere else by bringing in people who are marketable, ambitious, and literate to displace them.

The ball is currently rolling.

[48009]

The solution is to force all those people who meet your requirement list to live somewhere else by bringing in people who are marketable, ambitious, and literate to displace them.

The ball is currently rolling.

Just how and where do motivate the 500k to migrate to? Even if you could [[and you really can't, since Detroit is so vast), they simply become Redford, Warren, Southfield's burden. Is that really progress? I don't think so.

[Detroitnerd]

I'd say that having hundreds of thousands of people who fear and loathe their central city is reason enough that Detroit is never going to "come back" ...

And yet it's coming back. How about that?

[grancan]

Most illiterate adults likely aren't interested in becoming "marketable'. "Just give me some assistance and I'll try to get by." Same with motivation.

But the kids are a different story. Many want better than what their parents have settled for and are willing to work for it. When this present generation passes perhaps the younger children will be willing to put some effort into shaping their future; with a decent city government, many things are possible.

[48009]

Most illiterate adults likely aren't interested in becoming "marketable'. "Just give me some assistance and I'll try to get by." Same with motivation.

But the kids are a different story. Many want better than what their parents have settled for and are willing to work for it. When this present generation passes perhaps the younger children will be willing to put some effort into shaping their future; with a decent city government, many things are possible.

Statistics tell a different story. Outlook for kids from single parent, no college degree parents is very bleak. Two parents with no diploma generally make troubled children.

[stasu1213]

Statistics tell a different story. Outlook for kids from single parent, no college degree parents is very bleak. Two parents with no diploma generally make troubled children.

Two parents who have masters degrees, having no time for their children for the reasons of long work hours sometimes make troubled children as well

[48009]

Two parents who have masters degrees, having no time for their children for the reasons of long work hours sometimes make troubled children as well

Stop. I'm speaking statistics and statistically speaking couples with little education produce offspring that generally don't make it through college. How do you get two parents with no college and potentially no high school diploma to raise a child that cares about education? This is cyclical illiteracy and I have NO idea how you step in to prevent that child from going down the same path.

[motz]

Stop. I'm speaking statistics and statistically speaking couples with little education produce offspring that generally don't make it through college. How do you get two parents with no college and potentially no high school diploma to raise a child that cares about education? This is cyclical illiteracy and I have NO idea how you step in to prevent that child from going down the same path.

You're painting your argument with a brush broad enough to coat a barn in one swipe. Not every parent who didn't graduate from college or high school is a terrible parent. I've known my share of people with college educated parents who turned out to be unmotivated, useless turds. I've also met some of the most brilliant, motivated, education-seeking people in my life who happen to come from families where the father can't read and the mother barely graduated high school. Generalizations are great when making an argument against something, but reality isn't always so clear.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Two parents who have masters degrees, having no time for their children for the reasons of long work hours sometimes make troubled children as well

Good point. It's really on the children themselves to get motivation to improve and to find their lot in life.

[Cliffy]

Most illiterate adults likely aren't interested in becoming "marketable'. "Just give me some assistance and I'll try to get by." Same with motivation.

But the kids are a different story. Many want better than what their parents have settled for and are willing to work for it. When this present generation passes perhaps the younger children will be willing to put some effort into shaping their future; with a decent city government, many things are possible.

Its actually the complete opposite in Detroit. The 40 and under generation is completely worthless.

[sumas]

Its actually the complete opposite in Detroit. The 40 and under generation is completely worthless.

I've already stated opinions. For the record, it's the 30 and over that need help. Our kids are not lost. Not yet at any rate. My neighborhood works closely with our kids. reading classes, piano lessons, cooking classes etc. A heavy emphasis on community service.

I am very defensive of Detroit, God knows we have many problems to resolve. There is so many community groups that pitch in, big time. This is a people issue. Quit worrying about entitlement and do something.

Frankly, I lose all patience with racist arm chair critics.

[firstandten]

Gentrification in multiple neighborhoods around the city, is how the city will come back

[DetBill]

Gentrification in multiple neighborhoods around the city, is how the city will come back

I agree totally, I dont think many realize how much work has been done on certain specific areas of the city while others are rotting away,, Just looking at my own area downtown, Lafayette Park, and walking around the areas around Dali in the Alley last night and visiting friends lofts, I am amazed at what has been done and is going on in certain areas, Absolutely beautiful,,,however other areas of the city are wallowing in decay. I think this is our new reality of Detroit.. However, I will take that over what has gone in Detroit in previous years anyday.

[DetroitPlanner]

And stop all of those crack and weed smokers too! I don't want em living next door to me!