For better or worse, Detroit really does need to quit allowing itself to be compared to every bedroom burg north of 15 Mile Road, as if those too should be treated like big cities.

Respectfully, Utica or Fraser ain't Chicago, people -- and they're not supposed to be. Detroit is -- or should be -- where the bulk of the action is around here...when it comes to nearly any business in the region.
Stripped from here: http://detroit.blogs.time.com/2010/0...the-politician

Which begs the question... How did Detroit get mired down into measuring itself against its suburbs? I never heard of Chicago measuring itself against Schaumburg, or New York measuring itself against White Plains... Or heck, even San Francisco measuring itself against San Jose. So why/how do local conversations always gravitate towards measuring Detroit against Troy or Farmington Hills? And is it healthy?