Who's Mike Wilkinson, and what's up with his snide take on Detroit's population loss?

[BrushStart]

Later this week, Detroiters will get a cold dose of reality: They're not No. 11 anymore.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110321/METRO/103210342/Census-to-reveal-Detroit’s-decline#ixzz1HFXz3qvX

First off, Mike, what's the point of writing an article about census data when the data hasn't even been released? Thankfully, though, you're around to point out something that nobody in America knows... that Detroit is losing population! Wow. Truly, groundbreaking.

With that said, Mike, I'd like to ask you why you felt compelled to throw in the snark, "city versus suburbs" overtones that are causing this region to circle the drain. I particularly enjoyed the way you presented the City's decline in a vacuum and neglected to put the situation in a regional, or even statewide, context. It's as if you believe that only the City of Detroit's population is declining, while the rest of SE Michigan/Metro Detroit is a burgeoning utopia of population growth and success.

I am sick of reading stupid articles, Mike. Does the paper you write for realize that every person who leaves SE Michigan is another reader lost? Perhaps you and your paper are masochists, taking bizarre satisfaction in watching the hand that feeds you wither away. I don't think I'm being overly sensitive, but when I read your piece, I was left with the impression that you got some kind of joy out of the fact that Detroit is losing population. The Germans have a word for feeling pleasure from someone else's misfortune. It's called "Schadenfreude," and your article reeks of it.

If you and your paper want to keep some readers, I suggest that you write intelligent pieces. You want to cover Detroit's population decline? Fine, I'm sure there's a way to write about it in a way that actually constitutes "news." How about explaining some solutions instead of simply speculating aimlessly about what the "dreaded" number will be How about providing some context, that Detroit doesn't exist in a bubble...

Lastly, whatever your affinity is for the suburbs, you don't have to express it by sticking your finger in the eye of people who live in the city. If you haven't figured it out yet, if "Detroit isn't number 11 anymore," the suburban metro probably isn't either.

Just sayin'