I think Mayor Bing is managing this whole Detroit Works roll-out very poorly. He probably should have kept his mouth shut in the interview with the Free Press this week. Now citizens and observers alike have more questions and few answers. Bing suggested services would be reduced in neighborhoods targeted for mothballing. The paper quoted John Mogk, a knowledgeable lawyer on urban issues, as saying cities and utilities don't have the legal authority to terminate services in specific neighborhoods, though they can offer enhanced services in certain neighborhoods.

What does that mean? A 30-minute wait for EMS instead of a 40-minute wait? In any case, the city's track record is so poor at delivering services and managing resources that I don't see Detroit's government sudden acquiring the ability to perform these extremely complicated, politically volatile, long-term maneuvers that NO OTHER American city has accomplished.

I give Bing credit for being the first mayor to talk about the need to re-size. But he doesn't give me a lot of confidence that he's going to be able to execute a re-sizing plan.