What Killed Detroit (Southfield, Wayne, Clawson: loans, relocating, real estate)

[pirate_lafitte]

We have plenty of that everywhere. Detroit will have to rebuild itself in many ways.

[Bridgett]

Athletesfoot is "right on the money". Dennis Archer was the only hope after that crook Coleman Young. Kilpatrick is a "joke". The 67 riots did not help. Also blame the realtors who aggressively pursued the whites to move to the burbs. My parents, sad to say, were one of those "white flighters" who ran from Detroit and stuck me in Livonia in 1965. At that time I left a superior high school, Henry Ford, to go to an overcrowded school filled with kids whose parents all ran from Detroit. I missed living in the city and not grauduating with all the kids I grew up with.

[and the]

I thought it was interesting how Dennis Archer's kid wound up with all those concessions contracts at the new McNamara terminal.......Politicians are all opportunists. The only difference is how blatant they are about it.

And whose relative owns Metro Cars?

[zakian]

Originally Posted by dmetro

In my opinion, one event drasically changed Detroit forever: forced busing. In order to "racially diversify" the public schools, Detroit bused children in well maintained, safe neighborhoods to dangerous inner city schools, while inner city children were bused into newer, nicer schools in the better neighborhoods. Of course, the residents of the more desirable areas were furious, and many of them decided to leave for the suburbs, where there was no inner city to speak of. In fact, my Grandparents left for this very reason. And in my opinion, the whole plan was ridiculous from the start. The only reason that the schools were "segregated" was that most neighborhoods were predominately one race, white or black. So the schools weren't segregated, they simply reflected upon the demographics of the neighborhood. And now, sadly, Detroit is doomed forever because of this outrageous policy.

Too simplistic.

[SCRUMPIES]

what killed detroit is simple.. His name was coleman Young.

[gmc862000]

Originally Posted by SCRUMPIES

what killed detroit is simple.. His name was coleman Young.

Yes, there's some truth to your statement The question is, If he wasn't doing a good job why did he keep getting re-elected?

[and the]

The question is, If he wasn't doing a good job why did he keep getting re-elected?

Because he was "Big Time Red"!!!

[Frankawitz]

Cause most of the people in Detroit don't vote, and the ones who did vote well you know who they voted for Mr. Young cause he told them what they wanted to hear, plain and simple. Same thing goes on here in Roseville, these dumb ass people voted in a Property Tax increase of 5 mills so all Home Owners taxes went up by $250.00 per year for the next five years. the funny thing is now that it's in place who's going to pay it, there are almost 15,000 foreclosed houses in a city of less then 48,000 people and more are leaving.

[dmetro]

Originally Posted by gmc862000

Yes, there's some truth to your statement The question is, If he wasn't doing a good job why did he keep getting re-elected?

Because most of the morons who live in Detroit don't know how to elect a good mayor. Just like with most major US cities.

[pirate_lafitte]

This is what Detroit needs to do if it is to ever reclaim its glory ever again: Detroit needs to work with the state of Michigan to not be so pro-union. There needs to be some restrictions on what companies can do to employees to prevent abuse of workers, but there needs to be some restrictions on the unions too. This would encourage companies to come to Detroit. Before that can happen, Detroit needs to clean house;get to gangs out of the streets and clean up the crime problems.
The abandoned parts of town need to be turned into places like newer homes and places for small businesses and retail stores. Detroit has to rebuild from the ground up. Detroit can rise like a phoenix out of the ashes of the late 20th century. What Detroit needs is some new leaders who actually care about Detroit's residents and who want to bring businesses in and get people back to work.