What Killed Detroit (Highland Park: school districts, university, taxi)

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Maxine3

How did you reach that conclusion?

Who? If you are talking about my post, what I mean is that the auto industry was one of the few industries where Blacks could have a chance at a middle class type of life. With that came competition for jobs between Blacks and whites, due to the industry being the major employer in the Detroit metro area. Keep in mind that Henry Ford, in a sense, invited Blacks to come work for his company due to his thoughts as to how Blacks wouldn't be caught up with unions.

Here's something else to think about, industries like Steel, the Auto industry and Shipping, among other industries were ones where Blacks could have a chance at a middle class life. Isn't it interesting that cities like Gary, East St. Louis, Oakland and detroit all had a astrong reliance on these industries and now each of these cities are predominately or pluralistically more Black now. Then, you have to think about the status of such industries and the situations of those cities. There are smaller cities like Aliquippa, Farrell, Steelton, East Chicago, Inkster and Pittsburgh CA, among others that also fall into this situation as well. So, maybe there is a great connection to the industry of a community and it's current state of affairs.

[Tenzo]

I majored in Econ at the University of Michigan.

One of the things we studied was the downfall of Detroit.
From the economic viewpoints it's pretty simple.

1) Increase taxes
2) People leave for lower taxed, less expensive areas since industry was becoming more decentralized
3) Less people and business meant lower tax base
4) Decrease core services and GoTo 1:

Continue until there are no businesses or people left to pay the taxes.

Philly is going through it right now.

[and the]

Detroit had nowhere near the housing it needed at the onset of WWII. As thousands of southern blacks and whites came up here for jobs (blacks and whites who didn't get along down south, let alone in Detroit's crowded housing units, while competing for jobs), small and often cheaply-built houses and apartments were built quickly and closely together. After the war people, who had no intention of staying past the time when the war contracts ran out, started leaving, either for the suburbs or back "home" where they came from before the war.

Blacks had the opportunity to move into areas that were traditionally predominantly white in larger numbers than before as housing stock became available and some or many whites didn't want to live in neighborhoods that were rapidly desegregating only a relatively few years after the 1943 race riot. White flight began in earnest then. The 1967 "I Want A New TV Riot" (It was NOT a race riot), must have seemed like Deja Vu to the Detroiters who had been around for the 1943 riot.

[Huckleberry3911948]

smart successful AA dont wana live with crime poor schools. they leave. so it gets much much worse.
you hear alot about white flight damage, but when strong AA leadership leaves the community the damage is massive.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

What killed it was a combination of factors. Before anything else, massive development of suburbs created a draw, pulling on people who wanted newer housing stock and to live in a non urban setting. Add to that, the movement of jobs outside the city. Then add to that, the odd behavior, whereby, if a single black moved into a white block, the whites would run. Then came the riots, and then, and then. One thing after another.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

What killed it was a combination of factors. Before anything else, massive development of suburbs created a draw, pulling on people who wanted newer housing stock and to live in a non urban setting. Add to that, the movement of jobs outside the city. Then add to that, the odd behavior, whereby, if a single black moved into a white block, the whites would run. Then came the riots, and then, and then. One thing after another.

Sounds about right. Add to that the reliance on the automobile industry and massive layoffs in Ford, GM, and Chrysler, and then the unemployment rates go up high. Government issues as well.

[SchnauzerMom]

I didn't learn to drive until I was 25 due to the high cost of insurance. I lived a block from Woodward (back then buses ran every 10 minutes during rush hour) and I had a little market right behind my building for canned goods. On weekends I took a bus to the grocery store...and I lived this way for 3 years and never felt deprived, stuck or anything else. It was rather nice, actually.

[pirate_lafitte]

I have one question to ask everyone: What do YOU think can be done to help Detroit come back?

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I have one question to ask everyone: What do YOU think can be done to help Detroit come back?

My answer sums it up like this.
If people who live in poor economic areas now or foreclosure hells where the COL is higher than what the economy is really worth (Oregon, FL, CA, LV, AZ) come to buy in Michigan with the "we have nothing to lose" mentality, then they can sell their 300,000 dollar home or 250 g home and then buy a 500 dollar house in Michigan, fix it up even if it costs 35,000 or so to do, and then live. If more people only do this, I feel Detroit will emerge again. I do not see it happening tho or at least until more people feel they have totally nothing to lose if where they are is hell where the house prices are high meaning a high mortgage also.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by meltinjohn

My answer sums it up like this.
If people who live in poor economic areas now or foreclosure hells where the COL is higher than what the economy is really worth (Oregon, FL, CA, LV, AZ) come to buy in Michigan with the "we have nothing to lose" mentality, then they can sell their 300,000 dollar home or 250 g home and then buy a 500 dollar house in Michigan, fix it up even if it costs 35,000 or so to do, and then live. If more people only do this, I feel Detroit will emerge again. I do not see it happening tho or at least until more people feel they have totally nothing to lose if where they are is hell where the house prices are high meaning a high mortgage also.

Even if people start selling their homes, there is one hole is this plan: Even if it is cheaper to buy a house in Michigan, Michigan has a reputation across the USA as a not-so-good place to live. Many people might head for TX or MS before heading to Michigan. One thing that needs to be done is to find a way to attract people to Michigan for other reasons, and to revive Michigan from the inside out.