IF YOU LIVE IN DETROIT, Please tell us what you are seeing take place there...

[Blackhatjack]

... I keep reading horror stories about a major American city, but the MSM seems to be ignoring the problems there.

Are things getting better/worse?

What are you seeing? And what is likely to happen next?

Just the blip 35,000 people, in lines blocks long, show up to apply for 3,500 slots providing financial help with their utility bills. ANd now reports of violence and injuries...

Wish I had a link, but I heard reported on TV that the average cost of a home inside the city limits of Detroit had fallen to approximately $17,000.

[Craftsman]

1. My wife has a friend who lives inteh burb of Detriot

From what I have gathered it is bleak. She a few years ago complained of a rooster in the neighborhood, now she has a small chicken coop in her yard and eats lots of eggs.

[Barack_America]

2. The 'burbs are very different from the city. nt

[NYC_SKP]

3. Here's a link to an article. Found it on Twitter.

Twitter is perfect for this sort of thing, real time news.

I searched twitter for "Detroit Utility Bills"

http://michiganmessenger.com/27807/violence-erupts-at-detroit-housing-aid-event

"By MINEHAHA FORMAN 10/7/09 5:21 PM
When thousands of people looking to get housing and utility bill assistance assistance from the City of Detroit showed up at Cobo Hall Wednesday morning, chaos ensued. By 11:30 am, Mayor Dave Bing’s office was urging Detroiters not to go to Cobo Hall because the crowd was getting out of control.

The Detroit Police gang squad was called to respond as the situation started to become violent, with some people fainting, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The event’s turnout perhaps is a grave indicator of how badly Detroit residents are struggling to secure dependable housing pay their power bills this winter, as the city’s unemployment rate is hovering near 25 percent.

The event was sponsored by the city’s Planning and Development Department to pass out 5,000 applications for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to get assistance for the winter.

:patriot:

[Blackhatjack]

4. The economic problems merged with political problems in city government seem a disaster n/t

[Windy]

5. No one lives in the City of Detroit and hasn't for many many years.

that is not new. Many former auto company workers and employees of auto company suppliers are still out of work, especially if they didn't take the opportunity to train for a new job under programs set up by the state. Many have re-trained as the community college enrollment was way way up. My husband is in the construction buisness here. Residential construction was at an all time low, but in the last few months, things are starting to pick up again. Many think that because the auto industry seems to be done laying off and things are equalizing, people are starting to look at purchasing homes now as they feel a bit more secure. Some industries are moving in to Michigan, ie film industry and battery manufacturers. Toyota has also moved into Ann Arbor. This state still has a LONG way to go, but it is starting to pick up a bit.

Don't go by the City of Detroit itself. It hasn't been a nice place to live since the 60's/70's. There was a mass exodus and it has never come back. Almost everyone lives in the suburbs. Housing prices in the suburbs are down, but you can't buy a house outside of the city limits for $17,000.

[marmar]

7. 912,000 people is no one?

Interesting math.

[Windy]

10. Do you live here????? Most of the city is vacant, burnt down or burnt out

There are some beautiful old neighborhoods that are vacant or trashed... its reality.

[marmar]

11. Yes I do.....and most of the city is not vacant.

There are vast tracks, but 912,000 people still live in it.

[Motown_Johnny]

12. I still live in the city also, it is not all empty. I am even a bit insulted by your

"nobody lives in detroit" statement.

I live here, I exist. As do many of my friends and members of my family




It is not all vacant.

[Windy]

17. Most of it is and has been. To ignore the blight doesn't help to corect the problem

I hope Mayor Bing can do some good to rid the city of corruption so things can begin to improve.

[Barack_America]

9. I'd rather live downtown these days than in the Pontiac/Waterford area.

Went back there in August and was amazed how decimated the area was.

[marmar]

6. It's a tough period for sure, but some of this sensationalist Hollywood coverage is a bit much.....

Despite the problems, life goes on fairly normally. Really it does.

[angstlessk]

8. I was a lifelong resident in Norfolk, Virginia and moved to Detroit

last summer. I really don't see much difference except the people here are a lot friendlier. I think their government is a big mess, and I hope that gets corrected, because it really is a mess. Local politics were seldom talked about in Norfolk/VA Beach, but here people talk about their city council, mayor, etc all the time. The last mayor was jailed and now lives like a millionaire in TX and claims he can only repay the city $6.00 per month...he owes about a million!

[Motown_Johnny]

13. I have spent about an hour trying to decide how to respond.....

The only analogy I can come up with is this.....


Think of a small town that is centered around a factory. Most of the population work there and the ones who don't are dependent on it because their customers earn their money at the factory. You know what happens to that town when the factory closes. Multiply that by about 5000 and you have an idea of what has happened to Detroit.


We never recovered from the last recession and have been plunged back into depression.

It has been said that when the nation's economy gets a cold Michigan's gets the flu. I would also say that when Michigan's economy gets the flu Detroit's gets pneumonia. Now the nation's economy has the flu, think about it.



No, it isn't getting better. At best it is stable. There is some stimulus money starting to trickle in so we do have hope that it will get better, eventually.

[Matariki]

14. A friend sent me this link a while back

Sort of a blog post about Detroit 'going back to the earth'. He also sent me info on urban farming that's started up in the city and houses selling for a few thousand a price so that artists, etc are buying up blocks and creating urban cultural compounds.

http://www.sweet-juniper.com/search/label/Detroit (more photos at the link. scroll down to 'feral houses')

[mullard12ax7]

15. I live in a euphoric "whitopia", we love watching things like this on TV

I can't wait to "invest" in all the hardship there. Then I'll donate a few dollars to a charity and become a saint!

Someone mentioned "secular dogmatism" in another thread, just thought I'd spread it around a little.

[BK101]

16. I grew up in Detroit

My Dad owns a house there he bought in the 70's. He has moved into a nursing home and he cannot sell his house. All that investment has gone done the drain, we are trying sell it for what his put into it, but it is not happening. Luckily he is getting a pension the union arranged and he can live, but the house is not selling. Not sure what to do about it.