Thanks for your comments, but after having worked on 8 Mile Rd. (just north of Detroit in Ferndale) for more than two years (from 94-97) and having a brother who spends most of his time in the city (and thus regales me of his "stories" which are not printable here), I know enough to know to stay the hell out of that place.
Well, most of the time.
In August 2011, my siblings and I, along with my wife, actually went to a Tigers baseball game in Comerica Park. I simply could not believe the degradation, filth, and complete abysmal neighborhood just north of the baseball park. Burned out wrecks of crackhouses, well, you get the idea.
I'm sure there are a number of people remaining in the city who haven't completely acquiesced to the welfare-grabbing, nanny-state-loving populace that remains in the city.
Both of them.
Flip commentary aside, I think what you're hearing (though I'm in no position to actually translate what was meant) is simply that there is a sizable percentage of the people in that city who have become dependent on Wayne County, the city of Detroit, and the state of Michigan to "fix" things. Perhaps that's their only option -- allowing the government to "fix" their problems.
Speaking for myself, I'm of the opinion that depending on the government to "fix" my problems won't fix anything. Instead, my problems will likely increase and I, as a result, will become even more dependent on the government to "fix" those problems too.
I'm reminded of entire communities destroyed by Cat 5 tornadoes, yet pick up the broken pieces of their lives and start again -- with minimal intrusion by government.
I'm sure you've seen the stories, so I won't trouble you with the details.
Bottom line is - the solutions to the problems lie with the same people you're defending. And I'm not seeing a lot of results in that area. Why? Because the citizens continue to look to government to solve their problems.
Dave Bing was a great basketball player in his day, but I've heard this story about how Bing and the Gov are "working out their differences" such that the city isn't taken over by a council which would be empowered to cut the crap and start making things happen -- even some painful things that nobody really wants to embrace.
Last I heard, they're still "talking." Meanwhile, the trash isn't removed, squatters are kicking homeowners out of their own property, the crackhouses continue to flourish, and the cops show up long after the perp has been shot by the vigilante homeowner because the homeowner didn't have a choice.
Originally Posted by Eupher
