Detroit: Three years on for hell on earth ?

Detroit News reports

Major crimes in Detroit

The Detroit News will show where the city's deadliest crimes take place. Click on

a marker to see the details of all major homicides and shootings reported by

the Detroit Police Department since May 1, 2012. The addresses are not

specific, but rather refer to the block or intersection where the crime occurred.

I wrote this blog about Detroit on MySpace November 7, 2009. I had no way of knowing then

that MySpace was about to follow Detroit into a spectacular decline. I have had to update the

photos.

 

Detroit The Recession Ground Zero For America

I have never been to continental USA. I have been to American Samoa but that

 doesn't really count. The only real difference I could see from Samoa or New

 Caladonia or Vanuatu was the cops had guns, something I think is a bit over

 the top in American Samoa. Despite never having been to the USA I keep a

 close eye on the United States and an Observer story today made me realise 

just how little I actually know.

The American economy is growing 3.5 % in the last quarter, stocks are rising

 and banks that were being bailed out by the American tax payers are back to

 paying out billions in bonuses but for millions of Americans Wall Street must

 seem like another country. The richest 1% of Americans have more wealth

than the bottom 95% and that is obscene. It is a third world statistic.

Ground Zero is Detroit once one of the wealthiest city's in the USA, 50 years

 ago Detroit had a population of 2 million now it is down 900,000. This is the

work in the marine industry and if I ask what is powering the boat the answer is

 often Detroits.

The city has an unemployment rate of 27% and the average house price is

US$7500 but knowbody is buying at a recent auction of 9000 houses 1800

sold

Time magazine bought a house in Detroit and sent in reporters to cover the city's decline and there has been no shortage of bad news for "Assignment Detroit" to cover

Detroit is now 300 million in debt and has to cut public services such as transport and lighting. The outlying suburbs are now being effected these are the white middle class areas Professor Robin Boyle of Wayne State University likens it to a geographic doughnut " The doughnut is sick now. But what do you think that means for the poor people who live in the hole "

A small sign of hope and I love to hear about guys like this, Mike Coington lost his job so decided to clean up his Georgia Street neighbourhood he planted vegetable gardens and asked his neighbours to pick them for free to put food on their plates. Local youths practiced in vandalism have not touched his gardens he has done a lot of other things but can't get a bank loan to do more "We just can't get a loan to help us out. The banks are not lending". 

Fuck you  American banks infact fuck the whole American military industrial complex.

President Obama taxation is not a bad thing Detroit is a disaster, tax your rich and build a strong multi cultured middle class.

My heart goes out to the people who have been destroyed this picture should have kids having fun in it. " The rich get richer the poor get the picture the bombs never hit you when your down so low ". America you are not the greatest democracy you are not the land of the free you are becoming a failed state.

The crime figures caught my eye so I thought I might catch up on Detroit. From Michigan State University 

Why is FY 2013 Different?

» The City of Detroit faces budget challenges every year. Why is this year different?

FY 2011 was the seventh consecutive year that the City of Detroit had an accumulated General Fund deficit. Expenditures have consistently exceeded revenues. That scenario was no longer an option for the City.

In early 2011, the City became aware that it was in jeopardy of not having enough cash to provide even the most basic services. As the City adopts the FY 2013 budget, it faces an accumulated $265 million General Fund deficit. To reset its financial course, the City’s budget strategy required more than curtailing expenses. Instead, the challenge for FY 2013 was to restructure City operations, service levels, cost commitments, and re-examine revenue sources.

It would seem very little has changed in Detroit.