[dkastner]

My new business plan: 1. Abandon the city for the wealthy suburbs 2. Leave the poor behind, defund infrastructure 3. Sell tours and photos of neglect and destruction 4. Profit!

Some things to consider: * While the population of Detroit proper has fallen, the total population of the metro area has remained fairly static over the past 40-50 years http://www.somacon.com/p469.php * The Detroit suburbs are just as nice as your typical American suburbia. * The State of Michigan is training hundreds of Emergency Financial Managers who now have the power to go into any municipality the State deems "financially unsustainable," dissolve local governments, and terminate any contracts (union or otherwise) in order to force a balanced budget. So while urban areas continue to be defunded by the state and by fleeing wealthy residents, they are put in the precarious position of trying to balance their budgets or risk a hostile takeover. * Meanwhile, we all have a good time looking at the pictures.