We thought this was a mistake, but checked it out and it is true. The population of Detroit is 830,000 down from 1,850,000 people in 1950.  One million are now ex-Detroiters. Today, Blacks make up 82% of the population. What happened? White flight, Black flight! As industry fled so did Detroit's citizens. As the tax base contracted, city services were cut back. Today Detroit is between a rock and a hard place. Virtually bankrupt while they wait for the next axe to fall. Simply put, Detroit is out of gas. Detroit is playing the Limbo Rock, they are seeing how low they can go.  A metaphor for the United States as a whole.

As cities become ghost towns, states will not be far behind. This is the pattern. States will need to find funds, just as the cities have. One problem, there will be no tax payers left. Pension obligations, municipal and state liabilities not funded will be faced with the unimaginable task of being restructured. We may add, and this is a warning to the states, don't seek aid from Uncle Sam, he is broke too. If you do seek aid, this will only make a bad situation worse. The tax payers are not in giving mood these days.

Mayor Bing, of NBA fame called upon the unions to help; Last year he called for all city workers to accept a 10 percent pay cut in the form of furlough days. Twenty-seven city unions have agreed to the concessions, but Bing chastised the city's largest union -- AFSCME -- which has objected on grounds the cuts would push some workers below the poverty line. Folks, we hate to tell you, but the writing is on the wall. Cuts must be part of the equation, if not, there is no chance of ever solving our problems.

More on Dave Bing's message, click here. http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/03/nine_highlights_of_detroit_may.html