According to The Detroit News. This may be the most staggering statistic I've heard since Bush and Wall Street imploded this economy. Fifty percent?!?!??! It's almost unimaginable. How is this city not under 24 hour riot alert? When folks can't feed their kids, themselves, find shelter, etc., how does civic turmoil not ensue? Even as I type this, I can't get that statistic out of my head. This truly sounds like a completely failed city, despite the auto industry bailouts that have helped stabilize some of these companies.
On the home front, sometimes San Francisco doesn't feel far off. I usually spend about one hour every other day walking around different parts of the city taking pictures. Every trip seems to bring on more boarded-up shops, for sale signs and homeless folks sleeping in retail entrances that were open just weeks ago. Although people downtown and venture capitalists are tossing parties, this city, at least while walking its streets, appears to be crumbling. It's widely known that Gavin Newsom is a disaster of a mayor. This week's SF Weekly actually covers Newsom's horrific reign in depth. But any resident of the city can walk just a few blocks and see it all firsthand (above photo was taken on Market Street a few months ago). A stroll through The Tenderloin is a chilling experience, and just about every neighborhood is now touched by desperation, drugs and social services that have been unbelievably poorly managed.
I have rambled. But this story on Detroit has me wondering more and more where we're headed as a country. I know folks who work on Wall Street, and just like the media portrays them, they're all doing just fine. Actually, better than fine. It's the rest of the country that's spiraling, and it's happening at a rapid, rapid pace. When will this turn around? The more frightening question may be, will it turn around?
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