Cross-posted from Blogging for Michigan
Hello Kossaks. This is the BFM Political Briefing that we (try to) put out each weekday. Today Amy & I are talking about Detroit. Speculating a bit on how we got here and what’s next.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/...
Guest: Amy Kerr Hardin
We have long show notes today so I am truncating here and linking back for those of you who would like links, etc.
Tomorrow we are joined by Ned Staebler, to discuss the Michigan Talent Agenda.
Thanks for listening :)
DETROIT, BY THE NUMBERS:
Debt of about $17 to $20 billion (estimates vary depending on the source), with $10 billion owed to roughly 20,000 retirees, and of that, $5.7 is in healthcare benefits.
There are 78,000 abandoned buildings and 65,000 vacant lots.
One third of the city, that’s 40 square miles, is abandoned.
Only 8.7 percent of violent crimes are solved.
The police force has been cut by 40 percent since the year 2000.
Unemployment in the city has risen from 6 percent in 2000 to 18 percent currently, compared to the state average of 8.7 percent as found in the recent jobs report.
About 40 percent of the street lights don’t work.
66 percent of Detroit’s parks are closed.
Detroit has gone from the fourth largest city to the 18th, with around 700,000 residents, down from 1.85 million in the 1950s.
More notes and links in our show notes at BFM