In Detroit it takes an hour for police to respond to calls and less than 10% of its cases are solved. When government can’t make good on its promises, such as public safety, then it’s up to you. Pension promises were the straw that broke the camel’s back in Detroit. Government over promising and under delivering is what it does best. Unfortunately it’s those left behind that have to pay the price because a huge chunk of the wealthy folk from Detroit live in the burbs or somewhere warm like Florida. There is no downside to making sure you can protect yourself. Here are some depressing facts about Detroit’s bankruptcy in today’s Wall Street Journal.
A Long, Sad Decline
• Detroit’s population fell more than 26% from 2000 to 2012 and totals about 700,000—down from almost two million in 1950, according to the census.
• An estimated 40,000 structures or land parcels sit vacant or empty.
• The city spent $100 million more than it took in every year since 2008, on average—borrowing the rest.
• Some 36% of Detroiters lived below the poverty level between 2007 and 2011, the census found.
• In 2012, Detroit had the highest violent crime rate for a city with more than 200,000 residents, the FBI says.
