City of Tears

Detroit is down, but Motown is not out.

City of Tears

Mr. Blow did not mention the recent report of school test scores that show Detroit 4th and 8th grade students scored the very lowest in the nation. Their graduation rate is somewhere around 20%. Mist want to blame teachers but the blame really belongs on the lost of two parent homes. Single mothers who won't see that their children get to school every day, do homework where appropriate, cooperate with teachers, are to blame. Something needs to be done to right the wrong of illegitimacy. The churches should be first in line. The next thing Detroit needs to do is place less emphasis on sports. They have buiit new football and baseball stadiums , are looking to build new a new hockey rink and probably a new basketball arena. These are fine but Detroit seems to make this the do-all and be=all. Life is not about playing games it is creating responsible,honest humans. Detroit doesn't have that. Look at the action of their disgraced former mayor; many in the city think he was cool. Mayor Bing is working to right those wrongs.

I have Detroit stories.

My sister Ann moved to the suburbs and makes her living at the main public library. I wont go into them now. The corruption is worse than it is portrayed.

It is a company town without a company. It has been abandoned by its reason for existence. There is no tax base. The industrial tax rate is such that none can form an industry. Skilled workers have followed the work. Suppliers have also left town. Residential areas are being cleared for agriculture.

Sixteen years ago I flew across the country in the evening. the street lights were on as we crossed Indiana. I was sitting on the left side of the plane with a window. Soon there was a bright area with an enormous black patch in the middle, just scattered lights. I learned it was Detroit. Reports are that the city is in recovery. Other reports are that the library patrons are unchanged.

Motown Studios are now located in LA.