Is there any hope for Detroit and Michigan as a whole?

Hope? Sure there is a hope. I live in metro Detroit and I am here from last 10 years. The city have lots of potential. Leders are not good. They try to copy what other cities are doing and they fail. Detroit needs a unique system designed just for the city. We need offical department who are generating their own revenue and not dipping into tax payers money. We need departments who gets new business to the city, we want department who rehab the houses and big buildings. Doing the above 2 itself will get lot of jobs to the city. Segregation is natural and it can only be revered with jobs, and if money is flowing in the city. Jobs go to foreign countries because they cost less... can't it come to Detroit. I send my proposal to the mayor and he or his department never replied. My wife wants us to leave this place and I am still thinking.

Yeah. There have been a lot of advances in the past few years, but the whole situation with that spoiled brat of a Mayor has overshadowed it all (it's only going to get worse!). Sure, the economy sucks, but it could be (and has been) a lot worse *knock on wood* We've got good sports teams, and we've got great ones (Go Wings!). Downtown is starting to be reclaimed/cleaned up. More and more people are heading down for the casinos, shows, and things. True, there's still the crime/murder rate. But that's mostly due to the dumbass running the city who laid off most of the police/fire (there's no making sense of that one). The ones who are left are running themselves ragged doing what they can... I'll stop venting on that one before I get on a roll - you get the picture. Don't give up on Detroit or Michigan, no matter how bad it looks. Remember - it gets worse before it gets better.

Yes, hope is alive in Detroit. In my opinion alot of the problems come with the cities officials. The Mayor's a joke, the city council's a bunch of older gentlemen set in there way. And there still isn't enough law enforcement. On the other hand, many of Metro Detroit's suburb's are beginning to look up. I think people are starting to realize change is everyone's responsibilty. I have high hopes for Detroit, I may be crazy, but I can't wait to move back.

The sun is finally beginning to shine here and everything is so green.. you kind of have to have hope if you're going to stay here unfortunately... all i have to say is IMPEACH KWAME KILPATRICK!!

Sure there is hope. I believe that there is hope. I grew up in Detroit. This region can't stay like this forever. There have been some improvements going on, but it is hard to tell when you have government officials that do their best to ruin the shine that Detroit is trying to get. The problem is that no one is willing to work together, and when they do, someone finds something to blow it apart. Our media here, I don't know about other cities, tends to glamorize the bad, and continue to uphold this image that Hell (not Hell, Michigan) is safer than Detroit. Why can't they find the good going on? What I think this area needs are fresh, creative people with original ideas to rebuild this government and business structure. Revialize manufacturing, but for every plant that someone wants to build, there should be at least four different industries away from automotive that should come as well. The key is diversifing, not just indutries, but politics, cultures, etc. This old, decadent system of government is dead, and those that feel we should keep this old style of government should be left out as well. It's bad enough that too many arrogant and hot headed people allowed a canyon like rift in relations between Detroit and its suburbs (not to mention the two penisulas), but the time must come for people who didn't grow in the old systems to unite everyone. Other cities came out of their problem problems. If Detroit and Michigan can successfully change its image, then there is no excuse for anyone else not to, and there is no excuse for this region not to either. BTW, go Pistons and Red Wings.

Have you forgotten about the Red Wings? They are going to take the cup this year! Woot! People I know from Michigan have said that it is the most northern yet southern state and have compared it to places like St. Louis. Do taxes have anything to do with industry in Michigan? NY state has very high taxes so that deters businesses from investing in other rust belt cities like Rochester and Buffalo, who are now realizing that they need to provide tax breaks to large companies who come into the city in order to keep them there

The problem really isn't the locals, its the corrupt government officials of Detroit, the incompetent government and officials of Michigan overall, the major corporations who out source valuable employment, and the government who thought the state of Michigan could ever survive off of the Auto industry alone. NAFTA, also plays a major role in this problem as well.

yeah michigan sucks,i came from italy and all the michiganers ask me why did i move here,why michigan,they're the first ones to know that michigan sucks

You make some valid points but, you miss some good ones too. the camping, fishing (yes, they are still here), hunting are great. the economy of Michigan has been brought to it's knees because of the car industry. AND the government, both in Detroit and in Lansing. the democrats have taxed and taxed everyone to death. and that's what we are dealing with now. the death of Detroit, the car industry, and the state is following right down with it. can it be stopped. SURE, but it's along process. first get rid of the governments. get some decent tax breaks going for small business and major business. hire about 300 percent more cops, raze most of Detroit and start over. i think it'll recover, but some major things have to change.... Detroit needs to start building cars that people can afford (that don't suck) and that get good gas mileage. I just saw a statistic that said truck sales are down 33% yet prius sales are up 67%.... wake the F up detroit. When you are driving around detroit... check out the dealerships and see how many trucks and SUV's are sitting in the lots..... just how long do they sit there??? Good luck Detroit and Michigan. maybe one day I'll move back.