Are that many people really giving up on Detroit?

If not, what are trying to do help the city?
What do you think the people who live in and aroiund the detroit metro area can do to help better the city.
I know Removing kilpatrick and his council is one idea, but lets focus on other ways that can contribute the future of the city.

NOTE: And please provide answers that actually answer the question, i visited miami and was very dissapointed, so i dont see any point to that.
Not a very intelligent answer g miami.

We are now experiencing what can happen when a "strong" Mayor "weak" Council form of government becomes entrenched.

We turned from the Ward system to the At-Large Representation in 1919. The result has been that the Council members live primarily in two parts of the City. Palmer Woods and Indian Village. Ken Cockrel lives in Rosedale Park.

If you live in those areas of the city, you get better services, meanwhile DelRay, Warrendale, Eastside are becoming war zones and pariree.

We should divide the City into 7 geographic Wards based on population, 2 seats should be elected At-Large. The result would be that someone who lives in DelRay would get on the Council, someone from Warrendale, etc.

Moreover, we should change from a Strong Mayor to a City Manager form of government. Our current mayor has proven to be a failure; Dennis Archer, while being a great guy, a terrific attorney, and a hell of tennis player had a tough time with being a manager of what amounts to be a huge business.

One can also aurgue that Coleman in his last two terms more or less phoned in the job. We suffered as a result.

So: Ward system, City Manager, ... two major steps to making City Government accountable.

I am worried about Detroit due to the lack of responsibility the rest of the nation has. Right now Detroit is having problems and the rest of the U.S. is still okay. If our neighbors start having problems like we are having, then watch out.

NO MORE FREE TRADE.

Well, yes, many people have and are giving up. Detroit's population is approaching 50% of it's highest population levels when it was a thriving city.

Pretty much a good portion of the city has given up on hope, just look at some of the postings on here from time to time.
Not just Detroit either, i think allot of people have given up on Michigan as a whole.
I love my city and my state, but i really honestly could think of any solutions to as how the general population can help revive the city of Detroit.

I answered a question similar to this recently. So to give you a shorter version of that answer, I would say that the city is on the right track, they have to build up the downtown first and keep it thriving.
Secondly they have to get industry back into the city, they have a very large work force that's just begging for a job. We used to be the stove capital, then the motor city, we need something new now. That won't be easy with free trade the way it is.
Once we find a new industry, and put people back to work, then property values will start increasing, and new homes will be built.
Lastly, once the city is back on it's feet.....DONT LET WHAT HAPPENED, HAPPEN AGAIN. Learn from history.
The only thing we as an area can do right now is support the city by, buying products that are made there, shopping, dinning, entertainment ect...ect.
I can be very pessimistic about Detroit or Michigan, or even the Midwest, because of what free trade has done to this, one time mighty industrial giant. So much of what we did here has gone to Mexico and China it makes my head spin.

what choose do we have except to leave?With the economy being as it is at this time,,,I live in the suburbs of Detroit and can no longer afford to keep our house,,Our Taxes are ridicules and we are seriously considering leaving the state,,,With our GOVERNOR and whats shes taxing on??come on now>>we need new blood in Michigan and DC

The reason why many people are giving up on Detroit is because for the last decade or two, Detroit has had so many oppotunities to be a World Class City but every idea that comes around never leaves the drawing board. Another reason why so many leave Detroit is because of their crime rate. Every year, Detroit ranks in the top five as having so much crime in the city. In Detroit, it takes up to four hours for police to get to your home and the police does not care for your safety. Furthermore, Detroit government is too corrupt and it gets more corrupt each year. You have city leaders and city workers who simply do not care for the citizens of Detroit and city leaders get reelected over and over no matter if they do nothing good for the city. Finally, Detroit NEVER recovered from the riots in 1967. A lot of cities in the United States of America had riots and protest including Chicago and Los Angeles but Detroit NEVER recovered from the riots while cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have changed since the riots and have become World Class Cities.

Clearly, the answer is yes. The population has dropped from 2,000,000 to 800,000.

Detroit is supported by the rest of the state, primarily Oakland County. Yet the people in the city still give the middle finger to anybody outside the city. They embrace corruption and refuse to make the hard choices that need to be made.

I know you wanted more of a "touchy, feely" answer, but that isn't possible in this case.

You can't help people (or cities) that don't want your help.

Interesting aside ... Detroit could have been the recipient of the incredible transit system currently in Chicago, but the auto industry lobbied against it. Chicago and the auto industry benefit, Detroit suffers.

Bill S - I like your answer and I agree that Kwame is a strong mayor ... too many skeletons though.

I am livide of how Detroit has been ran and the people cheated. They need Dennis Archer back STAT!!!

Sadly, yes. I tried to wait until the city turns around but I don't think that will happen for a while now so yes, I will be one of the many leaving and soon.

It's one big sewer. The tax base is gone, the city government couldn't manage a one room school house. Crime is rampant, 70% of the residents don't even graduate High School. 10,000 or more vacant houses that should have been bulldozed years ago. Over a million people have left the city in the last decade, that should tell you something.

Detroit has potential but it seems that everyone around here has given up. There are lots of things that Michigan needs to do to help better the city of Detroit. Getting rid of all of the burnt down and unoccupied homes, make use of that land. Fix up the streets, crack down on violence with more law enforcement. Clean up the streets (literally, they're dirty). They need new buildings, more events, better schools(renovated WITH BOOKS) There is so much that needs to be done, yet Michigan is hitting a depression. The 3 Auto Companies are based here in DETROIT! Those are also failing. It is horrible how a City like this with such potential to be so much more and be what it is.

i visited detroit a few times and was very disappointed