It's time to confront "an extremely delicate case," political analyst Jack Lessenberry says in a broadcast commentary about his view that Detroit "is nearing collapse."
"This is a lifeboat situation," Lessenberry said Monday afternoon on Michigan Radio. "And the earlier someone intervenes, the better."
The fact of the matter is this: Detroit can no longer govern itself in any realistic sense. The city doesn’t have the money to provide the most basic services. . . .
The city isn’t working. Nor is there any sign that it can fix itself. The yearly budget is still in the red. Detroit has, Mayor Dave Bing told me recently, $12 billion in unfunded pension and other obligations it can never pay. . . .
It may be politically incorrect to say this, but it is both inevitable and necessary that the state assume responsibility for Detroit, by whatever appropriate means.
That can’t happen till after the election, and it will be far easier if the Emergency Manager law is restored. But in any event, what’s important isn’t maintaining a particular political unit.
It’s about saving the people, and providing a minimally adequate foundation for life in a civilized country.
