Detroit Residents Not Surprised by Bankruptcy
July 23,2013
Although Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing made headlines around the world, it was no surprise to the long-suffering residents of that U.S. city. Those who live there endure long police and fire response times, amid the blight and urban decay of a city that once was the fourth largest in the United States. But some residents see the city’s bankruptcy as a fresh start.
While more than 1 million people have left over the last 50 years, lifelong resident John George decided to stay in Detroit, and he watched it hit rock bottom.
“The good news about hitting rock bottom is sometimes you get a bounce, and that’s what we’re looking for. A bounce from the bottom back up, you really can’t go too much farther than a bankruptcy to hit rock bottom,” he said.
The streets of this neighborhood are a symbol of Detroit’s rock bottom. Homes once populated with middle class families, with cars in each driveway and bikes on each sidewalk, have been replaced with piles of garbage and burned out ruins.
As founder of the charitable organization called Motor City Blight Busters, John George’s mission is to tear down things that once were the soul of this neighborhood - now abandoned and neglected - so they don’t encourage crime, vandalism or fire.
He said he’s seen enough hardship in Detroit to not be surprised by the city’s bankruptcy filing.
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