Detroit, once America’s third largest city, is seeking outside help in government budget collapse – Highlighting When an Entire City Goes Under

Michigan governor plans takeover of Detroit

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder prepared for a state takeover of Detroit, a nationwide symbol urban decay, on Friday, by declaring the Motor City in a state of financial emergency.

“Detroit can’t wait,” Snyder said at a televised town hall meeting. “We need to solve real issues here today because citizens are not getting the services they need and we have a financial crisis.”

The move by a white, Republican governor to take control of a predominantly black and Democratic city has drawn intense criticism and charges of racism.

“It’s undemocratic and not a solution to the city’s problems,” John Philo, director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, which has challenged the emergency management laws in court, told AFP.