Bad News In The Motor City?

I've known of and read of Detroit's decline over the years, but these numbers I came across really stunned me:

"Detroit had nearly 1.6 million in 1930. It had just below 1 million in 1920. The estimated population as of 2005 was 887,000 (so it's roughly where it was during WWI) and dropping at roughly 13,000+ per year. Some social theorists estimated it will bottom out at around 300,000 or so within the next 20 years (although at the current rate of decline, it will take 40 years."

Kwame Kilpatrick, the young, self-described "hip hop mayor" has been a disappointment to say the least, embroiled in scandal after scandal. The decline of the auto industry has hit the city hard. The crime rate remains high. People have been leaving in droves. A great American city is falling apart right before our eyes. Very sad. I don't see any reason to believe that things will turn around there any time soon.

And on a political note (yes, I had to inject my political view into this)... why does it seem that all of the worst run American cities are ALL run by Democratic administrations? And I mean ALL of them. Detroit, Washington DC, New Orleans, Newark... right down the list. Not to say that Republicans would necessarily have all the answers, but I cant help but think that a Republican small government, fiscal conservative style might help turn some of these cities around. Fact is though, the demographics of most of these cities is so solidly Democratic that it would be extremely tough for a Republican to ever get a chance to try to turn things around.

Well, as someone once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over an over and expecting a different result". So the madness continues...

By the way, I'm curious... if Marion Jones will do 6 months in jail for lying under oath, should the Mayor of Detroit be any different?