Scott Martelle, the author of “Detroit: A Biography” and a former staff writer for The Detroit News and the Los Angeles Times, has compiled five myths about Detroit and explained them for a national audience.
He writes: "The city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy protection on July 18 — the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. Detroit, of course, is synonymous with the auto industry, which has been rebounding recently. So why is Detroit struggling? To find out, let’s dispel some myths about the city’s past and present."
Here are the myths he has identified:
- The auto industry is back, so Detroit should be, too.
- Unions destroyed the auto industry — and Detroit.
- The city began declining after the 1967 riot.
- Public pensions sunk the city’s budget.
- Bankruptcy will save Detroit.
Some of what Martelle writes is not breaking news to a Metro Detroit audience, but he's writing for a national readership, and interest in Detroit's plight is clear: The article has more than 900 comments.
