esmith, I think you’re missing it here: the real scam is the city government, which is run as a patronage for a lucky few, and funded by taxes on those unlucky enough to be unable to move out. Hence the City’s attempt to saddle a $1 house with nearly $4K tax bill. (Even with the old value near $80K, that’s a 5% tax rate!)

The more children on average is because any single person who can move, moves, and what’s left is the most stereotypical of the stereotypes. (“Welfare mother with 5 kids.”) Figuring out how to get these children integrated into our economy rather than into our prisons is indeed all our problems.

I agree about the high tax rates here, but it’s a catch-22, caused but city corruption, legacy costs, low density (streets with 2-3 homes each on them), and no clear sense that lowering the rates would actually cause anyone to care enough to invest in Detroit brownfields. I wouldn’t!