This cannot be sugar-coated, and I have no desire to even try.
Retailers Head for Exits in Detroit
There was a time early in the decade when downtown Detroit was sprouting new cafes and shops, and residents began to nurture hopes of a rebound. But lately, they are finding it increasingly tough to buy groceries or get a cup of fresh-roast coffee as the 11th largest U.S. city struggles with the recession and the auto-industry crisis.
No national grocery chain operates a store here. A lack of outlets that sell fresh produce and meat has led the United Food and Commercial Workers union and a community group to think about building a grocery store of its own.
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The city’s 22.8% unemployment rate is among the highest in the U.S.; 30% of residents are on food stamps.
Continue reading The slow-motion collapse of Democratic Detroit.