After losing residents, businesses and wealth for 50 years, the city needs all the help and resources it can get. That becomes even more essential with each passing year, as the city's population declines further. Enlisting even the support of many African-American business leaders means reaching out to people who live in West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Southfield and other communities. This is not to say that racism isn't an obstacle to overcome in the rebuilding of Detroit, or that it never seeps into the debate over its future. It is to suggest, however, that the issues that were before the Legislature ought to be examined on their own merits, even if the motivation is somehow construed as antagonistic.
Results ought to matter.
Those who have reasoned rebuttals to such important questions should state them. In the absence of reason, it seems that for some leaders, emotion will do. The Detroit News We welcome your comments .