DETROIT
Uncertainity continues to prevail in Detroit, filed for bankruptcy, as the fate of the city awaits federal court decision.
The federal government would decide whether to aid or not to Detroit within 90 days.
City residents, with a majority of African-Americans, spoke to the Anadolu Agency (AA), expressing their worries for future.
Yasser Kalkas, American of Lebanese origin, working at a pizza restaurant, living in Detroit for 32 years, said that security, bribe and maladministration were the most salient problems of the city.
He added that he expected the situation to deteriorate within few years.
It is possible to see brand new cars with stolen tyres left on the streets, neighborhoods in the back streets of the city turned out to be gettos, or abandoned houses. Unemployed youths, beggers and homeless people strenghten the perception of the city as being insecure and economically quagmired.
Federal court decision awaited
Federal court decision is required for the federal government to release the $ 18.5 million that is needed to pay the salaries of workers and retired people. The federal court needs 30-90 days to make its decision.
How to pay the salaries during these 90 days is the toughest question that the city administration faces.
African-American Glenn White, who lost his job, said "All factories are closed, people cannot pay the rents or installments. Automotive sector is not like before. I worked throughout my life, now because I am unable to work, I am trying to get my social aid rights."
He added, "Detroit turned out to be a ghost-city. The officials should act, instead of talking."
Homeless Morris Walker said, "Detroit is a great place to live, nobody wants to invest in here anymore. We need help."
Automotive industry and African-Americans
In 1850s, it was believed that it would be beneficial to abolish slavery for having free labor force along with the fastening heavy industry moves in northern provinces of US.
Before the civil war, in the provinces compromising Northern Union under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, more than 21.5 million of 22 million people were free, while only 5.5 million of 9 million people living in Southern Confederation, which was against the abolishment of slavery, were white people.
African-Americans started to immigrate northwards after the victory of Northern Union in the civil war in 1865. Detroit, being elected as the capital of automotive sector in the 20th century, led the African-Americans to migrate to the city to find job. Therefore, Detroit came to be the focal point of the investors, as it overcome the problem of cheap labor force.
englishnews@aa.comtr
