Glenn Beck got one thing partially right in his anti-Detroit rant the other day.
As you probably know, the Fox News commentator compared Detroit to Hiroshima (after the bomb dropped) and he blamed the urban decay, in part, on unions.
Beck wouldn’t understand this but Detroit’s slide began decades ago with white flight. One reason for that flight to the suburbs? The good wages earned by union workers, who moved out of the city and bought a nice house in the suburbs.
So, yes, it was the unions’ fault.
White flight wasn't caused by high wages, Chad. People could have built expensive homes and high rises in Detroit like they did in Chicago and New York. It was caused by racism and the economic decline of the City. Unions played a supporting role for the flight – union interests began to dictate City operations instead of the provision of services. Services declined and people left.