Will the last person to leave Detroit please turn out the lights?

"Census data on Tuesday showed that Detroit’s population had plunged by 25 percent over the last decade. It was dramatic testimony to the crumbling industrial base of the Midwest"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/us...roit.html?_r=1

http://www.census.gov/regions/detroit/

Mayor Bing has been reduced to begging for a recount in hopes of qualifying for state and federal aid.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/detroits-ma...ry?id=13203061

Once the dynamic hub of a thriving industrial nation, Detroit is now a crumbling slum.

What happened?