Yes, we know the liberal agenda isn't working for Detroit.  Tossing more money at the problem isn't fixing it.  The Mayor is defending himself in lawsuits, and the city council is feeble and spineless.  This we know, and every article I see only reports on it like it's "news".

The question I have... dear Conservatives... is what are we going to do to FIX it.  What are your ideas?  We all "instinctively" know that prudence and conservative principles can bring Detroit out of despair.  Drop the "instinct" and put pen to paper - What can we do to fix Detroit?  

Charles Murray wrote a column about the underclass after Katrina; that label isn't restricted to just blacks, but it certainly applies to much of the black population of Detroit. Here's some excerpts:

from "The Hallmark of the Underclass" by Charles Murray
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007348

". . . The poverty Katrina underscored is primarily moral, not material. The government hasn't a clue. Job training? Unemployment in the underclass is not caused by lack of jobs or of job skills, but by the inability to get up every morning and go to work. A homesteading act? The lack of home ownership is not caused by the inability to save money from meager earnings, but because the concept of thrift is alien. You name it, we've tried it. It doesn't work with the underclass.

". . . In any case, poor people who are not part of the underclass seldom need help to get out of poverty. Despite the exceptions that get the newspaper ink, the statistical reality is that people who get into the American job market and stay there seldom remain poor unless they do something self-destructive. And behaving self-destructively is the hallmark of the underclass."

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Unfortunately, TPTB were able to whip up a frenzy among the locals, and deep-six the charter school plan that would've been a major impetus for change in the City of Detroit.

Eight Mile Road is, almost literally, down the street from my house. I speak with people from Detroit on a semi-daily basis.

I don't want to see them fail more than anyone else.

But as a wise trucker once told me: "Stupidity should be painful."

The way things are going, it'll be getting real painful for them in the coming years.

But honestly, and truly... where are the alternatives?  What options are conservatives proposing?  

You throw one example of Mr. Thompson and his charter school out.  One.  Example.  That seems typical of folks.  I tried once, and I didn't succeed.  So now I'm going to walk away.  It's their stupidity so I'm leaving.

The problem is, the extension of your theory (they don't want us, so we're not going to help) ignores the whole concept of advocacy and outreach.  

Maybe you're right.  Christians shouldn't send missionaries to new areas to spread the gospel.  Republicans, when they're not elected, should never run another candidate in that area again.

But I think you're wrong.  I think "stupidity" as you call it needs to be SHOWN an alternative.  Shown options.  And most importantly, shown people care.  Democrats are really good at pretending they care - no freaking wonder they keep getting elected.  We have Republicans who say "I don't want to help you, you're too stupid".

Require that schools test their students out at each grade level. Those schools that receive a failure rate over a certain percentile for each grade level (i.e 90%) get placed on probation. If after one year they cannot achieving a passing percentile, they get shut down and their staffs terminated.

Require that teachers get paid bonuses for each student that scores at or above their grade level.

Require that school boards that have an overwhelming level of underachieving/shut down schools in their district (i.e. 90%) get placed on probation (see above). If after one year there isn't any improvement, they get removed from office and charged for malfeasance.

Require that high schools partner with local colleges to encourage their students to take AP level courses. This can only be done once schools are at the level they should be teaching at.

Ease the process for removing disruptive students from DPS permenantly.

Hold parents accountable for the actions of their children outside of school (i.e. they steal car, parent also gets charged).

Now there's six ideas right off the bat. They don't entail bring up RTW or anything else that can antagonize the democratic base.

I said that the local school board get removed from office.

And just like any other open office, the seats can be filled by those from the community in the next election.

They will know what needs to be done.