Chicago in Decline:Mayor Daley's Legacy

The Chicago Tribune reports on Mayor Daley's Chicago.The website leaves out an important table in the print version with some rather interesting numbers.In 1989 when Mayor Daley took office, Chicago's median household income in 2005 dollars was $41,424.In 2005 median household income $41,015.In 1989 the Chicago's unemployment rate was 11.3%.In 2005 Chicago's unemployment rate 10.1%.The number of housing units in 1989 was 1,133,039.In 2005 after the housing boom Chicago was down to 1,170,187 units.Total population in 1989 was 2,783,726.Total population in 2005 was 2,701,926.White population in 1989 was 38.2% of Chicago.The 2005 numbers have whites as 30.3%.Where's the great comeback the urban lovers tell us about? Declining population,declining median family income,and 10% unemployment.Do other cities really want to emulate Chicago? It appears Chicago really is just a bigger version of Detroit.