The saga of “Detroit vs. Everyone” has a host of racial, social, and economic factors – but who knew it included legislative action? The Metro Times was sent this map from a reader and dug up some interesting history.

“[…] an idea spawned by, it appears, then State Rep. Thomas Brown, a Democrat from Westland. Based on the map above, the plan would slice off everything besides Detroit and the Grosse Pointes. […] Then-Gov. William Milliken’s proposed solution was to reorganize the county under a structure that had a single top executive, but the county’s “36 independently elected commissioners and department heads do not want their political bailiwicks tampered with,” the Times reported […]”

The proposed plan passed in the Michigan House, but was sent to Committee to die. Can you imagine living in Metro Detroit where there was Suburbia County and everything Detroit and East? If anything this is an important representation of the municipal and legislative mentalities that have continued to push for this invisible line drawing.