God help us.

Just when I think that Detroit is on the mend - on the way to becoming the city I know it can be, this happens. Kwame "the thug" Kilpatrick is re-elected as mayor. Give me a break. This guy is corrupt, ridiculously under-qualified, and couldn't be worse for the city. But he's re-elected anyway.

Four years after becoming one of the city's youngest mayors, Kilpatrick found himself asking voters for forgiveness -- and another chance -- after a scandal-plagued first term. Still, he sees himself at the helm of a city dealing with its problems and heading in the right direction.Some city services have improved under Kilpatrick, who touts getting the grass cut in parks and plowing snow from streets among his administration's successes. New homes and downtown construction speak to revitalization efforts, but blight pervades many neighborhoods. *snip* Kilpatrick has implied that the media is out to get him with scrutiny that included his use of a city credit card on expensive out-of- town travel and a city lease of a luxury sport utility vehicle for his family. And he has tried to shake the label of "hip-hop mayor," removing his trademark diamond earring.

Gotta be honest, when I heard the news this morning I wondered how much it cost him to buy enough votes. Or how many dead people and/or felons voted.

Oh, and lookie. I'm not alone:

The FBI said it is investigating claims that the names of dead people were used to cast absentee ballots, that ballots were sent out improperly and that there was improper assistance given by the city clerk's staff to people incapable of voting.

It's a damn shame.

In addition to budget problems, Detroit faces a continuing population decline that started a half-century ago. It now has just more than 900,000 residents, compared with 1.8 million in 1950, and earlier this year was listed as the nation's most impoverished big city.