and those days are gone. >> mayor dave bing. >> reporter: to really breathe life into detroit, mayor a huge amount of help from washington, beyond the billons already handed to the auto industry. president obama has not been here since you've taken office. >> no. we have talked. i am sure he will come here. i think he has got a full plate himself right now. >> reporter: do you think you can take him in a game of one-on-one? >> oh, sure. he may say no, but yeah. i think so. >> reporter: the federal government is helping detroit with aid to education, housing and jobs. but, mayor bing says, it'll take a lot more to revitalize this community after so many decades of decay. i grew up here. i worked here. i've kept a close eye on this place. and it seems to me that every time detroit takes two steps forward, it takes one step back. >> well, i intend to take three steps forward and maybe one step back. and that's going to be an improvement. >> reporter: and one step he's talking about taking is an extreme one, actually shrinking the city. there are entire neighborhoods that are like ghost

dave bing, who came by my church on monday. when dr.ooks' body was lying in state, he gave me a request that said, for the flowers can you do me a favor? he said, "can you speak on behalf of myself and the city of detroit to let mrs. hope's know how much of detroit loved dr. hooks?" on behalf of detroit, michigan, we say to memphis and the world thank you for letting dr. hooks reside with us for 30 years in detroit. we gave him a presidential send off on monday night when his body left from the church. i also received a phone call from the president of the progressive national baptist convention. he asked if i could convey to you, mrs. hooks, to you, pat, that the entire pnbc family shares with you in this great loss. he sent a letter for me to give to you on behalf of progressive national baptist convention. i also stand here and today as its pastor for the greater new mount moriah in detroit, michigan, where dr. hooks serve for 30 years from 1964 to 1994. i will never forget 31 years ago, 1979, when i first met dr. hooks at the dexter