Reality check of Detroit mayoral candidates' words

Detroit -- The Detroit News takes a closer look at at the back-and-forth statements the candidates made during the hour-long debate.

Cobo

Bing: "I would have not brought that deal to the table."

Reality: Bing initially said it was good, praising it as "brilliant" but later backtracked and said the mayor made the city "look like clowns" when it collapsed.

Cockrel: "We engaged council very early in the process. I thought it was a good deal. We tried to sell that to council."

Reality: Not so, say several council members. "We would be signing on to a process that has disrespected this body. The council has been deliberately left out," Councilwoman JoAnn Watson has said.

Crime

Bing: "I am committed to making Detroit the safest city in America."

Reality: He'll have a tough task: In 2007, Detroit had the highest murder rate in the nation, just above Baltimore, according to the latest FBI figures.

Deficit

Bing: The deficit grew to nearly $300 million since Cockrel took office in September.

Reality: Cockrel estimated the deficit was about $150 million when he took office, but in November revised the deficit to $200 million as his administration delved into the city's finances. In January, he announced a deficit elimination plan to eliminate a $300 million deficit.

Mass transit

Cockrel: Supports a D-DOT merger with SMART.

Reality: His State of the City address backs this up: "It does not make sense for this city and this region to continue to support two separate bus systems," Cockrel said in February. "We must begin a serious discussion of how efficiencies, cost savings, and service improvements could be realized by a merger of the two systems."