DETROIT, MI (AP)-- Mayor Dave Bing is criticizing his counterpart in Boston for using "an unfortunate choice of words" when describing what he would do while visiting Detroit.
Bing said in a statement Tuesday that Mayor Thomas Menino should have been more sensitive following the Boston Marathon bombing before telling The New York Times Magazine that he would "blow up" Detroit and "start all over."
Menino also told the magazine that "inaction" and "leadership" are behind some of Detroit's problems, like boarded up buildings, non-working streetlights and lengthy police response times to 911 calls.
Bing says Menino failed to "get his facts right."
A spokeswoman for Boston's mayor says Menino is sorry that his remarks caused offense in the Motor City. Dot Joyce says her boss "feels strongly about cities," cares about Detroit's problems and "would like to help in any way he can."
Joyce says "the mayor is sorry that people have taken offense."
