Can Michigan Survive?

[Chayton]

With all the houses for sale and job losses in this state, can Michigan actually survive? Our incompetent governer Jennifer Granholm is completely responsible for most of this.How long will it take to bounce back out of this mess? What has to happen?

[teiji60]

ziggrl said: 3 gary4books:I agree. I think 10 years too. That's right about the time I want to retire too. Sell the house and blast off out of here. Now if I can only stay employed for the next 9-10 years . . . 70 months ago

[MacBean]

I don't know how long it will take, but several things would help. First, the American automobile manufacturers need to start making cars that are better than their Japanese competitors such as Honda and Toyota. If not better than, at least as good as, and cheaper at the same time. If you had a choice of a Honda that got 35 mpg and cost $20,000 or a Chevrolet that got 30 mpg and cost $23,000 - with gas pushing $4 a gallon and money tight right now, which would you buy? So, they need to get competitive.Second, and Congress needs to get involved here - some tax incentives for companies that don't outsource jobs to India and Lower Pango Pango or wherever would help keep jobs in this country. Right? And how many of those automotive parts are made in this country? How many non-automotive jobs have been outsourced overseas? That would also help.If none of that comes to pass, you could always hope that Canada would offer to help and maybe take in Michigan as one of its provinces!!!

[Goddard]

Michigan's mistakes are older than Granholm's tenure in office. A century ago, Michigan tied its economic future to the auto industry. In the short run, it was an excellent idea, leading to widespread prosperity. But no trend runs forever, and the auto industry?s free ride ended when cheap Japanese imports began to take serious market share away from the Big Three. Had we been run by foresighted leaders, then the State would have begun trying to diversify away from auto manufacturing(pretty much what Granholm?s trying to do) in the 1970s. I figure it?ll take at least a decade for Michigan to get its economic act together. In an environment where businesses say antiquated transportation infrastructure is the reason they?re leaving, the Republican Party is perpetually cutting the transportation budget. Where employers say they want an educated workforce, the Republicans are continually fighting to trim the education budget. The Republican mantra is that lower taxes will attract employers. They?ve missed the boat; employers looking for rock-bottom costs are shipping business functions to China and India. The Democrats are saying the right sort of things, but aren?t sharply focused enough. I?m not sure if it?s a minor comprehension problem, or they?re just too busy fighting the Republicans to move from also-ran to winning quality. At least they?re listening to what the major corporations say they want, and trying to provide something like it. I figure the state will have to hit rock bottom before the politicians get more serious about helping the state than savaging each other. When similar things have happened to other States, it?s taken about 10 years for that to happen. Murstein 70 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Fidele]

The cars are better and the present downturn is just a readjustment. Give it ten years and things will be good.

[Aitan]

Curious2135 said: 4 I would say that Granholm pretty much inherited a mess from her predecessor, which the economic downturn has exacerbated. There is still a structural deficit in the State Budget which is going to have to be addressed. The housing crisis is worse here than in other states, and that is destroying our tax base. Also, the restructuring in the auto industry has long range consequences. Fourteen dollar an hour employees are not going to pay as much taxes as twenty-eight dollar an hour employees, nor are they going to be able to be as generous with charitable giving. That is creating budget problems in our local communities.We'll survive, but I think 10 years is optimistic. The federal budget deficit needs to be addressed, the federal trade imbalance has to be addressed, and the political climate has to change. It is just as poisonous in Lansing as in Washington, which is why the budget negotiations took so long and has still not resolved the structural deficit this last time. When things get better at the federal level, some of that will begin to trickle toward Michigan and create a climate in which the Michigan economy can begin to diversify more than it already has, and attract new industry. The Michigan work force is still among the best and the brightest anywhere in the U.S., but conditions beyond their control are killing them right now. 70 months ago

[culley96]

OldHippieHatesNewAV said: 1 I don't know how long it will take, but several things would help. First, the American automobile manufacturers need to start making cars that are better than their Japanese competitors such as Honda and Toyota. If not better than, at least as good as, and cheaper at the same time. If you had a choice of a Honda that got 35 mpg and cost $20,000 or a Chevrolet that got 30 mpg and cost $23,000 - with gas pushing $4 a gallon and money tight right now, which would you buy? So, they need to get competitive.Second, and Congress needs to get involved here - some tax incentives for companies that don't outsource jobs to India and Lower Pango Pango or wherever would help keep jobs in this country. Right? And how many of those automotive parts are made in this country? How many non-automotive jobs have been outsourced overseas? That would also help.If none of that comes to pass, you could always hope that Canada would offer to help and maybe take in Michigan as one of its provinces!!! 70 months ago

[Twitchel]

gary4books:I agree. I think 10 years too. That's right about the time I want to retire too. Sell the house and blast off out of here. Now if I can only stay employed for the next 9-10 years . . .

[Westleah]

Gary4books said: 2 The cars are better and the present downturn is just a readjustment. Give it ten years and things will be good. 70 months ago

[zadok]

A century ago, Michigan tied its economic future to the auto industry. In the short run, it was an excellent idea, leading to widespread prosperity. But no trend runs forever, and the auto industry?s free ride ended when cheap Japanese imports began to take serious market share away from the Big Three. Had we been run by foresighted leaders, then the State would have begun trying to diversify away from auto manufacturing(pretty much what Granholm?s trying to do) in the 1970s. I figure it?ll take at least a decade for Michigan to get its economic act together. In an environment where businesses say antiquated transportation infrastructure is the reason they?re leaving, the Republican Party is perpetually cutting the transportation budget. Where employers say they want an educated workforce, the Republicans are continually fighting to trim the education budget. The Republican mantra is that lower taxes will attract employers. They?ve missed the boat; employers looking for rock-bottom costs are shipping business functions to China and India. The Democrats are saying the right sort of things, but aren?t sharply focused enough. I?m not sure if it?s a minor comprehension problem, or they?re just too busy fighting the Republicans to move from also-ran to winning quality. At least they?re listening to what the major corporations say they want, and trying to provide something like it. I figure the state will have to hit rock bottom before the politicians get more serious about helping the state than savaging each other. When similar things have happened to other States, it?s taken about 10 years for that to happen.