The News is Good, Elsewhere
The national economy, while it's not red-hot, it's doing alright. If you were in the right place with the right credentials, the economy added 180,000 jobs last month bringing unemployment down to 4.4% nationwide, which is a 5 year low.
And then there's Michigan.
Average hourly earnings in America rose from $16.55 an hour a year ago to $17.22 an hour today.
I don't think it's the same in Michigan.
I called Michigan the New Appalachia before (when in the 50's Appalachia was a pocket of poverty in a booming national economy) and really wonder how we'll turn it around.
It's not a can we turn it around. It's how will we do it. We will do it because we have no choice.
And then there's Michigan.
Average hourly earnings in America rose from $16.55 an hour a year ago to $17.22 an hour today.
I don't think it's the same in Michigan.
I called Michigan the New Appalachia before (when in the 50's Appalachia was a pocket of poverty in a booming national economy) and really wonder how we'll turn it around.
It's not a can we turn it around. It's how will we do it. We will do it because we have no choice.
posted by shoprat at 5:23 PM
8 Comments:
I'd love to see some data on what kind of jobs people are taking.
When my plant gets closed, I'll take a job at McDonald's if that's what's there. That is not, however, a good stat.
Round these parts, manufacturing jobs are far and few between, and service industry jobs pay crap.
Michigan is inexorably linked to the Big 3 automakers who themselves are doing poorly in now what is a World Market and not simply a national market. Legacy costs are killing the Big 3 along with a lack of innovative thinking -- concomitant with a lack of timely, responsive vehicles. The bulk of the Big 3 are rife with Loser Vehicles. DC only has a couple of winners: the 300 and the Charger. Jeep is a complete loser. Any time I look at anything coming from DC it reeks of simplistic plastic dashes and underwhelming technology.
GM: only winners: Cadillac and Corvette. Olds: gone. Buick: Loser. Only possible bright spot this year: Chevy Silverado. But only until everyone realizes gas will be $4 this summer. Then: loser.
Ford: as bad as GM. Hoping the Edge will pull them out. Not quite. Lincoln: each and every one of these vehicles has evidently been sourced from Vehicle Appearance Hell. NO ONE will buy a Lincoln this year.
Until Detroit "gets it" and is flexible and competitive in the WORLD MARKET, Detroit is doomed.
BZ
Happy Easter Shoprat!!
We have the same problem in NY -- high taxes and liberal spendthrifts are driving out business.
The Dem/Repub ratio here is 5-3, so just to break even, we'd have to import 3 million Republicans (just to make things even) and hope they are Conservative Republicans, not posers like Pataki, Giuliani, and Bloomberg.
As Detroit controls Michigan, NY, Albany, and Buffalo (All Dem) control us.
The only choice one can logically make is to leave town, as I know of no source of 3 million Republicans willing to relocate.
New Hampshire is where we're heading, possibly as soon as this summer. No income tax, no state tax, no sales tax. And it's a conservative bastion, although being diluted with Bostonian fools.
Al Czervic
The Oneonta Teletype
People are still spending money and this is good. As a small company we are regularly 'having to turn it around' so we can remain in business. We are in our 23rd year and have realized growth each year.
Now with that said, this year is a bit different. It has not been a 'bad' start for '07, but we have not seen the growth we have experienced in the past 22. Fuel costs and small business taxes are killers...
JR
Y'all might want to give Duncan Hunter a look in the next presidential election.
Unfortunately, everything I see from the governments here in Michigan - both state and local - indicates they have not yet been hit witha cluebat.
I just love the solutions. Gas is up to near $3/galloin again, so let's raise gas taxes, let's increase vehicle registration fees by 50%, let's jack up all sorts of fees and pretend they're not new taxes.
The local libraries, after blowing megamillions to build a huge new complex and renovate the rest, is now open hours a week instead of days a week. For some reason they're shocked that after blowing all this money on union-only contracts, the taxpayers are POed and aren't interested in renewing the operating budget. Instead of looking for other ways handle the situation, they punish the users (sound like union mentality??) until they can try getting the voters to change their minds.
I have to say that I had planned to stay here for at least a few years after retirement becuase we both like the area ... but my mind is quickly been changed for me.
Perfect example of blue-state-suicide-syndrome!
cug There are good jobs -- elsewhere
bz the quality is improving, a lot of their bad rep is based on past performance
lmc thanks
Oneonta Tell you what, we'll trade the liberal population of Michigan, and their businesses, for the conservative population of NY and their businesses.
jr It depends a lot on where you are and what your business is.
tc I am looking
Pete I see the same problems but I don't know if politicians can fix them.
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