Letter-writer asks: Why would anyone relocate to Michigan?
We keep hearing about all the new businesses that are going to come and relocate here in Michigan now that we have cut our state business tax.
I find it hard to believe that any business or individual would re-locate in Michigan at the present time. We have fewer and fewer police and fire workers.
Our schools have been in trouble for several years -- they continue to lay off teachers and cut programs (including, perhaps, even the buses used to get the kids to school).
The roads in our state are the worst they have ever been in my lifetime -- and, I’m a grandmother who has lived in Michigan my entire life. There is even talk of closing some of our state parks.
While the beauty of our state and our Great Lakes is exceptional, these do not make up for a declining quality of life. For anyone who has children and/or young people of college age who need to be educated -- Michigan would seem, today, to be a poor place to choose for a home.
It is also my understanding that if you look carefully at states across our country, there is no correlation between the size of their state business tax and the strength of their economy. Are we living in fantasyland?
Margaret R. Bennett
Ann Arbor
Comments
gild
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:33 a.m.
We no longer have a government that views business as the enemy, unless it falls into a handful of categories favored by Democratic constituencies. We no longer have a business tax system based not on trying to be fair, but on making sure the government has enough money to keep the union gravy train going. We no longer have a government that kowtows to union bullies 24/7. Those all sound like good reasons to me.
Margaret Bennett
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 4:29 p.m.
Well, I guess I know how you vote?
braggslaw
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 5:12 p.m.
California is a case study on what not to do NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Buffeted by high taxes, strict regulations and uncertain state budgets, a growing number of California companies are seeking friendlier business environments outside of the Golden State. And governors around the country, smelling blood in the water, have stepped up their courtship of California companies. Officials in states like Florida, Texas, Arizona and Utah are telling California firms how business-friendly they are in comparison. Companies are "disinvesting" in California at a rate five times greater than just two years ago, said Joseph Vranich, a business relocation expert based in Irvine. This includes leaving altogether, establishing divisions elsewhere or opting not to set up shop in California. "There is a feeling that the state is not stable," Vranich said. "Sacramento can't get its act together...and that includes the governor, legislators and regulatory agencies that are running wild." The state has been ranked by Chief Executive magazine as the worst place to do business for seven years. "California, once a business friendly state, continues to conduct a war on its own economy," the magazine wrote.
garrisondyer
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 4:49 p.m.
Trust me, I would absolutely love to come back from Washington state, for these reasons: 1. Family 2. Actual, real seasons 3. Cider & Doughnut mills 4. The Great Lakes (especially Lake Michigan) 5. (Many more!) But I find it next to impossible, because of: 1. the lack of employment opportunities as a teacher. 2. my growing affinity toward the mountains and rivers out here, and 3. the fact that it's not controversial out here to be ecologically and environmentally minded.
Deb Anderson
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:14 p.m.
Okay, you threw out the line so I'll bite. I'm one of those weirdos who re-located here from California. The economy was probably worse in 1980 than it is now but I am pretty glad I moved here, without one iota of regret. I love the seasons, the people, the trees, and the unique geography of Michigan. I never enjoyed a tomato until I moved here and tasted my fist backyard homegrown. I love the hot and humid summers and I love the first snow. Autumn and spring are exceedingly beautiful and I am in complete awe every time. I love the rivers and the lakes and the Great Lakes. I love the flora and fauna. I love the smell of deep woods, autumn leaves buring, a sudden whif of honeysuckle or the lilacs in spring. I love seeing the gentle rolling hills of corn or wheat in the breeze. I love the clouds, even the storm clouds because I'm a sucker for a good thuinderstorm. Aesthetics aside, I own a home here, that would have never happened if I had stayed in the Bay Area where the cheapest homes start at $400,000 and those are the starter bungalos AFTER the housing market crash. I love being able to commute to work without being caught in a daily 3 hour traffic jam. You think the roads are bad here? You should see how nice they look after an earthquake or mud slide. The schools are okay here but they'd work even better if parents got a lot more involved. I am glad I relocated to Michigan and after 30 some years I finally feel more like a Michigander than I do a Californian. And that's a good thing.
Margaret Bennett
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
I agree with most of your comments. Detroit is my hometown--I grew up in that area. There are a lot of great things about MI--otherwise my sons and I wouldn't still be here. But, I think it takes more than tax reductions to get people from elsewhere to come here--especially those that are unaware of the great things here. I'm not impressed with this summer's weather--if you don't believe in global warming--you have to agree that we have "climate change".\ I was in CA once--it didn't attract me much. And, the commutes to work are incredible... Mbennett
treetowncartel
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 7:45 p.m.
I am glad you moved here and I'm wishing i was your next door neighbor now.
amlive
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 2:13 p.m.
And we love you too Deb.
braggslaw
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:52 p.m.
That's why I live here
Stuart Brown
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 8:24 a.m.
The author of this post has nailed some important observations. I'd like to point out that our current leaders in Washington are every bit as bad as Slick Rick, especially our POTUS. If you want to know what things would have been like had Herbert Hoover been re-elected in 1932, look no further than one Barrack Obama. Obama can't wait to dismantle our social safety net in place since the Great Depression and expanded by the Great Society of LBJ under the guise of debt reduction. Make no mistake about it, the debate over the debt limit has more to do with destroying our social safety net than anything else. Obama is a Wall Street stooge and if there is any doubt, look at his appointments: almost all Wall Street insiders. Obama was groomed by Goldman Sachs so if you are waiting for the Vampire Squid to face justice under Obama's Justice Department, don't hold your breath. Anybody who has studied basic economics and looked at the track record of governments who have tried to balance a budget during a recession, knows that it only makes the pain suffered by the population even worse and does not even achieve its principle objective of reducing the debt. The double dip of the 1930's was caused by FDR yielding to demands to balance the budget; we just can't wait to repeat the same knuckle-headed move. It turns out the middle class was created in the early 1940's when unemployment dropped to less than 2% as a result of stepped up war production and the concurrent removal of 16 million men over four years from the labor force. Hopefully, Democrats will wake up in 2012 and support somebody who will mount a credible challenge to Obama on the jobs issue;
StrongFire
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 2:17 a.m.
Trying to attract businesses to the state is a waste of resources. Companies that require incentives to come to Michigan play states off of each other and ultimately are not loyal to the state. Once the formula changes they're outta here. The film industry is a recent example. The best investment of scarce resources is to grow the businesses that we already have. State, county, and local governments need to be allies instead of an obstructions. That means simplifying taxes and regulations. Helping businesses find markets for their products or services. Helping existing businesses to diversify or modernize to produce products or services that are in growing instead of retreating. Taxes are not a disincentive if the business is very profitable. Taxes are going to be a greater problem to marginal business. An example is Chicago. The taxes (property, sales, etc.) charged in Cook County and Chicago and its suburbs are extraordinarily high compared to Michigan, yet this is one of the places where are youth are settling after graduating college. It's because of the Chicago area's quality of life and employment opportunities that our youth are going there. It is for these same reasons that I believe that Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Michigan. Once Michigan gets out of survival mode (and we are ahead of many other states including Illinois) we can get about the business of growing our economy. In the meantime, I'm going to stay positive about Michigan and encourage you all to do the same.
KarenH
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 2:02 a.m.
Plus a constitutional amendment prohibiting equal rights for gay people.
Enso
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:36 a.m.
Legalize drugs and prostitutes. And then do something with the massive revenue that will bring in. Massive.
Greggy_D
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:23 a.m.
"* 20%+ of the worlds fresh water while other regions suffer sever droughts and water shortages. " Uhhh...take a look at my grass right now.
spm
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : noon
I'll take Michigan and it's renewable source of water over Happy, Texas any day. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/8359076/US-farmers-fear-the-return-of-the-Dust-Bowl.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/8359076/US-farmers-fear-the-return-of-the-Dust-Bowl.html</a> Water may not be the prime issue right this second but soon enough in our children's lifetime this will become a critical issue. The largest population growth has been in areas that won't have enough water to substain them. Without the necessary resources businesses will need to look elsewhere to set up shop and Michigan will be waiting.
amlive
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 3:35 a.m.
My grass is a bit brown too right now, but I've had to water my garden only once so far this year, and I didn't have to violate any water usage restrictions in doing so. Point is, even in the worst of times our version of extreme drought does not compare to areas in the west, southwest, and even some areas of the south, where they can be pushing their luck each year to count on providing enough water to meet basic needs. These areas are really putting a much higher strain on this basic resource than I would feel safe betting on. A good prolonged drought cycle could seriously cripple some of their economies. If climate change (whether man made or of natural cycles) does shift even a bit, there are a lot of communities that seem to be teetering right at the verge of that ubiquitous last straw to break the camel's back. If you want to set up in Texas or Nevada, just don't come asking us for a pipeline when the ten year drought cripples you. If you want water it's here, and you're welcome to come HERE to use it. Just look at the climate models and forecasts now, and figure out where you want to place your bets on where you'd like to be in thirty years if they're true. Maybe it's fear mongering to our advantage, but hey, use it. If water is to be the new oil, there's nothing wrong with reminding folks where the safest investments may lie. If droughts do continue to worsen in the southwest, I'm honestly waiting for the center of US population to slow down or even reverse the direction it's been moving for the last two centuries. Or at least that's all the stuff I'd be saying if I wanted to sell and market our state toward investors....
Stuart Brown
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.
The poster is right to imply that reducing business taxes is not a wise move in terms of quality of life issues for the residents of Michigan. The businesses that are here are here for reasons intrinsic to Michigan and would probably not be swayed either way by either increasing or decreasing the tax burden. Cutting taxes on businesses in Michigan to create jobs is just plain dumb and will more than likely result in a net reduction in jobs when you factor in the cuts to state supported services. If you want to increase jobs in the state, consider a substantial increase in the state's minimum wage (businesses can afford it since they just received a cut of $1.8 billion complements of Slick Rick. ) Minimum wage workers share their wealth with everyone else unlike stuck-up, self-centered business owners who hoard their wealth. The flacks for business interests will scream about "the job killing minimum wage" but they are just plain wrong! Businesses today are not suffering from a lack of investment capital, they are suffering from a substantial reduction in demand and will not add jobs no matter how much you cut their taxes until demand in the national economy picks up. Michigan's economic gem is its auto industry with its highest concentration of automotive engineering talent in the world. It is not just the technology that goes into cars but the know-how to manufacture them as well that makes the state unique. Productivity improvements of double the national average in manufacturing are the norm for the state, making the state an economic powerhouse in terms of the US economy. The state suffers because it has been so productive, it does not need as many workers to make the same number of vehicles from year to year. Getting health care costs in line with other industrialized nations would also be a major positive to improving the state's economic outlook. There has been a lot of talk of the Canada Single Payer model, but Germany offers another mo
Margaret Bennett
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 4:22 p.m.
Thanks, Stuart. You got my point. (My attorney told me 2-3 years ago that there are NO jobs for newly minted lawyers in MI. But the law schools keep expanding and raking in tuition...)
braggslaw
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.
Children are expensive in Europe because peole don't have money to spend. The taxes are insane.
braggslaw
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.
Argentina suffered for years because of its default, for Greece it might be the right answer if they can take the pain. (lack of credit, unemployment, lower GDP). But you have to question the morality of a country that borrows money, spends like a drunken sailor on public employees and then refuses to pay the money back leaving the counrties who generate wealth holding the bag. <a href="http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/28/why-greece-is-not-argentina/" rel='nofollow'>http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/28/why-greece-is-not-argentina/</a> "Argentina's road to recovery is hardly something Greece could follow, however. One big factor explaining its comeback includes an advantage Greece isn't so lucky to have: Agricultural exports. Whereas the engine driving Greece's economy relies mostly on services, selling agricultural products abroad helped Argentina ride through its downturn. It runs a trade surplus, helped especially by rising global prices for agricultural commodities. Prices for soybeans, of which Argentina is a major producer, have risen from $200 a ton in 2003 to about $500 a ton today."
Stuart Brown
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 12:36 p.m.
braggslaw said, "Europe is collapsing under its welfare programs.... see Greece, Spain Portugal etc. an unsustainable societal model. " Hogwash! All Greece had to do was 1) never dump their own currency and adopt the Euro and 2) default on the debt like Argentina did a few years ago. Greece should default then issue its own currency. Argentina is doing quite well, thank you, post debt default. Turkey never adopted the Euro and is doing well. You say children are expensive in Europe? Why should they not be? That means society is investing more in its children and they are better appreciated.
braggslaw
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 11:08 a.m.
Most of the people I know in Europe don't have kids because it is too expensive. Your conclusion is wrong. Europe is collapsing under its welfare programs.... see Greece, Spain Portugal etc. an unsustainable societal model. Nothing is for free.... even if you want it that way.
Stuart Brown
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 3:34 a.m.
Braggslaw, You've hit on one of the manifestations of an advanced industrial society with a robust social safety net: a low birth rate. Given the world's 6 Billion and counting population, a humane way to deal with overpopulation is to get people to choose to have fewer offspring. This happens by choice when there are robust ways to retire with a secure income at a reasonable age for the bulk of the population. The US is moving away from the things that make this happen and the US birth rate is stuck between Europe's and third world nations. Check it out, look at the list of countries that have the lowest birth rates (mostly European) and look at the nations with the highest (mostly in Africa). A high birth rate is often an indicator of distress in the population.
braggslaw
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:56 a.m.
Europeans are moving here...but not in Ellis Island numbers. Why? I can only hypothesize... Europe has a declining birthrate and falling population. In many countries such as Italy and Spain people just don't have children (probably 1.2 per couple). The aging population of Europe will not move. Maybe you should move to Europe?
Stuart Brown
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 12:20 a.m.
Braggslaw, If Europe sucks, why are we not seeing more Europeans move here? Most of the legal immigration these days is from third world countries. I will tell you why Europeans don't move here; it's because social mobility is worse and people who work for a living have far fewer protections than people in Europe. The weak labor market and political response to it are all proof that the American way of doing things shafts people who just want to earn a decent living by working a job.
braggslaw
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 12:01 a.m.
Wrong on so many fronts, I don't know where to begin. First manufacturing jobs are now moving back to the U.S. GE moved their appliance line from Korea to Kentucky due to cost savings. It is cheaper to execute engineering in the U.S. than in China, Korea or Japan. India might be cheaper but the employee turn-over and low productivity kills any costs savings. If you don't want to work in a service job goto school and get a degree (not in Poetry or Liberal Arts). If you can program Linux you have a guaranteed 70k a year. Nokia just put thousands of symbion programmers out of business in Finland due to, among other things, high costs. They are now using a microsoft system. Europe sucks, I lived there, worked there... The U.S. is a better place. Bitter...
Stuart Brown
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 11:19 p.m.
Talk about bitterness, eagleman hit the nail on the head! Minimum wage jobs are service sector jobs that can't be outsourced to China (you can't shoot a burger in a tube across the ocean while its still hot from the oven). If you pay minimum wage workers a higher wage, they will spend it immediately rather than parking the money in t-bills. No country in the world pays such a high price for bad health care as does the US; we're not even close to the next high cost country (Canada). We rank number one in per-capita cost and around number 35 in quality of service delivered. Given metrics like these, don't you think we ought to be looking at other places to see what works? But are business people know better, don't they! It is amusing to read eagleman's rant, "To top that off you insult those who actually create jobs--business owners." That's right, it is business owners who subjected this country to two successive bubbles; first the stock market bubble and then the housing bubble. It's business owners who are hogging all the wealth and returning our country back to a new Gilded Age. It's business owners who have the most obnoxious sense of entitlement on the planet (if you can't stand "Limosine Liberals" wait till you see "Limosine Conservatives") I'm tired of the drivel that passes as conventional economic wisdom by self-serving interests in the main stream news media. The public policy measures that would improve the quality of life for most people in this country are counter-intuitive from the perspective of people like eagleman. If you want proof of this, look at where the legal immigrants are coming from these days; you won't find anyone from Europe or Austriallia moving here, they are all coming from India and China. And yet, our business people assure us that if we ever adopt the European model, we are doomed!
DonBee
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 10:53 p.m.
Stuart Brown - The businesses that got lower taxes in Michigan are not the Ford, GM, Meijer or other large firms that you can find on the stock exchange and that you identify with Michigan. Rather it is the smaller businesses that are far more mobile to stay or leave the state. Worse yet, many could just decide to close the doors and move away, losing jobs all the way around. The $1.8 billion in tax reductions is shared by more than 100,000 businesses, that averages out to a little less than $1,800 a business, surely you can become a millionaire with this tax reduction. Meijer, GM and Ford have all indicated the new tax will cost them more in state taxes, but as Meijer pointed out the reduction in time to calculate what their tax liability should be is significantly reduced. So too, do small businesses see a reduction in time to fill in their tax forms, providing more time for the owners to seek more business and potentially create more jobs.
braggslaw
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 10:16 p.m.
Plenty of bitterness in this post.
eagleman
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.
You calling anyone "dumb" is ironic considering your suggestion that we raise the minimum wage. The most expensive aspect for a business is its workers. Yet, you want to INCREASE that cost by raising the minimum wage. To top that off you insult those who actually create jobs--business owners. You have the audacity to attack for wanting to make a profit out of something that they have spent a large chunk of their own finances on. . You talk about creating demand. Who creates demand? The people. How are they able to do so? By having money to do that. Where do they get that money? From a job. Who creates jobs? Business owners. It seems to me then, that in order to create demand we must first create jobs. The auto industry is not Michigan's gem, but rather its millstone. It has created a workforce that is unskilled in anything but industrial labor. It has created a boom-or-bust situation in this state that has caused much misery and heartache for generations of Michiganders. We have are a single-industry state and that means we live or die based off of that one industry. As everyone knows fossil fuels are becoming harder and harder to come by. What good then is an industry that is dependent on fossil fuels ? Electric batteries? Perhaps, but then those require fuel sources as well. Canada's health care system has problems of its own. Long waiting periods, lack of access to the best and innovative procedures....cheaper medicine does not equate to BETTER medicine. Nations like England are struggling to pay for their system as is Canada. They are even thinking about privatizing parts of it to save money. One should not mislead the people in believing that there is a system out there to save us because there isn't. These systems also do not address our lack of doctors and nurses. So many people make so much money o our current health care system that it seems doubtful that true reform will ever happen--even though we all know that it must occur.
idid
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 4:58 p.m.
medical marijuana
DonBee
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 4:38 p.m.
Ms. Bennett - I have moved many times in my life. The items you talk about in your letter did not stop me from moving. They only caused me to look around the area and pick a different town or village. When I moved it was simple, the reasons were straight forward: 1) My employer said "move here" 2) I wanted a different job that required me to move 3) See Items (1) and (2) If you want people to move to Michigan there needs to be work for them. Otherwise, there is little or no reason for most people to move to the state.
Margaret Bennett
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 4:20 p.m.
I agree with you about needing jobs--but I haven't heard of any new companies in the past 6 months.
Gloriagirl
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 3:46 p.m.
Why relocate to michigan? Have you tasted our strawberries in june? Our blueberries in july and august? Our traverse city cherries? Our apples in august,september and october? You can pick your own fresh at a farm close by. What about our sugar beets? Have you fished our great lakes or any inland streams? But even more..... We have the great lakes within driving distance from anywhere in the state within 2 hours. Our cost of living is some of the lowest in the country especially housing, our physical amenities such as lakes, climate, temperature and have you noticed how mild our summers generally are compare to other states? Our sales tax is relatively low compared to other states. We have many good healthcare options, teaching hospitals and medical research institutions.
treetowncartel
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 7:41 p.m.
What about tasting our road salt in February?
amlive
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.
Okay, I'll shoot. Reasons Michigan should be attractive - In this time of changing climate and so many natural disasters we have: * 20%+ of the worlds fresh water while other regions suffer sever droughts and water shortages. * Plenty high above sea levels should they rise. * No tsunamis to worry about unless a huge meteor strikes the lakes. * No massive earthquakes. * No volcanoes. * The occasional stray tornado, but well outside of tornado alley. * The occasional minor flooding in a few areas, but it's not like we're on the Mississippi. * Milder winters and summers buffered by lakes than our neighbors to the west or east For business infrastructure we have: * Again the great lakes, connecting the Atlantic to the plains for freight. * A dilapidated but still functional rail system connecting the lakes to the rest of the country - really, we have little excuse for not being the Singapore shipping hub of the midwest. * Plenty of manufacturing capacity, much of it still fresh enough to be near turn-key. * Plenty of labor, waiting and ready to work. * Plenty of established agriculture, from crops to livestock. * Ample room for further development (or redevelopment). * At least a few very good universities, with many graduates who would love to stay if there were jobs to be filled. * And despite the huge decline in manufacturing, believe it or not we still have a rather good supply infrastructure here. And for the residents: * Again, the great lakes. Woods, streams, beaches, boating, fishing, hunting, backpacking, golf, mediocre skiing - we've really got an under-tapped recreational paradise here. * Property at values really ready to be snatched up right now. I guess all we need is jobs, better educational system, jobs, and maybe some more jobs. What I want to know is why on earth anyone would move to Arizona or Texas. What's up with the population shift in that direction, huh?
Margaret Bennett
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 4:19 p.m.
You make some good points. But I'm not convinced about climate--especially this July. If I'm cooped up in my house in the winter--I can handle that. When I'm cooped up by heavy rains and 90 degree temperatures in the summer--I have a problem with this place...(May need to move to Nfld.)
mw
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 3:35 p.m.
We tried the approach of funding education and other state services above levels we could really afford for quite a long time after Michigan stopped being one of the richest states (with the idea that an educated workforce was going to draw businesses and return Michigan to prosperity). It didn't work. At all. Employers were perfectly happy to hire our newly minted college graduates...in other states. Other states that perhaps hadn't funded education as well but where the business climate was more favorable. Indiana used to be our poorer country cousin, but they passed us by in the last decade and have opened up a significant lead. Michigan has fallen to the point where we're now much closer in per-capita GDP to Arkansas and Alabama than Indiana! Let that sink in for a moment: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP</a> (click on the header of the last column to order by per-capita GDP) We've fallen to the 42nd richest state. Indiana still probably doesn't have as good a K-12 or university system and it certainly doesn't have anything comparable to Michigan's natural beauty, but what they're doing has been working a whole lot better than what we've been doing.
StrongFire
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 2:38 a.m.
Based on those statistics, if Michigan keeps losing population our per capita GDP will improve. By example, numbers 1, 2 and 3 are the District of Columbia, Delaware, and Alaska. I'm sure that those jurisdictions are not engines of economic prosperity. Alaska is pretty much a one-industry state, i.e. oil. Michigan is still ahead of Indiana as a percentage of the U.S. GDP.
Peter
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 3:01 p.m.
The problem is that the GOP isn't even playing the same game that people think they are. Cutting business taxes had nothing to do with drawing in businesses, it had to do with securing bribes and board positions for the politicians. Removing social services isn't because they don't like poor people, or actually think it would be better for everybody if it was done a different way, they do it to funnel money to the private companies that reward them the best. So when the jobs don't come in, and the social safety fails and we all suffer because of it, it doesn't matter to them. Because they actually succeeded their real goal. You want to change GOP policy? Get a brick of benjamins. That'll get you somewhere.
everyman
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 2:46 p.m.
People move to places for many different reasons. So why did I move to Michigan? 1) work, 2) quality of life, 3) education of children, and 4) good people. I don't think that I'm the only one moving here for these reasons. Note, Michigan has no destination city in a traditional sense, but for many young families with working professional parents, Ann Arbor has become a destination city.
thorj97
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 2:34 p.m.
Occasionally I run into people who have chosen to move here even though they are talented enough to live anywhere. Almost always it is because they were from here originally and wanted to move back to be closer to family when the have young kids. So I do wonder at what point being close to grandma is outweighed by being able to educate your child.
braggslaw
Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 1:59 p.m.
People move for these reasons.: 1. jobs 2. jobs 3. jobs 4. family 5. climate What Michigan has failed to do is create jobs as this state was saddled with entitlements leading to takers taking from makers, driving businesses out of state. The Michigan business climate has dramatically improved because Michigan has simplified the tax codes. Michigan does not have a great climate or a destination city what it does have is a solid base of technology companies (Auto of course is the main industry).