[Jen Cosco]

I found this forum the other day and (having grown up in the U.P. and being a strong advocate state of Michigan in general) I was excited to see that there was a place where I could answer questions about our state to people thinking of visiting or even relocating.

I am disheartened to see so much negativity here. To steal a famous quote "Ask not what your Michigan can do for you, Ask what you can do for your Michigan." I'd like to hear some grass root ideas/examples of attempts to improve Michigan's economy or your Michigan community's economy.

I have lived in Germany, Indiana, Holland, Italy, Southern California, New Jersey, Georgia, Washington State and have traveled extensively (including several camping trips by tent from Michigan to California). I have to tell you that when it came time for me to choose where to raise my son I chose the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I could not find a better quality of life anywhere else that I had been. While it's true that the Lower Peninsula has been suffering from job losses in the auto industry, home foreclosures and mortgage delinquencies I honestly believe that Michigan can turn it's economic woes around.

Here are some examples of small efforts that can go a long way...
1) Ask your local grocer to create an area dedicated to canned, bottled, frozen foods made in Michigan.
2) Ask your local liquor store to create a display of Wines made and Beers brewed here in Michigan.
3) Next time you are tempted to go online to purchase something (or order something from the Home Shopping Network or QVC) grab your keys, take a drive and buy it locally instead. Most stores will order it for you if they don't carry exactly what you are looking for.
4) Next time you are tempted to drive to Green Bay or Chicago to save money on air fair - fly out of your local airport instead. Time is money - save yourself the drive time and the cost of gas.
5)Find a product made in Michigan and give it as a gift to everyone on your list this Christmas.
6)When your Uncle Henry in Topeka says he's going to purchase a condo in Florida. Tell him to buy a summer home on one of our beautiful coasts instead.
7)Taking a vacation - why not stay in Michigan. We have everything you can find anywhere else. Casinos, Beachtowns, Wineries, Golf Resorts, Color Tours, Lighthouses, Zoos, Waterparks
8) Take beautiful pictures of Michigan and post them on City-Data.com
9) Take beautiful video of Michigan and post it on You Tube.
10) Always wanted to own your own business - create a business plan, look into ways of getting it funded, open your business in Michigan.
11)Have a great idea for a product- copyright it, create it, sell it out of Michigan. (Just think Croc shoes - one idea and millions of dollars later...)

any other ideas, thoughts, recommendations small or large???????

[MainStreet]

I know I could and would do a lot more once I move back, but for now, whenever I go to Michigan, I don't buy anything until I cross the boarder into Michigan. When I camp, I don't buy a bit of food until I'm in Michigan. Once we are there, we go and buy everything we need, food, ice, extra anything. I also fill up on gas before I leave. I'm fully aware when I'm putting my money.

I also talk everyone I know into taking a vacation in SW Michigan. I have converted many families over the last 20 years that I've been away.

[virgokid1]

Jen, those are fine examples of what the individual can do to help the economy. Of course in this day and age, the world and certainly the US is very inter-dependent.. The few things we produce in our state are vastly outnumbered by what we import. It would be in the best interest of our state, if the local government itself implemented changes that stimulated job growth on a wide scale, brought major corporations in using various incentives, and ultimately tried to straighten out the whole budget crisis somehow... Maybe Engler WAS indeed responsible for today's mess, but blame won't solve anything. You're obviously a person who cares a great deal about our state and I wish more people thought like that.. myself included. It will be a long time before Michigan 'turns around', but the auto industry isn't the only job-market in the world. I'm going to go out on a limb here and probably catch a few angry comments, but I think that the city of Detroit itself, is a big drain on the economy of the whole state. For it's size, it's in the red and has to do crazy stuff like shut down public schools including giant high schools... replacing them with businesses (charter schools) if at all. THe vast number of welfare recipients who don't pay taxes really adds to the budget crisis. There needs to be a cap on welfare. Michigan Works is really a joke. I've been through it before, and procured nothing but time-wasted. I believe that Jennifer Granholm is truly a good person with good intentions to help our state, but I just don't see the results. I would really like to see stronger leadership that implements real working ideas.

[MainStreet]

I share my photographs of Michigan every chance I get


Hoffmaster State Park


Grand Haven State Park


My childhood camp

[MIhome]

Great example's,the queston is not have you done,but what do we need to do?Obviously there are a few problem's with Michigan,and they need to be corrected,not fixed.When you fix something,that mean's it is broken,Michigan is not broken,and it will never be broken,either will it's people.The overall picture to be viewed here is to kickstart the economy,and how do we do that?Well the first thing we have to do is look at other states for this example.What is the one thing that give's other states's a robust economy?Construction.Every State with construction on the book's has a healthy economy.The second thing to be done?Attraction.Make Michigan more appealing to companies and people.Show off the Michigan work ethic,it's natural resources,and it's tourism.Not enough is being put into play on the latter issue.These are just beginning step's to correct michigan's problem's.There is much more but,but that is for another time.

[zakian]

Originally Posted by Jen Cosco

I found this forum the other day and (having grown up in the U.P. and being a strong advocate state of Michigan in general) I was excited to see that there was a place where I could answer questions about our state to people thinking of visiting or even relocating.

I am disheartened to see so much negativity here. To steal a famous quote "Ask not what your Michigan can do for you, Ask what you can do for your Michigan." I'd like to hear some grass root ideas/examples of attempts to improve Michigan's economy or your Michigan community's economy.

I have lived in Germany, Indiana, Holland, Italy, Southern California, New Jersey, Georgia, Washington State and have traveled extensively (including several camping trips by tent from Michigan to California). I have to tell you that when it came time for me to choose where to raise my son I chose the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I could not find a better quality of life anywhere else that I had been. While it's true that the Lower Peninsula has been suffering from job losses in the auto industry, home foreclosures and mortgage delinquencies I honestly believe that Michigan can turn it's economic woes around.

Here are some examples of small efforts that can go a long way...
1) Ask your local grocer to create an area dedicated to canned, bottled, frozen foods made in Michigan.
2) Ask your local liquor store to create a display of Wines made and Beers brewed here in Michigan.
3) Next time you are tempted to go online to purchase something (or order something from the Home Shopping Network or QVC) grab your keys, take a drive and buy it locally instead. Most stores will order it for you if they don't carry exactly what you are looking for.
4) Next time you are tempted to drive to Green Bay or Chicago to save money on air fair - fly out of your local airport instead. Time is money - save yourself the drive time and the cost of gas.
5)Find a product made in Michigan and give it as a gift to everyone on your list this Christmas.
6)When your Uncle Henry in Topeka says he's going to purchase a condo in Florida. Tell him to buy a summer home on one of our beautiful coasts instead.
7)Taking a vacation - why not stay in Michigan. We have everything you can find anywhere else. Casinos, Beachtowns, Wineries, Golf Resorts, Color Tours, Lighthouses, Zoos, Waterparks
8) Take beautiful pictures of Michigan and post them on City-Data.com
9) Take beautiful video of Michigan and post it on You Tube.
10) Always wanted to own your own business - create a business plan, look into ways of getting it funded, open your business in Michigan.
11)Have a great idea for a product- copyright it, create it, sell it out of Michigan. (Just think Croc shoes - one idea and millions of dollars later...)

any other ideas, thoughts, recommendations small or large???????

Jen you live in the UP. You have no more of an economy than we do in Detoilet. What can I do you ask. I've spent PLENTY in tax dollars. For what? The roads suck city government doesn't provide proper sevices OR protection. I've owned my own business too. This state is dead, why do you think so many have left?

[ratdog4now]

This one of the silliest things I have ever read.
The titanic is sinking and you want us to buy cherry wine.
Maybe we can wish the bad times into the cornfield.
The up has been economicly depressed since day one. when the lower is booming it is still not doing well, and many people from the up go to wisconsin or the lower for work. Now there is not even that option.
This is the same as saying dont buy at wal mart because you can save u.s. jobs. The simple answer is 'no you can not' All you do is to waist money.
I can save sales tax by shopping on line and get it cheaper to boot.
So I should go broke trying to prop up an economy that I did not bet the benifit of in the first place[I did not pull down 80k a year working at generous motors] This state is going in the toilet because of the auto industry not paying attention to what was needed. GM built the H2 when they should have been on the hybred train or anything that can get 35 and higher, instead they fight to keep the cafe standards low, and the unions are trying to keep the wages so high we can not compete with the world, and our cars are not selling.
So if I buy a bit of wine for the holidays and take money out of my pocket it will save michigan? Get real.
Let's not go to lala land to deal with michigans colapse.
Lets to a ron paul and tell the truth, the whole country is going south, this country stands on three legs, we have lost manufacturing long ago. we had the housing market, with subprime loans gone, this takes out 30 to 40% of the buyers from the market, and the rest have to have steller cridit to get a loan, The housing market is going down, the second is job creation, we have lost jobs for the first time since 03 and it is going to get worse, this leaves the big one we stand on and it is a house of cards, consumer spending, yes we are trying to spend our way to greatness, this has gotten us to where we are at., A country that does not save, spends more than it makes on junk we dont need, with money we dont have.
This last leg is shaking and will fall.
The fed has done everything but ban the word ressission from the english lang. But we are still headed for one, If memory serves, ressission is three quarters of neg growth, I think we are really in one but this will be a neg growth quarter, I do not trust the governemnt stats, I dont trust much of anything the governemnt says, a depression is 9 quarters of neg. growth.
starting in 92 we had an eight year boom.
The boom is over and we have to pay the piper.
buying wine from cherry country is not going to make it easier.
This remindes me of the post a few weeks ago where some birght bulb said that we can have positive thoughts and help the situation. Has anyone seen the commercial where the people are stuck on a cable tram and the guy says he took a class on positive thinking, and as he is doing his mind crap one guy with his head on strait pushes the reset button. Well I wish it was that simple to just push a reset button, but I fear it is not.
I still see many people keeping their home prices high, I can only say, next year at this time you will wish you had taken your price down to sell, because todays selling price is tomorrows to high to move price.
People are not smart enough to get ahead of the pack. Instead follow the lemming off the cliff.

[TaxBait]

I pledge to vote against all incumbents in the next election.

[Torrid]

Here's some pics....I'm with ya Jen.....Make a difference....Be happy!!!!!

[Great Lakes Girl]

Originally Posted by MainStreet

I share my photographs of Michigan every chance I get


Hoffmaster State Park


Grand Haven State Park


My childhood camp

BEAUTIFUL!!!