[GAisGreat]

Move to GA, NC, AZ, Fla...for a couple of years and then you'll re-think how bad you think you have it in MI!

[MattAZ]

Originally Posted by Rohan

Seriously, tell me why I should stay in Michigan rather than join the 60,000 odd people LEAVING this state every year?

Don't mess with Detroit anymore. I have an uncle who lives in the downtown area and hates it. Back in 2003 I went to visit him and my rental car got broken into, and my laptop got stolen. And of course I didn't get the **** rental insurance! Anyway, he's coming down to phoenix where I live, because he got a job, and you should come too! No snow to shovel, quality people, and a place where 60,000 people aren't leaving a year, but coming a year!

[Griffis]

I don't think you can look to "bad minorities" as the main reason so many places in Michigan seem to be going downhill. People are often victims of low opportunities and feel trapped in a dead end.

For THAT I would blame corporate masters who build up an area just long enough to create a boon, then they decide it's more profitable to ship jobs overseas, leaving the populace and towns devastated when all the industry leaves, leaving behind rotting factories.

See Flint, Michigan, for instance.

That said, I have not been to Michigan in a very long time. I am not speaking from specific experience in your state, but this seems to be happening in lots of places.

[Virginia1]

Wow.......I don't know if I should move up to Michigan now. I most likely will because my lovely fiance lives in "lovely" Flint. I have a thread in this forum and have some good advice on where I most likely should live. But seems the thread is getting a little racial, but statistics are facts. Can't deny the tale of two cities being side by side and see who has the highest crime rate, facts are facts. The reasons they are so can be debated for the next decade. Everyone blames others, except themselves. I don't quite understand "superstitous" saying black people don't commit crimes, those that are selfish and violent commit these crimes, well okay.....they do I suppose, but if they are black, then they are black. Oh....and I believe white people are the largest group in the poverty level. African-American population in the U.S. is 13%. All of us can argue all day emotionally, but lets keep the facts straight about what is going on. The richest woman in the U.S. is Oprah, a Billionare......hmm how about that, an African American woman richer then 270 million Americans. I am sure she fell on her face getting to where she is at many times, and I am sure she has faced some sort of prejudice in her life, but guess what, she knew her goals and moved forward. Hmmm Colin Powell.....4 Star General, Conde Rice.....oh may not want to mention her....she may be too white as a African American role model, Johnny Cochran...famous lawyer (bless his soul). I tell you.....all these African American doctors I work with....hmmm I wonder how they made it....I tell you how. Studying there butts off and staying off the **** street chasing the bling bling and ignoring poverty pimps like Al Sharpton as Bill Cosby calls him. Dress right, speak correct English, respect the teachers and be determined, it will not be rosy at times, but it can be done. Will continue..........gotta go.

[Virginia1]

Okay.........I am back. Sorry about the previous rant.....it just kills me when people blame other people for there demise. Yes Michigan in the southeast area is having a tough time, but with the right leaders it can be great once again. New York had Guiliani (spell), maybe someone will step up to the plate and tighten it up. Remember teachers can't teach if the kid does not sit in class and shut up and listen, basic tenet, but it does not happen in a lot of schools with the kids who are in poverty areas. You may be considered nerdy if you stay at home and study. If I had money..... ( I am white) I would buy tickets to the Detroit Institute of Art and take all the "hood" kids and show them another world, it should not be the governments responsibility to do these acts, it should be private. Government messes everything up. Fact: Washington D.C. students recieve the most money per child in public school and they have the worst academic and dropout rate in the country......so who's fault is it...teachers, not enough money need more. How about those parents, novel idea eh (Michigan term I learned) If I didn't get good grades my behind was in trouble and my Stepdad busted my behind.........oh by the way he is African-American TRUE Imagine, a black man with a white boy over his knee and spanking it, kind of different image eh. Oh, by the way, he retired as a Sargent Major in the Army and travels worldwide working for a computer firm. I work with a black radiologist ( 12 years of school) who wears Birckenstocks. I guess you get my drift. Bottom line. It is all about who your parents are, who YOU are, and is the community willing to rise up and tell there own, stop hurting each other. Remember OLD SCHOOL.....the neighborhood watched your little butt and kicked it when you were out in the street at 10 o'clock at night. Good Luck Detroit, your going to need it.

[RedWingsFan]

My grandparents were also natives of the city of Detroit. They share stories with me about what a great city it used to be...until all the blacks moved in. Once they started going to Detroit in droves (for manufacturing jobs), they city started going to the toilet. That's when white flight took place and the white people ran for the suburbs. The bottom line (and argue it any way you want but it's the truth) is that the black people turned the city of Detroit into an rotten crime ridden place that white people are afraid to drive their car through. It's such a shame. My grandparents were born and raised there and are too afraid to drive their car through there now to see the street they grew upon! Why? Blacks committing crimes, burning down the city, stealing, robbing, etc. Sad shame what they have done to that city.

[Mi_Mom]

Things are hard right now in Michigan. Like others have said, unless you are in the medical field it's hard to find a job right now it seems.

My husband is in construction and that market has been slow(er) since 2002 or so. It's not horrible but it certainly isn't flourishing either.

When you read recent reports like this one:
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lis...ent/index.html

And this one:
http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/us-ci...18100709990001

talking of the unemployment rates here in Michigan it's a little scary. One report talks of the Top 20 Highest Unemployment rates in the country. You know how many Michigan has? 8. 8 out of 20. That is a LOT. And when you rate the states next to one another you have Michigan's economy at 49th out of 50. Just in front of Mississippi. Not to mention all of the automotive job cuts that have happened and that are planned for the future.

It's difficult in Michigan right now. But that being said there are citys/places inside of Michigan that don't seem to be as affected by job cuts. Not to say things are fabulous there but things seem a little less...a struggle.

[paintballer1708]

Michigan is facing its fair share of problems. I moved there from Pennsylvania and lived there for about six months. I couldnt take living there anymore so i moved back to PA. I have been back to Michigan and the cities of Detroit and Flint do not impress me at all. But to say all of Michigan is horrible is not right. Grand Rapids is a very nice city. I know Michigan's unemployment took a spike back in June as the rest of the nation did. I believe it is at 7.0% unemployed. Compared to Mississippi at 8.1% thats a lot better. Michigan is trying to diversify its economy off the car industry. But that might be a little to late.

[Angel Bear]

I find parts of this thread HIGHLY racist. BTW, I am Caucasian and female.

To those expressing what I consider to be very racist views, have you ever considered that most African-American folks are good people and are law-abiding?

Also, have you ever considered that most of the people who buy drugs are white males from the suburbs?

Maybe if less white men bought drugs, there would be less crime in Michigan!

Just some food for thought...

See how you can use statistics to prove any point you want to make?

Instead of spending time complaining, why not do work to improve things in Detroit? You can volunteer for Habitat for Humanity or work at a soup kitchen or volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters or help clean garbage up or volunteer for the small business association in Detroit, etc., etc. One person can make a difference...Just think about it I mean...if everyone did a small part

Guess that most wealthy, white suburbanites are too busy talking on their cell phones while driving their SUV's to the Mall! LOL Materialism is soooo yesterday...and hellooooo??? 1955 called and they want their values back!!! Racism is sooooo yesterday!!!! Wake up and smell the coffee...This world is diverse and we're all One

Okay, I feel better now...

[Marka]

Thread is closed .