[Bydand]

Originally Posted by littlekittens

Again, good luck on your decision to relocate in MI. However as I indicated before it might be a good idea to research some data in the local newspapers or on-line to get an idea of what MI was facing.

Someone from western Mi challenged some of the things I had posted so I thought I would update both them and you of where the information was seen or obtained. First I indicated that some of the info was indicating that MI was "amount the highest in the nation" not the highest just among the highest. Gas prices.....Mi 13th in the nation as of today on GASbuddy.com with the highest price in the nation listed as Beaver Island MI %5.49. Sales tax 4th...............not the highest but "among the highest", property tax and local taxes 15th..............not the higest but "among the highest". Regarding California folks laughing in my face when discussing gas prices, I would have to remind them that wage earners in California make more annually than the folks in MI. by about 4-5 grand a year so laughing in ones face does not appear appropiate aye.

Autos.aol.com: Michigan listed as 7 highest for auto insurance.

Detroit News.com: Article dated 19 Jun 2008: 84,000 jobs lost this year with 8th consecutive years of Job losses. Article dated 15 July 08: thousands apply at Book Cadillac for 250 jobs with average pay of $10.00 an hour.

NBC25online.com/new Thursday Jul 08, 2008 6:33 pm 30,000 residents leave state.
Mackinac Center for Public Policy: latest data from Unified Van Lines shows that in 07 66.4% of the 2007 Michigan traffic was outbound.

It appears folks in Western Mi. either dont get the states newspapers or if they do....fail to read anything other than the sports section.

Good luck again on your decision.

That would have been me.

Still a few questions though. Do you have the actual links to the articles you quote because I have looked at those sites and cannot find them anyplace, even using their own search engines.

Gasbuddy having Beaver Island as the highest in the nation at $5.49 today? For one thing I don't see where they list the highest price for the nation anywhere, can you post that link as well? I just looked and it has the BP in Brimley at $3.99 as the highest in Michigan (http://www.michigangasprices.com/) and that is WELL below the $7.15 they are paying in Kotzebue, Alaska. I figure if you are using prices on an island for a figure, I might as well pull one from just as unlikely place as well. There isn't even any prices listed for Beaver Island on gasbuddy today (Beaver Island Gas Prices).

Sports section in the paper? Nope, not interested in sports at all thanks for asking. I get the paper for the news it contains. No need to start getting snippy and turning it into a personal attack now is there? Somebody disagrees with you and asks for some simple clarification and you get all defensive and imply I don't have the brains to read a paper other than sports is a bit short wouldn't you say?

Simple working links is all I ask for. Why? To read more on the economy of the State, not prove you wrong, I personally don't care if you are right or wrong. Is that 30,000 figure you like to toss around gross or net? Is that the overall loss of population or the just people who have moved away and not counting the ones who moved into the state during that same time period?

Yes we are high on some taxes, but you fail to mention the ones where we are among the lowest. Like State Income Tax, and overall tax burden where we are almost the bottom.

Pssst. It has Michigan as 9th for auto insurance, not 7th.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Bydand

That would have been me.

Still a few questions though. Do you have the actual links to the articles you quote because I have looked at those sites and cannot find them anyplace, even using their own search engines.

Gasbuddy having Beaver Island as the highest in the nation at $5.49 today? For one thing I don't see where they list the highest price for the nation anywhere, can you post that link as well? I just looked and it has the BP in Brimley at $3.99 as the highest in Michigan (Michigan Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in Michigan) and that is WELL below the $7.15 they are paying in Kotzebue, Alaska. I figure if you are using prices on an island for a figure, I might as well pull one from just as unlikely place as well. There isn't even any prices listed for Beaver Island on gasbuddy today (Beaver Island Gas Prices).

Sports section in the paper? Nope, not interested in sports at all thanks for asking. I get the paper for the news it contains. No need to start getting snippy and turning it into a personal attack now is there? Somebody disagrees with you and asks for some simple clarification and you get all defensive and imply I don't have the brains to read a paper other than sports is a bit short wouldn't you say?

Simple working links is all I ask for. Why? To read more on the economy of the State, not prove you wrong, I personally don't care if you are right or wrong. Is that 30,000 figure you like to toss around gross or net? Is that the overall loss of population or the just people who have moved away and not counting the ones who moved into the state during that same time period?

Yes we are high on some taxes, but you fail to mention the ones where we are among the lowest. Like State Income Tax, and overall tax burden where we are almost the bottom.

Pssst. It has Michigan as 9th for auto insurance, not 7th.

I agree you can't really look at "states" when you compare sales taxes. Most states (except Michigan) allow local sales taxes, county usually, which skews sales taxes upward. So yes, Georgia might have a lower sales tax, but when you add in the counties surrounding Atlanta, where most people in Georgia live, a household's sales tax is much higher (8%). Other city examples:

Charlotte and Raleigh - 7.25%
Chicago - 9%
Denver - 8.6%
Nashville - 9.25%
Kansas City, MO - 7.48%
Minneapolis - 7.0%
Austin - 8.25%

So any study that is trying to rank states according to sales taxes is bogus, unless they take into account the total tax burden of all taxes combined. Everything I've seen puts Michigan right about in the middle to maybe upper 3rd. But then again, we're one of the largest states in the country.

The upside for many of these cities is that they fund mass transit (light rail mainly) with this extra sales tax. Hmmm, and all seem to be cities that are growing. Apparently people are drawn to cities that offer their residents more services and amenities (and charge for them).

But yes, Michigan did lose 30,000 population last year. The "net domestic migration" number that you are wondering about was about -90,000.

As far as reading state news? Why would anyone in West Michigan want to see Kwame's picture on the front page every day? I don't really see a need to read the Freep or any other Detroit paper. The West Michigan media handles issues going on in Lansing just fine.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by MichiganSnowflakie

I swear this butthole would sit by as a building burned and ask for peer reviewed articles with foot notes showing it was in fact on fire. Don’t even bother he is an idiot of the first order, and should stick to just trying to catch his sister. Slack jaw. I bet if he did catch her he would not even know what hole to stick it in.

Hi, your back!

[Waves5]

Yeah, you definetly sound like a canidate for the Traverse City area. The outskirts if you want woods. Its a growing area and they have a couple high schools and many elementary schools. Yeah, the growing season isn't very long. I live at the tip of the lower peninsula. Most families I know of don't keep as many cattle as they do in the summer. Another man I use to work for keeps horses year round on his 100 acre ranch just fine. If you go to central Michigan and south, it will start to look more like Ohio with flatter land and some Amish communities, more larger farms too. Expect higher gas prices up here too because its touristy and far from the big cities.

[Jacksonista]

Originally Posted by Sociologist

Jackson what?

Sorry but I think many other residents of Jackson would disagree with it moving in the right direction....not to be a pessimist but my father lived in the area and having saw what I did amazed me. The city has lots of charm in areas, but nearly nowhere to become employed, and many young teens in trouble. You nailed one point....the only employment opportunity is in health care due to the hospital, if you aren't in that field in Jackson, be prepared to live a renting life.

I guess you just don't get it. No matter.

People can always pack it in and move.

From what I have heard from many locals who have lived here a lifetime, things have improved a great deal. The downtown is on an upswing, with several restaurants and places to shop. Yes, too many storefronts still sit vacant, however with work that will change. The Armory Arts Village is a very positive force within jackson as well and if things go the way they are planned, this addition to the downtown will be a large magnet for the city and thankfully it does not rely on automobile manufacturing. The JSO has kicked off a capital campaign as has the Cascades Falls Park. The Falling Waters Trail has had a huge positive impact for this area and people come from other places to enjoy it. All of this is good for jackson.

I'll admit, I've only lived here 3 years, so I can't look back and say "I remember when". In the 3 years I've been here I've seen several businesses downtown take off and prosper, and yes, I've seen a couple close, but the ones started with solid business plans and a good idea do very well. One of the Jackson natives I talked to told me about how horrible the downtown had gotten about 10 years ago, overgrown parking lots full of blowing trash, bums, no stores to speak of anywhere. Now those parking lots have been turned into parks, big planters of flowers planted every spring so that all summer we can enjoy them, a farmers market, etc. It may not seem like much, but in the past six years, with things going further into the toilet, I'd say Jackson has done pretty good overall.

Jackson also has a rich history that it should capitalize on, especially the railroad aspect of it. I think a museum would be great.

[Jefferson_T1776]

http://www.buckeyeinstitution.org/article/1103 (broken link)

[tbowers241]

I haved lived in Michigan my WHOLE life and my entire intermediate family is relocating out of state. My brother a teacher spent over a year looking for his first teaching job and really wanted to find it here but ended up in Arizona. I went to school for graphic design and have been looking for a job for 2 years and had very little luck, I've had interviews and found myself against people with lots of experience and my husband is a biomedical tech and we're moving to New Mexico. My parents are also looking into New Mexico as my mom is in the medical field but my dad is in the auto industry. In my area the Department of Labor Statistics reports an unemployment rate of 10% the Census Buearu reports 22.1% there are 8 houses for sale on our 2 block road that have been for sale since we moved here? I'd say this is a great vacation place for hunting, fishing, quad riding ect. but not a good place to live.

[MI-IRISH]

i'll give you a good reason to move here,your not in ohio

[mostie]

We're in N. MI, about an hour and a half or so from TC- the economy isn't great up here, but if you can work from home, that wouldn't be a problem- I don't know what the economy is like for a teacher, but I do know that the rent seems to be cheaper up here- and the scenery is to die for- we're on a huge lake, in a 2 bdrm fully furnished log cabin, and we pay 425 a month for it- of course, that's because it's the dead of winter, but still....if "living off the land", etc., is what you want, (this is why we came here, as well) then I think up north is the place for you- you'll have to do a life change, for sure-because it is different, but in my opinion, well worth it!

[60'sGal]

I'm in SW Michigan and work in the Education field. One of the guys in my dept. is married to a teacher. She's been out of college for over 2 years and just now got a job in the School system. Yes, Michigan is a hunter's wonderland and if you can afford to live here without a job for awhile, come on. But, be prepared for the economy. I know Ohio is going through it's pains too, but things are really tough here. White flight is rampant.

The up side is if you have money to invest, it's a good time to buy property here.

Anyhow, if you decide to come, WELCOME!