[Coldjensens]

When we first moved to michigan, we thought that a lot of people seemed unfreindly too. That is because they do not have the shallow "Howdy Partner" kind of friendliness that you find out west. (No question the Western friendliness is nice, but we found it to be a shallow kind of friendliness - hard ot make true freinds). However we learned that people here are not unfriendly, just reserved. They will be a bit suspiciious of anyone a first. Not ready to trust you right away, but when they get to know you a bit, they are very warm and friendly. Further, know you or not, I have never encountered people so ready to pitch in and help others as I have here.

People are getting a little down. Michgan had been beaten up economically for at least three or four years. Now that the government is taking steps to try to repair the economy of the country, Michigan, where the need is the greatest, is almost being ignored. The immediate future (2-3 years) does not look very bright. We are told that Chrysler will fail, GM will massively downsize, Ford has a 50/50 chance of survival. Those three companies employ massive numbers of workers who in turn keep our resturuants, groceries, malls, bars, bowling alleys, theaters, dry cleaners, etc etc going. They also pay a significant portion of the taxes that fund the State's operations. The infrastructure is beginning to unravel because there has been no money for big projects for a long time.

Yes. we cna see the glimmers of hope. The new companies popping up and employing 500 or so people at a time. Some growth in medical related fields, alternative energy, movies, etc. However while these little boosts are adding 300 or 500 jobs at a time, the big three are cutting thousands and thousands.


Sonner or later, the big three and their related and supply companies will stop downsizing. Then the new business and growing existing business can start to pick up some of the unemployment numbers. However we have to stop rolling down the hill, come to a stop, and then get things rolling up hill again. That will take time. While that time is coming, we must first suffer throught eh rest of the downhill crash, survive through the levelling and then wait for the uphill ride to begin. It is clear that this is a considerable time ahead. Thus, the immediate future will bring ever more economic downturn and devastation.

I think of it like sitting int he principals office as a kid. You know that you are in for it when you go into the office. You know that things will get even worse when you go home and face your parents. You also know that at some time after you go through all of that and some time passes, everyone will forget and forgive and things will eventually be hunky dory again. However while sitting in the principal's office you are not very happy. The knowlege that eventually every thing will be all right, does nto make what is facing you in the short term any more pleasant.

So yes. People are a bit down. People are stressed. We are all sitting in the principals office waiting for our turn for an unpleasant situation followed by more unpleasantness. We will slog through it and come out the other side evnetually and be happy, but many people are going to be a bit testy right now.

[Bluefly]

I've lived in both DC (in the city) and Michigan. There is a world of difference in the attitude of people. DC people feel the world is at the fingertips and they are innovating and creating new ideas all the time. Michigan people seem to feel the world is slipping from their grasp. It's possibly the biggest culture shock going back to Michigan.

Those who are educated and mobile tend to head to Chicago or the coasts for the very reason you mentioned, exacerbating the problem.

That said, I've found quite a few incredibly brilliant minds toiling away in the hidden corners. You just have to find them.

I think you're looking in the wrong place to live, though. You'll be miserable out there in Northville. Try a place like Royal Oak or Ferndale or downtown Detroit or Birmingham. You'll find glimmers of like-minded people there.

[St Starseed]

I guess what I'm wondering then...does anyone see a brighter future for Michigan in terms of its catching up with the more educated/mobile/creative regions of America (Portland, Chicago, DC, Charlotte, Memphis, etc.)? The state has lived so long on the supply-line thinking of the auto industry (right down to its odd proportion of Catholics) that I'm curious if people have an idea when that will change...one generation? two? When is Michigan going to catch up to the rest of the country instead of digging its heels into the ground, all the while yelling, "We won't change because we're Michiganders!" (and not realizing the ground is moving anyway) ?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by St Starseed

I guess what I'm wondering then...does anyone see a brighter future for Michigan in terms of its catching up with the more educated/mobile/creative regions of America (Portland, Chicago, DC, Charlotte, Memphis, etc.)? The state has lived so long on the supply-line thinking of the auto industry (right down to its odd proportion of Catholics) that I'm curious if people have an idea when that will change...one generation? two? When is Michigan going to catch up to the rest of the country instead of digging its heels into the ground, all the while yelling, "We won't change because we're Michiganders!" (and not realizing the ground is moving anyway) ?

There might be some resistance to change at the ground level, or in union halls, but I don't see that in the leadership in Michigan. Other than the Lansing legislature, everyone seems hungry for change, today. Everyone everywhere (Chambers, Econ Development agencies, downtown boards, foundations, etc) seems to be talking about what Michigan can do better to attract businesses and keep college graduates. It's just hard to get attention for those things when there is such a large cache of manufacturing jobs in Michigan that continue to be shed. And with traditional media outlets shrinking their pages nationwide, it's even harder still for positive ideas and news to get airtime.

At least that seems to be the view from West Michigan. But I find it hard to believe there's no one talking about change in Southeast Michigan.

But I can't think of one person who would say that Michigan should stay as it is or go back to the way it was.

There's a couple of online publications that I'm familiar with that might shed some light on progressive thinking:

http://www.metromodemedia.com/
http://www.modeldmedia.com/

But as bluefly mentioned, you won't find a lot of people in Northville in those articles.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by St Starseed

I guess what I'm wondering then...does anyone see a brighter future for Michigan in terms of its catching up with the more educated/mobile/creative regions of America (Portland, Chicago, DC, Charlotte, Memphis, etc.)? The state has lived so long on the supply-line thinking of the auto industry (right down to its odd proportion of Catholics) that I'm curious if people have an idea when that will change...one generation? two? When is Michigan going to catch up to the rest of the country instead of digging its heels into the ground, all the while yelling, "We won't change because we're Michiganders!" (and not realizing the ground is moving anyway) ?

Some of what you said has some truth(but I hope you're not hating on Catholics). Michigan needs to get away from the automobile-only mentality. It needs to get create. Michigan has so many resources. Wind power could work. Tourism could get a boost. I know alot of people that live in the South that like to fish and hunt. Perhaps Michigan can bank on that. Many places in the sunbelt could run out of water, starting with Phoenix and Las Vegas. Michigan could come back and do much better, but it has to start with being creative. There are alot of abandoned buildings in Detroit, Why not put them to good use or demolish them for something new. Michigan needs to focus on bringing in new jobs and finding a way to keep the creative and talented IN Michigan to revive the state. It is the creative minds that leave, mainly because their is little incentive for them to stay in Michigan. They need incentives to stay. If they had incentives to stay, they could be the ones building new businesses and creating new jobs and perhaps filling in the gaps that the auto industry left. The interior designers could be of some help to Michigan, especially the GR area. Grand Rapids wasn't called "Furniture City" for nothing. Maybe some interior designer could start a company similar ro IKEA. If michigan is to revive, it needs to keep the innovators and the creative minds in the state. If not, then who will replace them? Michigan needs to work on that. More incentives are needed.

[MI-IRISH]

every state has it's own unique clicks and cliches,some good other's not so good.Michigan in general is like,michigan,and california is like california,and utah is like,well from the last thing i saw on the news,a big porn store,#1 consumer in porn,yee-haw,anyway,no two places can be exactly alike,and evey state has something unique to offer your lifestyle,depending what it is,and what you deem important.

[MI-IRISH]

Originally Posted by St Starseed

I guess what I'm wondering then...does anyone see a brighter future for Michigan in terms of its catching up with the more educated/mobile/creative regions of America (Portland, Chicago, DC, Charlotte, Memphis, etc.)? The state has lived so long on the supply-line thinking of the auto industry (right down to its odd proportion of Catholics) that I'm curious if people have an idea when that will change...one generation? two? When is Michigan going to catch up to the rest of the country instead of digging its heels into the ground, all the while yelling, "We won't change because we're Michiganders!" (and not realizing the ground is moving anyway) ?

nice analogy,but it's not the "michiganders" digging in their heels,it's the democraps and republicant's.Their barage of leadershipless qualities that the people here have come to know and love,sarcasm driller,and the blind leading the blind scenario.

[PineHallGirl]

Originally Posted by Jwo85

All these things have happen to me while living in Michigan with my experience in being around the suburbs and in the city of Detroit (Were I am considered a minority person of white decent to keep in mind)
someone says "bless you" when I sneeze
Someone says "thank you" all the time after I held the door open for them.
Someone holds the the door open for me all the time and I say "Thank You"
80% of the time when walking past a gentlemen, we do the nod the head exchange.

If this is unfriendly, then I agree Michigan is unfriendly.

~This post should be matted and framed...These are the real honest-to-goodness kind people that live in this incredible state of ours.

Thank you my friend, it is 100% true...and you are a gem for posting it.

[deslok]

I don't think it should be framed. There are many times that Michiganders need to speed up a little bit, and also understand that not everyone is working 9-5, living full time in the state, or wants to say hi to every single person that walks by. The attitude that this is how every single person should act is what makes Michigan, to me at least, less appealing then other states where people are not as concerned with strangers.

[Cliffie]

Michigan has all the variety a person could ask for. Mountains, forest, meadows, farmland, flatland; one-signpost townlets, ritzy suburbs and big dirty cities; less talk, more rock; there are four seasons of utterly bizarre weather with some of the best fall color in the country. We are also the home of Stroh's ice cream, Jiffy Mix and Mackinac fudge. We have more freshwater anything than anywhere else on earth.

Looking for an apt can be very discouraging because you're right, in that department there has been VERY little progress since the '70s. But that's because so many people have been buying land and building their dream houses on them. My advice is to find something crummy with a month-to-month lease and start looking at the foreclosure lists at the banks for something to buy. You can pick a place up for almost nothing right now.