[QuickWit]

I have been a lurker on this site for quite some time, but I am posting this as a response to those sincerely considering relocating to Metro Detroit/Michigan...

I know that many Michiganders will disagree with some of the elements of this post, yet I want to get all the “skeletons” out of the closet for those thinking about moving to MI. Let me say that I love MI and the people here; I've lived here my entire life and I don't readily plan on leaving, HOWEVER, in my opinion MI is a ship that is already sunk. Here's why:

I will start at the epicenter of the State's problems, Detroit/Metro Area. As a city, Detroit is at best a decaying shell of its former-self on life support. City government is wholly corrupt (See Kwame Kilpatrick and Detroit City Council). It has been corrupt for years and is unlikely to change. Much of the City is completely abandoned, including many of the tallest buildings visible in its skyline (Book Tower, Broderick Tower, Michigan Central Station). There is no mass-transit, only run-down city buses- it’s the Motor City, everyone drives! Outside of the immediate downtown, with the exception of a few revived old neighborhoods (i.e. Boston-Edison Dist.) the city is completely impoverished and burned-out as a result of Devil's Night Fires. There is predominating racial segregation between the vast suburban areas and the City of Detroit (1967 Riots/White Flight). The crime rate in the City is abhorrent and it is notorious as being the "Murder Capital" of the U.S. Because of the crime and steadily decreasing population, the City lacks virtually all-major shopping and retail stores. There is NO major supermarket located within Detroit City limits. Joblessness and other problems associated with urban blight are prevalent. The Detroit School Board is under investigation for embezzlement and many schools lack even toilet paper. The high school graduation rate is an astonishing 25% (NPR). Noble efforts to rebuild the City, “green” or otherwise are very much suffocated by lack of investment and pure apathy by many. With Detroit in ruins MI lacks a major U.S. city and the benefits drawn therefrom.

Though suburban Detroit is surviving, its glory days are also in the past. There are some great things about the Metro area, however, it is the best example in the U.S. of urban sprawl and overbuilding. The burbs’ surrounding Detroit expand for miles, nearly to the City of Ann Arbor on the west. This massive suburban area consists primarily of middle-class neighborhoods and strip mall centers. On the outskirts of the suburbs, there are wealthy areas peppered with “McMansions.” However, very few of these areas (there are exceptions) have exciting cultural and entertainment venues. Because of overbuilding, Metro Detroit has suffered greatly from the real estate and mortgage bubbles and property values, including residential and industrial have plummeted contributing to the crumbling economy. The only upshot is that for first-time homebuyers, property is wildly cheap.

So here’s the main reason one should carefully consider MI and especially the Detroit Area:

The economy of Detroit/Southeastern Michigan is unavoidably wed to the domestic auto-industry (e.g. GM, Ford, Chrysler and suppliers). In fact, auto-related industries likely account for around 70% of MI's GDP. This auto-economy is collapsing. The Big-3 autos are unlikely to survive in any form resembling their current selves. GM is laden with billions of dollars of debt and its current market share is sliding dramatically to foreign competitors. The companies [sans Ford] are currently burning through cash reserves and using Federal money to stop the bleeding. It is unlikely that these companies will ever completely recover, if at all, and as a domino-result, the supplier companies will also likely face bankruptcy. All of this will continue to drive the State's economic collapse. That brings us to the lack of new industries and the resident exodus.

Michigan as a state, especially Metro Detroit has been unable to capture new industry. There are top-notch colleges and Universities in MI, however, many grads are leaving MI for more fertile ground. The MI legislature appropriates approximately 2/3 of its higher education budget to 3 of 13 public colleges/universities. Those lucky 3 being Wayne State, Michigan, and Michigan State whose grads are most likely to take their enviable degrees and flee MI. This is causing a severe “brain drain” to occur across MI, not including skilled workers who have left because of being laid-off. New innovative companies and firms are not enticed to come to MI because of high taxes and fears of union-orientated labor (justified or not). As businesses fail and the tax base decreases, state government will be unable to keep up with already deteriorating infrastructure. Even suburban cities have gone into state receivership (i.e. Pontiac) and can no longer afford to provide municipal services.

Personally, I do not see a light at the end of tunnel- but look at the data for yourself and draw your own conclusions. As a law student living in Downtown Detroit, I’m not going anywhere right now. But while there are many great things about Michigan such as the natural beauty, the lakes, the Red Wings… generally, I feel the bad outweighs the good.

[Bydand]

So what you are saying is that people should know about Detroit before moving to Traverse City, Ludington, Marquette, Escanaba, or any of the thousands of places that are many, many miles away from Detroits and it's major problems? That doesn't make sense. What you are trying to say is that people should know a few things before moving to the DETROIT area, and NOT the entire state of Michigan. There are areas of the state that is branching out into new areas of business, and there are areas that NEVER have been dependent on the economy of Detroit.

I think no matter where somebody moves they need to take a close look at it. Be it Michigan, Maine, Florida, Texas, California, or any other state. We are not the only State facing problems right now, and to move someplace without checking it out is foolish no matter the destination. In that same train of thought though, if somebody is going to be moving into my area and basing their preconceptions, and expectations on Detroit information it is a hugely false view of where I am then. There are some areas of this State that are doing much better than Detroit.

Knocking the entire state because of one area is like knocking a Rolls Royce because the hood ornament is not to your liking. On the other hand saying everything is great and coming up roses is like saying a 72 Pinto is a dream car because it has a comfortable seat. People have to do some REAL looking at the specific area they are interested in, plain and simple.

[magellan]

Repeat topic. Closed.