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Even though things are down right now, and especially across the USA, the Midwest will return to its former "greatness." The Midwest has always been and always will be "America's breadbasket" and manufacturing center. What needs to be done the most is for "Detroit" to refine its industry, as it is crucial to our country's economic viability. Telling the labor unions to go to h.e.l.l. so employees can be paid what the fair market dictates (instead of the union bosses) might help. The state of Indiana has seen tons of investment into the Japanese manufacturers of Honda and Toyota, and Michigan could do the same. The Japanese are much more steady and "reliable" than the Big Three. Also, the steel industry needs to make a comeback. Gary, Indiana, most of Ohio and Pennsylvania (although technically not in the Midwest) has been hit hard over the past 2 and a half decades, as it faces stiff competition from foreign markets. Also, the Midwest needs to re-align its manufacturing base and invest in economic activities of the future: high-tech manufacturing, healthcare, education, and the life sciences. Nonetheless, the Midwest has been hit hard with NAFTA sending its manufacturing jobs overseas. Our country's policymakers should be ashamed of themselves.
As people in California are fed up with its problems stemming from fiscal ineptitude, burdensome regulations, out of control taxes, immoral spending and a ridiculous cost of living, businesses and people will again move "back east" for a higher quality of life in the Midwest that is also more affordable and hopefully, competitive. Its really not that complicated.
Its all about JOBS. Period. It doesnt just need jobs, but GOOD jobs that people actually want, similar jobs that NAFTA took away to Mexico and India. The Midwest needs to re-invest its manufacturing base to economic activities of the future that I mentioned in the above post.
I'm from Gary, Indiana and I'm pretty sure that gentrification is right around the corner. I remember in the early '90s, businessmen in limousines scouting my neighborhood and telling my mother that in the future there was gonna be total renovation of the city.
There's been a little gentrification since the late '90s and a lot of the ghettos are being torn down. I've heard about this also happening in Chicago and places like Detroit too. When that happens, that means that housing has hit it's bottom and people are starting to buy and are planning on kicking the poor people out and imminent domain is another way this happens.
I'm hearing the term "green jobs" being used a lot lately, and I'm guessing that we're gonna be the new energy center of the country, whenever they figure out just what that means.
The midwest does not attract the creative talent and investment capital that New York and California do.
The ingrained attitudes such as the unwillingness to make bold moves, and the lack of proactivity that will keep the midwest bland. Chicago is the exception.
On the Automotive industry: I would go with kicking out the unions (Bold/proactive move which is just not going to happen in the midwest) and then paying workers fair, competitive wages. The Japanese, Koreans (and its only a matter of time before India and China) are building plants in the South.
In the meantime all these dormant plants are rusting in the midwest. Chrysler recently shut down a plant in the Saint Louis Area. I believe the Ford plant was shut down a few years ago.
If you really want to see the difference, compare Detroit to Southern California (more specifically, Orange County) The top talent migrates to SoCal for the schools and stays for the jobs. This top talent refuses to live in Detroit. Automotive companies understand that by building their main or top level design studios in Southern California.
The Midwest and South will always be behind the two coasts. Worldwide and historically peoples living in or near coastal areas have fared better than their inland and mountainous counterparts.
It is the battle for third place that the Midwest will in reality be fighting. Access to freshwater should tip the scales in favor of the Great Lakes states who are also pseudo-coastal.
Btw; Pittsburgh is not generally considered Midwest.
The Midwest and South will always be behind the two coasts. Worldwide and historically peoples living in or near coastal areas have fared better than their inland and mountainous counterparts.
It is the battle for third place that the Midwest will in reality be fighting. Access to freshwater should tip the scales in favor of the Great Lakes states who are also pseudo-coastal.
Btw; Pittsburgh is not generally considered Midwest.
Many of the southern states are on the Atlantic Coast...and most of the remainder of the South is on the Gulf Coast. So are you just referring to Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee?
Why the Midwest will boom again? Easy.. abundance of fresh water. Well let's reiterate.. the Great Lakes region will boom in the future. Russia has actually invested money in fresh water and have speculated it will be the next 'liquid gold' considering the shortage of fresh water. So any 'pseudo coastal' nonsense is pretty irrelevant. Great Lakes do not need to be on an oceanic coast when the reliance of fresh water will only be growing.
Many of the southern states are on the Atlantic Coast...and most of the remainder of the South is on the Gulf Coast. So are you just referring to Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee?
Yeah, I thought afterwards I could have explained this better.
For starters, while the Gulf coast and the Great Lakes are coastal they are still secondary in economic and cultural importance to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Trade to and from the wealthier parts of the world, Asia and Europe, is going to be via the Pacific and the Atlantic.
Secondly, much of the South (land and population) is far removed from the coast(s) whereas most of the Northeast is within close proximity to the coast (I am not really going by states as much as regions). Much of the West's land is indeed a great distance from the coast. It's population however is not.
Hopefully this explains my take on the subject a bit better.
the great lakes states have abundant natural resources, an educated populace, good though rusting infrastructure, many old city with good bones, a somewhat temperate climate, and great affordability. I think a comeback is due some time, but who knows when.
Not to mention those fantastic winters with -20 temps and feet of snow. That'll bring the gentrificationers (which, actually, you would probably be just as happy not to have, since those are the ones responsible for 600K condos that are made of duct tape and sticks).
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