[athletesfoot]

Trying to start a positive thread - and wondering what people of all political viewpoints think should be done to help turn things around. Maybe this is just hopeless, but you never know, someone "in power" could be reading this, or someone who knows someone...etc. And just maybe some ideas will start to form. Or we'll all band together and take over Anyway, I'm going to be lazy and cut and paste what I'd already written in another post, but I'm interested in hearing other's thoughts on the topic.

If I were in charge, I would have something of a 4-point plan, or road map to try to bring things back online again. There are 4 main areas where MI could excel - tourism destination(both in the ski/lake type areas as well as creating a beautiful downtown live/work/play sort of mini-broadway/ sports/ nightclub/music center in a place like Detroit, which could be a beautiful city again), agriculture (for a more stable economic base than tourism), distribution (with our great access to ports, airports, highways, railroads), and information/technology (for the "smart kids"). But, the people in charge need to have a vision and want to work hard to execute it.

In order to make any kind of progress though, the people in charge in places like Detroit need to work with each other and with the governor otherwise there will be nothing but stagnancy or outright anti-progress tactics. Cities like San Diego and Las Vegas used to have decaying downtown areas that have or are now being totally revitalized because they have mayors and city council people who are invested in their city's future. People now walk around at night and feel safe and excited to be there. If I were governor, I'd definitely be working with these people in to show us how it's done.

Business must be "wooed" in order to make change happen quickly. You might have to give them the land at below-market values but know that you will recoup that in the form of increased jobs and a wider tax base. They need a good reason to come here. Businesses are opening their headquarters or distribution centers, etc. in other states - why not MI??? We need someone in charge with a plan.

[baystater]

Going to be lazy myself and put my tread in for my plan for michigan.

//www.city-data.com/forum/michi...-michigan.html

[Schaumburger]

The Single Business Tax (SBT) either needs to be replaced or simplified and it has to happen now. Its as simple as bringing back a tax and working to lower the expenses to the state. From there lower the tax burden, not the other way around. The idiots in Lansing confused themselves thinking only low taxes spur business. Unfortunately, that isn't the case and acting on party ideology without a plan did us in. I love to say this, but its a combination of many factors that spur business...

A number big complaint is a stable tax environment. I plan on starting a small manufacturing outfit back home in GR sometime in the next few years. I've been investigating the tax environment and its far from stable. When you really look at the situation you get unbelievably let down. On the reverse of the coin you also get truly optimistic if you're from the Grand Rapids area. That optimism is really driving the community and building assets. I sometimes imagine the growth potential of my hometown if the state was more cordial.

[magellan]

I think Michigan is actually poised to be a world leader again. It may take 8 - 12 years, and many people may move out of Michigan in the process, but I believe that the "creative brain power" is here, and many of these people that are here are having children here for future generations to lead the front.

1) The one thing that Michigan CANNOT do is foresake its natural resources in the pursuit of job creation. Jobs come and go, tax breaks come and go, distribution facilities rise and fall, markets expand and contract, etc.. Our Great Lakes and beautiful natural resources are finite, and set us apart from the great majority of the rest of the country and world. You can create a job-producing machine that cranks out thousands of new jobs a year, but if there is no quality of life to be enjoyed, we'll never attract the best and brightest that we need to sustain it.

2) I DO NOT believe that Michigan needs to redefine itself as the "home of xxx industry or technology". It needs to be a massive mixing bowl of a wide array of industries and technology, from bioinformatics to renewable energy to transportation technology to you name it. There is no magic bullet that will cure all.

3) The legislature needs to realize that it does not answer only to the radical right wing and the automotive companies. Despite a dreaded economy facing a lackluster incumbent, the Michigan voters spoke in force that they do not want a conservative running the state, PERIOD. Devos didn't even win in the conservative West Michigan area, and the election was his to lose. No matter your political ideology, it's time to put down the pitchforks and get to work (and compromise).

4) Something needs to be done to rein in healthcare costs in the U.S., but especially in Michigan. It's killing businesses, crippling the auto-makers, and putting more and more Michiganians in financial trouble.

FWIW Schaumberger, it looks like the new "MBT" business tax is being well received to replace the SBT.

[Schaumburger]

Out of all the points you mentioned number one resonates considerably. It's probably one of the most well put things I've read about any Michigan Economy discussion. Sadly, it is overlooked many times.

[tuebor]

Schaumburger--I'm so glad to hear a businessperson say that it takes more than low taxes to help businesses grow. Thank you!

Magellan--right as usual.

For 30 years ideologues have been telling us that if we just lower taxes and cut government, then business will expand and create jobs. And for 30 years this strategy has failed. The gap between the rich and poor has been growing, blue-collar jobs have been disappearing, and the cost of education needed for white-collar jobs has been rising faster than general inflation.

This year we watched Mike Bishop and the Senate GOP spout this same nonsense while they monkeywrenched the state budget process month after month. Thanks to them and their anti-tax demagoguery, the state had to mortgage future revenue and cut funding to universities at a time when affordable higher education is more important than ever. Mike Bishop seems to be more interested in making Granholm fail than in making Michigan succeed. Here's a suggestion for improving Michigan: recall Mike Bishop!

This year has made it plain that term limits for state legislators are a bad idea. The majority of Michigan voters have rejected the policies of Mike Bishop, but Bishop can safely ignore them. He has no long term career interest in forming working relationships with other legislators. His eyes are presumably on his next nomination, so he can be as obstructionist as he wants to be, so long as it plays well with the minority who vote in GOP primaries. And there are no term limits for lobbyists! Term limits for legislators should be ended.

The new business tax sounds better than the old one, but we also need a progressive income tax to provide a stable source of revenue. Perhaps the latter could displace the former over time, or it could be used to fund healthcare, relieving businesses of that burden (though we really need a nationwide approach to healthcare, I think).

But most importantly, we need to retool our education system for the new economy. The Granholm administration does have a pretty good plan, one that puts education and also entrepreneurship at the center of Michigan's recovery efforts. Read about it at Lt. Governor's Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth

The highlights are here: Implementation

I hope current Lt. Gov. John Cherry runs for governor in the future. He seems to have done a good job chairing this commission.

[Schaumburger]

Currently I'm no businessperson. Maybe when the diligence is done, but not now. My opinion is from common sense and knowing people who struggle with the issue.

The MBT looks to be exciting, this will be a great base to build off of and help to improve MI.

I'm not sure to what extent credit ratings will have on our state. Its not any news that S&P and Wall Street is degrading Michigan's credit rating which if anyone knows is just another reason for the Michigan basher. A part from this, the core source for the downgrade is attributed to no tax structure, one time fixes and budget problems. Its that vicious cycle that Michigan is dabbling its pinkie toe in.

[Packrat]

Get Illinois or Indiana to annex the lower third and the upper lower penisula and the UP get Canada to take them in !

[baystater]

Is Michigan starting to take baby steps in the right direction economical?

Michigan.org - Michigan Business Report Landing Page

[scottmi]

I would create tax-free incentives to attract large pharmaceutical companies, global businesses' headquarters and engineering (non-auto) businesses to Michigan.

I would cut funding to any restoration projects going on in Detroit - that city is Auto-fied and comatose when it comes to growing (except in crimerates). Just pull the plug and try to help out other cities like Lansing, Kzoo & Grand Rapids more.

I would DUMP lots of money into Education --- make Michigan a place for thriving public universities. Distribute funding to ALL Michigan K-12 schools - not just the ones near Detroit and larger cities.

I would put lots of money into developing all the coastal towns around northern lower Michigan and even the UP.....if Michigan's ONE redeeming factor is its tourism - give tourists MORE stuff to see and do in the state's best looking places. Ignoring them hasn't helped any - why not give it a try?