[Omatic]

What would you change, what would you keep the same? Lately I've been interested in politics, mostly at the state/local level. Anyways I was thinking about Rick Snyder capping the film incentives a couple years ago and it just made me mad. The film industry was bringing jobs and studios to our state, why stop that? I don't want Michigan to become Hollywood, but if the film industry was creating some jobs for us why shun it?

Well, this just got me thinking; If you were governor of Michigan, what would you do? How would you handle Detroit? What would you do to stop people from leaving the state, and get it to grow again? Or anything else you'd want to do, discuss it here.

[TwinbrookNine]

Originally Posted by Omatic

What would you change, what would you keep the same? Lately I've been interested in politics, mostly at the state/local level. Anyways I was thinking about Rick Snyder capping the film incentives a couple years ago and it just made me mad. The film industry was bringing jobs and studios to our state, why stop that? I don't want Michigan to become Hollywood, but if the film industry was creating some jobs for us why shun it?

Originally Posted by Omatic

Well, this just got me thinking; If you were governor of Michigan, what would you do? How would you handle Detroit? What would you do to stop people from leaving the state, and get it to grow again? Or anything else you'd want to do, discuss it here.

You, like sooo many other people are letting Channel 7 tell you how to think. I'll let ya in on something. Rick Snyder, against all odds (and I mean ALL odds!) has accomplished more positive economic feats in the couple years in office then almost anybody realizes, because, like the gov of Wisconsin, he's learned to do his stuff under the radar. Simply put, if you are educated, motivated, thinking "upwardly mobile" and not swayed by pity pot mentality, you can do just well in Michigan. You just have to use YOUR head...not Diana Lewis'.

Michigan has gone from ranking 42nd in job creation to ranking 10th (there are arguments this way and that way but you get the gist of what's happened and if not impressed, lite up that jay and go read something else, nothing here for you). You, like so many other people, think everything is gonna be handed to ya gratis - like today. That ain't the way it works.

The simple truth of the matter is that the exit of Jennifer Granholm and her replacement by a business savvy guy who learned (from what happened in Wisconsin I presume) has made this (now right to work) state a magnet for new business, this despite the feds who are doing all they can to abolish industry and free enterprise in this country. The "G--D'ed" factories a mile from me banging junk out (noisily) all night (that's three shifts, btw) tell ya all ya need to know. Those puppies had sat idle for the last 10 years! Been out on the roads in suburban Detroit Metro at rush hour lately? There's another clue.

But if pissin and moanin and waiting for another entitlement is your game, there's always California. Your future here (at least for the time being) is not so bright.

[Omatic]

...W.T.F.? This was not to be an Rick Snyder diss thread. This was meant to be a fun "If I were in power" thread. I post one thing and you automatically think you know me and call me entitled. Gosh. But yeah, job creation is going good. That's why almost all of Michigan cities are losing population huh? Yep.

Stick the the main reason I created this thread please. No name calling, bashing any governors, or acting like a fool.

[Bydand]

He may have capped the film incentives, but that has not driven the movies OUT of the State like so many predicted and some still think. They are capped at a lower level, but incentives are still there and still being awarded to studios that shoot here. Even in my very small area there has been either whole movies or parts of 4 or 5 movies shot after he made those changes, with one complete movie being shot right now in this area. Sure the ones who filmed here strictly because of the big incentives have moved on, but there are others who have found a willing, skilled workforce and fresh new scenery to shoot and they have stayed or continue to come back. The ones who were here just for the incentives were not giving that big of a boost to the economy anyway, so overall no huge loss.

Overall I would keep it just the way he has done so far. No major changes to the path he has followed. We are making jobs, slowing the exodus, and even making some gains in population in areas again. It isn't an overnight situation and there isn't a magic wand that one could wave to speed things along much faster. What would I "do" with Detroit? Just as has been done. If a person is fiscally irresponsible for years or decades, sooner or later they have to face the results of their past actions, Detroit is no different. Let it go bankrupt, make some MUCH needed changes in how it conducts itself because "business as usual" in Detroits case simply cannot, and should not continue.

[soulful]

Originally Posted by Omatic

If you were governor of Michigan, what would you do? How would you handle Detroit?
What would you do to stop people from leaving the state, and get it to grow again?

A) Close the city down. Unincorporate it.

B) Put up fences and other barriers to prevent departures

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Omatic

What would you change, what would you keep the same? Lately I've been interested in politics, mostly at the state/local level. Anyways I was thinking about Rick Snyder capping the film incentives a couple years ago and it just made me mad. The film industry was bringing jobs and studios to our state, why stop that? I don't want Michigan to become Hollywood, but if the film industry was creating some jobs for us why shun it?

Well, this just got me thinking; If you were governor of Michigan, what would you do? How would you handle Detroit? What would you do to stop people from leaving the state, and get it to grow again? Or anything else you'd want to do, discuss it here.

I don't think capping the incentives is shunning the industry but that's like corporate welfare, the rich just want to get richer so demand "incentives" to create jobs. Why should one line of business get more corporate welfare or "incentives" than others?

Maybe lowering taxes on ALL would be better, it would be more fair and would provide incentives.

[Retroit]

1. Give any tax incentives equally to all industries, i.e. don't play favorites with the film industry like Granholm the drama queen.
2. Declare a state of emergency in Detroit. Send in the National Guard to patrol schools in the day and gas stations and city buses at night, or wherever needed.
3. Increase the thickness of all future roads. Outlaw asphalt. Lower the weight limit for trucks.
4. Ban all new road construction in metropolitan areas until the occupancy rates in the inner city increase to high levels. This will discourage sprawl and revitalize inner cities.
5. Raise the gas tax and registration fees so that they can pay for all road construction without using general funds. This will also encourage mass transit.
6. Encourage privatization of schools. Give every parent of school age children a voucher to use at any school they want, private or public.
7. Let Matty Maroun build his bridge and drop the state bridge.
8. Require anyone getting benefits from the state do community service if physically able, including those receiving unemployment insurance, bridge card/food stamps, etc.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[teachbeach]

Reduce or eliminate the personal income tax on state pensions~this is causing many of the senior population to "retire" and make their permanent residences in other states; keeping their MI home as a non-homestead is cheaper than paying income tax on some pensions.

Agree with another post about revisiting the road/asphalt/weight limit issues for infrastructure and maintenance on major roads; a constant battle for repair work.

Rather than building new buildings; encourage the reuse and repurpose of some of the vacant structures that are becoming urban blight areas.

[animatedmartian]

1. Give tax incentives for IT, media, and medical industries.

2. Prioritize development for areas around major colleges.

3. Hopefully, after some growth of other industries, shift the business tax burden to manufacturing.

4. Invest in solar energy and solar panel production. Build solar farms across the state (I think they're less NIMBY-prone than wind farms though I'm not sure if they're more expensive or not).

5. Set up a framework for intercity mass transit between Michigan cities. Not quite HSR, but something along the lines of modern-day interurban rail/roadway transit network that easily connects multiple locations in multiple cities.

I'm assuming this would be in the near future so presumably Detroit's finances would be sorted out by that point. I wouldn't do anything further with Detroit other than the usual grants for demolition, renovation, and redevelopment. In theory, Detroit should become a hub of centralized activity and eventually it's growth won't be dependent on the state which would then allow investment in the other points I mentioned. Cities like Flint and Lansing would benefit from intercity mass transit as no doubt real estate prices would increase in Metro Detroit.

To combat sprawl, a soft boundary would be placed around Metro Detroit that discourages investment in upgrading existing roads outside of the city but rewards transit-oriented development. I would also relax annexation laws to go back to a more traditional method of requiring the residents of either contiguous municipalities to vote on approval instead of the current revenue-sharing scheme (which doesn't seem too widely used).

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by TwinbrookNine

You, like sooo many other people are letting Channel 7 tell you how to think. I'll let ya in on something. Rick Snyder, against all odds (and I mean ALL odds!) has accomplished more positive economic feats in the couple years in office then almost anybody realizes, because, like the gov of Wisconsin, he's learned to do his stuff under the radar. Simply put, if you are educated, motivated, thinking "upwardly mobile" and not swayed by pity pot mentality, you can do just well in Michigan. You just have to use YOUR head...not Diana Lewis'.

Michigan has gone from ranking 42nd in job creation to ranking 10th (there are arguments this way and that way but you get the gist of what's happened and if not impressed, lite up that jay and go read something else, nothing here for you). You, like so many other people, think everything is gonna be handed to ya gratis - like today. That ain't the way it works.

The simple truth of the matter is that the exit of Jennifer Granholm and her replacement by a business savvy guy who learned (from what happened in Wisconsin I presume) has made this (now right to work) state a magnet for new business, this despite the feds who are doing all they can to abolish industry and free enterprise in this country. The "G--D'ed" factories a mile from me banging junk out (noisily) all night (that's three shifts, btw) tell ya all ya need to know. Those puppies had sat idle for the last 10 years! Been out on the roads in suburban Detroit Metro at rush hour lately? There's another clue.

But if pissin and moanin and waiting for another entitlement is your game, there's always California. Your future here (at least for the time being) is not so bright.

ROFLMAO!!

Under the radar is the same as UNCONSTITUTIONAL aka ILLEGAL.

Just love the impact Right to Be Poor has had on the economy. All those thousands of jobs coming in everyday. Also education is in the top 5 of the USA. And WOMEN'S RIGHTS is applauded as the best in the nation.

Just like Scott Walker, Adolph Snyder is dismantling the very foundation of out state and our economy all in the name of ALEC and one nation under the KOCH BROS.